Annual Report - Alberta Association of Optometrists

2 0 2 1Annual Report

ACCOUNTABLE

FORWARD-LOOKING/INNOVATIVE

INCLUSIVE

PROFESSIONAL

VALUESAAO

On the cover: AAO Member Dr. T.H. Poon

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MESSAGEReflecting on last year, 2020 will not soon be forgotten. Covid-19 turned our personal and professional lives upside down. Social gatherings were replaced by Zoom meetings, and smiling faces were covered with masks. Provincial restrictions forced Alberta optometrists to cease providing routine care for several weeks during spring 2020, and throughout the year our practices were affected by occupancy limits, cleaning protocols and masking requirements to prevent the spread of the virus. It was a time of uncertainty for all.

The pandemic forced the AAO to adapt in order to keep staff safe and provide support for member optometrists. AAO staff worked remotely, and all staff were employed throughout 2020. We were able to lobby government for health code B912 (Telephone and Videoconference Advice) allowing optometrists to be reimbursed for remotely treating patients, which was welcome as many patients were apprehensive to venture from their homes. Recognizing that the provincial restrictions impacted the income of optometrists, AAO Council elected to waive AAO dues for the second half of 2020 for all members.

President’s

The AAO's continuing education offerings got off to a promising start with the Spring Symposium held in Calgary on February 29, 2020. The topic was Scleral Lenses and Myopia Control and the small group size allowed the 38 attendees to interact with presenters and experience hands-on learning. The AAO was looking forward to putting on a Fall Conference in October, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the AAO holding member conferences. Alas, the pandemic forced us to abandon an in-person conference, and AAO staff and our Continuing Education Committee quickly pivoted to a virtual conference featuring a series of weekly lectures on Tuesday evenings. Presenting a conference online was a big change for both attendees and AAO staff, and the successes from this conference will be applied to virtual offerings in the future. The quality of lectures was well rated and received by members. I'm excited that the AAO is offering a two-day hybrid conference in Banff in October 2021, which will offer both in-person and virtual opportunities for optometrists to obtain their CE.

The AAO's business plan for 2020 contained numerous goals for new and existing programs to advance the profession of optometry in our province. Eyesafe™, our

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THE AAO TEAM WORKING FOR YOU

MISSIONTo establish optometry as every Albertan’s first and continual access point for world leading eye care.

prescription safety eyewear program was impacted as the pandemic affected Alberta's industrial economy. Eye See . . . Eye Learn™ was also affected due to Alberta's children learning from home, as well as many parents delaying vision care for their children because of Covid-19. That said, both of these key programs, are well positioned to prosper as Alberta's children return to school and our provincial economy recovers.

Last year was challenging for both Alberta's optometrists and the AAO. However, there is cause for optimism as Alberta's restrictions are dropped and we slowly return to normal, or at least a new-normal. Our association's high voluntary membership of optometrists has allowed the AAO to be well positioned to survive difficult times. The AAO has weathered the challenges of 2020 and is committed to continue its mission to provide world leading eye care to Albertans. Thank you for your continued membership and I hope to see you in Banff in October.

Dr. Richard Cowles, AAO President

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Dr. Sophia LeungDirector

Dr. Richard CowlesPresident

Dr. Troy BradyPast President

Dr. Andrea LasbyPresident Elect

Dr. Zain JivrajDirector

Dr. Kim BugeraCAO Representative

Dr. Colin Hobson,Director

Dr. Monica Bell,Director

Dr. Cristy Franco,Director

As an association, we rely on the solid governance offered by the elected Council. In 2020/2021, this dedicated group navigated through the routine business required to move the association forward, along with the added pressures of a pandemic. It was anything but a routine year. Thank you to our Council for its efforts in ensuring the path forward remained clear and in alignment with the established business plan goals.

CO

UN

CIL

20202021AAO

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DEPARTINGAAO 2020

Council Members

Dr. Kevin Hesterman joined council in 2014 and jumped into Director positions in Member Education and Government Relations & Insured Services. He also served on the Board Governance & Nominations and Finance, Audit and Risk Management Committee and as Secretary Treasurer. Always willing to help, whether drafting a report or presenting to health professionals, Dr. Hesterman could always be counted on to support the profession.

Dr. Danielle Gordon joined council in 2016. Dr. Gordon served as chair of the Programs & Benefits Committee, and as chair of the Local Optometric Societies,

New Grad, and Women in Optometry Sub Committees. Her dedication to the profession was, and will continue to be, an asset to the AAO.

Three highly valued members

stepped down from council in

2020.

Dr. Jim Asuchak served since 2007, and to say that he represented AAO members in a number of capacities would be an understatement. Dr. Asuchak took on the Director position of Member Benefits and of Public Relations. He held the positions of Secretary Treasurer, President-Elect, President and Past President and chaired the Board Governance & Nominations Committee. His knowledge was drawn upon many times and his vision for the AAO has helped move the association in a dynamic direction.

Over the years,

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Governance Committees

Board Development and Nominations CommitteeDr. Troy Brady (Chair)Dr. Richard CowlesDr. Colin HobsonDr. Kim Bugera

Children's Vision SubcommitteeDr. Kim Bugera (Chair)Dr. Sabih ChaudharyDr. Nalisha MohamedDr. Sarah MacDonaldDr. Diana MoneaDr. Heather Cowie

COMMITTEES2020 AAO

In order to continue advancing optometry, strong volunteer support is not only important but it is the backbone to efforts of all sizes. There are almost 300 members involved on volunteer committees and actively supporting AAO initiatives. Thank you to those members who have contributed their expertise and an abundance of time on these committees – all benefit the membership and the profession.

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COMMITTEESEmerging Trends CommitteeDr. Sophia Leung (Chair)Dr. Andrea LasbyDr. Colin Hobson

Finance, Audit, & Risk Management CommitteeDr. Andrea Lasby (Chair)Dr. Kevin HestermanDr. Damon UmsheidDr. T.H. Poon

Local Optometric Societies Subcommittee Dr. Dr. Zain Jivraj (Chair)Dr. Tatiana Cook - LSODr. Sam Boucher - ESODr. Samantha Sperber - CAOSDr. Palki Arora - CSODr. Clark Hyde - MSO

Low Vision Subcommittee Dr. Colin Hobson (Chair)Dr. Alina GuptaDr. Mark KallalDr. Suzanne Quilley

Vision Development Rehabilitation SubcommitteeDr. Cristy Franco (Chair)Dr. Christina HinesDr. Jason HoltomDr. Aleem JiwaDr. Debbie LukDr. Shannon Pennifold

Operational Committees

Continuing Education CommitteeDr. Sophia Leung (Chair)Dr. George FungDr. Andrea LasbyDr. Tanya Jones GreenwoodDr. Diana MoneaDr. Bonita O'BrienDr. Nohad TelianiDr. Susan Joe

Editorial BoardDr. Susan JoeDr. Debbie LukDr. Diana MoneaDr. Tom-Harley PoonMs. Jan Archbold (Chair)

Government Relations CommitteeCEO (Chair)70+ Doctors of Optometry

New Grad SubcommitteeDr. Monica Bell (Chair)Dr. Catherine CheonDr. Kendra MillerDr. Samantha Sperber

Women In Optometry SubcommitteeDr. Christy Franco (Chair)Dr. Mandee CheemaDr. Monica Bell

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MEMBERSHIPThe

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THE AAO WHO WE ARE

Thank you to the 805 optometrists who were members of the AAO in 2020. This is a record number and represents 94% of all

optometrists practicing in Alberta. It’s also the highest percentage of membership in Canada. This number includes 24 new members

who arrived in Alberta during a very difficult year and still made joining their association a priority. With optometrists in more

than 100 locations throughout the province, AAO members are available to provide vision and eye health services to Albertans

when they need it and in their own community.

805 Member Optometrists – a record

94% of all practicing Alberta optometrists – percentage membership level in Canada

24 new members

57%

.04%10%

34%

Membership by Generation

Traditionalist 1927 - 1 94 5

Baby Boomers 1946 - 1964

Generation X 1965 - 1980

Generation Y 1 9 8 1 - 1 9 9 7

Optometrist

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The AAO currently has 29 new graduates as members. Welcome!

For many new grads, the usual end of year at university was postponed into late 2020 or early 2021. Many things were put into a state of flux as the bumps and hurdles for optometrists launching their career kept popping up. This also caused the New Grad Orientation, normally held in September each year, to be moved into March of 2021 and held as a virtual event over two evenings.

Edmonton optometrist Dr. Maggie La attended the sessions and found several components helpful for her use now and to be used in the future. “The financial section about when to incorporate or when to stay a sole practitioner was very helpful. Learning when it’s beneficial to make the move. You don’t come out of school knowing these things,” said Dr. La.

When you begin practicing, you are immediately immersed in ensuring Alberta Health is correctly billed for patient services. Understanding this billing structure was a bit of a struggle when

Dr. Maggie La

GRADUATENew

Orientation

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THE AAO WHO WE ARE

Student

Through a student membership, these future colleagues have the opportunity to learn about the AAO and also about practicing in Alberta through events, education sessions, information in the members’ section of the website, and member communications. In 2020 there were 43 students active in the program.

Dr. La first graduated. “I’ve been practicing for about a year-and-a-half and I took advantage of opportunities to learn more. It’s important to me to know how to correctly use the billing codes and why things are rejected,” said Dr. La. “Billing in Ontario or the USA is completely different than it is in Alberta. The information at the orientation was helpful. I also would encourage new grads to check out the weekly billing tips we receive from the AAO and the Billing Guide (located in the member’s section of the AAO website)”.

The virtual format worked well from Dr. La’s perspective. “Attending remotely allowed me to see all of the new grads across the province.” For Dr. La, it was an opportunity to hear from optometrists starting their careers in urban and rural areas, and learning what challenges each face in these first years of practice.

Whether just entering practice or in your second year, the New Grad Orientation is geared specifically to you as an AAO member.

MEMBERS

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in front of the

camera

GENERALAnnual Meeting

The 100th edition of the AAO’s annual general meeting was held virtually on October 14, 2020, with a record number of 389 members attending. We’ve come a long way from attracting just 17 members to the first annual meeting in 1920. It was held at Edmonton’s Hotel Macdonald and it was a long day, starting at 10 am, adjourning at 4:45pm for other business, a banquet at 7 pm, reconvening at 9 pm and concluding at 12:15 am the following day. While members 100 years ago likely couldn’t imagine the growth of the profession, they were the start of a resilient group of optometrists who would put every ounce of energy available to them to move the profession forward.

