THE EIGHTH LINE - Records Management - Alberta College and Association of Opticians
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Fall 2018
Issue 109
THE EIGHTH LINE
Records Management
•Abandoned Records
•Mandatory Breach Reporting
•The Adventures of the Travelling Glasses
•Renewals 2019
The Prez Mez Dean Thompson, RO, RCLP
Happy Thanksgiving from your ACAO Council and staff!
Thank you to all who attended the Calgary appetizer nights we hosted in
September. We had a total of 16 members attend the two nights with your Prez
and Council members.
During the appy night we discussed several topics including:
• The new Quality Assurance program coming in the year 2020
• Closing the gap between becoming an Optician and becoming a Contact Lens
Practitioner; when this happens, all new students will come out of school with a dual license
• The possibility of SAIT having a two year full-time Optician course. If SAIT offers this course it will give
the Alberta optical industry two ways to meet the demand for today and for the future. With 50% of
practicing Opticians being in the 50 + age group, we are looking at a situation that could become dire as
many Opticians may retire in the next 10-15 years
• Your Council will be working on your suggestions brought forward at the appetizer nights.
• As a result of the sucess of the two events, we as a board have pledged to host more appetizer nights.
Thank you to all Opticians and student Opticians who completed the SAIT survey, and and thank you to all
of the Opticians who put their names forward to volunteer for the College/Association, your help is always
appreciated. Your council is continuing to work towards the increase in scope of practice; if you have any
contacts within the Alberta Government you think could assist us in moving forward please call the office with
contact information.
Respectfully Submitted,
Dean Thompson, RO, RCLP
ACAO President
3
Do You See What I See? Kalen Hussey, Digital Communications
Seeing Through Someone Else’s Eyes
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to see through someone else’s eyes? What do cataracts look like?
What about diabetic retinopathy, or macular degeneration? How do colour blind people experience flashy websites
that rely on complementing and contrasting colours? With the help of simple developer tools, you can see how
different eye conditions would impact your experience of the web, and why good design must consider screen
readers.
Accessibility and Why It’s Important
The internet is an amazing tool that offers a convenient way to shop, research, and book events. In some ways, the
web levels the playing field for access; and yet, in so many other ways, the internet provides frustrating barriers for
users with vision issues. From uninformative code that screen readers don’t understand, to flashy themes that people
with reduced contrast or colour deficiencies can’t see, the web often lets users with disabilities down.
Although we try to make it as user friendly as possible, our own website relies on plugins and themes that other
people have developed. While many developers try to keep accessibility in mind, some don’t consider the experience
of users with disabilities. It’s especially difficult for visually impaired users to navigate a 2 dimensional space like the
web, and many people rely on the help of screen readers. But without code to support screen readers, a website can
be confusing to navigate.
ARIA
In order to function well, screen readers get help from something called
ARIA, which stands for Accessible Rich Internet Applications; this is a set of
specifications that can be added to HTML code. ARIA is basically a note to
screen readers telling them the function of an object; screen readers then
tell the user what to do with that object. Your website uses a combination
of HTML and CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) to make your experience both
informative and visually interesting. CSS is the fancy decoration that makes
a website pop, but without ARIA in the HTML, the code is assuming that
you can see for yourself what objects do.
For example, online forms usually have styled labels to tell you where to put your name, address, and other
information; but a screen reader doesn’t recognize those labels without a little help. If a form didn’t have labels,
would you know where to fill in your information? When you fill it in wrong, the form usually shows you where the
problem is; but if you couldn’t see the highlighted area, how would you find your error? Required form fields have a
little red star next to them; what if you couldn’t see that star? You would need ARIA to explain what information goes
in each field, which fields are required, and where the error is if one occurs.
ARIA specifications make it possible for visually impaired users to understand how a website is set up. A screen
reader has no trouble reading out straight HTML, but it needs ARIA to interpret interactive elements like buttons,
images, and form fields. Screen readers and other accessibility tools are only as good as the website that they’re
visiting; if the developer has not considered accessibility, the user’s experience will not be as good.
