Needham, Massachusetts-based BostonSight announced an expansion of its FitAcademy (FA) educational events with the addition of two new programs for practicing eyecare professionals (ECPs).
Refresh me on BostonSight.
Founded in 1992, the nonprofit healthcare organization is advancing treatment for damaged / diseased corneas and dry eye via research, education, and technology development.
Its technology includes medical treatments such as:
- PROSE, a customized scleral lens device treatment for restoring visual/physiological function in ocular surface disease (OSD)
- BostonSight SCLERAL, a commercially available, ready-to-fit scleral lens.
Gotcha. Now what exactly is this FitAcademy?
Originally launched in 2016, BostonSight’s FA is a two-day, cost-free (due to funding from the nonprofit and its sponsors) annual educational retreat for cornea and contact lens residents and fellows at schools and colleges of optometry and accredited fellowship sites across North America (the U.S. and Canada).
Its purpose: to train attendees on proper scleral lens fitting and assessment, plus how to manage and co-manage a range of both corneal and ocular surface disorders (dry eye disease [DED] and keratoconus, for example).
Its uniqueness: With hands-on learning and training in a small-scale setting, the program aims to give residents the opportunity to collaborate and strengthen their professional connections.
How many residents typically attend?
While the attendee list can vary, last year’s FA event included 29 residents who attended the in-person and participated in the full curriculum as well as a hands-on wet lab training.
The location: The New England College of Optometry’s (NECO), a sponsor of the event, Clinical Training Center.
And who leads the program?
FA Director Karen G. Carrasquillo, OD, PhD, FAAO, FSLS, FBCLA, BostonSight’s senior vice president of Clinical and Professional Affairs.
Other instructors include faculty from eyecare institutions across the country as well BostonSight’s staff:
- Bita Asghari, OD, FAAO, FSLS, associate director of Clinical Education
- Chirag Patel, OD, FAAO, associate director of Innovative Technologies
- Alan Kwok, OD, FAAO, FSLS, director of PROSE Network Clinical Relationships
- Daniel Brocks, MD, chief medical officer; cornea specialist
Interesting .. so when is the next retreat scheduled for?
FitAcademy for Residents is slated to kick off Sept. 13-14, 2024.
And for next year (if you want to plan ahead): Sept. 12-13, 2025
Note: This event is invitation-only.
Alrighty, now tell me about these new programs.
We’ll start with the first: FitAcademy Latin America (LATAM)
The two-day event is scheduled for May 18-19, 2024, at Clofán Clinic Medellín in Medellín, Colombia, with a similar clinical training program to that of the original FA program and led by Dr. Carrasquillo (accompanied by six other Colombian faculty members):
- Diego Aristizabeal Montes, MD
- Miguel Cuevas, MD
- Norma Cárdenas, OD
- Patricia Flores, OD, TMO, MSc, PhD, IACLE, FSLS
- María Helena García-Quijano, OD
- Leonardo Orjuela, OD
And who’s invited?
Both optometrists and ophthalmologists are welcome.
Click here to learn more and register—the cost is $350 USD.
And now this second program.
FitAcademy Immersive is a two-day intensive training program for a selective number of ECPs in the U.S. and Canada, held on-site at BostonSight’s clinic in Needham Heights, Massachusetts.
The agenda includes:
- Fitting scleral lenses and troubleshooting fitting issues
- Using technology to address and correct higher-order aberrations
- Effects of long-term scleral lens use
- Management of ocular surface conditions and complications
- Advanced scleral lens designs, tools, and techniques
- Co-management expectations/recommendations in ophthalmology
- Scleral lens tool and technology updates
What else makes this program unique?
With only 10 participants permitted to attend, clinicians are expected to spend the two days working with BostonClinic’s PROSE doctors in “learning how to care for the most complex patients.”
The agenda also features didactic presentations, a visit to BostonSight’s manufacturing lab (to understand lens design, manufacturing edge finishing, and the modification process), as well as learning methods for lens application and removal in a dedicated patient training room.
Who’s leading it?
As with FA’s other programs, Dr. Carrasquillo—she’ll be joined by FA’s faculty members (listed earlier).
Gotcha. So when is it?
June 27-28, 2024.
Is there a cost to register?
Unlike the FA program’s standard “free” cost of admission … Yes.
The cost: $1,250.Click here (and scroll all the way down) to register.