The NCOS is working harder than ever to bring our members the most important, relevant, and up-to-date information and getting it to you through our email updates and this webpage, which is continuously being updated. These are unprecedented times. The NCOS remains committed to each of our 1,000+ members and we are here to assist you in any way we can. Thank you for your continued support. Together, we will get through this. Latest NCOS Announcements4/22/21: The NCOS has opened registration for its limited capacity Spring Congress to all ODs. 4/8/21: The NCOS has opened registration for its limited capacity Spring Congress to NCOS members. 2/22/21: Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the NCOS will be holding a one-day Virtual Spring Seminar and is tentatively planning a lower-capacity, socially-distanced Spring Congress, dependent on the climate of the pandemic in June 8/3/20: Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting state and federal guidelines restricting large gatherings, Fall Congress 2020 will now be held virtually. 6/23/20: All NCOS and AOA dues waiver refunds have been completed. If you have questions about your 2020 dues waiver, contact [email protected]. 6/2/20: The NCOS put out a press release about the new protocols practices are implementing to keep patients safe as they return to providing a full range of eye health and vision care. 5/12/20: The NCOS put out a press release warning patients to be cautious of "at-home eye exam" or "vision test" product claims during the COVID-19 pandemic. 5/4/20: In an effort to help practices across North Carolina reopen and start seeing patients, the NCOS has drafted the following guide: Reopening North Carolina Optometry. 5/1/20: The NCOS is now taking orders for three types of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). The deadline to place an order is 4:00 PM on Wednesday, May 6th. 4/30/20: Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting state and federal guidelines restricting large gatherings, Spring Congress 2020 will now be held virtually. 4/29/20: The NCOS has partnered with Ward & Smith, P.A. to bring members another exclusive webinar about COVID-19 employment issues. See below for more information. 4/28/20: The NCOS is now taking pre-orders for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and has also compiled a list of potential resources for PPE. Click here for details. 4/21/20: The NCOS put out a press release cautioning against avoidable ER visits for primary eye care services during the COVID-19 pandemic. 4/13/20: The NCOS partnered with Ward & Smith, P.A. to bring members an exclusive webinar about COVID-19 employment issues. See below for more information. 4/9/20: Complete details regarding our commitment to waive two months of 2020 dues to all members was sent out. Click here to view the message. 3/25/20: The NCOS and AOA announce they will be providing immediate financial assistance to all members by waiving 2020 membership dues for a period of two months. More details to follow. Vaccine InformationSpecial COVID-19 Vaccine Executive Order No. 211 On January 14, 2020, NCDHHS announced that they have again updated the vaccine prioritization plan. The new plan makes anyone age 65 and older and all health care workers eligible to receive the vaccine now. Previously, most health care workers where in Phase 1b, Group 2 or 3 depending on age.
For more information, click here. Also, after continued outreach by Dr. Rebecca Wartman, NCOS Third Party Liaison, to NC DHHS, we are pleased to announce that OPTOMETRISTS are now specifically named in the list of health care workers eligible to receive the vaccine in its DEEPER DIVE Group 1 – Health Care Workers and Long-Term Care Staff and Resident document. You should refer to this document when reaching out to your county about getting vaccinated. The document also states that health care employers should:
Visit www.covid19.ncdhhs.gov/findyourspot to find where to get the shot near you. NCOS Email Updates The NCOS is sending out COVID-specific emails to all members with the latest and most important information. During this time of crisis, we are making these emails available to all North Carolina optometrists, regardless of whether you are a member or not. You can view all of our emails here. With the state of the pandemic improving, June 24, 2021 was the last regular COVID-19 Update that was sent out. We will send out special updates if there is information that is deemed important to disseminate. We hope that you have found these updates valuable. Guide to Reopening North Carolina Optometry In an effort to help practices across North Carolina reopen and start seeing patients, the NCOS has drafted the following guide: Reopening North Carolina Optometry (this guide was updated on 5/21/20) Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) The NCOS has compiled a list of potential PPE resources. We will continue to update this information as more resources become available. Supply levels for PPE change often – some sources below may have equipment immediately available, others may not. We recommend checking these sources routinely, after utilizing your normal resources for PPE. NCOS Webinars NCOS has partnered with Ward and Smith, P.A. to bring NCOS members two exclusive webinars. What: 20/20 Vision - A Further Look Into COVID-19 Employment Issues What: 20/20 Vision - A look Into COVID-19 Employment Issues Ken Gray is the leader of Ward and Smith, P.A.'s labor and employment group. His practice experience encompasses various areas of employment-related litigation. He advises clients and litigates cases involving all forms of employment discrimination, wrongful discharge, and breach of employment contracts from small start-up companies to Fortune 500 corporations. Ken is a frequent lecturer on employment discrimination, workplace retaliation, workers' compensation, and wage and hour law issues. To read Ken's full bio, click here. NCOS Third Party AssistanceHaving an issue with a payor? Please let us know! We are here to help with any issues. Email us at [email protected]. State Resources Websites North Carolina State Board of Examiners in Optometry North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services North Carolina Department of Commerce North Carolina Department of Insurance National ResourcesWebsites American Optometric Association U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) Palmetto GBA American Academy of Ophthalmology Documents AOA General Guidance on COVID-19 Vaccine Employee Mandate (1/14/21) NCOS Partner SupportABB Optical Group Allergan Allergan Is Easing The Financial Impact For Your Patients And Your Practice (4/2/20) Allergan can help alleviate some of the stress of obtaining REFRESH® for your patients who may be unable to purchase it directly at your practice. The REFRESH® eCommerce platform allows patients to purchase their preferred REFRESH® products from your own RefreshMyEyes™ online store. Products will be shipped directly to patients within 3 to 5 days without the need for you to be in your office or physically stocking product. Shipping is free on any orders over $30 ($4.95 otherwise). Visit www.refreshbrand.com/ecommerce to register and get started. Click here for an information flyer and here to view a video demo on how the program works. Cooper Vision Contact Lens Institute Shares New CDC Guidance for Contact Lens Wear and COVID-19 (4/10/20) Helpful Information Regarding COVID-19 and Contact Lens Wear MyEyeDr. VSP Zeiss NC Company Supports Optometry's Disaster Relief FundImageMark Business Services, a printing, branding and marketing company located in Gastonia, NC, has recently begun providing COVID-19 signage and other related resources specifically designed for eye care. ImageMark has created floor stickers for social distancing, hand-washing reminders for restrooms, banners for sharing office protocols, face masks and shields, hand sanitizer and other PPE (some of which can be branded), and they have a disinfectant that is FDA-approved for killing the COVID-19 virus. Click here for a product flyer with a special savings code. View their entire line of safety products at www.safe-distance-products.com. In recognition of the recent public unrest across the nation where many eye care practices were damaged, a percentage of sales from eye care products will be donated to the AOA’s Optometry’s Fund for Disaster Relief. |