Wave
With accessibility browser extensions, such as a tool called Wave, a web
developer can check their website for errors and try to improve the online
experience of people using screen readers. Wave crawls a website and alerts
you to major and minor problems. For example, if you’re using a small font,
4
Wave will flag it as a problem for low vision users. If your form doesn’t use ARIA specifications, Wave will tell you
that a screen reader won’t understand the form fields. Piece by piece, you can go through your website and fix
the code, sizing, and contrast issues to make it more usable.
As a non-developer, you can use Wave to see how a user with disabilities may struggle to understand content. If
a website comes up with multiple red flags it indicates that a screen reader, or a user who relies on large font or
high contrast, may have trouble. This tool can give you some insight into another person’s challenges online, but it
doesn’t quite give you their experience.
NoCoffee
When we talk about vision issues, it can be difficult to truly understand
unless you can see it for yourself. It’s easy to picture clouds or splotches
obscuring your vision for a moment; it’s harder to imagine another
user’s daily struggles without trying to navigate through them yourself.
With that in mind, the Google Chrome extension called NoCoffee
shows you what the web is like for people with various vision issues,
and why they may need screen readers to participate online.
NoCoffee offers a range of colour deficiency options to try out; you may
find your browsing experience changes in ways you didn’t expect. You
may notice some flashy website themes become inaccessible for colour
deficient users when contrasting colours become too similar. If you
have colour deficiency turned on and low contrast enabled, you can see
that some functions may disappear entirely.
NoCoffee also offers a look into life with eye diseases like cataracts,
diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, and macular degeneration; the
extension allows you to adjust the severity of these conditions with a
slider bar. Once you’ve selected any combination of vision issues, you
can surf the web with this tool engaged; in this way you can see for
yourself the challenges that someone with these issues might face.
Closing Thoughts
If you run an independent optical, chances are you have a website of your own; how does your website look? Can
you make any changes to your page layout to create an easier experience for someone with a visual disability? As
eye health professionals, it’s likely that many of your clients have one or more of the demonstrated vision issues.
It is worth considering the needs and experiences of those patients.
What can your experience seeing through different eyes teach you about how your own office environment is
laid out? Are there obstacles or hazards that someone with central or peripheral vision loss may trip over? Using
NoCoffee may have also got you thinking about the challenges of optimizing your patients’ most important field of
vision. For example, someone with macular degeneration doesn’t use their central vision much, and can’t afford
distortion in their peripheral vision; does your choice of lenses and frames change to suit the individual?
It’s easy to forget that people quite literally see the world in different ways, but by making a website as inclusive
as possible for people who rely on screen readers, magnifiers, and other tools, ease and accessibility can be for
everyone.
Abandoned Records Sandi Williamson-Regulatory Standards Director
Health Information
What happens to a patient’s health information if a custodian becomes unavailable due to sudden
injury, illness, or death? If you work in a dispensary where there are multiple custodians, someone at
your work will most likely inherit your files. But what if you run your own dispensary?
The Health Information Act (HIA) says that patients have the right to access the information in
their files, and that it’s the custodian’s responsibility to keep those files. It’s also the custodian’s
responsibility to transfer ownership of files to another custodian if they’re no longer practicing.
Finally, a custodian is responsible for ensuring there are policies and procedures in place to follow the
HIA. Do you have a plan in place for dire emergencies?
Unexpected Tragedy
No one likes to think about grim topics like serious injury or death, but tragedy can strike
unexpectedly. If an optician is self-employed, a major incident may leave their spouse or children
suddenly in charge of patient files. Those family members might not understand the laws surrounding
privacy and health information; they may not know how long patient files need to be kept, or what the
proper method of disposal is. Furthermore, if they aren’t health practitioners, it’s inappropriate for
your family members to be responsible for those files.
Your Successor Plan
That’s why the ACAO has developed a form for custodians to name a successor in case of emergency.
