[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6689752,"mediaKeyId","2352425-08f53b5ff0b2445dc83173a992713a78","parentId",2352425,"title","Board approves corrected minutes, establishes two‑member work group to study dispensing‑optician committee","audioSeconds",82,"startMs",8594000,"endMs",8676000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2352425-08f53b5ff0b2445dc83173a992713a78&start=8594&end=8676","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2352425-08f53b5ff0b2445dc83173a992713a78/thumbnail_8594000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6689752/California/Board-approves-corrected-minutes-establishes-twomember-work-group-to-study-dispensingoptician-committee","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6689752-3d5ebdc8bda0a88c655af28053817ba1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771190058&Signature=mqCAPP7HcEC~YZzO2mzzzYHzm9a0X1w8vW2m0Ha8NwYEvfxSqP1aCB4dN~~iT1mzODcGNBsem93nRAZJIGvdHuzFibaFOv68mTDC76qEqb~D9l5MqCwOsjP6r3boTLuMAapZ8TlKrpr6LYUcv8J5lvrhxP3zYLeD8kLs~jm-Q2vo--Drw7FrPPQWmkGoced869PkHLscuO5CrIXrSdExJL6S6GwsSnvcmRmx4VtHHjqjZ52aziGaaEkZipRrrRokrCUmgPvfPxPBu2jfwrUlPzusapi-R223uK4TEO-HfhVf~nmPdnEMRnezq5mORjcjgiLL1nNae0ZPG6qIRAoXnQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Respiratory Care Board of California","date","2025-02-20T01:19:28.477Z","article","The California State Board of Optometry on Feb. 14 approved corrected meeting minutes from Dec. 6, 2024, and voted to establish a two‑member work group to study the structure and purpose of the statutorily created Dispensing Optician Committee (DOC).

Minutes: The board considered agenda item 4, approval of minutes from the Dec. 6, 2024 meeting. Doctor Wong moved to approve the minutes as corrected; the motion was seconded and passed on a roll‑call vote. The board asked staff to correct a misspelled name in the minutes (Brad Garding, enforcement manager), and Secretary Bragg performed the roll call for the approval vote.

Dispensing Optician Committee (DOC): The DOC was created by the Legislature when opticianry moved to the board in 2017 and is a statutory advisory body made up of appointees rather than a board‑created committee. Board members noted the DOC had not met since April 2021 because it lacked a quorum and discussed whether the statutory committee remains the best vehicle for opticianry input.

After discussion, the board voted to authorize President Garcia to appoint a two‑member work group to investigate the DOC’s future role and report back to the full board. The motion to create the work group was made and seconded; the board approved it by roll‑call vote. The motion authorized the president to name two board members to the work group; the board did not at this meeting name the two designees publicly. The work group will coordinate with staff and stakeholders and prepare options for the board to consider during the upcoming sunset review process.

Tabling of opticianry rulemaking: Board staff said an item to adopt opticianry disciplinary guidelines would be brought back at a future meeting because additional work was needed. The board agreed to table that proposed rulemaking and revisit it at the April meeting.

Why it matters: The DOC’s statutory status means the Legislature and sunset reviewers commonly ask the board about its membership, quorum and function. The two‑member work group is intended to produce options the board can use when answering sunset review questions and when considering whether to recommend statutory changes or to adopt an internal board committee model.