The 2020 virtual presentation introduced remote voting, which allowed for bylaws amendments and elections to take place. While the AAO said goodbye to valued members Dr. Jim Asuchak, Dr. Danielle Gordon and Dr. Kevin Hesterman, there were new members to welcome. The membership elected Dr. Richard Cowles as President, Dr. Andrea Lasby as President Elect, and new council members Dr. Monica Bell, Dr. Cristy Franco and Dr. Colin Hobson.

Dr. Jim Asuchak Dr. Richard Cowles Dr. Troy Brady

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All of this took place while the behind-the-scenes orchestration ensured the meeting could be presented seamlessly to members. In front of the camera, President Dr. Troy Brady handled the meeting until passing the gavel to Dr. Richard Cowles, and Dr. Jim Asuchak guided the election process. Behind the scenes AAO’s staff of Brian Wik, CEO, Jan Archbold, Communications Manager, and Cynthia Lee, Events Coordinator were safely spaced throughout the AAO office. It was a much shorter meeting than it was 100 years ago with an adjournment after one hour of meeting time. It was proof positive how the AAO membership can accomplish a great deal when it’s needed.

behind the

scenes

Brian Wik

Cynthia Lee

Jan Archbold

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RECIPIENTSPractice Awards are presented to those members who have achieved

25 and 50 years of service contributing to the profession and providing quality eye care for Albertans.

2020 Practice Award

Dr. Joyce Lee Dr. Trevor PilipchukDr. Donald Meckelborg

25 years

Also receiving a 25 Year Practice Award – Dr. Leta Thiessen.16

AWARDS CELEBRATING GREAT PEOPLE!

Dr. Donald LeDrew >>

<< Dr. David Schmidt

These awards

are normally

celebrated at the

AAO conference

and, although we

were unable to

meet in person,

the AAO provided

recipients with

a gift certificate

so they could

celebrate safely

with family.

Congratulations

to everyone!

50 years

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When Olli Zeller learned of winning the Optician of the Year Award, she felt “honoured” – her description. The award included a gift certificate for a celebration in the clinic and Olli’s team organized a lunch for all those working with her in the trenches during the pandemic. It was with this team that Olli weathered the storm the pandemic would bring.

of the Year AwardOPTICIAN

“I thrive in a challenge,” said Olli. “We just have to overcome.” These sentiments are just one of the many reasons she was nominated and won the award. “There were extra steps to take in assisting patients–hand washing and cleaning equipment and frames, but we were also able to serve people who needed our help.” The clinic was especially busy during the time Alberta’s optometry clinics could only offer urgent care. “We had many new patients come in and lots of these people have remained patients,” she added. “People were so thankful. There was a patient with a -10 prescription who broke their glasses and came into the clinic wearing prescription goggles. We were able to get them fitted quickly with new glasses.” There was also a marked increase in the number of

patients coming in with glasses that had been chewed by pets. “With more people working from home they were spending more time with their pets. The result was damaged lenses and missing frame arms,” she said with a chuckle.

Remaining positive and finding the lighter side in challenging times are priorities for Olli. “It’s your perspective. When you have a positive approach that is how people respond in return.” Her team and the AAO appreciate all she does to improve the patient experience in clinic.

The Optician and Optometric Assistant of the Year Award recognizes individuals who go above the call of duty every day, show outstanding leadership, and go the extra mile without being asked.

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When Sabrina Michaud walked into her clinic’s regular staff meeting in the fall of 2020, she had no idea it was to announce she had been nominated for the Optometric Assistant of the Year Award and was the winner. “I was totally speechless,” said Sabrina. “Everybody was so excited. We were in the heart of the pandemic so there wasn’t a lot we could do to celebrate, but we rented a small room, brought in some food and relaxed long enough to safely enjoy each others company and have some laughs.” In her nomination Sabrina was described as a natural leader and capable of seamlessly moving between jobs when and wherever needed, and always with a smile.

In navigating through the pandemic, Sabrina would draw on these skills many times. “We had a reduced staff for two months and we were really busy providing essential services. We also had to set up all

of the safety protocols in the clinic. Things we had never thought about before. We found the information and guidance provided by the AAO super helpful and kept referring to the material. By the time we brought the rest of the team back we were worn out. There was no such thing as a job title. We did whatever was needed to help people.”

Sabrina described patients coming into the clinic as resilient. One person who had broken their glasses came in wearing their brother’s glasses, because seeing something was better than nothing. The clinic also saw a significant increase in eye health emergencies. “People were at home doing projects like wood working or playing more active games. We saw several dads come in with nerf dart injuries! We never knew what the day would bring,” added Sabrina. When looking back over 2020, Sabrina says what

of the Year Award

Optometric

ASSISTANT

stands out most is how the team pulled together providing people the services they needed, doing whatever needed to be done. A good memory to keep from a very difficult time.

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SERVICEAward

It was a week before the provincial government announced the closure of optometry clinics and the number of people diagnosed with the covid virus was rising that Dr. Sarah Keep and her husband Kyle Keep began looking for something to create a barrier between patient and doctor when using the slit lamp. “I couldn’t risk people breathing in my face and I’m sure they didn’t want me that close to them without a barrier,” said Sarah. The slit lamp is an integral part of an eye exam, so it was very important to find a solution.

Sarah found a template for a shield made out of a binder protector and began fashioning something she felt might work. Kyle, who had spent many years inside Sarah’s clinic, had a good idea of what was needed and that something better was possible. “As an engineer, I felt certain something more substantial and useable could be created. It needed to be sturdy, fit securely, and allow the slit lamps to be fully operational.” Kyle began researching and building prototypes to find the perfect fit. Sarah gave him a wish list, must haves, and how it should sit on the slit lamp

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The Service Award recognizes individuals who

have dedicated a significant amount of their personal

time to serving optometry outside of their practice hours over the past year.

to allow maximum use. Once he had something viable and Sarah had determined it would work well, they reached out to friends who are also practicing optometrists. This is when they realized that there were several models of slit lamps and that would mean several sizes of shield. To date, Kyle has created 19 shield sizes that fit models A through S.

“Once we had the shields in place in Sarah’s clinic and those of our friends, we knew it was something we needed to make available to everyone,” said Kyle. Through the AAO, the word went out and Kyle manufactured 400 shields free of charge for optometrists throughout the province.

“In hindsight, we should have had shields long before the covid virus arrived for our comfort and for our patients. I’m sure that now, and when we are no longer masking, people will be hyper aware of the distance between you and them and shields will become the norm,” said Sarah. This isn’t the only change the pandemic created. “We had to shift how

work was done in the clinic. We reduced capacities, shifting to spread things out, but I enjoyed having more time with patients. It gave me time to develop better rapport with patients when I hadn’t previously had time.” While the staff would have to be home and tested if even the slightest sniffle was apparent and many enhanced cleaning measures were implemented, Sarah says the team pulled together and continues to work together to keep everything moving forward. The clinic will continue to keep some of the measures in place that worked well – sanitizing frames, booking fitting appointments, and assisting patients with trying on frames.

For Kyle, “As an engineer, it was extremely rewarding. We created something that was a tangible benefit to people at a time of crisis.”

Thank you to Sarah and Kyle for their commitment to the profession, their colleagues and the care taken to protect staff, doctors, and patients.

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EDUCATION

The year kicked off with the in-person February presentation of the Spring Symposium in Calgary. The session covered Scleral Lenses and Myopia Control, with hands-on patient practice that allowed the learnings from the event to immediately be put to work in the clinic. With an event satisfaction rating of 93 percent, we know

these hands-on sessions provide meaningful learning experiences.

Although other in-person sessions were planned, these were cancelled and the AAO pivoted to virtual learning. This included the Regional Meetings which would normally see the AAO and the ACO working together to present to members at various

locations throughout the province. Through the virtual presentation, the team attracted a record audience of 495 members. A wide range of questions followed the presentation and these were effectively addressed by having both the AAO and ACO available.

With the move back to full services in clinics, the AAO worked

Dr. Aminder Gill

Continuing

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Dr. Nadia Clark, Dr. Aminder Gill and Dr. Anthony Fu at Spring Symposium

with Miller Thomson law firm to present a May 20th webinar on what member employers needed to know as they returned to full operations. There were a great many questions around operating procedures relating to labour and employment standards in this new work environment. The webinar was offered free of charge and it was attended by more than 100 members. Clinics were clearly

getting ready to be “Back to Business.”

The most significant change was a move to a virtual annual conference. This annual learning opportunity is also an opportunity for colleagues to network and re-charge, so the CE Committee and AAO team went to work to build the best possible alternative to meeting in person. The 2020 conference offered three months of Tuesday night learning

sessions, a virtual tradeshow, and fun virtual social events. The sessions kicked off on September 8 and concluded on November 24 and were also available on demand following the live presentations. While the content satisfaction ratings were extremely high at 97%, it was clear members missed being able to gather together and meet with colleagues. Something we all hope will be rectified in 2021.

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When the Eye See . . . Eye Learn™ program kicked off in 2005, Dr. Kevin Hesterman was on board in more than one way. In addition to sitting on the program committee, he ensured his clinic was involved and he booked presentations in kindergarten classrooms. “For the past 15 years I have been making in-class presentations to kindergarten students. It’s an opportunity to show them what happens during an eye exam and that it’s not scary. It’s actually a highlight for the kids,” said Dr. Hesterman. He has long viewed the program as an integral way for Alberta’s children to develop healthy eye care habits. “It sets a precedent. If families begin taking care of their eyes at this age, we know they will continue booking appointments just as they do for their annual dental care. This not only ensures kids start school seeing their best, but it helps to build a practice.” When asked if there have been many instances of parents not realizing their child has a vision issue, he says there are too many to count. “Children simply don’t know they should be seeing differently. Often when I ask a child to cover an eye to read the chart they will say things like ‘That’s the eye I don’t see with’, which is when parents first realize there has been an undiagnosed issue.”