All self-employed opticians should fill out this form with the name and address of their successor
custodian as well as the location of their files. That way the college has a record of where your files
are, and we can direct your patients to your successor should the need arise. The college knowing your
succession plan relieves some burden from your family and friends, too; it gives them clarity in a time
of grief and allows them to focus on what matters to them most: you.
Help us help you plan ahead; hope for the best, but prepare for the worst to give you, your family, and
your patients, peace of mind.
If you have any questions about the form or about successor custodians, please feel free to contact
Sandi at Sandi@acao.ca or call us at 780-429-2694 or 1-800-263-6026.
6
Airdrie Family Eye Doctors Address: 162 Leva Ave Red Deer County, honesty and respect. IRIS is seeking a
Position Title: Dispensing Optician. Alberta T4E 0A5 Email: w164opt@costco. Licensed Optician or Student Optician
Additional Information… com Website: http://www.costco.ca to join their team at their expanding
Airdrie Family Eye Doctors is Growing! Southpointe location. You will work
They are currently looking for a Full Time alongside their Optometrists and teams to
Optician to join their team in Airdrie. Are Costco – South Calgary give patients the ultimate experience.
you an enthusiastic, customer driven, Position Title: Licensed Optician. Contact: Lisa Glithero
team focused person who loves change Additional Information…South Calgary Address: #202 4600 130 Ave SE Calgary,
and is passionate about an exciting new Costco Optical is looking for an energetic, Alberta T2Z0C2 Email: lisa.glithero@iris.ca
opportunity. Their clinic offers a wonderful career driven licensed Optician or Contact Website: http://www.iris.ca
working environment and amazing Lens Practitioner to join their team.
teammates to work with. Day, Evening Costco offers a comprehensive benefit Thompson Optics
and Saturday shifts are all possibilities package, competitive wage structure and Position Title: Licensed Optician. Additional
within their growing family. Please see excellent career growth opportunities. Information…Thompson Optics is looking
our website at airdriefamilyeyedoctors. If you are interested in joining the for an enthusiastic part- time licensed
com to ensure our location and hours team, please forward your resume to optician to join our team. The clinic offers
are a good fit for you. Contact: Carla Contact: Vicki Address: 99 Heritage Gate a great working environment, professional
Battershill, Address: 600 705 Main St SE Calgary, Alberta T2H 3A7 Fax: (403) Optometrists, and a fun team to work with.
Airdrie, Alberta T4B3M2 Email: cdbatters@ 313-7674 Email: w251opt@costco.com We need someone able to work in a fast
icloud.com Website: http://www. Website: http://www.costco.ca paced environment and loves working
airdriefamilyeyedoctors.com with people to provide exceptional
patient care. If this opportunity interest
Alberta Sports Vision Institute Downtown Vision Care you, please forward a resume to: cathy@
Position Title: Dispensing Optician. Position Title: Dispensing Optician thompsonoptics.com. Address: 11303 104
Additional Information…Alberta Sports or Optometric Assistant. Additional Ave, Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2S1, Website:
Vision Institute is hiring in Sherwood Information…Love fashion? Have a great www.thompsonoptics.com
Park! If you are an Optician looking for eye for style? Downtown Vision Care is a
full time employment, please fax or busy, trusted optometry clinic in practice
email your resume using the contact for 40+ years. Benefits: Great hours – no Viewpoint Eye Care
information below. Contact: Brenda Martin, evenings or weekends. Bonus program Position Title: Dispensing Optician.
