Vermont Business Magazine The Vermont Optometric Association (VOA) is dedicated to advancing the field of optometry in the state, working to promote excellence in vision care by advocating for policies that benefit patients, continuing education for practitioners as industry procedures advance and creating opportunities for Vermonters to have greater access to vision care.
Recommendations laid out in a 2023 report from the Office of Professional Regulation (OPR) would enable the VOA to continue moving forward with that mission by expanding Vermont optometrists’ scope of practice to include in-office optometric procedures.
In addition to already extensive undergraduate training and continuing education requirements, under the outlined recommendations, optometrists would need to obtain a specialty endorsement license to perform the proposed procedures. If enacted, Vermont would have the most stringent requirement of any of the other 11 states that have approved in-office procedures at this level.
A bill introduced Tuesday seeks to expand that scope of optometrists’ work in Vermont with S.233 asking lawmakers to create a specialty endorsement, which the State Board of Optometry could grant to qualifying practitioners. It was referred to the Committee on Health and Welfare following the first reading this morning.
“The importance of an expanded scope of practice is rooted in the evolving healthcare landscape and the need to enhance access to comprehensive eye care services for patients,” Dean Barcelow, president of the Vermont Optometric Association, said. “The OPR report provides a framework that allows us to be a part of that evolution while emphasizing the potential for improved access to vision care for Vermonters.”
The OPR report was released shortly after regulatory agencies in Washington and Colorado made similar recommendations to allow for an expanded optometric scope of work.
Under the listed recommendations, an expanded scope of practice would provide myriad benefits, including:
● Improved Access to Vision Care: Providing a broader range of services reduces barriers to access for patients amid critical shortages of healthcare professionals.
● Patient-Centered Care: Optometrists offer comprehensive and integrated care, addressing a variety of patient needs within their scope of expertise, often during one visit, meaning patients could receive a greater spectrum of services from a single healthcare provider.
● Efficient and Cost-Effective Healthcare: Performing additional procedures and providing a wider range of services can contribute to more efficient healthcare delivery, optimizing resources, managing costs and reducing outside referrals.
● Meeting the Changing Healthcare Needs: Expanding the scope of practice allows optometrists to adapt to changing healthcare needs and take on a more integral role in the broader healthcare system.
“By expanding the scope of optometric providers, we will be able to offer broader services, in one location, without asking patients to travel across the state for treatment that we have the knowledge, training and skills to complete. Medicine is an understaffed industry, and this would result in optimized patient care,” Dr. Kayla Brenden of Middlebury Eye Associates, said.
The Vermont Optometric Association provides its members with the resources necessary to deliver the highest standard of professional and ethical optometric care to Vermonters and acts as a representative voice for Vermont optometrists. Visit vtoptometrists.org to learn more.
Source: MONTPELIER, Vermont (Jan. 8, 2024) – The Vermont Optometric Association