Dr. Hesterman believes the barrier free program makes clear vision accessible to all Alberta children. “If they have an eye exam and need glasses, they are provided.” As there is Alberta Health coverage towards the eye exam, there isn’t anything standing in the way of a child seeing correctly other than parents not booking an eye exam.

To encourage parents to book appointments and ensure they understand the program, information packages are

Dr. Kevin Hesterman

provided to the schools to distribute to the parents of kindergarten students. In 2020, the AAO worked with school boards to electronically distribute more than 65,000 packages across Alberta. It was a school year filled with disruption, but 42.9% of five-year-old children still made it in for an eye exam. There were 1,415 free pairs of glasses distributed, and for 63% of these children it was their first pair.

An advertising campaign created 1.2 million impressions and drove to the program information on the AAO website. “Mommy” bloggers helped generate awareness of the program by talking about their own experiences. This influencer marketing allows the message to be shared in detail and in their own words.

Thanks to doctors like Dr. Hesterman, multiple family generations are now making the annual trek for an eye exam, ensuring a great start to the child’s learning career.

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MEMBER PROGRAMS

Dr. Breanna Fletcher

The AAO is fortunate that more than 50 years ago dedicated members decided Alberta’s workforce deserved better eye protection and kicked off what would become Eyesafe™ – Alberta’s largest workplace safety eyewear program. Now, with more than 150 frame choices AAO members can offer workers safety glasses that are specifically designed for the risks associated with their job

Dr. Breanna Fletcher moved home to Alberta in 2017 after a stint in the USA and joined a practice that offered the Eyesafe™ program. “I’m proud to work in a province where our optometric association puts an emphasis on patient care with programs such as Eyesafe™. I also see this program as a direct benefit to my practice. Eyesafe™ starts a relationship, because it draws in patients for a comprehensive eye exam which gives me the opportunity to start the conversation about ocular eye health and how we can help. We get the chance to educate about the importance of routine ocular health examinations, the importance of properly prescribed and fitted safety eyewear, and to inform patients what an optometrist offers for emergency eyecare in the instance of a workplace injury. This not only adds growth to our practices it significantly alleviates the burden on emergency rooms.” Patients are often unaware of the quality urgent care available through their local optometrist, and that there is Alberta Health coverage towards these appointments.

The primary goal of the Eyesafe™ program is to help workers get the right prescription, in the most suitable frames, and with the best fit possible. “Eyesafe™ is held to a high professional standard; it truly is the practice of doctor driven dispensing,” added Dr. Fletcher.

The flow of Eyesafe™ often changed this year as Dr. Fletcher and other Eyesafe optometrists worked around companies regularly changing safety protocols because of the pandemic. Organizations were learning and adapting to

what needed to happen to keep their workers safe, and that meant adjusting the safety glass requirements. “Over the last year we saw many more people who were in the health industries. New protective eyewear protocols in health care, long term care facilities, dental, cleaning and sanitation industries gave us the opportunity to expand recommendations for properly fit safety eyewear. Their needs changed. It could be a move to a close-fitting frame or something that offered greater coverage. Or maybe they hadn’t needed safety glasses in the past. The pandemic changed how people looked at protecting their eyes.” Dr. Fletcher also found patients were more interested in fit, because the combination of masking requirements and ill-fitting safety eyewear led to lens fogging and moisture buildup, which created an added hazard in the workplace.

Dr. Fletcher and her colleagues clearly saw the benefits of the Eyesafe™ program before the pandemic, but it was a broad base of Albertans who benefitted by the programs quick response to frontline workers need for the best in prescription safety eyewear.

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The AAO’s government relations activities for 2020, like all things, had to adapt to the changes afforded us with the advent of Covid 19.

The year started off very well with members of the Government Relations Committee (GRC) meeting with their local MLAs and educating them on issues related to optometry and vision health.

While members were talking with MLAs, Council and staff were preparing materials for Alberta Health, in response to their “consultation” regarding cutting our fees. A document was prepared noting that their ask of a 22.8% cut was not reasonable and why. The AAO provided a sensible counterproposal with a 3.2% reduction over two years. Then Covid hit and things went quiet for the remainder of the year. Ultimately, there were no cuts to optometrist’s fees in 2020.

In March of 2020, the AAO put forth a proposal to Alberta Health for tele-optometry codes. After some solid discussions and emails, on June 15, 2020, ODs were able to bill a B912 making us one of four provinces to have such a code.

Because of relationships initiated by optometrists, the AAO was invited to sit on Alberta Health Services’ (AHS) Diabetes Eye Care Pathway Steering Committee.

This provide the AAO an opportunity to work with officials from AHS on projects that promoted vision health, especially directed at diabetics, and educate different officials about optometry’s capabilities.

During the year, we were also able to negotiate a continuance of the contract for Social Services patients. The net result was a one-year contract with a zero percent increase which was felt to be fair, especially in the climate with a government looking for cuts.

Throughout the year, the AAO and the ACO continuously worked together in the preparation of materials surrounding supporting scope expansion for optometrists, our concerns regarding scope expansion for opticians, and the potential looming fee cuts. Information on those issues were sent to MLAs either through the GRC members or directly from the AAO.

Interacting with government did change in 2020. What did not change was our commitment to maintaining optometry’s issues and profile in front of elected and departmental officials. Thank you to the GRC members who were a big help in making that happen.

Government

RELATIONS

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Normal Vision View with Glaucoma

If you’re 65+ there’s no better time to focus on quality vision care—to preserve your eye health, an active, independent life, and the chance to enjoy all that you love.

Find an optometrist near you at optometrists.ab.ca

For all that you love...

1 in 9 Canadians will develop irreversible vision loss by age 65

Within a month of kicking off the first awareness campaign of 2020, the pandemic necessitated everything come to a stop and the plan be completely reworked to meet the messaging requirements needed to help Albertans navigate the many changes we would all experience.

The AAO quickly developed a campaign to ensure Albertans understood optometrists were still at work providing urgent care and doing so safely. Within four weeks the campaign generated more than 6 million impressions. The campaign drove to the find an optometrist feature, which had been updated to show which members were open, and more than 17,000 people used the tool to find the care they needed during this campaign alone.

When notice came that optometrists could again open for full operation on May 4 the AAO launched a re-opening campaign encouraging people to return for their routine eye care. The find an optometrist feature was again updated to ensure patients could quickly find an optometrist who was fully open. This transitioning from closed to urgent care to fully open took place over several months as optometrists found their way back to what would be as close as possible to normal. By the end of the year, a record of more than 70,000 Albertans had used the tool to find the help they needed.

Throughout the year, the campaigns encouraged people to book their back-to-school appointments, regardless of whether they were at home or in the classroom, seniors were reminded that their eye care shouldn’t be neglected, urgent care reminders continued, and at the end of the year people were reminded to use their benefits before they expired. These campaigns generated more than 46 million impressions, with the important context of driving more people than ever before to the AAO website for detailed information. The campaigns used tactics that would dig through the online clutter and reach into people’s homes – blogs with specific reach, print ads in publications we knew were getting through the door, and media campaigns where members

Building AwarenessCOMMUNICATIONS

CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

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EARNED MEDIA

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Airdrie City View Ponoka News

Cold Lake Sun

Fort Saskatchewan Record Lakeland Today 660 NewsStrathmore Times

brought the message to life. While the impressions were reduced, we dramatically increased the drive to content. The story of how optometry was providing service during the pandemic needed context and people were looking for answers to their questions, so a shift from an overview awareness strategy to detailed information was necessary. The AAO website was continually updated to help people understand what they could expect when they went into a clinic.

Thanks to our member spokespeople, the AAO built a solid back-to-school media campaign. Encouraging parents to book appointments prompted bookings for whole families, which was helpful for members as they could better manage patients in the clinic who were arriving in cohort groups.

It was a year of waiting, watching and being nimble to adjust campaigns to meet whatever circumstances arrived. Members supported the AAO with content and interviews that quickly filled ever evolving needs. These efforts were truly appreciated.

Although the opportunities to be in the community were significantly altered, by the end of the year groups were starting to accept virtual presentation opportunities. The AAO still virtually presented though the North Edmonton Seniors Association and Edmonton Seniors Coordinating Council. Many organizations shifted to allow groups to directly post information on their websites: Calgary Child, Sage Directory, Alberta Prime Retirement Guide, Alberta Council on Aging, and CORE: Collaborative Online Resources & Education

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COMMUNICATIONS BUILDING AWARENESS

to name a few. Organizations were looking for opportunities to have information available when and where their users/members could access the information when they needed support. The AAO also ensured it continued to support the Student Regional Science Fairs in Edmonton and Calgary.

We continued our partnerships with many organizations who the AAO routinely works with to continue to advance its initiatives. The Alberta College of Optometrists and the AAO worked very closely during the pandemic to ensure consistent messaging went out to the membership in as timely a manner as each unique situation allowed. Work continued on efforts to increase practice scope that will in turn ensure members are able to practice to their education level.

Some of our partnerships include:

• Alberta Blue Cross• Alberta College of Optometrists• Alberta Health• Alberta School Divisions• Alberta School Boards Association• Alberta School Councils Association• Canadian Association of Optometrists• Canadian Standards Association• Canadian Vision Care• College of Alberta School Superintendents• Diabetes Canada• Electrical Contractors Association of Alberta• Finding Balance, University of Alberta• Optometry Giving Sight• Reginal Optometric Societies

The AAO continued to touch base with groups throughout the year to gauge where they were headed in their planning process and ensuring each that we were available to help in providing optometric eye care information to meet their needs. These efforts were of benefit as we moved into 2021 with more organizations opening to options.

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OPTOMETRISTFind an

A record of more than 70,000 Albertans headed to the find an optometrist feature on the AAO website in 2020. It’s an indication of how valuable the tool is in helping patients find an optometrist, especially when times are difficult and they need help from a trusted source. This year the feature was modified when optometry moved from full services to urgent care to full services during the pandemic to indicate which optometrists were able to be open. We were also able to keep the Eyesafe™ and Eye See . . . Eye Learn™ optometrist listings current.

Thank you to all of our members for their assistance in keeping the feature accurate during the many changes we all experienced. Together we were able to make it happen and ensure Albertans could count on AAO members throughout the pandemic.

