President's Report

First, let me say thank you for letting me serve as president of this great organization. The FOA has been trying to get our members prepared for this year’s legislative session. The Legislative session started in January this year due to the 2024 elections in November. Your FOA team has been closely monitoring several bills which could impact our profession. These bills range from a naming bill similar to last year’s SB230 to large Health Care reform bills. Our FOA Legislative Chair and our lobbyist team are carefully addressing concerns with these legislations in Tallahassee. Your FOA Board of Trustees will continue to update our members about these and other issues through online webinars.

 Leadership from the FOA attended the AOA President’s Council in Tempe Arizona in January. President’s council is where all of the state leaders come together to discuss what is happening around the country. Similar bills to our “Don’t call yourself a physician” bill have been showing up around the country, most recently in Tennessee. Your FOA leaders are working with the Tennessee leadership to help them fight this legislation. Additionally, scope expansion is the topic that the AOA has been discussing most. We now have 11 states that have expanded scope of practice for Optometry. The AOA is committed to helping other states move toward this goal.

Finally, I would like to thank the FOA Board of Trustees and the FOA staff for what they have accomplished. The FOA Board of directors and staff have devoted so much time an effort to keep optometry in Florida moving forward. We can’t do it alone; we need the support of you our members to keep us successful as an association. Please help by being an advocate for FOA membership and ODEYEPAC membership. If you contribute to the PAC Thank You! Please help us by wearing your PAC ribbon at meetings and talking with colleagues who don’t contribute. By actively participating in the dialogue and advocating for the profession of optometry, members of the Florida Optometric Association can contribute to shaping a resilient and dynamic future for optometry in the state. Thank you.

Sincerely,

Peter A. Santisi, O.D.
Florida Optometric Association, President