Address: 820 22 Lakeland Drive Sherwood and health benefits available. Please let Additional Information…We are looking to
Park, Alberta T8H0N6 Email: brenda@asvi. us know how you would make a valuable hire a Licensed or Student Optician. We are
ca Website: http://www.asvi.ca addition to our team. Forward your resume an established three doctor optometric and
with cover letter to the attention of Sherry retail practice. This is a full time position
Kells. Contact: Sherry Kells, Address: 205, with 1 to 2 evening shifts a week, but no
Costco Wholesale Red Deer 300 5Ave SW, Calgary, AB, T2P 3C4, weekends. We are looking for someone who
Position Title: Licensed Optician. Email: sherry@downtownvisioncare.com is knowledgeable and passionate about all
Additional Information…Red Deer Costco Website: www.downtownvisioncare.com different types of eye wear and really enjoys
Optical is looking for an energetic, career working with people. We are willing to train
driven licensed Optician or Contact Lens the right candidate. Contact: Dr. Sandra &
Practitioner to join their team. Costco IRIS the Visual Group Murray Oshanyk
offers a comprehensive benefit package, Position Title: Dispensing Optician. Address: #124 1160 Railway Ave, Canmore,
competitive wage structure and excellent Additional Information…At IRIS their Alberta T1W 1P4, Fax: 403-609-3707
career growth opportunities. If you are mission is to provide customers with the Email: dro@viewpointeyecare.com
interested in joining the team, please highest Level of service and products while
forward your resume to Contact: Kevin, meeting their guiding values of passion,
Mandatory Breach Reporting
Did you know? When should a breach be reported?
As health custodians, opticians in Alberta are now
required to file reports and notify patients if their Immediately. The HIA requires that custodians inform
health information has been subject to a privacy breach. the OIPC of a breach “as soon as practicable”. The
The mandatory breach reporting requirements under OIPC recommends that you report a breach as soon as
the Health Information Act (HIA) came into effect on possible, even if you don’t yet have all the information
August 31, 2018. Mandatory breach reporting is a new requested on the Privacy Breach Report Form. You can
way to ensure that patients are in the know about provide additional information to the Commissioner as
possible vulnerabilities; and as patients of other health it becomes known; when a breach happens, time can
professionals, you are entitled to this peace of mind too! be of the essence to ensure there is as little damage as
But what do opticians need to do? possible from the event.
It’s your responsibility to notify:
What is a privacy breach?
• The Information and Privacy Commissioner of a A privacy breach means “a loss of, unauthorized access
privacy breach when there is a risk of harm to your to, or unauthorized disclosure of personal information
patient. or individually identifying health information.”
• The Minister of Health of a privacy breach when Examples of situations that would constitute a breach:
there is a risk of harm to your patient.
• Your patient if they are affected by a privacy breach
and there is a risk of harm to them. • Lost or stolen laptops, USB keys, phones, or other
mobile devices containing health information.
These new rules bring Alberta in line with most • Misdirected emails, faxes or mail.
Canadian provinces and territories with regards to • “Snooping” of patient files by someone who has no
health information and privacy. Health information is right to access the file.
extremely sensitive and personal; when a breach occurs, • Evidence of hacking of computers or servers
it’s important that your patients know so that they can containing health information.
take proactive measures to keep themselves safe. • Malware, Phishing, and other attacks that could
potentially gain access to personal information.
• Reselling old computers and forgetting to wipe the
hard drive first.
8
• Stolen paper records from an employee’s vehicle, • If information that was lost was already
home, or office. destroyed or inaccessible,
• Improper disposal of records or devices. • Whether the information that has been
How do you report a breach? recovered after a breach was accessed before it
was recovered,
A breach may catch you off guard, and it can be
• If the custodian can demonstrate that the only
overwhelming and intimidating thinking of all the steps
person who accessed breached information
you are legally required to take. That’s why it’s best to
was a custodian, affiliate, or someone subject
familiarize yourself with the process BEFORE a breach
to confidentiality procedures that would
happens. That way, you won’t lose any time reporting
safeguard the information, and that they:
it, and you’ll feel confident that you’ve done your due
• only accessed it in accordance with their
diligence in service of your patient. Remember, you
duties and not for improper purposes,
have to report a breach to the OIPC, the Minister of
• didn’t use or disclose the information,
Health, and the patient (unless doing so would be
• took steps to ensure it doesn’t happen again,
dangerous for their mental or physical health).
