Judge A. Howard Matz has granted the ABO's insurance carrier their request for reimbursement of attorney fees, as a result of the AOS v ABO litigation over "board certification."
"The American Optometric Society (AOS) is disappointed with the judge's decision to award the full request," said Dr. Pam Miller, president of the American Optometric Society.
Dr. Miller continued, "Optometrists need a voice that represents the rank and file of their profession. The circumstances that led to the creation of the AOS still exist today. The American Optometric Society has been very successful in educating optometrists regarding the ill-conceived 'board certification' plan; 98 percent of all optometrists have chosen not to participate in a program that the overwhelming majority of their fellow optometrists continue to oppose."
Judge Matz' original decision specifically indicated that there was no difference in any certification from one board to the next. An injunction remains in place prohibiting the ABO from claiming any superiority of their Diplomates above and beyond those who are not ABO certified. The American Optometric Society believes that ABO certification is costly, unnecessary, and does not affirm that an optometrist certified by the American Board of Optometry is more qualified than an optometrist certified only by the National Board Examiners in Optometry and state optometry boards.
Elected to serve for three-year terms, beginning Jan. 1, 2013, were Drs. Melissa Webb, Dave Macarty and AJ DeVivo. Online Voting took place from Noon PST November 9 through midnight November 11. Here is a brief introduction to each of them.
America is hosting a webinar, 
If you think you know everything about the AOS, the trial (AOS v ABO) or you just want to learn more about where we've been and where we are going, then you won't want to miss AOS Vice President Dr. Michael Rosenblatt, speaking on OD Wire in a no-holds barred interview. Mike addresses how and why the American Optometric Society was formed; the political challenges of working in organized optometry; what the outcome of the board certification trial (AOS v ABO) means to the average OD and he gives his take on where the AOS will be headed in the coming weeks and months.