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St. Paul, MN – The International Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (IJCAHPO®) announced the naming of James C. Tsai, MD, MBA, FACS, as IJCAHPO’s President beginning in August 2021, serving a two-year term. Dr. Tsai is IJCAHPO’s 26th President of the 52-year-old organization. Dr. Tsai’s leadership will focus on increasing awareness of the allied ophthalmic profession, advocating for certification of the eye care team to ensure quality patient care, and advancing Allied Ophthalmic Personnel (AOP) education and training on new treatments and technologies.
Dr. Tsai is the President at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai, and Delafield-Rodgers Professor and Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the Mount Sinai Health System. He completed his medical degree at Stanford University School of Medicine and his MBA from Vanderbilt University, and received his residency training in ophthalmology at the Doheny Eye Institute, which at the time was affiliated with the University of Southern California, Los Angeles. He conducted his glaucoma fellowship training at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, University of Miami Health System, and Moorfields Eye Hospital, London, and University College London’s Institute of Ophthalmology. He specializes in glaucoma tube shunt implant surgery and trabeculectomy with antimetabolite surgery in patients with complex glaucomas. His research interests include the identification of neuroprotective molecules that can shield the optic nerve from damage without lowering intraocular pressure, evaluation of surgical outcomes in glaucoma patients, and development of advanced vision testing techniques.
“I am honored to serve as IJCAHPO’s President and build our organization’s future on its successful foundation. I look forward to collaborating with a dynamic Board of Directors, dedicated volunteers, and an enthusiastic staff team as we create a strategic vision for IJCAHPO that is critical to our ability to meet the growing demand for a well-trained eye care team. My deepest appreciation to Dr. Neil Choplin, IJCAHPO’s Immediate Past President, for his leadership and innovation during this past COVID-19 era,” said Tsai.
Dr. Tsai has been a leading force in the industry for years, including serving as a Trustee-At-Large of the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO), Chair of the Glaucoma Subcommittee of the National Eye Health Education Program (NEHEP) planning committee of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and an international member of the scientific advisory panel of the National Medical Research Council (NMRC) in Singapore. He has served as Past Chair of the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s (AAO) Global Ophthalmic News & Education Network (O.N.E.) Board and a member of AAO’s Nominating and Health Policy Committees. Dr. Tsai is a recipient of the AAO’s Life Achievement Honor, Senior Achievement Honor, and Secretariat Awards, Fight for Sight’s Physician Scientist and Visionary Awards, and the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award from Marquis Who’s Who.
Dr. Tsai began his service with IJCAHPO in 2011 and was elected to the Board of Directors as a Director-At-Large in 2015. He then served as the Treasurer from 2017-2019 and was elected to serve as President-Elect in 2019. Dr. Tsai succeeds Neil Choplin, MD, who served as IJCAHPO’s President from 2019-2021.
The International Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology – IJCAHPO®, (formerly the Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology – JCAHPO®), was established as a not-for-profit organization in 1969 to offer certification and continuing education opportunities to ophthalmic allied health personnel. Since then, more than 31,000 people in the U.S., Canada, and around the world have earned IJCAHPO® Certification. For more information visit: www.jcahpo.org.
Prevent Blindness is declaring February as Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Low Vision Month in an effort to provide education and various expert-approved resources to the public and professionals. This year’s AMD and Low Vision Month is generously supported by Gold Sponsor EyePoint, Inc.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, AMD is the most common cause of severe loss of eyesight among people 50 and older. And, about 4 million Americans live with low vision, which is defined as chronic visual impairment that cannot be corrected with glasses, contact lenses or medical treatments.
AMD affects the central part of the retina called the “macula.” When AMD damages the macula, the center part of a person’s vision may become blurred or wavy, and a blind spot may develop. Early detection and treatment of AMD is key to helping to prevent significant vision loss.
Two types of AMD include:
“As our population ages, the number of individuals impacted by AMD continues to grow. Many will face difficulties doing the things we sometimes take for granted, such as reading, seeing faces, and driving,” said Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. “Our robust collection of resources on AMD and low vision are intentionally created to help minimize vision loss and maintain independence for those impacted by AMD while providing effective tools to the public and providers on ways to save sight.”
As part of AMD and Low Vision Month, Prevent Blindness offers the free AMD GuideMe app. This resource provides a customized overview of AMD along with a tailored resource list and suggested steps to help save sight from the eye disease specific to the individual using the GuideMe app. Prevent Blindness offers additional educational resources including fact sheets and shareable social media graphics in English and Spanish, and dedicated webpages.
New this year, as part of the Prevent Blindness ASPECT Patient Engagement Program Member Spotlight Series, graduate Laurie S., shares her experience with AMD, including her family history with the eye disease, how it impacts her daily activities including the ability to read music, and the importance of support groups “Age-related Macular Degeneration: Laurie’s Story.”
Videos in the Prevent Blindness Focus on Eye Health Series include:
The Prevent Blindness “Living Well With Low Vision” program provides useful information to those with low vision, their care partners and healthcare professionals. Content includes self-help guides, resources for vision loss and mental wellness, information on clinical trials, and much more. Living Well With Low Vision is supported by grants from Amgen and Genentech.
For more information on AMD, please visit PreventBlindness.org/amd. For information on geographic atrophy, please visit PreventBlindness.org/geographic-atrophy.
And, for more information on Living Well With Low Vision, or other general eye health information, please visit lowvision.PreventBlindness.org.
For a listing of organizations and services that provide financial assistance for vision care in English or Spanish, please visit https://preventblindness.org/vision-care-financial-assistance-information.