30

ADr. Zain Abbas

Dr. Zaynab Abdulhussain

Dr. Ali Aboudib

Dr. John Abraham

Dr. Alanna Adams

Dr. Roderick Adams

Dr. Alisha Adatia

Dr. Allison Adema

Dr. Fahad Afzal

Dr. Melissa Ah-Seng

Dr. Riaz Ahmed

Dr. Amal Ahmed

Dr. Jonathan Akle

Dr. Gauri Akolkar

Dr. Mohammad Al-Bekai

Dr. Ziad Al-Qishawi

Dr. Jason Alexander

Dr. Daniella Alexanders

Dr. Steve Alfaiate

Dr. Camellia Alford

Dr. Trent Allred

Dr. Gaetano Ambrosio

Dr. Radha Anand

Dr. Pooja Anand

Dr. David Anderson

Dr. Dale Anderson

Dr. Garth Anderson

Dr. Barton Anderson

Dr. Olga Anokhina

Dr. Darren Antoniuk

Dr. Kennedy Antoniuk

Dr. Ryan Archibald

Dr. Palki Arora

Dr. Andrew Asgarpour

Dr. Jennifer Ash

Dr. Shelena Ask

Dr. James Asuchak

Dr. Adrian Atwell

Dr. Navjot Aujla

Dr. Aleena Ayaz

Dr. Chino Azenda

BDr. Victoria Baba

Dr. Joel Baillargeon

Dr. Colin Bain

Dr. Jaswinder Bains

Dr. Amy Bakelaar

Dr. Brandea Balcomb

Dr. Grant Balen

Dr. Aleem Bandali

Dr. Ian Barclay

Dr. Sallie Barclay

Dr. John Barkley

Dr. Benjamin Barrus

Dr. Dylan Bartel

Dr. Rusha Barua

Dr. Gaggandeep Basra

Dr. Roland Bauder

Dr. Morley Bayer

Dr. Christina Bayer

Dr. Jeremy Begalke

Dr. Monica Bell

Dr. Pierre Benoit

Dr. Daryl Berger

Dr. Devin Bharadia

Dr. Deepka Bhaskar

Dr. Natasha Bhatia

Dr. Susan Bischof

Dr. Donald Bishop

Dr. Eric Bishop

Dr. Brendon Bjarnason

Dr. David Blaine

Dr. Ronald Blow

Dr. Marae Blume

Dr. Nana Boadi

Dr. Julie Boivin

Dr. Brock Bokenfohr

Dr. Samuel Boucher

Dr. Yolande Boutin

Dr. Troy Brady

Dr. Nikko Brar

Dr. Monika Braun

Dr. Tammy Brauner

Dr. David Brauner

Dr. Jill Bridges

Dr. Kimberley Bugera

Dr. Anh Bui

Dr. Robert Burke

Dr. Steven Burnham

Dr. Darren Burt

Dr. Bruce Butts

Dr. Theodor Buzea

Dr. Jessica Bylsma

CDr. Val Camp

Dr. Ian Campbell

Dr. Alia Cappellani

Dr. Zi Xian (Fred) Cen

Dr. Natalie Chai

Dr. Travis Chalmers

Dr. Antoinette Chamoun

Dr. Robert (Bob) Champion

Dr. Clement Chan

Dr. Andrew Chan

Dr. Jennifer Chan

Dr. Laura Chan

Dr. Adrienne Chan

Dr. Trina Chan

Dr. Geraldine Chang

Dr. Caitlyn Chapman

Dr. Shanda Chau

Dr. Sabih Chaudhary

Dr. Shmyla Chaudhery

Dr. Eliza Chaudri

Dr. Theresa Checkley

Dr. Mandeep Cheema

Dr. Mira Chen

Dr. Margaret Chen

Dr. Sarah Cheng31

Dr. Catharine Cheon

Dr. Steven Cheung

Dr. Charlie Chi

Dr. Donald Chin

Dr. Laura Chisholm

Dr. Freeman Choi

Dr. Davin Chong

Dr. Rebecca Chopek

Dr. Shauna Chorel

Dr. Mansoor Choudhry

Dr. Calvin Chow

Dr. Paulina Chow

Dr. Natasha Chrenek

Dr. Michael Chu

Dr. Nadia Clark

Dr. Mark Cloarec

Dr. Trent Colberg

Dr. Kim Collins

Dr. Sara Constantine

Dr. Tatiana Cook

Dr. Jennifer Cooke

Dr. Lance Couture

Dr. Heather Cowie

Dr. Richard Cowles

Dr. Matthew Craig

Dr. Phillip Crouse

Dr. Kimberley Crowe

Dr. Lindsey Crowle

Dr. Dan Cuevas

Dr. Walter Cummings

Dr. Allyse Curry

DDr. Paul Dame

Dr. Yen Dang

Dr. George Day

Dr. Jared Decker

Dr. Stefania DeFilippo

Dr. Madhu Deka

Dr. Sonia Delhon

Dr. Andrew Denson

Dr. Manjot Deol

Dr. Danica DePass

Dr. Eric Der

Dr. Nicole Deschamps

Dr. Emalea Deschamps

Dr. Sheyzeen Dhala

Dr. Shaminder Dhaliwal

Dr. Sam Dhaliwal

Dr. Alisha Dhanji

Dr. Fatima Dharshi

Dr. Shelley Dhawan

Dr. Kamaljit Dhiman

Dr. Whitney Diakur

Dr. David Dien

Dr. Julie Dien-Fong

Dr. Karen Dieu

Dr. Leha Do

Dr. Laurie Dodds

Dr. Russell Doig

Dr. Blake Dornstauder

Dr. Benjamin Doz

Dr. Lara Draper

Dr. Kevin Drew

Dr. Lauren Drewry

Dr. Annie Drouin

Dr. Kirstie Du

Dr. Cynthia Du

Dr. Stephanie Du

Dr. Kris Duguay

Dr. Michelle Duke

Dr. Laura Dwernichuk

EDr. Robert Eastwood

Dr. Gene Edworthy

Dr. Mallary Eisner

Dr. Omar El-Houchaimi

Dr. Mohamed El-Mustapha

Dr. Allison Ellis

Dr. Nibal Elsaghir

Dr. Angela Endres

Dr. Oesa Eng

Dr. Kevin Engel

Dr. Bryan Ens

Dr. Kerri Erickson

Dr. Robert Erlandson

Dr. Fatima Esmail

Dr. James Evans

Dr. Candice Evernden

FDr. Ronnie Fabbi

Dr. Lola Fapojuwo

Dr. Ahmed Farhat

Dr. Shane Ferguson

Dr. Len Ferguson

Dr. Lana Filipic

Dr. Shonah Finlay

Dr. Ashley Firby

Dr. Jessica Flack

Dr. Breanna Fletcher

Dr. Kelsey Ford Joljart

Dr. Charlotte Forgie

Dr. Amy Forrest

Dr. Cristy Franco

Dr. Sarah Freiburger

Dr. Mark Frohlich

Dr. Anthony Fu

Dr. Geneva Fung

Dr. George Fung

GDr. Pascal Gagne

Dr. Jessica Galeano

Dr. Shikha Garg

Dr. William Garlock

Dr. Kiera Garner

Dr. Kevin Gartner

Dr. Derek Gaume

Dr. Kristen Gee32

Dr. Florence George

Dr. Chelsea Gerlitz

Dr. Jared Gervais

Dr. Samantha Giang

Dr. Maggie Gibb

Dr. Larry Gies

Dr. Paul Gilbertson

Dr. Pamela Giles

Dr. Jonah Gilham

Dr. Aminder Gill

Dr. Sukhi Gill

Dr. Ravnoor Gill

Dr. Raminder Gill

Dr. Jaspreet Gill Dhanju

Dr. Christopher Glass

Dr. Andrea Glover

Dr. Colleen Gnyp

Dr. Jodi Goff

Dr. Joseph Gonzales

Dr. Danielle Gordon

Dr. Amrit Grewal

Dr. Harpal Grewal

Dr. Shinedeep Grewal

Dr. Ravneet Grewal

Dr. Melissa Groeneweg

Dr. Shane Groeneweg

Dr. Danielle Guenet

Dr. Alina Gupta

Dr. Karley Guse

Dr. Brandin Gwinner

HDr. Steven Ha

Dr. Sharmin Habib

Dr. Sonja Hagemann

Dr. Jackie Hagens

Dr. Gregory Hahn

Dr. Jamie-Lee Halabi

Dr. Samantha Halvorsen

Dr. Bassam Hamdan

Dr. Sulmaan Hameed

Dr. Alison Harapiak

Dr. Shauna Harbison

Dr. Joel Harris

Dr. Brady Haslam

Dr. Darren Hatchard

Dr. Tarek Hatoum

Dr. Jason Hauck

Dr. Timothy Hay

Dr. Karen Hayward

Dr. Harvey Hazelaar

Dr. Joel Heath

Dr. Jordan Hebert

Dr. Sonia Heer

Dr. Dennis Heimdahl

Dr. Krista Henry

Dr. Gordon Hensel

Dr. Aaron Hesla

Dr. Kevin Hesterman

Dr. Christina Hines

Dr. Alysha Hirjee

Dr. Salina Hirjee

Dr. Colin Hobson

Dr. Karen Hodgins

Dr. Neil Hodinsky

Dr. Ryan Hogan

Dr. Jason Holtom

Dr. Jada Hong

Dr. Andrew Hoover

Dr. Brent Hopfauf

Dr. Michael Hopper

Dr. Trevor Horn

Dr. Austin Hornberger

Dr. Hamdee Houcheimi

Dr. R. Douglas Howes

Dr. Ailin Huang

Dr. Rochelle Hudson

Dr. Jennifer Hugh

Dr. Jamie Humeniuk

Dr. Quinlin Hunter

Dr. Kyla Hunter

Dr. Huong Huynh

Dr. Y-Nhi Huynh-Wong

Dr. Clark Hyde

IDr. Omar Ikram

Dr. Merajuddin (Meraj) Iqbalzada

Dr. Anthony Iuliano

JDr. Laura Jacques

Dr. Lori Jaffray

Dr. Henry Jang

Dr. Edward Jang

Dr. Tanya Janssen

Dr. Narpinder Jassar

Dr. Kavitha Jayachandran

Dr. Keith Jefferies

Dr. Monica Jensen-To

Dr. Saleel Jivraj

Dr. Zain Jivraj

Dr. Aleem Jiwa

Dr. Sophie Jobin

Dr. Susan Joe

Dr. Neeru Nirdeep Johal

Dr. Mankeerut Johl

Dr. Christopher Johnson

Dr. Bruce Johnson

Dr. Jalyn Johnson

Dr. Grant Johnson

Dr. Michael Joljart

Dr. Leanne Joly

Dr. Yasmin Jomaa

Dr. Mohammed Jomha

Dr. Dayna Jones

Dr. Tanya Jones-Greenwood

33

KDr. Marc Kallal

Dr. Vaneet Kaloti

Dr. Seema Kamal

Dr. Salina Kanji

Dr. Deepon Kar

Dr. Bryan Karaim

Dr. Al-Fazil Karim

Dr. Kyle Kassian

Dr. Abdo Kattan

Dr. Annu Kaul

Dr. Shane Keddie

Dr. Sarah Keep

Dr. Andrea Kells

Dr. Victoria Kennedy

Dr. Zenur Khan

Dr. Nasiruddin Khan

Dr. Simran Khroad

Dr. Binesh Kiani

Dr. Salma Kiani

Dr. Brayton Kidd

Dr. Leanne Kile

Dr. Emma Kim

Dr. Michael Kim

Dr. Sarah Kim

Dr. Christie Kim

Dr. Tedra Kindopp

Dr. Tracy Kitz

Dr. Wayne Klettke

Dr. Robert Kloepfer

Dr. Ryan Kloepfer

Dr. Katrina Kolozetti

Dr. Joanna Komar

Dr. Rose Kombo

Dr. Sandy Koppe

Dr. Steven Krein

Dr. Michael Kreuzer

Dr. Emily Krienke

Dr. Chelsey Kritzer

Dr. Peter Krochmal

Dr. Hudson Kroeker

Dr. Balraj (Raj) Kullar

Dr. Sophy Kurian

Dr. Sadrudin Kurji

Dr. Ruhee Kurji

Dr. Hemal Kutlerywala

Dr. Minesh Kutlerywala

Dr. Bonnie Kwok

