David Morrison, M.D., associate professor of Ophthalmology and Pediatrics at Vanderbilt, is the new president of the American Orthoptic Council (AOC). He will serve a two-year term.
AOC accredits and certifies orthoptists, who are trained to assist pediatric ophthalmologists in evaluating vision and alignment of children and adults with strabismus. Orthoptics is a two-year, post-graduate certification.
“Orthoptists are critical as physician extenders in pediatric ophthalmology,” said Morrison. “They allow us to serve a larger patient population by measuring vision in preverbal children and accurately measuring eye alignment in pediatric and adult patients. They also improve quality of care by counseling families on appropriate treatment regimes for the physician.”
There are five orthoptists at the Vanderbilt Eye Institute, and Vanderbilt has a training program as well.
“To date, I have revised the testing system for orthoptists, transitioning to an electronic format for the written exam as well as restructuring the oral/practical portion of the exam to include digital media such as videos demonstrating ophthalmic diseases and motility abnormalities,” Morrison said.
Morrison has served as the council’s secretary and most recently held the vice president post.