• Exactly or approximately how many people’s
information was breached.
Reporting to the Office of the Information and Privacy
• A description of the steps that the custodian
Commissioner (OIPC)
will take to reduce the risk of harm to the
patient.
Custodians must submit a written notice to the • A description of the steps that the custodian
Commissioner in an approved form. The notice needs to will take to reduce the risk of a future breach.
include the following information, as per section 8.2(2) • A non-identifying copy of the information that
of the Health Information Regulation: will be sent to the affected individuals regarding
the breach, as well as a statement indicating
• The custodian’s name. the method that will be used to give notice to
• A description of what happened. the individuals.
• When the breach occurred. • If the custodian is requesting permission to give
• When the breach was discovered. notice to an individual by substitutional service
• A non-identifying description of the breached under section 103(c) of HIA, include both the
information. request and the reasons for the request.
• A non-identifying description of the risk to the • The name and contact information for a person
patient because of the breach, including; who can answer questions on behalf of the
• a description of the type of harm, custodian about the breach.
• an explanation of the how the risk of harm was • Any other information that the custodian
assessed, considers relevant.
• a description of the custodian’s considerations for
the following, as per section 8.1: Breach Reporting Form
• If the information may have been accessed by
an unauthorized person, This is a long checklist, but it is made easier by the
• Whether it’s reasonable to believe it will be fact that the OIPC has done the hard work already, and
misused, provided a Breach Reporting Form. Read through that
• If the information could be used for identity document, and refer to the Health Information
theft or fraud, Regulation Amendments for the original wording if
• If the breached information could cause something is unclear. You should also refer to this
embarrassment or physical, mental, or informative document created by the OIPC explaining
financial harm to the patient, or damage their how to fill out the Breach Report Form; this document
reputation. goes in depth on each section and clearly explains what
• Whether the breach will adversely affect the you should include.
provision of a health service to the affected
patient.
• If digital information was encrypted or
otherwise secured in a manner that would
protect the information despite the breach,
Continued on next page 9
Reporting to the Minister of Health Offences and Penalties
The Minister of Health requires similar information To ensure compliance, there are also new penalties
to the OIPC. To report a breach to the Minister of for custodians and affiliates who fail to adhere to the
Health, simply fill out the Notification to the Minister of legislation. A custodian or affiliate who is found guilty of
Health form, available on the Health Information Act one of these offences may be issued a steep fine.
page of the Alberta Health website. Remember
to use non-identifying information when describing
the breach, so as not to compromise your patient’s It is an offence if a custodian fails to:
health information further. You can refer to the Health
Information Regulations and the recent Amendments, or • Take reasonable steps to maintain administrative,
refer to the summary list from the OIPC section above. technical, and physical safeguards that will protect
You can report a breach to the Minister by emailing your against a breach.
completed form to HIABreachReporting@gov.ab.ca. • Report a privacy breach to the Commissioner, the
Minister of Health, and affected individuals (except
Informing the Patient when deemed harmful to the individual).
In addition to the Minister of Health and the OIPC, you • Consider all relevant factors in determining if there is
must also inform anyone whose health information has a risk of harm from a breach, and whether it needs to
been breached. The notice you send to your patient be reported.
must include: • Inform the Commissioner of a decision not to notify
an affected individual of a privacy breach, if the
custodian has determined that doing so would be
• Detailed information regarding the breach. harmful to the individual’s mental or physical health.
• The health information involved.
• Risk of harm to the patient. It is also an offence for an affiliate of a custodian to fail
• Steps taken to reduce the risk of harm. to notify the custodian of a health information privacy
• Steps the patient can take to further reduce the risk breach.
of harm.
