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| Partner Luncheon Friday, June 12th, 12:30 PM - 1:30 PM Somerset Hosted By:  *Capacity is limited; first come, first served |
| Partner Breakfast Saturday, June 13th, 7:00 AM - 8:00 AM Somerset Hosted By:  *Capacity is limited; first come, first served |
| Happy Hour Saturday, June 13th, 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM Black Drum Brewing Beer Garden Hosted By:  *Open to NC-licensed ODs, Students and Residents, and their guests |
Tentative Agenda:
Friday, June 12
7:00 AM - 8:00 AM: Breakfast provided by NCOS
8:00 AM - 10:00 AM: Diabetes Treatment: Head to Toe, COPE 99450-SD, A. Paul Chous, OD, PhD, FAAO (2 hours)
This course will cover the biology, diagnosis & consequences of systemic diabetes. Common systemic complications will be considered, especially as they relate to diabetic retinopathy and with an eye to diabetes comorbidities with which eye doctors may have less familiarity. Treatment of diabetes and its complications will be reviewed, with a special eye to prevention.
10:15 AM - 11:15 AM: Multiple Sclerosis and Other Demyelinating Masqueraders, COPE 99051-NO, A. Paul Chous, OD, PhD, FAAO (1 hour)
This course will consider demyelinating disease writ large, including MS, MOGAD, ADEM, NMO and autoimmune/inflammatory/vascular diseases (SLE, Sjogrens Syndrome, diabetes) associated with loss of myelin. Strategies for optometric diagnosis and management will be considered.
11:30 AM - 12:30 PM: Sleep Apnea: It's Role in Glaucoma Management, COPE 99447-GL, A. Paul Chous, OD, FAAO (1 hour)
Patients with sleep apnea are more likely to be diagnosed with and experience vision loss associated with glaucoma. This course considers underlying epidemiology, biological mechanisms and therapeutic strategies for diagnosing and treating glaucoma in apneic patients as well as those with other sleep disorders.
12:45 PM - 1:45 PM: Apellis Partner Lunch
2:00 PM - 4:00 PM: Seizure, Strokes, and Syncope: Implications for Ocular Health and Optometry, COPE 102188-NO, Jacqueline Theis, OD, FAAO (2 hours)
This lecture will delve into how seizures, strokes, and syncope can impact visual function, identifying signs optometrists should watch for, and discussing diagnostic and management strategies to enhance patient care and outcomes - Exploration of the critical connections between neurological events and eye health.
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM: Opening Reception & Family Fun Night in the Exhibit Hall (open to all attendees along with spouses/significant others and children)
We invite you to join us in the Exhibit Hall for an evening of food, drinks and fun for all ages! Enjoy face painting, caricature artists, a balloon twisting stilt walker and more while enjoying social time with your fellow ODs, families and our fabulous exhibitors. A buffet dinner and drinks (adult and kid-friendly!) will be provided.
Saturday, June 13
7:00 AM - 8:00 AM: Breakfast provided by NCOS
7:00 AM - 8:00 AM: Bausch + Lomb Partner Breakfast
8:00 AM - 10:00 AM: Diabetes Case Studies with an Eye to the Future, COPE 100850-SD, A. Paul Chous, OD, FAAO (2 hours)
This session will consider the epidemics of diabetes and diabetic retinopathy via a series of illustrative patient case examples. Accepted and novel strategies for prevention and treatment of both will be discussed.
10:00 AM - 10:30 AM: Ice Cream Break in the Exhibit Hall sponsored by PECAA
10:30 AM - 12:30 PM: Dizziness: Is It Coming From the Eyes and If Not, Where Is It Coming From?, COPE 98696-NO, Jacqueline Theis, OD, FAAO (2 hours)
Dizziness is a vague symptom that can come from a vast etiology including vestibular, ocular, cardiovascular, neurologic, metabolic and psychologic. This course delves into the various etiologies, providing optometrists with advanced skills in differential diagnosis.
12:30 PM - 2:00 PM: Lunch provided by NCOS in the Exhibit Hall
2:00 PM - 3:00 PM: When the Eye Pain is a Pain in the Neck, COPE 98695-NO, Jacqueline Theis, OD, FAAO (1 hour)
This course will provide primary care optometrists with the comprehensive knowledge of cervicogenic eye pain and provide a screening evaluation optometrists can provide chairside.
3:15 PM - 4:15 PM: Adult Diplopia Grand Rounds, COPE 102648-NO, Jacqueline Theis OD, FAAO (1 hour)
Adult diplopia is an inevitable patient complaint in every optometric office. This course aims to provide the primary care optometrist with a vast presentation of different types of adult diplopia that may present to their office and clinical approaches to best manage each case in a grand rounds presentation format. Emphasis will be placed on being able to differentiate what is developmental vs. pathological and what warrants further systemic and neurological workup beyond prismatic correction.