Next steps: Staff will post corrected minutes and the board president will appoint the two work‑group members. The work group will report back at a future meeting, and staff will return the opticianry rulemaking package after additional revisions.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","California State Board of Optometry Meeting - February 14, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The board approved corrected Dec. 6 minutes and created a two‑member work group to study the Dispensing Optician Committee’s future and to prepare recommendations ahead of the Legislature’s sunset review.","taxTitle","Respiratory Care Board of California, Boards and Commissions, Executive, California","taxId",76751,"location","California","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6689760,"California optometry board hears widespread support and legal concerns about authorizing radio‑frequency devices for dry‑eye care",3518,325000,3843000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2352425-08f53b5ff0b2445dc83173a992713a78&start=325&end=3843","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2352425-08f53b5ff0b2445dc83173a992713a78/thumbnail_325000.jpg","/articles/6689760/California/California-optometry-board-hears-widespread-support-and-legal-concerns-about-authorizing-radiofrequency-devices-for-dryeye-care","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6689760-cef1931ce79cac36e2b98142b8c9968e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771190058&Signature=hMR4pFimSw1FejjmyLQv1pvbOqfJ4lReZQbNtS-61DgR~s3pqExGz6GUBxyjQGxQ6phsPxiWsjbfitCym2LZT62OCD~F-Dx2GQxztO6WLrkiokzRAD9Zn2T-Cup36qtMqdXbfkS5RyeYYXfvjRpi7XTsvxY9VqfxlzJAe-RnM93ABhCW2YceBSLrRwKN0jYtIcGYVfyfxwGEEwl9qWk2JThdhSOyK2d6GL80MLhh~Nq3-ZXJqjp8m8WH1zhnzkSHwHPQh3jN8n3aiHhH-UxvIm3SkqzmbWuMTMq-R0vYoxXQabW-aKQwNMF1j006pVeQg8jfLSpCXL3OqzgTcjGH7g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The California State Board of Optometry on Feb. 14 heard more than a dozen public commenters supporting a proposed regulation to authorize optometrists to use noninvasive radio‑frequency (RF) devices to treat meibomian gland dysfunction and dry‑eye disease, while representatives of physician groups argued the devices could meet the statutory definition of “surgery.”

Board President Garcia introduced agenda item 3 and staff said the board had submitted a regulatory proposal to the Office of Administrative Law and had received “numerous comments in support and 2 comments in opposition” during the public notice period. Executive Officer Gregory Pruden told the board the item was being presented to receive additional oral and written comment before any final regulatory action.

The board heard repeated testimony that RF devices are noninvasive and safe. William Fleischman, an optometrist practicing in Rio Linda, said: “The technique is a very simple procedure. It's safe and effective, and there is no reason that we should not be allowed to use it.” Sebastiano Santarelli, who identified himself as a representative of INMODE, said his company’s ocular RF device had been on the market for seven years and “to date, there have been no reported adverse events.”

Multiple academic and clinical leaders also testified in support. Elizabeth Hoppe, dean of the College of Optometry at Western University of Health Sciences, told the board authorizing RF would “increase patient access, especially in underserved areas where ophthalmologists may not be readily available.” Mark McConnell, associate dean at the Southern California College of Optometry, cited curriculum inclusion and NIH‑funded studies when endorsing the technology.

Representatives of organized medicine urged caution. Michael Kouras, an ophthalmologist in San Diego, told the board the legislature conditioned the board’s new authority on ensuring any newly permitted technology not conflict with the statutory definition of surgery. Kouras and Alicia Sanchez of the California Medical Association argued the RF effect on tissue (they referenced “neocologenesis” in testimony) could be read to “alter tissue” and therefore fall outside the board’s regulatory authority under Business and Professions Code provisions cited during the meeting.

Board members raised legal and technical questions rather than taking immediate action. Member Clapot (board member) asked staff to search for any case law or regulatory guidance that clarifies the contested statutory phrase “otherwise infiltrated by any means” as used in Business and Professions Code §3041(b)(5)(B) (the statutory definition of “surgery” cited in public comment). Member Linden and others asked staff to also review the Food and Drug Administration approvals for these devices and whether FDA findings discussed invasive vs. noninvasive use might inform the board’s response.

Executive Officer Pruden said the board did not intend to amend the regulatory text at this meeting and that staff would respond to comments as part of the existing rulemaking record. He described next steps: the department will research the statutory language and FDA materials, the board will prepare written responses to the public comments, and the item will return for further consideration at the April board meeting. Pruden emphasized the board’s proposal would not permit optometrists to delegate RF treatments to unlicensed persons and said the proposal includes consumer protections.

The board did not vote or adopt regulatory language at the Feb. 14 meeting. Instead, it directed staff to gather legal authorities and FDA information, to prepare responses to the public comments already in the record, and to present the findings at a future meeting.

Why it matters: Hundreds of thousands of Californians suffer from dry‑eye disease; the question on the table is whether optometrists’ existing scope of practice and the statute’s language permit the board to authorize a noninvasive RF treatment through regulation. The decision would change who may deliver an increasingly common therapy and shape patient access in regions with fewer ophthalmologists.

