Academy 2020 Moves Online as the COVID-19 Pandemic Continues

Thursday, August 13 2020 | 11 h 12 min | Events, News, Press Release

As a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the American Academy of Optometry’s (AAO) has announced that Academy 2020 originally scheduled to be held in Nashville, TN will be held entirely as a virtual meeting renamed Academy 2020 At Home.

“We listened to our stakeholders and watched the national health situation very carefully including the impact on Nashville, and we absolutely believe this is the best decision for everyone,” said Academy Chief Executive Officer Peter Scott.

Academy 2020 At Home will offer “live” COPE continuing education (CE) approval, speaker coordination and a broad, insightful experience for attendees, exhibitors and sponsors. In this new format, the Academy plans to deliver nearly 300 hours of continuing education (CE) and participants will be able to earn up to 80 hours of CE credits.

In an ode to the planned host city, Nashville “the Music City, the event is including musical and cultural events to the virtual experience.

Academy 2020 At Home will be available October 7-22 during select periods. The broadcast schedule is currently in development and will be available soon so participants can begin to customize and plan their virtual experience. Registration is now open and the cost is $435 for members and $795 for non-members.

Those who have already registered will automatically receive a link to the event, and people who do not wish to participate can request a full refund.

This year’s virtual meeting will feature an important Plenary Session entitled Today’s Research, Tomorrow’s Practice, looking at how standards of care and diagnostic standards have changed significantly over the past several years, and the impacts of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, and other common ailments on patient care moving forward.

The Academy will also host a special symposium on diversity, equity and inclusion. This event co-presented by the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO), and the National Optometric Association (NOA) will promote a basic understanding of the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion in optometric education and clinical practice.

Academy Board President Dr. Barbara Caffery said, “Academy 2020 At Home is going to be a fantastic event, designed to bring exciting and interactive experiences to participants in the safety of their own homes or offices. As always, the Academy will provide the very best clinical and scientific knowledge, as only the Academy can do. Attendees will leave with the information needed to excel in the changing world of optometry. We will continue to inspire excellence in optometric practice.”

For more information, or to register for Academy 2020 At Home, please visit www.academymeeting.org.

Click HERE for the full press release.