Minutes of the

North Carolina State Board of Optometry

February 13- 15, 2009

Jane McKimmon Center

North Carolina State University

Raleigh, North Carolina

 

 

The North Carolina State Board of Examiners in Optometry met at the Jane McKimmon Center on the campus of North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina on Friday, February 13 through Sunday, February 15, 2009 to conduct the Board’s Winter 2009 examinations and for other purposes.  Present were Dr. Joel Banks, President, Dr. William Hendrix, Secretary-Treasurer, and Drs. David Anderson, Michael Clark, William Rafferty and Mr. Roger Mitchell and Ms. Mary Richardson, Members of the Board.  Also present were Dr. John Robinson, the Board’s Executive Director, Ms. Janice Peterson, the Administrative Secretary, and Ms. Sara Roberts, the Administrative Assistant.  Present on Friday  was Mr. Johnny Loper, the Board’s Attorney.   Present as Clinical Examiners were Drs. Tom Bull, Kenneth Bumgarner, Ania Hamp, David King, Magda Metwalli,  John Miller, Sandra Moore,  Brett Munn,, Robert Rosenstein, and Matthew Vizithum. 

 

Before calling the meeting to order 4:20 P. M. the President read from the ‘conflict of interest statement’ as required by the State Board of Ethics following which offered an opening prayer.  He then called the meeting to order and announced that Mr. Loper had asked that he be allowed to go first on the agenda because of another commitment he had across town at 6 PM.

 

On a motion by Mr. Mitchell seconded by Dr. Clark and carried unanimously the Board went into closed session in accordance with the provisions of NCGS 143-318.11(a)(3) to receive privileged analysis and advice from the Board’s attorney, Mr. Loper, regarding a potential matter which may result in a declaratory ruling being issued by the Board..  

 

Mr. Loper briefed the Board about the general nature of the matter and how he proposed to handle the matter going forward in terms of procedure.  He responded to questions from the Board in this regard.

 

On a motion by Dr. Anderson seconded by Dr. Clark and carried unanimously the Board returned to open session.  No motions were made and no action was taken while in closed session.  The matter discussed in closed session did not require any action by the Board other than the appointment of a Board member to serve with the Board’s Executive Director and Mr. Loper as the committee to investigate and make a preliminary recommendation to the Board on the matter.  In open session the President appointed himself to act in that capacity.

 

Approval of Minutes.  On a motion by Mr. Mitchell, seconded by Ms. Richardson, the minutes of the meeting held November 6 – 9, 2008 in Asheville as corrected were unanimously approved.

 

Report of the President.    Dr. Banks stated that he had no report to give at this time. 

Report of the Secretary/Treasurer.  The Secretary/Treasurer reviewed the Budget Report dated 07/01/08 thru 02/11/09.  There are two items to be considered relative to the ‘waiver’ of license renewal fees for those licensees who are called to active duty as National Guardsmen or Reservist and the refunding of the renewal fee of a licensee who died the first week in January 2009 who had paid the 2009 renewal fee in December, 2008.  There being no questions, on a motion by Dr. Anderson seconded by Mr. Mitchell and carried unanimously the report of the Secretary/Treasurer was accepted.

 

Report of the Executive Director.     The Executive Director called the Board’s attention to the report of the Data Systems Manager and Software Developer, Mr. John Dixon. The history of the conversion of the Board’s data management software from a combination ‘d’base’ – ‘off the shelf windows’ program to a windows program is well know by the current Members of the Board.  The time and costs required to bring us to the point as stated by Mr. Dixon in his report far exceeded what was anticipated at the beginning of this project.  Following discussion by the Board it was the consensus that the Board accept Mr. Dixon’s word that the project was now complete and ready for whatever testing determined to be necessary for proper operation by the Board Staff.  Further,  that upon testing and operation over a one year period should any problems with the system be encountered those problems would be ‘fixed’ without further charge to the Board by Mr. Dixon for the time required to fix the problems.  Finally, the costs of programming additional functions for the new system such as ‘on line access to continuing education records’, ‘on line license renewal’ and an ‘examination data base containing case scenarios with attachments such as photographs, charts, data printouts, etc.’ will be quoted to the Board for their approval prior to beginning the work by Mr. Dixon who will also set deadlines for completion of such projects.

 

Current Board Policy concerning “Board Certification as ‘de-facto’ Re-Licensure” was brought to the Boards attention in light of the increasing publicity given the subject of ‘Board Certification’ on a national level.  A copy of the Policy Statement is in the meeting notebook.   Following discussion, it was determined that the policy adopted on 08/23/08 speaks for itself and requires no further action by the Board.

 

A proposed ‘Statement” on behalf of the Board meant to give guidance to perspective applicants for licensure and to the schools and colleges of optometry from which they graduate initially prepared by Dr. Clark that has undergone a number of revisions is in the meeting notebook for the Board’s consideration and adoption at this meeting.

 

The 100th Anniversary of the North Carolina State Optometric Society is being celebrated at the Society’s Spring Meeting in Myrtle Beach.  The Board’s Administrative Secretary and its Administrative Assistant have been invited by the Society to take part in this event.  A copy of the invitation is in the meeting notebook.  