Public comment and next steps: The board’s record includes testimony from practicing optometrists, optometry school deans, device company representatives, nursing‑union representatives and physician organizations. The board asked staff to research whether (1) case law or regulatory interpretation clarifies the statute’s phrase “otherwise infiltrated by any means,” and (2) the FDA’s clearance language for RF devices discusses invasiveness in ways that would bear on the statutory issue. Staff will prepare written responses to the 45‑day public comments and return the item to the board at its April meeting for possible action.","The California State Board of Optometry on Feb. 14 heard widespread public support for allowing optometrists to use noninvasive radio‑frequency devices to treat dry‑eye disease while medical groups urged the board to reexamine whether the devices meet the statutory definition of “surgery.”",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6689756,"Visiting professor urges California optometrists to expand cultural competence as Hispanic population grows",364,5641000,6005000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2352425-08f53b5ff0b2445dc83173a992713a78&start=5641&end=6005","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2352425-08f53b5ff0b2445dc83173a992713a78/thumbnail_5641000.jpg","/articles/6689756/California/Visiting-professor-urges-California-optometrists-to-expand-cultural-competence-as-Hispanic-population-grows","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6689756-1ee32e0de6ebec547f35af02537b77d5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771190058&Signature=d1t0D5m5Ldf-zMsHuD9Jqdx1s7kbrAyd9A0zjKkUxoluvA5Uq4gmYM2FgiHemY~KPA03I9nq~u024~69IIUZvoFikX1ed8DuoODl4C4KHrHJ9UFfdqZhrQHyuRvVpkuyyQ65X6ISuDsiYqkX5fIRVhiijWMJRcbaGx8jq71LQAtb12BEo0ETD4-cjuoWqSAp~9RkKdzIZ0VSMEWap0bIKmAv-h5ryNWgHFjDqCmmBaAldeiVQFNORzocCL3LAynxoDpnbFdOOgHG4OwJXLcth5RID4RdL7qS4g8AVvamumhOm3Eo7ndG0RT2VeuoWhkepBR9XJoC4kKhLcrVD7nttA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A virtual presentation to the California State Board of Optometry on Feb. 14 urged optometrists to prioritize cultural competence as the state’s Hispanic population grows and to adapt clinical practices to reduce health disparities.

The board heard Dr. Héctor Santiago, professor and director of research at Inter American University of Puerto Rico School of Optometry, describe cultural factors that influence health‑seeking behavior, expectations of care and adherence to treatment. “There is not such a thing as neutrality,” Santiago said of Western medical practice, arguing that clinicians should recognize how culture shapes patients’ perceptions, communication and decisions about treatment.

Santiago told the board Latino patients often prefer face‑to‑face rapport, involve family members in decisions and may use traditional healers or remedies. He recommended practical steps for clinics: address patients with formal titles and family names on first meeting, allow family members into the exam room when appropriate, use trained interpreters rather than children, speak in short, plain sentences when an interpreter is present, and learn basic Spanish phrases to help establish rapport.

The presentation included clinical context: Santiago highlighted higher prevalence of diabetes and diabetic retinopathy among Hispanic populations and emphasized routine screening. He noted public‑health goals such as Healthy People targets for dilated eye exams, and that Hispanics currently have among the lowest rates of recent dilated‑eye exams.

Board members and staff said they would make Dr. Santiago’s slides and an accompanying video available to members and the public; Executive Officer Gregory Pruden said the board would post the presentation on its website. Several board members thanked Santiago and said they anticipate using the material for outreach and training.

Why it matters: California’s Hispanic population is large and growing; the board and practitioners who serve diverse communities will need culturally adapted workflows, language access and outreach to improve screening and treatment rates for conditions including diabetic eye disease. Santiago emphasized that culturally competent care can increase patient retention and improve outcomes.

Next steps: The board said it will distribute Dr. Santiago’s materials to members and consider further outreach and training opportunities.","Dr. Héctor Santiago told the California State Board of Optometry that demographic shifts and health disparities make cultural competence essential for improving access and outcomes for Latino patients; he urged practices to use interpreters, involve families and adapt communication and outreach.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board approves corrected minutes, establishes two‑member work group to study dispensing‑optician committee

California optometry board hears widespread support and legal concerns about authorizing radio‑frequency devices for dry‑eye care

Visiting professor urges California optometrists to expand cultural competence as Hispanic population grows