• A statement that the patient may ask the More Information
Commissioner to investigate the incident. Even the most secure organizations suffer breaches
• Contact information for the Office of the Information sometimes; wherever there is sensitive information,
and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta. there is a risk of it being compromised. That’s why it’s
so important to prepare for the worst case scenario in
In most cases, the patient needs to know if their health addition to actively working to prevent it. Take time to
information has been breached. However, there are read through the documents provided, and if you need
times when you need to use your discretion and decide any more information on this topic, there are specialists
whether keeping your patient abreast of the situation at the HIA Help Desk who can answer your questions:
will be harmful to their health. For example, if you
have an elderly patient with a heart condition, you may
not want to cause them undue stress. If you think that Phone: 1-780-427-8089
informing your patient of a breach will result in a risk Email: hiahelpdesk@gov.ab.ca
of harm to their mental or physical health, there are
provisions in place for you to use your judgement. In
that case, you must explain to the Commissioner your Sandi Williamson, RO, RCLP
reasons for not giving notice to the affected individual. Regulatory Standards Director
10In Memoriam
Walter van Roon December 11, 1935 - August 27, 2018
Walter (Wouter) van Roon passed away in Oshawa, Ontario at the age of 82. He is
survived by three children and four grandchildren as well as his sister and her family
in The Netherlands. He was preceded in death by his wife of 58 years Ann (Afke) on
January 20th of 2017. After becoming a refracting optician in The Netherlands, Walter
and his wife immigrated to Canada in 1958. Hudson Optical hired him to manage their
Lethbridge office which he did successfully for many years. In the late 1970’s Imperial
Optical purchased Hudson Optical and Walter was soon moved to manage the Vancouver
office. After a brief return to Lethbridge, the family was moved to Toronto where Walter
continued his optical career with Imperial Optical. Walter was in charge of the Imperial
Optical Engineering Dept. which is where he started distributing Weco Optical Machinery. The very successful
Weco edgers were sent out all across Canada with Walter accompanying them for set-up and training. Later when
Weco pioneered patternless edging, Walter was involved in retrofitting many Imperial Optical labs with this very
sophisticated edging equipment. In 1991 Walter was approached by Weco Optik in Dusseldorf, Germany and
accepted the position of sales manager for North America. Stationed in Europe for a short period of time, it did not
take long until Walter and Ann started looking at returning to Canada.
In 1992, Imperial Optical closed their doors and this is when Walter van Roon started Weco Canada under the
Rodenstock umbrella. Walter van Roon is very fondly thought of by many people in the optical industry and is
regarded as Mr. Weco. His passing represents a major loss of experience, knowledge and dedication to the optical
community. After retiring from Weco he spent several years caring for his wife Ann until she could no longer live at
home. He returned part time to the industry he loved with Zeiss Optical in Toronto. He worked there until May of
this year. He was a great salesman, an intellectual and a tradesman. He loved trains and model railroading. He had
a great zest for life and was always striving to learn more. His passing is a great loss to his family, friends and the
optical industry.
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Have you heard that the National Competencies are being redone? They are
being updated to include newer technology and practices that are shaped by
that technology. They are also being redone for ease of use. We want you to
be able to apply the competencies to your everyday life as an optician. We
want them to be usable. This will make the new Quality Assurance (continuing
competency) Program much easier to use because the competencies will be
relatable.
Are they a done deal? No!
This process was started in March of 2018 with input from many opticians.
Reworking and refining has now been completed. The stage we are in now is
Post-It Notes: defining advanced practice and revising. The next stage is where you come in.
Validation is scheduled for November and December 2018. That has in the
past taken the form of a survey for you to complete, usually aligned with the
Renewals 2019 acquisition of credits. The final form of the feedback has not yet been set but
Open October 1st
you can look for your opportunity to have input in that time frame. The more
input we receive, the clearer and more complete the final product. After you
Renewals Close have had your say there will be a stage of finalizing and blueprinting with release
December 31, 2018 of the updated National Competencies scheduled for March 2019.
