• Q & A
• Business Operations Courses
• Coding & Reimbursement Courses
• Compliance and Risk Management Courses
• Information Technology Courses
• Optical Dispensing
• Physician Professional Development Courses
• Courses for Young Ophthalmologists

Q: Do I need to be a member of AAOE to attend an instruction course?
A: No. AAOE instruction courses can be purchased by members and non-members.

Q: My administrator attends the meeting with me. Why do I also need to attend the practice management courses?
A: Communication is imperative to the success of your practice. When a physician and administrator attend a program together they can collectively discuss how to integrate the  new information into the practice.

Q: Who presents the material at the AAOE courses?
A: Many of the courses are presented by panel teams made up of one or more physicians, an administrator and a consultant. Panelists understand your challenges, and have developed hands-on solutions to meet your needs.

Q: Are CME credits available for AAOE courses?
A: Yes, all AAOE courses are CME bearing activities.
 
Q: Can physicians attend the AAOE free programs?
 A: Yes, but seating is limited for some programs.

Q: What types of courses are appropriate for physicians to attend?
A: AAOE courses are developed around seven competency areas.  Most courses are appropriate for physicians to attend whether you are a new associate, physician owner or managing physician. Listed below are a few options to consider. For complete course descriptions explore the virtual Advance Program or visit the AAOE Program of the 2009 Joint Meeting page.

Course Fees per hour of instruction (except where otherwise noted): Advanced Fee $25  Onsite Fee: $35

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Sunday, Oct. 25

The Managing Partner (Course: 751)
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
This course will enable a managing physician to understand and use simple and effective business procedures in directing the medical practice. Attendees will learn to hire and retain good employees, understand and supervise the finances of the practice in just a few minutes each month, divide income in the practice to most effectively encourage work and cooperation, and favorably position the practice in the community.

Monday, Oct. 26

Build Your Practice Efficiency: Ideas for Growing Your Practice Large or Small (Course: 404)
9 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.
The course will give attendees specific ideas to take back to their practices, the implementation of which could produce double-digit practice growth. This class will be fast moving and cover a lot of opportunities. The course is designed to cover many different concepts from where they are now financially and the structure for success. We will cover marketing, denials, no shows, managed care opportunities, strategic acquisitions, administrative expenses, salary incentives for employees, morale, banking, depreciation, and asset purchases. Each of these areas will be covered with specific suggestions for building practice strength, and each will have measurable, results-oriented ideas. The presenter will share how his practice has been able to grow its doctors'' incomes dramatically for the last six years straight.

A Practical Guide to Understanding and Negotiating Your Employment Agreement (Course: 423)
10:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.
This course addresses the various practical, business and legal aspects of reviewing and negotiating an initial employment agreement. Issues covered in the course include understanding the business and legal terms of the proposed employment arrangement, the fundamentals of a contract and tips on how to negotiate the deal with the prospective employer. This course aims to leave attendees with an understanding of the entire employment and contracting process so that they approach their first contract experience with knowledge and confidence.

The Seven Deadly Sins of Selling Your Solo Practice (Course: 537)
4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
This course is designed for physicians considering sale of their solo practices within the next five years. Learn about many of the common mistakes encountered as solo physicians prepare their practices for sale and keys for reducing problems during the negotiation process. Learn how your practice will be assessed by a potential buyer and ways to maximize its value. The main objective of this course is to assist solo practitioners in understanding critical elements and potential pitfalls in preparing for sale of their practices to potential buyers.

Tuesday, Oct. 27

Deciphering Financial Reports for the Young Ophthalmologist (Course: 635)
9 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.
You spend 20 years in training to give sight to the sightless, but YOUR eyes swim when you're asked to evaluate a practice opportunity such as a buy-in or an opportunity to invest in an ASC, optical shop or practice real estate. You're not alone, and help is on the way. This course will present and demystify the basic financial reports you will run into when evaluating practice opportunities--profit and loss statements, balance sheets, accounts receivables reports, tax returns and then help you understand how they all relate--and why they are important.

