Latest News Session Panelists Announced for NAVCP 2019 Vision Health Summit in Washington, D.C. By Staff Tuesday, March 19, 2019 12:21 AM WASHINGTON, D.C.—The National Association of Vision Care Plans (NAVCP) today announced the subject matter expert panelists that will address industry trends, telehealth/telemedicine and disruptive technology in vision care, the skyrocketing incidence of myopia and the important role vision health plays in achieving overall health at its upcoming 2019 Vision Health Summit, April 14-16. The organization said the deadline for hotel room reservations for the meeting, to be held at the MGM National Harbor here, is March 22. Registration details are posted here. Among the Summit session and panelists are an opening session #AllAboutThePatient, which will examine trends for 2019, including the move from fee-for-service to value-based reiumbursement and examining how managed vision care fits into new "patient-centric" trends. Speakers at this discussion include Bart Foster, managing director, Sanitas Advisors and Marge Axelrad, SVP and editorial director, Vision Monday and VMAIL.Better Living Through Technology? will examine telehealth, telemedicine, online fraction, EHRs, blockchain and artificial intelligence, and look at how these are disrupting health care and allowing patients to own a bigger stake in their care. Speakers will include Soroush Abbaspour, PhD, MBA, program director, BlockChain for Healthcare, Innovation & Solution Incubation, IBM Corporation; program director, Columbia-IBM Center for Blockchain and Data Transparency, Craig Kasten, CEO and managing partner, SKYGEN USA; and Keith Thompson, CEO, Telmedix, LLC . NAVCP will take A Closer Look at Myopia, noting the increased incidence of myopia in the U.S. and worldwide. Speakers will includeThomas Aller, OD, FBCLA, visiting scholar, University of California, Berkeley School of Optometry; adjunct professor, University of Houston College of Optometry; and Dr. Gary Gerber, co-founder Treehouse Eyes and Matt Oerding, CEO and co-founder Treehouse Eyes. In Vision Health: A Full Seat at the Table, this session will look at the impact of major vision problems among Americans, asking how vision care can be more of a critical health concern for all stakeholders. Speakers will be Sandra S. Block, OD, M Ed, MPH, FAAO, FCOVD, FNAP, professor; medical director, School-Based Clinics; director of School-Based Research, Illinois College of Optometry; and Edwin C. Marshall, OD, MS, MPH, professor emeritus of Optometry and Public Health, Indiana University NAVCP announced in February that former Global Brand Innovation Leader at Procter & Gamble FutureWorks Dustin Garis will deliver the keynote address at this year’s summit.The full 2019 NAVCP Vision Health Summit agenda is posted here.