 

The Annual meeting of the Association of Regulatory Boards in Optometry is to be held in Washington, DC June 20-23, 2009 followed by the Annual Meeting of the American Optometric Association’s House of Delegates June 24-28.  The issue of most interest to this Board that will be ‘Board Certification’.  Action on this issue is an agenda item at both meetings.  As in past years I will attend both meetings.  This year it is recommended that the Board’s Administrative Secretary attend the ARBO with the idea that in time she will be attending these meetings on a annual basis.   

 

Dr.  Rafferty informed me just prior to this meeting that unlike previous years the ARBO Board of Directors will not be meeting in Atlanta at the time of SECO in March; however,  he will be present  there  on Thursday preceding the SECO meeting which starts on Friday as an ARBO representative on a Joint Committee with his travel , hotel,  meals and per-diem expense for that meeting paid by ARBO .  I have also been informed that Dr. Clark no longer has plans to attend SECO and will not be representing the Board at the Regional ARBO meeting on Saturday.   It is recommended that Dr. Rafferty remain in Atlanta following his meeting on  Thursday to represent the Board  at the Regional ARBO  meeting and that he receive the appropriate per-diems and reimbursement for his registration fee,  hotel  and meal expense for the days he will be required to stay beyond his ARBO committee meeting.  His travel will have been paid by ARBO.

 

Finally, it is necessary that the Board do the following:

1)      Approve the travel and related expenses of the Clinical Examiners and the amount of their honorarium; and

2)      Set the date of the next meeting of the Board to determine the

      examination results;

3)      Announce to the applicants the date on which representatives of the Board will meet with those who failed to pass the examination who wish to review their results.

4)      Approve the recommendation to refund the license renewal fee of Dr. James Rowland, now deceased.

5)      Adopt a policy consistent with the Resolution passed by the North Carolina Council of State in regard to the waiving of licensing renewal fees for those Guardsmen and Reservist called to Active Duty.

6)      Approve the registration, per-diem, hotel and meal expenses for Dr.  Rafferty to attend the SECO and Regional ARBO meeting in Atlanta  in during the first  week in March.

 

Dr. Banks, that concludes my report.  On a motion by Mr. Mitchell seconded by Dr. Anderson and carried unanimously the report of the Executive Director was accepted.

 

On a motion by Dr. Hendrix seconded by Mr. Mitchell and carried unanimously the Board approved the refunding of the license renewal fee paid for Dr. James Rowland.

 

On a motion by Mr. Mitchell seconded by Dr. Hendrix and carried unanimously the license renewal fee of National Guardsmen and/or Reservists called to active duty are to be waived upon receipt by the Board of their official orders to report, said waiver to be consistent with the Resolution passed unanimously by the North Council of State on  September 9, 2008.

 

 

On a motion by Dr. Clark  seconded by Mr. Mitchell and carried unanimously the  Board approved the  registration, hotel and meal expenses and 3 days per-diem  for Dr. Rafferty’s attendance at the SECO and Regional ARBO meetings in Atlanta in March.

 

 

On a motion by Dr. Hendrix seconded by Ms. Richardson and carried unanimously the Board approved the  travel, hotel and meal expenses for both Ms. Peterson and Ms. Roberts to attend Board Meeting and the Spring Meeting of the North Carolina Optometric Society in Myrtle Beach at the time of their 100th Anniversary Celebration.

 

On a motion by Dr. Hendrix seconded by Dr. Anderson and carried unanimously the Board approved an honorarium in the amount of $ 600 for each of the Clinical Examiners in addition to their hotel, meal and travel expenses.

 

Applicant’s Guide to the North Carolina Board’s Examination.  The document was reviewed by the Board and following the making of several minor changes a motion was made by Dr. Clark seconded by Dr. Rafferty and carried unanimously that the ‘Applicant’s Guide’ be approved and that it be circulated to the proper Administrators at the Schools and Colleges of Optometry, the American Optometric Students Association and to all future applicants to the North Carolina Optometry Board’s Clinical/Practicum Examinations.

 

 

The first examination session began promptly as scheduled on Saturday morning, February 14th at 7:45 A.M. Nineteen candidates, their applications having been previously approved, appeared for examination over the two day period.  The last session ended at 11:00 A.M. on Sunday, February, 15 2009

 

There being no further business on a motion by Dr. Clark, seconded by Dr. Banks and carried unanimously the meeting was adjourned at 11:30 o’clock A.M. on Sunday,  February 15, 2009.

           

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Board to review the results of the Winter 2009 Examinations and for other purposes will be held at the offices of the Board in Wallace, North Carolina beginning at 9:30 A on Sunday, March 29, 2009 ending no later than 5:00 PM that same day.

 

The Examination Review Committee is scheduled to meet in the Board office on Wednesday,  May 20, 2009 to review the Winter 2009 examination results with any candidate making a request in writing to the Board to review their results.

 

 

                                                                                                Approved 03/29/09

                                                                                                Wallace, NC