Senate Health & Welfare hears safety, training concerns over S.64 optometry scope expansion

Montpelier — Lawmakers in the Vermont Senate Health & Welfare Committee heard more than an hour of testimony on Feb. 4 about S.64, a bill that would expand optometrists’ authorized procedures to include several laser and minor surgical treatments of the eye. Multiple ophthalmologists and the Vermont Board of Medical Practice told the committee they oppose the bill as written, citing training shortfalls, limited supporting data, and patient-safety risks.

Dr. Jessica McDonoughly, who identified herself as an ophthalmologist and president of the Vermont Ophthalmological Society, told the committee the society’s primary concern is ensuring “Vermonters receive safe, high‑quality surgical eye care.” McDonoughly described ophthalmology training as a multi‑year process that includes medical school followed by four to six years of residency and fellowship training accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME). “Surgical treatment with ophthalmic lasers is not a primary eye care service and should be performed by physicians who are hospital residency‑trained surgeons,” she said.

Committee members were shown video and photos of office‑based procedures during McDonoughly’s…