This will give you a chance to get used to the updated competencies before we
NACOR Exams begin the new continuing competency program (Quality Assurance). That new
February 9-10, 2019 program will start June of 2020 which is the beginning of your next cycle. If you
NAIT have not heard that we will be changing the way we maintain competency now
is a good time to start asking questions.
Council Meeting
We have had a mixed up season with snow the first day of fall. Unfortunately the
January 21, 2019
freeze ended the growing season prematurely so canning season was moved up
by a couple of months. Oh well. That’s Alberta.
Optical Summit
April 27-28, 2019
Calgary, AB Respectfully Submitted,
Maureen Hussey, RO, RCLP
Executive Director / Registrar
12Registrar Changes
Provisional Eyeglass Meredith (Emma) MacLeod 2605 2018-07-19
Shelly Maneja 2566 2018-05-18 Loretta G. Maidment 2564 2018-07-19
Makayla Klause-Edwards 2557 2018-05-18 Ezagail C. Malazo 2565 2018-07-19
Mary Eilleen Villeneuve 2729 2018-05-22 Shelly R. Maneja 2566 2018-07-19
Carolyn Hueston 2554 2018-06-05 Samira Mehri 2568 2018-07-19
Palakjot Kaur 2731 2018-06-13 Marielaine G. Palileo 2463 2018-07-19
Jasmine Phibbs 2576 2018-08-08 Harpreet Kaur Pandher 2574 2018-07-19
Pei Wen Peng 2575 2018-07-19
Rebecca H. Pocklington 2577 2018-07-19
Provisional Contact Lens Tasmia T. Sarder 2579 2018-07-19
Palakjot Kaur 2731 2018-06-13 Harpritt Sohi 2520 2018-07-19
Kimberly M. Stack 2585 2018-07-19
New Eyeglass Shannon E. Waller 2588 2018-07-19
Rebekah Ransome 2730 2018-05-29 Kayleigh R. Whiteside 2590 2018-07-19
Katelyn E. Algar 2512 2018-07-19 Shareena L. Wilkins 2614 2018-07-19
Meagan N. Belanger 2539 2018-07-19
Lakhvir K. Benipal 2726 2018-07-19 New Contact Lens
Karamjot K. Bhatti 2540 2018-07-19 Jasvir Benipal 2414 2018-07-19
Kaitlyn D. Boucher 2501 2018-07-19 Annette Clavette 2021 2018-07-19
Kailey M. Bray 2597 2018-07-19 Jody Kovacs 1793 2018-07-19
Joephrey Catapang 2543 2018-07-19 Sanjiv Mattu 1390 2018-07-19
Caitlynn J. Cross 2503 2018-07-19 Melany Lenette Nelson 2457 2018-07-19
Jennifer M. Dennhardt 2699 2018-07-19 Jennifer Nurcombe-Richardson 2460 2018-07-19
Brooke-lynn B. Dowell 2615 2018-07-19 Shalini Sharma 1520 2018-07-19
Lindsey M. Fredriksson 2546 2018-07-19 Inderjeet Singh 2627 2018-07-19
Mojdeh Ghayour 2550 2018-07-19
Mattlen J.A. Gibb 2551 2018-07-19 Reinstated
Chelsea M. Godzic 2599 2018-07-19 Renee Benoit 2378 2018-05-25
Karalyn F. Gould 2552 2018-07-19 Tina Rusnell 1311 2018-07-18
Jessica I. Grabski-Wawer 2553 2018-07-19
Gurleen K. Heer 2635 2018-07-19 Change to Non-Practicing
Jillene D. Herring-Cooper 2727 2018-07-19 Anna Woon Bin Chong 2159 2018-08-13
Muddsar Hussain 2555 2018-07-19
Mariam F. Jomha 2556 2018-07-19 Upgrade to Practicing
Shirin T. Kamal 2603 2018-07-19 Chris Turnbull 2010 2018-05-18
Cortney R. Konrad 2446 2018-07-19 Kalinda Hunsperger 1888 2018-07-04
Tuyet Lan Luong 2384 2018-07-19
Optical Mission V.O.S.H
Santa Cruz a chapter of VOSH.org Pierre from the V.O.S.H Santa Cruz a chapter is in need of
a few Opticians for his up coming mission to Guatemala.
