Dr. Barry Kran, OD, was recently awarded the Allen Crocker Health Services Award, in a ceremony at the Massachusetts State House. The award was part of the Department of Developmental Services Statewide Advisory Council's annual state house event.

Dr. Kran, a professor at the New England College of Optometry, was honored for his extensive work in eye care with individuals with disabilities. 

The MSO extends its heartiest congratulations to Dr. Kran on this award, and thanks him for his dedication to the profession.

A grant by the Reader’s Digest Partner’s for Sight Foundation and the Massachusetts Department of Developmental Disabilities is supporting a 4-hour CE program coproduced by the New England College of Optometry (Barry S Kran, OD) and the Boston University School of Medicine (Jean E Ramsey, MD, MPH).  This inaugural first of it’s kind conference is seeking 15 optometrists and 15 ophthalmologists from across the state to participate in this lecture and hands on program (with volunteers from the community) to improve the care of individuals with intellectual and neurodevelopmental delay.  Attendees will learn how to overcome many of the barriers to providing successful eye care for this population.  Attendees will leave with validated alternative acuity card sets and will obtain 4 hours of approved CE credit.  Further, attendees will have access to an additional 4 hours of free on line CE that will be produced and posted in 2015.

Individuals with intellectual and neurodevelopmental delay have increased incidence of refractive, binocular and ocular health issues and are often not under the active care plan of an optometrist or ophthalmologist.  Over 80 percent of this population is mildly or moderately impaired. Utilizing a modified approach to care and alternative tools to obtain acuity and other measures can lead to an increased number of patients in this cohort being successfully managed in your office.

The course will be given at the Boston University School of Medicine on Saturday March 21st.  Currently, registration is planned for 7:30am with the course running until 12:30 (with breaks).  Please visit http://www.bumc.bu.edu/cme/educational-opportunities/live-meetings/ to provide your contact information for registration materials.

This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the Essential Areas and Policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of Boston University School of Medicine and the New England College of Optometry). Boston University School of Medicine is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

 This activity has been approved for AMA PRA credit.