About Us

Message from the Chair/CEO

It was Bruce Spivey in his position as Executive Vice President who led the leadership of the American Academy of Ophthalmology to create its own professional liability insurance company in 1987. Dr. Spivey understood that a company dedicated exclusively to insuring ophthalmologists would be in a better position to provide ophthalmic-specific risk management and claims handling services than multispecialty carriers. It is therefore appropriate that OMIC and the Academy would join forces to recognize and honor Dr. Spivey with the establishment of the Bruce E. Spivey, MD, Fund for Risk Management Studies. The fund’s mission is threefold:

1. Assist OMIC in developing innovative risk management and patient safety initiatives, studies, and educational programs that will improve the quality of eye care around the world;
2. Explore new ways of bringing risk management and patient safety programs to ophthalmologists who are members of the Academy, including international members;
3. Develop tools that measure the effectiveness of risk management and patient safety education initiatives and their impact on physician and institutional behavior.

OMIC has provided $50,000 in seed money to get the fund up and running. There is already a record of several high-value joint Academy/OMIC programs in which OMIC provided not only special expertise but also financial support. Examples include an online informed consent CME course, a “wrong site surgery” patient safety program, and several patient education updates. OMIC funded these projects because they promised to provide ophthalmologists with risk management tools to reduce exposure to lawsuits while, at the same time, improving patient care.

Establishing the Spivey Fund within the Academy Foundation’s Hoskins Center will formalize future initiatives between OMIC and the Academy, streamline administration of these initiatives, and allow a way for others to provide vital philanthropic support for these critical projects and activities. As part of the Academy Foundation, the fund is set up so any individual, corporation, foundation, trust, estate, or legal entity may contribute. A description of the fund and how to donate can be found on the Foundation’s web site at https://secure.aaofoundation.org/onlinedonate_faao/spivey.aspx.

Potential contributors can feel confident that the Spivery Fund will be well managed. OMIC is an established, financially strong company and is committing its own financial resources to fund joint projects with the Hoskins Center because we believe they will benefit ophthalmology. Furthermore, OMIC will bring its business organizational skills to ensure that clear and measurable goals are set and met.

This new alliance between OMIC and the Academy will make both organizations stronger and better able to cope with the tremendous changes facing healthcare providers in the 21st century.

John W. Shore, MD, Chairman of the Board