By Phil Kabler

Staff writer for the Charleston Gazette

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- A bill to allow optometrists to perform certain surgical procedures on patients' eyes (SB230) remained in limbo for a sixth day Tuesday, as senators debated behind the scenes whether to send the bill to Health and Human Resources Committee.

The measure -- which has caused considerable infighting between optometrists and ophthalmologists -- advanced from the Senate Government Organization Committee on Feb. 10, but the bill has not been reported to the Senate floor.

Senators, huddling during Tuesday's floor session to confer on the issue, were trying to get a headcount on whether there are enough votes to refer the bill to the Health Committee.

Health and Human Resources Chairman Roman Prezioso, D-Marion, said he's leaving it up to the members to decide whether to send the bill to his committee.

However, he said, the integrity of the legislative process will be compromised if the bill is allowed to bypass the committee.

Dominion Post

Section: Opinion

August 19, 2009

Clash over scope of optometrists needs to be reworked in Legislature

It’s no surprise that optometrists and ophthalmologists didn’t see eye to eye on former House Bill 2978.

Though this bill, which relates to the practice of optometry, will probably reappear in next year’s regular legislative session with a different number and different language, it’s still out of focus.

State optometrists argue that allowing them to practice what they are “trained” to do will not only provide better access to eyecare, but will make it more affordable.

Ophthalmologists claim that optometrists want to perform surgery without proper training, let alone a medical degree.

Dominion Post article on eye docs

by David Beard

Aug. 17, 2009 (McClatchy-Tribune Regional News delivered by Newstex . . .

source: The Dominion Post) --

State optometrists want to expand the scope of their practice, but ophthalmologists don't quite see eye to eye with them about what they want.

Optometrists say they want the freedom to practice what they're trained to do, and to provide more access to affordable eye care.

Ophthalmologists say the optometrists want to perform surgery without medical degrees.

"They've taken this and turned it into a surgery bill," Chad Robinson, spokesman for the West Virginia Optometric Association, said. The true intent is to allow "optometrists who are properly trained to practice what they're trained to do."

They don't want to perform major surgery, he said. "Optometrists should not be doing major invasive surgery."

Copyright 2010 The Register-Herald

The Register-Herald (Beckley, West Virginia) 

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News 

February 23, 2010 Tuesday 

SECTION: STATE AND REGIONAL NEWS 

ACC-NO: 20100223-WZ-Optometrists-win-battle-in-surgery-bill-0223 

LENGTH: 601 words 

HEADLINE: Optometrists win battle in surgery bill 

BYLINE: Mannix Porterfield, The Register-Herald, Beckley, W.Va. 

BODY:

   Feb. 23--CHARLESTON -- West Virginia optometrists scored a major victory Monday in an amended Senate bill that expands their scope of practice to embrace three types of laser surgery to treat glaucoma patients.

   After weeks of intense debate and lobbying, the Senate accepted an amendment by Judiciary Chairman Jeffrey Kessler to widen the range of practice, setting up a showdown today on the bill itself.

   Before his amendment was adopted, Government Organization Chairman Ed Bowman, D-Hancock, sought to compromise the bill by narrowing laser surgery to a single one. Originally, the bill allowed four lines of surgery.

   Kessler said optometrists have been treating glaucoma cases since 1976, but Sen. Dan Foster, D-Kanawha, countered that no lasers have been involved.

   "It's a far cry from simply treating it with a drug to this type of procedure," Foster maintained.