5:00 PM - 7:00 PM: Happy Hour sponsored by EyeCare Partners (Open to NC-licensed optometrists, students and residents, and spouses/guests)
Sunday, June 14
7:00 AM - 8:00 AM: Breakfast provided by NCOS
8:00 AM - 9:00 AM: The Role of Inflammation in Anterior Segment Disease: What Every Clinician Should Know, COPE 103368-TD, Joseph Allen, OD, FAAO (1 hour)
With the increasing prevalence of inflammatory anterior segment diseases, understanding the role of inflammation is vital for effective patient management and treatment. New insights into inflammatory processes have led to the development of innovative therapies and this lecture will provide a comprehensive overview of these advancements. This session will focus on the mechanisms driving inflammation in anterior segment diseases, dissecting the cellular and molecular responses that contribute to ocular surface and anterior segment pathology. We will evaluate the latest anti-inflammatory therapies and their clinical applications, review recent research on efficacy and safety and discuss tailored management strategies for optimizing patient outcomes.
9:15 AM - 10:15 AM: Low-Level Light Therapy: Navigating the Science and Applications of Photobiomodulation in Eye Care, COPE 101004-GO, Joseph Allen, OD, FAAO (1 hour)
This course introduces the science of Low-Level Light Therapy (LLLT) to the eye care professional. It’s mechanism of action will be reviewed with attention to the application of retinal disease, dry eye, and myopia.
10:30 AM - 12:30 PM: From the Gut - How Diet is Linked to Dry Eye and Ocular Surface Disease, COPE Pending, Joseph Allen, OD, FAAO (2 hours)
A science-based overview of how diet and nutrition influence the ocular surface, cornea, and dry eye disease. Learn key nutrients, pathways, and practical strategies to support anterior segment health in clinical care.
Speakers:
Joseph Allen, OD, FAAO
Richmond, VA
Dr. Joseph J. Allen graduated Magna Cum Laude and Salutatorian from the Rosenberg School of Optometry in 2015 and completed his residency at the Minneapolis V.A. Medical Center. Dr. Allen is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry and a Diplomate of the American Board of Optometry. He is a member of the American Optometric Association, the AOA Strategic Communications Committee, and he completed the AOA leadership training in 2022. He was also awarded the Media Advocacy Award from the AOA in 2021.
Dr. Allen is a practicing optometrist in Virginia and the founder of Doctor Eye Health, an educational YouTube channel and Podcast with more than 1 Million subscribers. There, he provides information about eye health, ocular disease, and vision products. His videos cover a range of topics that his subscribers frequently ask about eye floaters, dry eye syndrome, contact lenses, eyeglasses, eye surgery and more. He has been featured on the Diary of a CEO Podcast, Ask Men and Oprah Daily and in his free time, he enjoys rock climbing, weight lifting, video games and travel.
A. Paul Chous, OD, FAAO
Tacoma, WA
Dr. Chous has a private practice specializing in diabetes education in Tacoma, WA and is Adjunct Professor of Optometry at WUCO. He completed his undergraduate education at Brown and UC Irvine, then received his Masters and Doctorate of Optometry degrees from UC Berkeley. He is the author of Diabetic Eye Disease: Lessons From a Diabetic Eye Doctor and was named one of the 250 most influential optometrists in 2017.
Jacqueline Theis, OD, FAAO
Richmond, VA
Jacqueline Theis, OD, FAAO completed her residency training in neuro-optometry and binocular vision/strabismus disorders from the University of California at Berkeley School of Optometry. Post-residency, Dr. Theis joined the faculty at UC Berkeley as an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Binocular Vision Clinic, and became the Founder and Chief of the UC Berkeley Sports Vision and Concussion Clinic where she performed clinical research and direct patient care of collegiate athletes and the general population with post-concussion oculomotor dysfunction. Dr. Theis then transitioned to Kaiser Permanente in Northern California for five years, working alongside ophthalmology and neurology, treating patients with photophobia,diplopia, and non-specific visual complaints from systemic and neurological disease including diabetes, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease, stroke, and traumatic brain injury (TBI).
Dr Theis is the Founder of Virginia Neuro-Optometry, a subspecialty neuro-optometry private practice within the multidisciplinary Concussion Care Centre of Virginia, located in Richmond, VA, where she currently treats patients with visual sequelae from neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative disease, with an emphasis on TBI. She has published and lectured extensively on TBI related vision issues internationally, and has been a guest editor and peer reviewer for international peer reviewed journals including “Brain Injury” and “Optometry and Vision Science.” In addition to clinical practice, Dr Theis also performs clinical research looking at the impact of oculomotor dysfunction on quality of life in adult patients with TBI.
Room Block:
A room block is available at the Embassy Suites hotel and at the Kingston Resorts Condos & Villas. The reservation link will be provided in your registration confirmation email after you complete your event registration. Oceanview rooms at the Embassy Suites start at $299/night plus taxes and fees. Kingston Resorts villas start at $295/night plus taxes and fees (two and three bedroom villas available). Kingston Resorts oceanview condos (two and three bedroom condos available) start at $350/night plus taxes and fees. The daily resort fee is $25 (includes self-parking). Room reservations are available until the room block closes on May 11, 2026 or when the room block sells out, whichever occurs first.
Cancellation Policy:
Cancellations received before April 30, 2026 will be entitled to a full refund. Cancellations received between May 1 and May 31, 2026 will be entitled to a 50% refund. Cancellations received after May 31, 2026 will not be entitled to a refund.
For questions, contact Christy Santacana Peel, Events and Industry Relations Manager, at (919) 977-6964 or [email protected].
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