Eye on Efficiency: The Integrated Eye-Care Team (Course: SYM86)
12:45 p.m. to 2:15 p.m.
FREE SYMPOSIUM!
With the aging of the boomers, increasing time constraints, increasing demands of our patients, and decreased workforce, ophthalmology practices will need to become more efficient to handle this upcoming influx of patients.  Come to this session and listen to an interactive panel of MDs in practices of all sizes discuss how they have transitioned to an integrated eye care team approach to seeing patients. This method allows for the ophthalmologist to structure their practice so that patients are seen by the appropriate member of the team – ophthalmologist, optometrist, ophthalmic technician. You will hear the benefits of practicing this way, tips on how to make the transition and practical pearls to make your practice more efficient under this system. There will be plenty of time for audience participation and discussion.  

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In addition to the comprehensive coding & reimbursement courses, be sure to attend our FREE coding events: 2010: A Coding Odyssey and Ophthalmology Coding A to Z.

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Monday, Oct. 26

MD/OD/JD: The Good, Bad and The Ugly (Course: 458)
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
The course is designed to educate attendees about the legal issues surrounding business and referral relationships between ophthalmologists and optometrists. At the conclusion of the course the attendees will be able to (1) understand the various business and referral relationships that exist between ophthalmologists and optometrists, (2) understand the legal and compliance issues that attach to such relationships, and (3) recognize how to avoid the legal pitfalls relating to such relationships.

United States vs. Ophthalmologist: You Judge (Course: 482)
2 p.m. to 3 p.m. 
This course will provide a summary of past and current investigations of ophthalmologists, with focus on the issues that the government has targeted as fraudulent or abusive. Objectives: At the end of this course, the attendees will be able to (1) understand the focus of current government investigations of ophthalmologists, (2) identify potential risk areas for their practices, and (3) take steps to avoid potential liability.

Tuesday Oct. 27

Maximizing Government Incentive Programs to Boost Your Bottom Line (Course: 624)
9 a.m. to 10 a.m.
In today’s economy, keeping an ophthalmology practice profitable can be a challenge! Learn ways to take advantage of alternate revenue streams such as the economic stimulus package made available earlier this year. PQRI is another initiative gaining momentum as the government and healthcare industry place more emphasis on quality. This session focuses on exploring opportunities to qualify for stimulus funding, identifying PQRI quality measures relevant to ophthalmology, how to collect data and report on those measures, the importance of electronic prescribing and electronic health records, and potential grant funding. Various “take-home tools” will also be included so that you can use this information when you get back to the office!

Compliance FAQs: How Would You Respond? (Course #656)
10:15 a.m. to 11:15 a.m.
This course will use a series of 15 frequently asked questions and case studies to review the hottest compliance and regulatory issues being raised in 2009 by physicians and physician practices. Session attendees will be encouraged to participate in the program by offering answers to the situations posed before the answers are presented. At the end of this program the participants will be able to (1) identify business arrangements that require analysis under the most recent changes to the Stark law,(2) discuss some of the most common activities of ophthalmologists investigated by the federal government, and (3) avoid common compliance risks.

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Successful MD Optical Dispensing: Private Practice, Hospital/Clinic, and Pediatric Specialty (Course: 521)
3:15 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. 
This course presents different scenarios of dispensing within an M.D. practice. The M.D. panel members will provide a synopsis of their experience in setting up their dispensing operations and explain the key considerations and changes they have made since then and the plans they are making to achieve future success, including plans for practice and dispensing expansion. The moderator will overview M.D. participation and philosophy in setting up their dispensary, key financial management and operations, costs and profit margins, insurances, monitoring and compensating staff.  Objective: Participants will learn how to (1) plan a dispensary that is appropriate for their practice setting, (2) Improve patient capture rate into the dispensary (3) Set-up computer sales tracking , billing and internet access (4) create a financial and operational plan for a dispensary, (5) proper staff and compensations for the dispensary(6.) achieving ultimate patient satisfaction through eyewear.

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