Mission Information: Guatemala February 14-24, 2019. Interested Opticians contact myself,
Dean Thompson at d-eyeguy@shaw.ca or organizer Pierre Labine at
pierre.labine@sympatico.ca Ph:(514) 706-1805Renewals 2019
Hello members! 1st, it will result in a late fee payment of 10%
from December 2nd to December 31, 2018.
Payments • On or after January 1st, 2019 your membership
• Payments: VISA/MasterCard/Cheque /Money will be suspended which will result in a
Order or e-Transfer. Make Cheques/Money Order reinstatement fee plus your regular renewal fee.
payable to: Alberta College and Association of
Opticians. Certificates, Practice Permits & Receipts
• Take advantage of your Early Bird Membership • This year we will be sending you a Certificate of
Lottery. Payment before October 31, 2018 puts Registration which you must display.
your name in for a possible three prizes for early • Going forward you will also have access to your
registration. annual practice permit which will be available via
your online profile. This will replace the annual
mailing of your Certificate of Registration. The
Non-Practicing & Changing Status annual practice permit will have an expiry date
• You can now change your status when you on it and will renew annually.
renew your license . • Receipts will be sent via email once you’ve
• If you are changing your status at some point registered through your Member Profile. We
in 2019 but not at the time you renew, please hope this will reduce the wait time for receipts
contact the office so we can assist you in the and make this a much easier process for you.
this process as it does change your fees.
Odds & Ends
• Undertaking Form is required for Non-Practicing
status. • If you are sending in a new photo please send it
• Remember that if you are renewing as Non- in before completing your online renewal. This
Practicing, this takes effect on January 1, 2019 t saves from duplicating your permit. Please send
which time you cannot practice as an Optician. it as a JPEG.
• On the renewal form there is a check box if you
Insurance want your name unlisted in the membership
• Proof of Errors & Omissions Liability Insurance roster that will be published on the website. If
paper copy is not required. We assume that you you miss checking this box we will assume that
have this, and can be requested at any time. you want your name and business information
published on the website. If this assumption is
• If you are buying Errors & Omission Liability incorrect you can call the office.
Insurance through OAC, please send the
application directly to their office. • If you complete your renewal in the last 2
weeks of November, please expect to wait
Late Fees and Reinstatement up to 2 weeks to receive your certificate. We
appreciate your patience.
• Should you submit your renewal after December
14The Adventures of the Travelling Glasses
Michelle Smallman RO, RCLP started her career in Alberta in 1998. Michelle has
always been passionate about the global community and her profession. She
fundraised enough money to provide 20 cataract surgeries in Rajasthan, India. While
there she saw first hand the overwhelming need for good eye care and the devastation
it can cause when one does not have access to it.
Michelle wrote a children’s book about the donation of glasses from the perspective of
the glasses in hopes of teaching children to be good to their glasses and know they can
change the life of someone across the world when they recycle their old glasses. All
profits from the book, approximately $5.00 per book will go toward continuing the gift
of sight.
This book would be a great addition to your clinic and may help educate your little
patients and help make the eye care industry a little more sustainable.
https://www.amazon.ca/Adventures-Traveling-Glasses-Michelle-Smallman/dp/1775342204
15Alberta College and Association of Opticians
Council of Directors
Dean Thompson, RO, RCLP Margaret Cayenne RO, RCLP Val Pryma, RO, RCLP
President Vice President
Erin Clarke, RO, RCLP Sana Manzar, RO Udo Hanebaum, RO, RCLP
Janet Sochatsky RO, RCLP Randy Bradley, RO Gene Kerns, RO, RCLP
Jennifer Wheaton, Judy Todd, Shaffin Kherani,
Public Member Public Member Public MemberYou can also read