Dr. Hyukjin Kwon

LDr. Maggie La

Dr. A. Peter Laansoo

Dr. Marcella LaBelle

Dr. Marie-Josee Laflamme

Dr. Shanine Lafreniere

Dr. Samantha Lai

Dr. Jordan Laing

Dr. Jacky (Siu Fung) Lam

Dr. Jessica Lam

Dr. D. Thomas Lampard

Dr. Jennifer Langfield

Dr. Anne-Michele Larocque

Dr. Dennis Larsen

Dr. Ashley Larsen

Dr. Steven Larsen

Dr. Cory Larson

Dr. Andrea Lasby

Dr. Paul Lathrop

Dr. Waiko Lau

Dr. Christie Law

Dr. Jessica Lawrence

Dr. Jan Lebenhagen

Dr. Joyce Lee

Dr. Kobie Lee

Dr. Julie Lee-Ying

Dr. Gerald Leinweber

Dr. Hazel Lema Delong

Dr. Melissa Leniuk

Dr. Dianna Leong

Dr. Warren Leung

Dr. Sophia Leung

Dr. Adrienne LeVasseur

Dr. Rowena Liamzon

Dr. Binhaifa Lila

Dr. Tiffany Lim

Dr. Shelley Lindberg-Krein

Dr. Michael Litchfield

Dr. Lucy Liu

Dr. Eric Lobo

Dr. R. Jared Long

Dr. Dwayne Lonsdale

Dr. Scott Lopetinsky

Dr. Larry Louie

Dr. Mallory Lovett

Dr. Daniel Lowe

Dr. Debbie Luk

Dr. Brenna Lyle

MDr. Gabrielle Ma

Dr. Ben (Benxiao) Ma

Dr. Sarah MacDonald

Dr. Allan MacKenzie

Dr. Nicole Madden

Dr. Holly Mah

Dr. Brian Mah

Dr. Mandy Mah

Dr. Amrita Mahal

Dr. Komal Mahal

Dr. Jasleen Mahil

Dr. Tamara Maillot Delong

Dr. Noufal Mais

Dr. Mohammad Mais

Dr. Ruby Mangat

Dr. Shazeen Manji

Dr. Jeffrey Mann

Dr. F. Bruce Mann

Dr. Gurminder (Tony) Mann

Dr. Kent Manville34

Dr. Tania Marcolin

Dr. Ann-Marie Marsh

Dr. Meghan Martyna

Dr. Tracey Mathew

Dr. Tania Mathews

Dr. Carolle McCarron

Dr. Michael McClung

Dr. Cory McClung

Dr. Richard McCormack

Dr. Peter McGuigan

Dr. Nevin McIvor

Dr. Ross McKenzie

Dr. Craig McQueen

Dr. Craig Meckelborg

Dr. Donald Meckelborg

Dr. Shaun Medway

Dr. Sunil Mehta

Dr. Stephen Meloche

Dr. Alia Merchant

Dr. Denis Meyer

Dr. Jason Meyers

Dr. Gerald Mezei

Dr. Rebecca Milkovich

Dr. Kendra Miller

Dr. Wayne Milton

Dr. Rick Milton

Dr. Harpreet Minhas

Dr. Carmela Miranda

Dr. Rajan Mistry

Dr. Nalisha Mohamed

Dr. Sean Moir

Dr. Baljinder Momrath

Dr. Diana Monea

Dr. Lee Moneo

Dr. Audrey Moon

Dr. Ali Moradian

Dr. Angela Morley

Dr. Shaelen Morrison

Dr. Sheila Morrison

Dr. Pearl Motkoski

Dr. Shelina Mulji

Dr. Brenda Mummery

Dr. Kathleen Murray

Dr. Christy Mushtaler

NDr. Brian Nakai

Dr. Michele Naruszewicz

Dr. Carolina Navarrete

Dr. Aarti Nayar

Dr. R. Troy Nelson

Dr. Brennan Nelson

Dr. Brent Neufeld

Dr. Laurie Newman

Dr. Kim Ngo

Dr. Joanne Ngo

Dr. Jennifer Nguyen

Dr. Monique Nguyen

Dr. Dat (Daniel) Nguyen

Dr. Anh Nguyen

Dr. Thao Nguyen

Dr. Tran Nguyen

Dr. Jonathan Niblett

Dr. Eve-Sarai Niedergesaess

Dr. V. Chad Nielsen

Dr. Jeffrey Nielson

Dr. Richard Nielson

Dr. Nimrit Nijjar

Dr. Navdeep (Nobe) Nijjar

Dr. Barry Nolt

Dr. Justin Norris

Dr. Sherri Norris

Dr. Megan Noseworthy

Dr. Reza Notiar

ODr. Bonita O’Brien

Dr. Patrick O’Brien

Dr. Ashley Olford

Dr. Bradley Olineck

Dr. Katie Olineck

Dr. Randy Oliver

Dr. A. Lorraine Oliver

Dr. Glen Ong

Dr. Sanya Ong

Dr. Murray Oshanyk

Dr. Sandra Oshanyk

Dr. Bernadette Osiowy

Dr. Nana Owusu

PDr. Aliya Pabani

Dr. Jon Pack

Dr. Navjot Pandher

Dr. Kaiyi Pang

Dr. Holly Parker

Dr. Aaron Patel

Dr. Yogesh Patel

Dr. Jason Pearce

Dr. Michael Pedersen

Dr. Shannon Pennifold

Dr. Margaret Penny

Dr. Darren Peterson

Dr. Rodney Peterson

Dr. Jimmy Pham

Dr. Nhi Phan

Dr. Joanna Phillips

Dr. Darren Phillips

Dr. Renee Phipps

Dr. Trevor Pilipchuk

Dr. Karen Pinchak

Dr. Mark Pitcher

Dr. Randy Poon

Dr. Tom-Harley Poon

Dr. Kathleen Porter

Dr. Angela Power

Dr. Tannu Prabhakar

Dr. Asim Prasad

Dr. Kent Prete

Dr. Wesley Prince35

Dr. John Pucylo

Dr. M.K. Purba

Dr. Ben Purba

QDr. Cathy Qin

Dr. Nguyen Quan

Dr. Suzanne Quilley

Dr. Andrea Quon

RDr. Malik Rahall

Dr. Adam Rahemtulla

Dr. Tariq Rajan

Dr. Khaldoun Ramahi

Dr. Nevi Ramsey

Dr. Natasha Randhawa

Dr. Puneet Randhawa

Dr. Ravinder Randhawa

Dr. Tapasya Ranjan

Dr. Tahsin Rashid

Dr. Adam Reid

Dr. Simon Reid

Dr. Russ Reisner

Dr. Colleen Renchko

Dr. Dana Reynolds

Dr. Rahim Rhemtulla

Dr. Alisha Rhemu

Dr. Lillian Rieck

Dr. Joseph Robalo

Dr. Tannis Rode

Dr. Katelyn Rose

Dr. Mark Ross

Dr. Karin Rourke

Dr. Stephanie Rowland

Dr. Roger Rudyk

Dr. Stanley Russo

Dr. Christine Russo

Dr. Jessie Ryan

Dr. Diana Ryan

SDr. Andrea Saetre

Dr. Rina Sahi

Dr. Brent Saik

Dr. Jennifer Sanchez

Dr. Manvinder Sandhu

Dr. Soneet Sandhu

Dr. Palak Sandhu

Dr. Scott Sauer

Dr. Roslyn Scalise

Dr. David Scheuerman

Dr. David Schmidt

Dr. Sarah Schoenthaler

Dr. Stuart Schroeder

Dr. Russell Schultz

Dr. David Schwirtz

Dr. Jodi Sehn

Dr. Effie Sen

Dr. Tannis Shakya

Dr. Neda Sharifzadeh

Dr. Angrisha Sharma

Dr. Anjana Sharma

Dr. Suraj Sharma

Dr. Rahul Sharma

Dr. Wyatt Shaw

Dr. Kassandra Shaw

Dr. Amanda Shaw-Gosgnach

Dr. Jean Shen

Dr. George Shen

Dr. Brittany Shewchuk

Dr. Celina Shih

Dr. Noreen Shivji

Dr. Simran Sidhu

Dr. Charanjit Sihota

Dr. Lauren Sim

Dr. Palwinder (Paul) Singh

Dr. Surjot (Sunny) Singh

Dr. Lori Singh

Dr. Kenneth Siry

Dr. Tanya Sitter

Dr. Timothy Skwarok

Dr. Sean Skwarok

Dr. Kari Ann Smart

Dr. Amy Smith

Dr. Gary Smith

Dr. Justin Snell

Dr. Kerrie Snider

Dr. Matthew Sobolewski

Dr. Aleem Somji

Dr. Ranbir Sond

Dr. Sunaina Sond

Dr. Abdelkader Soufi

Dr. Samantha Sperber

Dr. Lauren Stanley

Dr. Sara Starko

Dr. Neil Starko

Dr. Jared Steblin

Dr. Scott Stevenson

Dr. Scott Stewart

Dr. Shari Stockley

Dr. Nicole Stocks

Dr. Amanda Stout

Dr. Farrah Sunderji

Dr. Raashi Surana

Dr. Sandeep Suri

Dr. Rati Sutaria

Dr. Clayton Switzer

Dr. Michael Sy

Dr. Pamela Syrota

Dr. Chelsea Syverson

TDr. Rakesh Tailor

Dr. Carol Tam

Dr. Attila Tamas

Dr. Bhavandeep Tamber

Dr. Gaganjeet Tamber

Dr. Shelly Taneja

Dr. Abby Tang

Dr. Mohammed Tarabey

Dr. Clark Tardiff36

Dr. Mona Tariq

Dr. Husam Tarrabain

Dr. Frances Tatebe

Dr. Priyesh Tawar

Dr. Theresa Taylor

Dr. Nohad Teliani

Dr. Julie Theng

Dr. Leta Thiessen

Dr. Ramandeep Thind-Gill

Dr. David Thomas

Dr. Bryan Thome

Dr. Melissa Thome

Dr. James Thompson

Dr. Leah Thorpe

Dr. Leyna Thraya

Dr. Anita Tieu

Dr. David Tomita

Dr. Ramandeep (Raman) Toor

Dr. Rupaly Toor

Dr. Kambiz (Kamy) Tootoonchi Afshar

Dr. Gabriella Torano

Dr. Jehad Torbeih

Dr. Jeanette Trac

Dr. Mylinh (Kelly) Tran

Dr. Thanh Tran

Dr. Jenelle Trenchuk-Saik

Dr. Loan Trieu

Dr. Kevin Trieu

Dr. Matthew Trieu

Dr. Brian Trieu

Dr. Sindy Tromposch

Dr. Brian Trump

Dr. Grace Truong

Dr. Cher Tsang

Dr. Floria Tse

Dr. Kevin Tsen

Dr. Hue Tu

Dr. Travis Turgeon

Dr. Brady Turner

UDr. Tehseena Ullah

Dr. Natalie Jade Ulmer

Dr. Damon Umscheid

Dr. Nicole Umscheid

Dr. Anysia Unick

VDr. Heather Van Haren

Dr. Desiree Vanderstar

Dr. Alicia Varghese

Dr. Magdalis Velazquez Gonzalez

Dr. Sukhbir Virhia

Dr. Sarah Virji

Dr. Bunny Virk

Dr. Femida Visnani

Dr. Christopher Vu

W

Dr. Shaun Waayenberg

Dr. Jeffery Waddell

Dr. Darren Wagner

Dr. Dallas Wagner

Dr. William Waldie

Dr. Navroza Walji

Dr. Danae Walsh

Dr. Jason Wan

Dr. Xiaodong (Daniel) Wang

Dr. Gary Watson

Dr. Juliane Watson

Dr. Ernest Watson

Dr. Michele Webster

Dr. Alison Weisbeck

Dr. Natalia Wessels

Dr. Gary Wetmore

Dr. Jay Whitehead

Dr. Benjamin Wild

Dr. Thomas Wilk

Dr. Brent Wilkinson

Dr. Dean Willoughby

Dr. Sean Wilson

Dr. Kallie Wilson

Dr. Alanna Wilson

Dr. Sharon Winnicki

Dr. Janna Wirringer

Dr. Eric Wiseman

Dr. Jillian Wishart

Dr. Susan Wong

Dr. Francis Wong

Dr. Astra Wong

Dr. Marilyn Wong

Dr. Jillian Wong

Dr. Teresa Wong

