Contact Information for the National Glaucoma Society
National Glaucoma Society (NGS)
P.O. Box 4092
Andover, MA 01810
Telephone: 978-470-3500
Toll-free: 877-825-2020
Fax: 978-470-4520
e-mail: info@nationalglaucomasociety.org
Janet Swartz, EdD
Executive Director
J. James Thimons, OD, FAAO
Chairman
Bud O’Leary, OD
Director
Upcoming Programs
May 19, 2021
Dr. Justin Schweitzer and Dr. Mitch Ibach present "Piecing Together the Pressures of Glaucoma: IOP, ICP, EVP, OPP" as a live webinar from 8:00-9:00 P.M. Eastern Time (7:00-8:00 PM. Central Time) on Wednesday, May 19.May 23, 2021
Dr. Eric Schmidt presents "Glaucoma for the Everyday Optometrist" as a live webinar from 7:30-9:30 P.M. Eastern Time (6:30-8:30 P.M. Central Time / 4:30-6:30 P.M. Pacific Time) on Sunday, May 23.July 24-26, 2021 - Brewster, MA - Ocean Edge Cape Cod
CAPE COD PROGRAM CANCELLED. The National Glaucoma Symposium will not be held as a live event on Cape Cod in 2021. A virtual program will be offered on September 18-19, 2021.September 18-19, 2021
LIVE STREAMED PROGRAM! We are pleased to announce a virtual program with 8 hours of Live COPE approved Glaucoma CE from 9:00 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. Eastern time on Saturday and Sunday, September 18-19.October 10, 2021
LIVE STREAMED PROGRAM! The National Glaucoma Symposium West will offer 4 hours of COPE-approved Glaucoma CE from 12 p.m. - 3:45 p.m. Eastern time (9 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. Pacific time) on Sunday, October 10.Your Registrations
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News
MASSACHUSETTS GLAUCOMA LEGISLATION
On January 1, 2021, a bill was signed into law in Massachusetts giving optometrists the ability to provide glaucoma treatment, the last state in the country to do so. This new certification requires the completion of 20 hours of clinical education and 40 hours of didactic education. The law stipulates that these courses must be offered by the Massachusetts Society of Optometrists in conjunction with the two Massachusetts optometry colleges, NECO and MCPHS. This course is the only one that will meet the requirements of the law and be approved by the Division of Professional Licensure. Thus, none of the NGS webinars can be used toward the new glaucoma certification in Massachusetts.
NEW CHANGE PASSWORD FUNCTION ON WEBSITE
There is a new feature on the NGS website if you need to change your password. Sign into your account and click "Profile" to the right of your name at the upper right of the home page. The Profile page lets you know if you are a Full member of the NGS and, if so, when your membership expires. Click on "Change Password" which is to the right of your name on the Profile page. This will bring you to a page where you can put in your old password and then create a new password.COPE EXTENDS RULES ON INTERACTIVE WEBINARS
Interactive webinars offered through December 31, 2021 will be classified as Live COPE Events. These webinars will not require a test. The NGS live webinars through 2021 will be submitted to COPE for approval as Live COPE Events. Thus, the webinars will meet the criteria for CE in most states. States may consider these webinars as live or on-line CE. More information is included in the description of the webinars on the NGS website. Some State Boards are modifying restrictions for on-line CE because of COVID-19. Check the website of your State Board of Optometry for the latest rulings.PROBLEM WITH BLOCKED EMAILS
We recently learned that some email accounts are being blocked from receiving NGS automatic emails. This could be an issue if you try to set up an NGS account and need to verify the account or you indicated you forgot your username or password and are waiting for a link to reset them. It seems to be an issue only for certain email accounts, including Comcast, ATT, sbcglobal and RR accounts (stx.rr, nyc.rr, nycap.rr). We are contacting each of the providers to work out the issues. In the meantime, if you have trouble setting up an account or resetting a password, please email the NGS at info@NationalGlaucomaSociety.org. We apologize for this inconvenience.PENNSYLVANIA EXTENDS ON-LINE CE
Effective January 1, 2021, licensees in Pennsylvania are able to use on-line CE for all of their CE requirements for the next renewal period. Due to limited in-person CE and continuing concerns of the COVID-19 pandemic, the governor has extended the original waiver.CALIFORNIA ALLOWS LIVE WEBINARS AS LIVE CE
The California Board of Optometry now recognizes interactive courses offered live over internet platforms such as WebEx as Live CE toward the 30 hours of live continuing education required for license renewal. Courses can be live COPE courses offered by COPE's June 30, 2021 deadline or courses approved by the Board.NEW FEATURE ON REGISTRATION PAGE
We have modified the registration page on the NGS website to eliminate duplicate registrations. If you try to register for a webinar for which you have already registered, the message "Already Registered" will appear on the page so you cannot add it to your cart. This should save time so that you do not go through the steps of registering again.NGS 1-HOUR WEBINARS
The NGS will offer two webinars per month in September-December and January - May. These webinars are included in Full NGS Membership.Join Our Email List
