GLOBAL Eye Care and Vision in Down Syndrome

Denver, CO US
August 17, 2023

Jointly Provided by Children's Hospital Colorado and Global Down Syndrome Foundation

The GLOBAL Eye Care & Vision in Down Syndrome Conference is for medical professionals specializing in ophthalmology or optometry who are interested in best practices for children and adults with Down syndrome. 

People with Down syndrome have a very different disease spectrum whereby they are highly predisposed to certain diseases (e.g. autoimmune conditions, Alzheimer’s, certain vision disorders) and highly protected from other diseases (e.g. solid tumors, certain types of heart attack, and stroke).

Expert speakers will cover the higher prevalence of visual disorders in patients with Down syndrome which include glaucoma, cataracts, and keratoconus. A review of causes, screening, care, and treatment will be provided with the goal of sharing available evidence and best practice strategies related to recognition, assessment, stabilization, and long-term care. Registration requested for this Live, In-Person event.

Target Audience

The GLOBAL Eye Care & Vision in Down Syndrome Conference is for medical professionals specializing in ophthalmology or optometry who are interested in best practices for children and adults with Down syndrome. 

Learning Objectives

 

Recognize how and why people with Down syndrome have a different disease spectrum, including a much higher predisposition for certain eye diseases or disorders, and the impact of that on their lives.

Explore the ability to assess, diagnose, and possibly preemptively apply treatment.

Identify when and how often a person with Down syndrome should visit an eye specialist and what possible eye issues can or will present throughout the lifespan.

Review the most effective ways to screen and treat people with Down syndrome for various eye conditions.

Discuss what more can be done to serve this population of 400,000+ people in the US of which of 2,200+ are being seen at the Sie Center for Down Syndrome at Children’s Hospital Colorado.

Explore existing research and guidelines and exciting opportunities happening now and into the future.

Instill confidence in the medical professional providing eye and vision care to patients with Down syndrome throughout their lifespan.

Additional Information

Course summary
Available credit: 
  • 2.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
  • 2.00 Attendance
Course opens: 
07/27/2023
Course expires: 
08/31/2023
Event starts: 
08/17/2023 - 6:00pm MDT
Event ends: 
08/17/2023 - 8:00pm MDT
Cost:
$0.00
Rating: 
5

GLOBAL Down Syndrome Foundation is hosting two important conferences– one for self advocates and family members and one for professional organizations. Both programs will support eye care and vision needs of children and adults with Down syndrome.

Register to attend this LIVE CME Conference.

 

GLOBAL Eye Care & Vision in Down Syndrome - Professional Conference

5:30 PM       Registration and Check-In

6:30 PM       GLOBAL Introduction - Michelle Sie Whitten, MA, Co-Founder, President & CEO, Global Down Syndrome Foundation

6:45 PM       Eye Findings in Down Syndrome Across the Lifespan - Dr. Michael Puente; Pediatric Ophthalmologist at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Children’s Hospital Colorado                  

7:15 PM       Eye Care and Down Syndrome: Research Updates and Future Directions -  Dr. Emily McCourt; Chief of Pediatric Ophthalmology at Children’s Hospital Colorado; The Ponzio Family Chair for Pediatric Ophthalmology & Vice Chair of Pediatric Ophthalmology

7:45 PM        Break

8:00 PM        Breakout 1: Visual Acuity and Successful Eye Exams for People with Down Syndrome - Susan James, COMT; Ophthalmic Education Coordinator at Children's Hospital Colorado Eye Clinic

Breakout 2: How to Successfully Fit Your Down Syndrome Patients with Keratoconus in Specialty Contact Lenses - Melissa Engle, OD, FAAO; Director of the Pediatric Optometry Specialty Care Residency Program & Director of Clinical Informatics for the Department of Pediatric Ophthalmology

8:30 PM        Evaluation and Adjourn

 

Disclosure

Children's Hospital Colorado adheres to all ACCME Essential Areas, Standards, and Policies. It is Children’s Colorado policy that those who have influenced the content of a CME activity (e.g. planners, faculty, authors, reviewers and others) disclose all relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies so that Children's Colorado may identify and mitigate any conflicts of interest prior to the activity. 

 

Planners, faculty, and others in control of content (either individually or as a group) have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

 

Relevant financial relationship - Financial relationships are relevant if the following three conditions are met for the prospective person who will control content of the education.

A financial relationship, in any amount, exists between the person in control of content and an ineligible company.

The financial relationship existed during the past 24 months.

Content of the education is related to the products of an ineligible company with whom the person has a financial relationship.

 

Ineligible company - is any entity whose primary business is producing, marketing, selling, re-selling, or distributing healthcare products used by or on patients.

 

 

Courtyard Marriott in Cherry Creek
1475 S. Colorado Blvd.
Denver, CO 80222
United States

 

Emily McCourt, MD, is the chief of pediatric ophthalmology at Children’s Hospital Colorado. Dr. McCourt grew up in Scarsdale, NY and completed her undergraduate training at University of Pennsylvania. She then returned to the east coast for medical school at the University of Buffalo. Finally, after ophthalmology residency and pediatric ophthalmology fellowship in Colorado, Dr. McCourt realized that she would call Colorado and this department at the University of Colorado her home and she joined the faculty.

As a faculty member, Dr. McCourt has held multiple leadership roles including research director for the section. She has almost 40 peer reviewed publications and her current research interests include pediatric keratoconus focusing on patients with Down syndrome, retinopathy of prematurity, and pediatric syndromic retinal dystrophies.

 

Michael Puente, MD is a pediatric ophthalmologist at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and Children’s Hospital Colorado. After completing medical school at Baylor College of Medicine, Dr. Puente completed a surgical ophthalmology residency at Tulane University followed by a pediatric ophthalmology fellowship at the University of Colorado, where he now serves on the faculty. Dr. Puente is the director of an eye clinic for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, and his research interests include eye health for individuals with Down syndrome, congenital cataracts, and LGBTQ issues in ophthalmology.

 

Michelle Sie Whitten, Global Down Syndrome Foundation,

 

 

Melissa Engle, OD, FAAO, Children's Hospital Colorado

Melissa Engle, OD, FAAO, is a pediatric optometrist who has been practicing at Children’s Hospital Colorado for the past 7 years. She is the director of the Pediatric Optometry Specialty Care Residency Program and the director of Clinical Informatics for the Department of Pediatric Ophthalmology. She completed her undergraduate training at Auburn University studying biomedical sciences and attended New England College of Optometry for optometry school in Boston, MA. Her current research interests are in myopia control, amblyopia, keratoconus and specialty contact lenses.

 

 

Susan James, Children's Hospital Colorado 

Susan James is a Certified ophthalmic medical technologist working at Children's Hospital Colorado for 10+ years. Her current role at Childrens is the ophthalmic education coordinator which includes onboarding and training of ophthalmic staff. In Susan's free time she stays active with yoga and rock climbing. When she's not being active Susan enjoys gardening and playing with her cat named Chicken.

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 Children’s Hospital Colorado and the Global Down Syndrome Foundation.

Children’s Hospital Colorado is accredited by the ACCME to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Children’s Hospital Colorado designates this Live Activity for a maximum of 2 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Disclosures:

Planners, faculty, and others in control of content (either individually or as a group) have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Available Credit

  • 2.00 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™
  • 2.00 Attendance

Price

Cost:
$0.00
Please login or register to take this course.

 

Register Early!

No registration fee, but registration is required to attend the Live conference.