Professional education, member hub meetings, networking events and advocacy are just some of the activities being undertaken by Optometry Queensland/Northern Territory (OQNT) to support members.
We’ve all found ourselves navigating uncertain times during the past 12 months. Our team at OQNT has remained focused on supporting our members during change and we continue to share their vision of delivering exceptional eye care for our communities. With this common goal in mind, Share the Vision was chosen as the 2022 theme for the Australian Vision Convention (AVC), which takes place next month, from 9–10 April.
With 35+ plenary and workshop topics… delegates can achieve 100% of their CPD
The OQNT Education Committee has meticulously planned a program, packed with experts, who will share their knowledge and vision to advance the clinical practice of optometrists in Australia and beyond.
Returning as a hybrid conference – a format which proved popular in 2021 – delegates have the opportunity to attend AVC 2022 virtually or face-to-face.
Plenary sessions centre around five key streams; ocular tumours, retina, contact lenses for paediatrics, glaucoma, and anterior eye.
Program highlights include Dr Nick Toalster who will present a practical guide to ocular surface neoplasia. His lecture will explore the incidence and impact of the disease in the Australian context while using cases to highlight the key diagnostic and management issues when dealing with ocular surface cancer.
In a presentation titled Explore the future of corneal grafting with emerging technologies, Dr John Hogden will discuss key areas of corneal grafting every eye health clinician must be aware of to improve their practise and manage patients with corneal grafts.
Dr Shelley Hopkins, a lecturer at the School of Optometry and Vision Science, Queensland University of Technology, will present Indigenous children’s vision: are current vision screening programs and eye care services meeting Indigenous children’s eye care needs? as part of the paediatrics stream.
Optometrist and clinical scientist Professor Fiona Stapleton will deliver the CLEAR Report – Rethinking contact lens complic ations. Professor Stapleton is an expert in epidemiology and translational research in corneal infection, ocular microbiology, dry eye, and contact lens-related disease.
As part of the glaucoma stream, Dr Kate Hogden will review the factors in establishing the diagnosis of glaucoma as well as subsequent considerations in management.
Alongside plenary sessions, delegates can choose from eight workshop topics to gain interactive CPD hours over the weekend. These topics include Practical prescribing for near based issues in children, presented by Adrian Bell, who specialises in the areas of binocular vision and paediatric vision assessment, and Gonio assessment, presented by Dr Nick Andrew, an ophthalmologist with expertise in cataract, glaucoma and complex surgery of the iris and lens.
We’re also hosting a relaxed networking event in the sold-out exhibitor area on Saturday evening, where delegates can wind down and connect over drinks and canapes.
This year, we’ve been working on a brandnew virtual platform that offers a seamless learning experience and CPD tracking. The platform will include an ‘on-demand’ library of pre-recorded presentations, which will be available to all delegates 24/7 for four months.
With 35+ plenary and workshop topics available during the AVC 2022 weekend, combined with pre-recorded content, delegates can achieve 100% of their CPD. Registrations are open online at www. optometryqldnt.org.au/avc or you can contact the OQNT team on (AUS) 07 3839 4411 or at [email protected].
MEMBER HUB MEETINGS, CPD, AND SCOPE OF PRACTICE
OQNT also has a full schedule of virtual and in-person events planned for 2022. These include North Queensland Vision (9–10 July, 2022) and our annual Member Hub Meetings taking place throughout Queensland and Northern Territory regions. Our Member Hubs are an important opportunity to check in with members and discuss local initiatives, advocacy, and offer CPD.
We also have OQNT ECO group events featuring workshops, CPD nights, and social activities, plus virtual interactive and therapeutic workshops lined up for later in the year.
Finally, OQNT continues to meet with healthcare organisations and community groups. In the past 12 months, we have met with the Queensland Minister for Health’s office to progress discussions regarding scope of practice and collaborative care models. Additionally, we have represented members on the NT Outreach Advisory Forum 2021.
Cathryn Baker is the Chief Executive Officer of Optometry Queensland/Northern Territory.
