Earlier this month, as part of WAO’s Capitol Connections advocacy program that aims to connect our physician members with their local legislators, WAO Legislative Chair Dr. Aaron Holtebeck provided a tour of Envision Surgery Center for State Representative Cindi Duchow (R-Town of Delafield). He also took the opportunity to educate her about the practice the of ophthalmology, the importance of medical eye care, and the training and expertise of ophthalmologists.  

The WAO  would like to thank Dr. Holtebeck and his team at Envision Surgery Center for hosting and participating in the meeting. He did a tremendous job explaining the most pressing issues facing ophthalmologists and the patients you serve, including the current efforts of optometrists across the county – and right here in Wisconsin – to provide advanced laser surgery procedures, which are clearly outside their scope of practice. Rep. Duchow certainly understood our concerns and how it could negatively impact patient safety.

Rep. Duchow, who was first elected to the Assembly in a Sept. 2015 special election, represents Wisconsin’s 99^th Assembly District, which covers potions of Waukesha County, including the City of Delafield and the Village of Hartland.

If you are interested in setting-up a similar meeting with your local state lawmakers, the WAO Government Affairs Team is eager to coordinate all the details. These meetings, which can be located at your facility, or a local coffee shop provide a tremendous opportunity for WAO members to build or strengthen their relationships with their legislators and brief them on policy issues important to the practice of ophthalmology and patient care.

Again, WAO encourages all members to participate in our Capitol Connection program to help counter the efforts of optometrists to provide surgical procedures in Wisconsin. If you are interested in participating, please contact the WAO office at wao@badgerbay.co.