Latest News More Than 500 Optometry Advocates Participated in the AOA’s 2015 Congressional Advocacy Conference By Staff Monday, April 20, 2015 12:24 AM WASHINGTON, D.C.—More than 500 optometrist members of the American Optometric Association (AOA) and students participated in last Tuesday’s 2015 Congressional Advocacy Conference on Capitol Hill. While the effort couldn’t have been more timely, as the U.S. Senate approved a $145 billion health care reform bill the same day (as reported by VMail), the AOA members and students also pursued additional initiatives to focus a national spotlight on the profession and help advance optometry’s top priorities.A special forum with officials from U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, AARP and AOA leaders, including AOA president David A. Cockrell, OD, and Steven A. Loomis, OD, AOA president-elect, focused on ensuring healthier aging by expanding seniors’ access to comprehensive eye exams. As part of the “Health Policy Listening Session: Comprehensive Eye Exams and Healthy Aging,” optometry’s advocates and aging experts discussed removing policy barriers that prevent seniors’ from getting comprehensive eye exams.Throughout the conference, hundreds of ODs and students visited the offices of their Congressional representatives to urge support of AOA-backed legislation, including two key bills: the National Health Service Corps (NHSC) bill (H.R. 1312/S. 898), which aims to make ODs eligible for NHSC scholarship and loan repayment programs while they aid underserved populations, and a bill regarding optometric residencies in the Veterans Administration (H.R. 1688), which would amend the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act of 2014 to designate 20 graduate medical education residency positions specifically for the study of optometry.A Hoya-sponsored luncheon featured political consultant Frank Luntz, PhD, president and founder of Luntz Global Partners, who continued a discussion about the current climate in Washington, DC. Two AOA members were presented the AOA President’s Award for their service to optometry—Glen Steele, OD, InfantSEE and Children’s Vision Committee chair, and Helene Clayton-Jeter, OD, U.S. Food & Drug Administration Health Programs coordinator in the Commissioner’s Office of Health and Constituent Affairs.In addition, the annual Health Care Leadership Awards, honoring legislators who advance efforts related to eyecare, were presented during the Breakfast with Optometry’s Champions, with special thanks to Safilo Group. The 2015 honorees were: Senator John Boozman, OD (R-AR), Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL), Senator Barbara Mikulski (D-MD), Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) , Congressman Sean Patrick Maloney (D-NY), Congressman Tom Cole (R-OK), Congressman Kurt Schrader (D-OR), Congressman Dave Loebsack (D-IA), Congresswoman Anne McLane Kuster (D-NH), Congressman Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Congressman Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), Congressman Tom Reed (R-NY), and Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-IL).