Loss – Protect our professional lives like we protect our personal lives

"LOSS" – a simple word that can stir anxiety in even a mildly competitive individual like me. It is something that we are all familiar with on one level or another. It can come in many forms – from something insignificant like being beaten on the playing field to something much more meaningful like the loss of a loved one. I have been dealing with the threat of loss in my personal life and that has driven me to evaluate what is important to me. My family and my profession are two of my top three as I am sure is the case with most of you.

What I find interesting is why we go to such great lengths to protect ourselves from loss in our personal lives and not in our professional lives. We carry insurance against loss and damage to our vehicles and our homes. We even go beyond what is required and many of us carry insurance against death and disability so that we can protect our families or our lifestyles. From a professional standpoint, I realize that we are required to carry some form of liability policy to protect ourselves at the office, but what about protecting ourselves outside the office? What about access to patients? What about our ability to use the codes and perform the procedures that pay our bills every day? Why don’t we go to those same great lengths to ensure legislative success for optometry? As we have stated many times – we are a legislated profession!

Dr. Caldwell has appropriately spent a great deal of time discussing the issues of health care reform from a third party center perspective. I would like to now call each of you to action – get involved in the legislative aspect of health care reform. Whether you are an "R" or a "D," we are all optometrists. There was a great deal of turnover in the House and Senate at both the state and national levels. With each change we lost a relationship with an elected official, whether positive or negative, but gained the ability to form a positive relationship with another. We need strong relationships with legislators now more than ever! The threat of loss last session should have sprung everyone into action – visiting legislators, ramping up the Keyperson system and our giving to POPAC. We had a positive response by some volunteer leaders, but we all need to evaluate our priorities and work to ensure our inclusion in today’s changing landscape of healthcare. Be successful - get involved with a legislator from your side of the aisle, support POPAC with regular donations and help the POA in whatever way your talents allow. Don’t let optometry experience loss – EVER!

It is an honor and a privilege to be your 2011 POA president. I hope each of you had a safe and happy Holiday Season and thank you for lending me your ear!

Daniel F. Russell, O.D.

President

Pennsylvania Optometric Association

http://www.poaeyes.org/