Dr. Gloria Wong

Dr. Natasha Wood

Dr. Mark Wood

Dr. Kristen Woynorowski

Dr. Allison Wright

Dr. Patrick Wu

Dr. Kristi Wynnyk

XDr. Alice Xiao

YDr. Elizabeth Yan

Dr. Jessica Yang

Dr. Michael Yau

Dr. Randi Yee

Dr. Melissa Yee

Dr. Michael Yu

Dr. Thomas Yung

ZDr. Lauren Zaiffdeen

Dr. Brandon Zeeben

Dr. Raschel Zeschuk

Dr. Yi Zheng

Dr. Michael Zidar

Dr. Wardell ZoBell 37

Financial

STATEMENTS

38

CONTENTSTable of

Index to Financial StatementsYear Ended December 31, 2020

40 | Independent Auditors’ Report

FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 42 | Statement of Financial Position

43 | Statement of Operations

44 | Statement of Changes in Net Assets

44 | Statement of Cash Flows

45-51 | Notes to Financial Statements

52 | Vision Care Plan Operations (Schedule 1)

53 | Liability Premium Assistance Program (Schedule 2)

53 | Conference Revenues and Expenses (Schedule 3)

54 | Eye See . . . Eye Learn™ (ESEL) Vision Initiative Program (Schedule 4)

54 | Executive and Administrative Expenses (Schedule 5)

55 | Council and Committee Expenses (Schedule 6)

55 | Property Operations (Schedule 7)

39

OpinionWe have audited the financial statements of Alberta Association of Optometrists (the “Association”), which comprise the statement of financial position as at December 31, 2020, and the statements of operations, changes in net assets and cash flows for the year then ended, and notes to the financial statements, including a summary of significant accounting policies.

In our opinion, the accompanying financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Association as at December 31, 2020, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for the year then ended in accordance with Canadian accounting standards for not-for-profit organizations.

Basis for OpinionWe conducted our audit in accordance with Canadian generally accepted auditing standards. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor’s

Responsibilities for the Audit of the Financial Statements section of our report. We are independent of the Association in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in Canada, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with those requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Responsibilities of Management and Those Charged with Governance for the Financial StatementsManagement is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements in accordance with Canadian accounting standards for not-for-profit organizations, and for such internal control as management determines is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

In preparing the financial statements, management is responsible for assessing the Association’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters relating to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless management either intends to liquidate the Association or to cease operations, or has no realistic alternative but to do so.

Those charged with governance are responsible for overseeing the Association’s financial reporting process.

Auditor’s Responsibilities for the Audit of the Financial StatementsOur objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor’s report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance, but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with

AUDITORS’Independent

40

To the Members of Alberta Association of

Optometrists

Canadian generally accepted auditing standards will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements. As part of an audit in accordance with Canadian generally accepted auditing standards, we exercise professional judgment and maintain professional skepticism throughout the audit. We also:

• Identify and assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error, design and perform audit procedures responsive to those risks, and obtain audit evidence that is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion. The risk of not detecting a material misstatement resulting from fraud is higher than for one resulting from error, as fraud may involve collusion,

forgery, intentional omissions, misrepresentations, or the override of internal control.

• Obtain an understanding of internal control relevant to the audit in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing an opinion on the effectiveness of the Association’s internal control.

• Evaluate the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates and related disclosures made by management.

• Conclude on the appropriateness of management’s use of the going concern basis of accounting and, based on the audit evidence obtained, whether a material uncertainty exists related to events or conditions that may cast significant doubt on the Association’s ability to continue as a going concern. If we conclude that a material uncertainty exists, we are required to draw attention in our auditor’s report to the related disclosures in the financial statements or, if such disclosures are inadequate, to modify our

opinion. Our conclusions are based on the audit evidence obtained up to the date of our auditor’s report. However, future events or conditions may cause the Association to cease to continue as a going concern.

• Evaluate the overall presentation, structure and content of the financial statements, including the disclosures, and whether the financial statements represent the underlying transactions and events in a manner that achieves fair presentation.

We communicate with those charged with governance regarding, among other matters, the planned scope and timing of the audit and significant audit findings, including any significant deficiencies in internal control that we identify during our audit.

Chartered Professional Accountants Edmonton, Alberta | April 15, 2021

REPORT

41

Statement of FINANCIAL POSITIONDecember 31, 2020

2020 2019

ASSETS

CURRENTCash $ 2,288,161 $ 1,564,995

Restricted cash (Note3) 4,357 5,153

Restricted investments (Note3) 729,849 712,788

Short-term investments (Note4) 636,606 1,153,355

Accounts receivable 800,915 732,962

Inventory 144,813 149,359

Prepaid expenses 45,110 76,383

4,649,811 4,394,995

TANGIBLE CAPITAL ASSETS (Note5) 1,384,752 1,478,228

$ 6,034,563 $ 5,873,223

LIABILITIES AND NET ASSETS

CURRENTAccounts payable and accrued liabilities $ 366,350 $ 382,899

Advances fromthe Alberta College of Optometrists (Note6) 5,733 5,733

Deferred membership dues 27,839 -

Deferred contributions (Note7) 29,314 14,925

429,236 403,557

NET ASSETSInternally restricted (Note8) 734,206 717,941

Invested intangible capital assets 1,384,752 1,478,228

Unrestricted 3,486,369 3,273,497

5,605,327 5,469,666

$ 6,034,563 $ 5,873,223

LEASE COMMITMENT (Note9)

APPROVED ON BEHALF OF THE COUNCIL

____________________________________ Councillor ____________________________________ Councillor

42

Statement of OPERATIONSYear Ended December 31, 2020

2020 2019Budget

(unaudited)(Note 13) Variance Total Total

REVENUESDues and levies (Note10) $ 1,049,300 $ (371,610) $ 677,690 $ 1,003,276Deduct:

Voluntary Donations OGS/CVC (22,000) 10,573 (11,427) (15,969)Canadian Association of Optometrists (290,000) 11,637 (278,363) (291,776)Optometric Societies (Note10) (45,000) (3,425) (48,425) (51,900)

Members annual dues 692,300 (352,825) 339,475 643,631Communication levy (Note10) 717,000 (369,860) 347,140 811,672

