FORT WORTH, Texas—Alcon, a global leader in eyecare and a division of Novartis, (NYSE: NVS) said Monday that it is expanding its extensive, global support of eyecare professionals through the unveiling of the Alcon Experience Academy. The robust program offers face-to-face training and online educational resources by leading specialists from around the world to provide the best patient care possible, according to the announcement. As part of this effort, Alcon also launched a new online portal, AlconExperienceAcademy.com, to house its growing library of educational materials for healthcare practitioners who engage with the eye, including ECPs, nurses, technicians and students.

Alcon noted that the Experience Academy will serve as an “umbrella for industry-leading training and educational resources for all eyecare professionals,” and that the trainings offer “online and hands-on experiential learning opportunities at Alcon Experience Centers around the globe.”
“The Alcon Experience Academy underscores our dedication to the continuous education of the eye health community by offering opportunities to discover the latest advancements in ophthalmic technology at global Alcon Experience Centers, or within their own practices,” Alcon chief executive officer David Endicott said in the announcement. “Through our industry-leading educational resources, we are fully committed to providing best-in-class training to help shape the future of eyecare and to provide opportunities for the best-possible patient outcomes.”

The new website includes a robust library of more than 500 training videos, with additional content added regularly to an easy-to-navigate home screen. It will also feature webcasts developed by leading eyecare specialists from around the world, along with personalized videos and curricula across several disease states and focus areas, according to the announcement. The website materials primarily focus on real-world surgical case studies using the latest innovations in eye care. Resources specific to optometry are due to be released early next year.

As VMAIL reported, Novartis expects to spin off its Alcon business segment, which will become a separate independent company, in the first half of 2019.