1,409,300 (722,685) 686,615 1,455,303Fees and other:

Vision Care plans (Schedule1) 1,878,680 (432,881) 1,445,799 1,807,202Liability Premium Assistance Program (Schedule 2) - - - 215,000Conference (Schedule 3) 519,500 (289,353) 230,147 428,692Eye See . . . Eye Learn™ program (Schedule 4) 75,000 (20,413) 54,587 40,898Investment income 64,900 (18,599) 46,301 151,459Advertising and other 31,350 (3,917) 27,433 29,695Optometric assistants division 6,800 (1,225) 5,575 6,800

3,985,530 (1,489,073) 2,496,457 4,135,049

EXPENSESVision Care plans (Schedule1) 1,470,045 (371,415) 1,098,630 1,283,849Liability Premium Assistance program (Schedule2) - (315) (315) 215,000Conference (Schedule 3) 375,000 (319,125) 55,875 318,981Eye See . . . Eye Learn™ program (Schedule 4) 100,000 (45,361) 54,639 95,404Executive and administrative (Schedule 5) 772,397 (77,174) 695,223 699,665Council and committee (Schedule 6) 900,550 (207,915) 692,635 753,457Property operations, net (Schedule 7) 73,680 (12,227) 61,453 69,230Think About Your Eyes 270,550 (270,550) - 262,850Investment expenses 11,400 782 12,182 11,958

3,973,622 (1,303,300) 2,670,322 3,710,394

EXCESS (DEFICIENCY) OF REVENUES OVER EXPENSES FROM OPERATIONS 11,908 (173,865) (173,865) 424,655

OTHER INCOMECanada Emergency Wage Subsidy - 309,526 309,526 -

EXCESS OF REVENUES OVER EXPENSES $ 11,908 $ 123,753 $ 135,661 $ 424,655

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Statement of CHANGES IN NET ASSETSYear End December 31, 2020

Internally Restricted

Invested in Tangible

Capital Assets Unrestricted 2020 2019NET ASSETS - BEGINNING OF YEAR $ 717,941 $ 1,478,228 $ 3,273,497 $ 5,469,666 $ 5,045,011

Excess of revenues over expenses 16,265 (103,929) 223,325 135,661 424,655

Invested in intangible capital assets - 10,453 (10,453) - -

NET ASSETS - END OF YEAR $ 734,206 $ 1,384,752 $ 3,486,369 $ 5,605,327 $ 5,469,666

Statement of CASH FLOWSYear Ended December 31, 2020

2020 2019

CASH PROVIDED BY (USED IN):OPERATING ACTIVITIESExcess of revenues over expenses $ 135,661 $ 424,655

Items not affecting cash: Amortization 103,929 97,407Change in fair value of restricted investments (7,348) (90,680)

232,242 431,382

Changes in non-cash working capital (Note11) (6,455) (219,060)225,787 212,322

INVESTING ACTIVITIESPurchase of tangible capital assets (10,453) (40,287)

Proceeds from maturity of short-term investments 1,153,355 1,135,398Purchase of short-term investments (636,606) (1,776,766)Purchase of restricted short-term investments (22,961) (14,213)Proceeds from disposals of restricted short-term investments 13,248 10,429

496,583 (685,439)INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH 722,370 (473,117)Cash-beginning of year 1,570,148 2,043,265

CASH-END OF YEAR 2,292,518 1,570,148

CASH CONSISTS OF:Cash $ 2,288,161 $ 1,564,995

Restricted cash 4,357 5,153$ 2,292,518 $ 1,570,148

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Notes to FINANCIAL STATEMENTSYear Ended December 31, 2020

1. PURPOSE OF THE ASSOCIATIONThe Alberta Association of Optometrists (the Association) is responsible for the professional enhancement of optometrists in Alberta and promotion of the use of safety glasses in industry. The Association represents optometrists across the province and provides public and corporate programs to promote the importance of eye exams and the use of safety glasses. Significant benefits are provided to members of the Association as they have exclusive access to these programs. The Association is incorporated under the Societies Act (Alberta) and, as a not-for-profit organization under the Income Tax Act (Canada), it is not subject to corporate income taxes.

2. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of presentation

These financial statements were prepared in accordance with Canadian accounting standards for not-for-profit organizations. Significant accounting policies observed in the preparation of the financial statements are summarized below.

Cash

Cash is defined as cash on hand and cash on deposit, net of cheques issued and outstanding at the reporting date.

Restricted cash

Restricted cash consists of cash held primarily for trading purposes.

Restricted Short-term investments

Restricted short-term investments consists of marketable securities which are recorded at market value and are held primarily for trading purposes. The investment portfolio is managed by a third party investment manager and is subject to an investment policy set by Council which, as its objective, is the growth and preservation of capital.

Inventory

Inventories are measured at the lower of cost and net realizable value, with cost being determined using the first-in, first-out method. Net realizable value is the estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business, less any applicable variable selling costs. Net realizable value is assessed at each statement of financial position date and a write down is recorded as necessary. The amount of the write down may be reversed up to original amount of the write down where there is a change in the economic circumstances.

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Tangible capital assets

Tangible capital assets are recorded at cost less accumulated amortization. Tangible capital assets are amortized over their estimated useful lives on a straight-line basis at the following annual rates:

Building and building renovations . . . . . . . 25 years Computer software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 year Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5 years Computer equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 years

When conditions indicate a tangible capital asset is impaired, the carrying value of the tangible capital asset is written down to the asset’s fair value or replacement cost. The write down of the tangible capital assets is recorded as an expense on the statement of operations. Write downs are not reversed.

Revenue recognition

The Association follows the deferral method of accounting for contributions. Contributions are included in revenue in the year in which they are received or receivable, with the exception that revenues to fund a specific future period’s expenses are deferred and recognized as revenue in the later period in which the expenses are incurred. Deferred contributions are comprised of grants for special projects to be completed in the subsequent year. No revenue is recognized until collection can be reasonably assured.

Dues and levies are recognized as revenue in the year to which they relate and services are

provided.

Lens revenue and the lab purchase discount revenues are recognized when the correlating expenditure has been incurred and revenues can be reasonably estimated and collection reasonably assured.

Liability premium assistance revenue is recognized when the correlating insurance premiums have been paid to the recipients.

Administrative fees are recognized when the related administrative services are provided, including the Optometric assistants division and advertising.

Frames revenue is recorded when the product has been shipped and collection has been reasonably assured.

Conference fees are recognized when the event is held.

Investment income consisting of interest, dividends and realized gains and losses on disposal are recognized when earned.

Unrealized gains and losses on marketable securities representing changes in fair market values are recognized at year-end and included in investment income.

Rental revenue is recognized as revenue in the period it is earned.


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Contributed services

Volunteers contributed numerous hours in carrying out the activities of the Association. The services are not normally purchased by the Association and, because of the difficulty in determining their fair value, contributed services are not recognized in the financial statements.

Financial instruments

Measurement of Financial Instruments

Financial instruments are financial assets or financial liabilities of the Association where, in general, the Association has the right to receive cash or another financial asset from another party or the Association has the obligation to pay another party cash or other financial assets.

The Association initially measures its financial assets and financial liabilities at fair value.

The Association subsequently measures all its financial assets and financial liabilities at amortized cost, except for marketable securities included in restricted short-term investments, which are measured at fair value. Changes in fair value are recognized in the statement of operations unless otherwise noted.

Financial assets measured at amortized cost include cash, restricted cash, restricted investments, short-term investments and accounts receivable.

Financial liabilities measured at amortized cost include accounts payable and accrued liabilities and advances from the Alberta College of Optometrists.

Impairment

Financial assets measured at cost or amortized cost are tested for impairment, at the end of each year, to determine whether there are indicators that the asset may be impaired. The amount of the write-down, if any, is recognized in operations. The previously recognized impairment loss may be reversed to the extent of the improvement, directly or by adjusting the allowance account. The reversal may be recorded provided it is no greater than the amount that had been previously reported as a reduction in the asset and it does not exceed original cost. The amount of the reversal is recognized in operations.

Use of estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with Canadian accounting standards for not-for- profit organizations requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the period. Such estimates are periodically reviewed and any adjustments necessary are reported in operations in the period in which they become known. Significant estimates included in the preparation of the financial statements are the collectability of accounts receivable, useful lives of tangible capital assets for the purposes of calculating amortization and accrued liabilities. Actual results could differ from these estimates.


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3. RESTRICTED CASH AND INVESTMENTSRestricted cash is comprised of an investment account and a savings account which have been designated for specific programs as described in Note 8.

The investment account is managed by a professional investment manager with a major Canadian financial insti-tution in accordance to a conservative investment strategy approved by the Council and consists of marketable securities comprised of a balanced portfolio of fixed income securities and domestic and foreign equities that are held primarily for trading and are recorded at market value.

2020 2019Cash:

Investment savings account $ 4,357 $ 5,153 Equities:

Canadian 480,198 480,173

United States 249,651 232,615

729,849 712,788

$ 734,206 $ 717,941

4. SHORT-TERM INVESTMENTSThe short-term investments consist of one (2019 - two) guaranteed investment certificate bearing interest at 0.5% (2019 - 1.58% and 1.90%) per annum and maturing February 2021 (2019 - Januaryand March 2020).


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5. TANGIBLE CAPITAL ASSETS

2020 2019 Accumulated Net book Net book

Cost amortization value value

Building renovations $ 1,217,131 $ 617,778 $ 599,353 $ 649,381

Land 445,108 - 445,108 445,108

Building 667,662 357,850 309,812 337,141

Computer software 310,602 289,508 21,094 35,887

Equipment 198,054 195,187 2,867 8,912

Computer equipment 70,039 63,521 6,518 1,799

$ 2,908,596 $ 1,523,844 $ 1,384,752 $ 1,478,228

The land, building and building renovations reflect the Association's 75% interest in the Argyll Road property. The remaining 25% is owned by the Alberta College of Optometrists.

6. ADVANCES FROM THE ALBERTA COLLEGE OF OPTOMETRISTS

The advances from the Alberta College of Optometrists consists of 25% of the prepaid rent deposit on the second floor rental of the Argyll Road property, which is being held by the Association.

7. DEFERRED CONTRIBUTIONS

Deferred contributions represent contributions received for specific purposes which have not been expended at year-end

Balance,Beginning of

YearContributions

Received

AmountsRecognized as Revenue

Balance, End of Year

Eye See . . . Eye Learn™ program - Non Insured Health Benefits $ 8,773 $ - $ - $ 8,773AAO Communications Levy $ - $ 817,824 811,672 6,152Eye See . . . Eye Learn™ program - Alberta Health 39,045 1,853 40,898 -

$ 47,818 $ 819,677 $ 852,570 $ 14,925

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8. INTERNALLY RESTRICTED NET ASSETS

2020 2019Operating reserve fund $ 734,206 $ 717,941

The Operating Reserve Fund was established for use in the event of a financial emergency or an interruption of cash flows. At December 31, 2020, the balance in the Fund was comprised of $729,849 (2019 - $712,788) in marketable securities and $4,357 (2019 - $5,153) cash in an investment savings account.

9. LEASE COMMITMENT

The Association is committed under an operating lease for the rental of a multi-functional device, expiring November 2025. Future minimum lease payments to the expiry of the lease are as follows:

2021 $ 3,1882022 3,1882023 3,1882024 3,1882025 2,657

$ 15,409

10. DUES AND LEVIESDues and levies totaling $677,690 (2019 - $1,003,276) is comprised of $629,625 (2019 - $951,376) received during the year, plus $48,065 (2019 - $51,900) designated for optometric societies.

In early 2020, the Association’s Council voted to limit individual membership dues to half of the annual assessment. This collectively resulted in a reduction of $704,014 in professional dues and communication levy revenue from the Association’s members.

11. CHANGES IN NON-CASH WORKING CAPITAL

2020 2019

Accounts receivable $ (67,953) $ (796)

Inventory 4,546 21,679

Prepaid expenses 31,273 17,413

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

(16,549) (224,463)

Deferred membership dues 27,839 -

Deferred contributions 14,389 (32,893)

$ (6,455) $ (219,060)

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12. FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS The Association is exposed to various risks through its financial instruments. The following provides information about the Association’s risk exposure and concentration at December 31, 2020.

a) Credit risk

Credit risk arises from the potential that a counter party will fail to perform its obligations. Accounts receivable are generally amounts due from government agencies and membership dues for access to benefits and therefore the Association does not believe it is subject to any significant credit risk.

b) Liquidity risk

Liquidity risk is the risk that an entity will encounter difficulty in meeting obligations associated with financial liabilities. The Association is exposed to this risk mainly in respect of its receipt of funds from its customers and other related sources and accounts payable.

c) Market risk

Market risk is the risk that the fair value or future cash flows of a financial instrument will fluctuate because of changes in market prices. Market risk comprises three types of risk: currency rate risk, interest rate risk and other price risk. The Association is mainly exposed to interest rate risk.

d) Interest rate risk

Interest rate risk is the risk that the value of a financial instrument might be adversely affected by a change in the interest rates. In seeking to minimize the risks from interest rate fluctuations, the Association manages exposure through its normal operating and financing activities. The Association is exposed to interest rate risk primarily through its interest bearing assets. The Association mitigates its risk through its investment policy as described in Note 3.

13. BUDGET INFORMATIONBudget information is included for information purposes only and does not form part of the audited financial statements. The budget figures are unaudited.

14. COMPARATIVE FIGURESSome of the comparative figures have been reclassified to conform to the current year's presentation

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SCHEDULE 1 Vision Care Plan OperationsYear Ended December 31, 2020

2020 2019

Budget (unaudited)

(Note 13) Variance Actual Actual

REVENUESFrames revenue $ 1,035,800 $ (238,141) $ 797,659 $ 1,050,351

Lab purchase discount 413,400 (121,075) 292,325 380,136

Administrative fees 273,480 (62,427) 211,053 260,227

Lens revenue 156,000 (11,238) 144,762 116,488

1,878,680 (432,881) 1,445,799 1,807,202

EXPENSES

Frames expenses 729,924 (223,523) 506,401 617,252

Salaries and benefits 400,858 (61,314) 339,544 349,746

Advertising 200,000 (48,394) 151,606 186,657

Technology development and maintenance 24,500 (1,044) 23,456 24,919

Bank charges 25,000 (4,433) 20,567 30,385

Telephone and utilities 17,500 (825) 16,675 16,036

Amortization 17,263 (3,977) 13,286 10,025

Insurance 5,900 2,041 7,941 6,945

Legal fees 27,000 (19,120) 7,880 28,008

Postage and stationary 12,100 (6,159) 5,941 8,942

Audit 8,000 (3,000) 5,000 4,425

Bad debts 2,000 (1,667) 333 509

1,470,045 (371,415) 1,098,630 1,283,849

NET DEPARTMENTAL SURPLUS $ 408,635 $ (61,466) $ 347,169 $ 523,353

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SCHEDULE 1 Vision Care Plan OperationsYear Ended December 31, 2020

2020 2019

Budget (unaudited)

(Note 13) Variance Actual Actual

REVENUESFrames revenue $ 1,035,800 $ (238,141) $ 797,659 $ 1,050,351

Lab purchase discount 413,400 (121,075) 292,325 380,136

Administrative fees 273,480 (62,427) 211,053 260,227

Lens revenue 156,000 (11,238) 144,762 116,488

1,878,680 (432,881) 1,445,799 1,807,202

EXPENSES

Frames expenses 729,924 (223,523) 506,401 617,252

Salaries and benefits 400,858 (61,314) 339,544 349,746

Advertising 200,000 (48,394) 151,606 186,657

Technology development and maintenance 24,500 (1,044) 23,456 24,919

Bank charges 25,000 (4,433) 20,567 30,385


Amortization 17,263 (3,977) 13,286 10,025

Insurance 5,900 2,041 7,941 6,945

Legal fees 27,000 (19,120) 7,880 28,008

Postage and stationary 12,100 (6,159) 5,941 8,942

Audit 8,000 (3,000) 5,000 4,425

Bad debts 2,000 (1,667) 333 509

1,470,045 (371,415) 1,098,630 1,283,849

NET DEPARTMENTAL SURPLUS $ 408,635 $ (61,466) $ 347,169 $ 523,353

SCHEDULE 2 Liability Premium Assistance ProgramYear Ended December 31, 2020

2020 2019Budget

(Unaudited) (Note 13) Variance Actual Actual

REVENUESGovernment grants $ - $ - $ - $ 215,000

EXPENSESInsurance premiums paid to recipients - (315) (315) 215,000

NET DEPARTMENTAL SURPLUS $ - $ 315 $ 315 $ -

SCHEDULE 3 Conference Revenues and ExpensesYear Ended December 31, 2020

2020 2019

Budget(Unaudited)

(Note 13) Variance Actual ActualREVENUES

Conference fees $ 519,500 $ (289,353) $ 230,147 $ 428,692

EXPENSES

Seminars 256,000 (220,708) 35,292 238,316

Speaker fees 36,000 (21,889) 14,111 32,122

Optifair - exhibit costs 63,000 (59,378) 3,622 37,479

Others 20,000 (17,150) 2,850 11,064

375,000 (319,125) 55,875 318,981

NET SURPLUS $ 144,500 $ 29,772 $ 174,272 $ 109,711

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SCHEDULE 4 Eye See . . . Eye Learn™ (ESEL) Vision Initiative ProgramYear Ended December 31, 2020

2020 2019

Budget(Unaudited)

(Note 13) Variance Total TotalREVENUES

ESEL grant $ 75,000 $ (20,413) $ 54,587 $ 40,898

EXPENSES

Expenses relating to ESEL 100,000 (45,361) 54,639 95,404

NET DEPARTMENTAL DEFICIT $ (25,000) $ 24,948 $ (52) $ (54,506)

SCHEDULE 5 Executive and Administrative ExpensesYear Ended December 31, 2020

2020 2019

Budget(Unaudited)

(Note 13) Variance Total Total

Salaries and benefits $ 539,634 $ (50,722) $ 488,912 $ 493,464

Technology development and maintenance 68,700 8,637 77,337 67,721

Legal 10,000 23,129 33,129 9,768

Bank charges 25,000 (3,928) 21,072 30,865

Computer support 16,800 3,551 20,351 14,758


Postage, stationary and printing 40,800 (27,299) 13,501 45,952

Amortization 17,263 (3,977) 13,286 10,025

Audit and accounting 8,000 (3,000) 5,000 4,425

Insurance 3,500 (667) 2,833 2,616

Memberships and subscriptions 1,900 76 1,976 2,321

Staff events 23,000 (22,281) 719 2,032

$ 772,397 $ (77,174) $ 695,223 $ 699,665

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SCHEDULE 6 Council and Committee ExpensesYear Ended December 31, 2020

2020 2019Budget

(Unaudited) (Note 13) Variance Total Total

Communications and public relations $ 609,650 $ (144,611) $ 465,039 $ 516,496Council 205,400 (39,482) 165,918 195,922Political action committee and government relations 49,000 (16,346) 32,654 24,152Insured services 15,000 919 15,919 3,777National activities 10,300 1,207 11,507 5,764Professional relations 11,000 (9,449) 1,551 7,346Alberta Association of Optometrists Committees 200 (153) 47 -

$ 900,550 $ (207,915) $ 692,635 $ 753,457

SCHEDULE 7 Property OperationsYear Ended December 31, 2020

2020 2019Budget

(Unaudited) (Note 13) Variance Total Total

REVENUES

Rental $ 72,320 $ 3,131 $ 75,451 $ 74,519

EXPENSESAmortization 77,400 (43) 77,357 77,357Repairs and maintenance 23,000 (2,951) 20,049 25,757Property taxes 25,000 (7,256) 17,744 22,066Utilities 6,300 2,500 8,800 6,273Subcontractors 10,000 (1,246) 8,754 8,820Insurance 2,300 (180) 2,120 1,909Security 2,000 80 2,080 1,567

146,000 (9,096) 136,904 143,749

NET DEPARTMENTAL DEFICIT $ (73,680) $ 12,227 $ (61,453) $ (69,230)

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#100, 8407 Argyll Road Edmonton, AB

Canada T6C 4B2

T: 780.451.6824 F: 780.452.9918

TF: 1.800.272.8843

www.optometrists.ab.ca

Annual Report - Alberta Association of Optometrists

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