Pikeville-Kentucky clinic director speaks at state, national conferences

Cliff Caudill is fully certified to use therapeutic lasers to treat eye problems.
Cliff Caudill is fully certified to use therapeutic lasers to treat eye problems. | File photo
University of Pikeville-Kentucky College of Optometry Clinic Director Cliff Caudill recently gave two lectures during meetings of the Kentucky Optometric Association (KOA) and the American Academy of Optometry (AAO).

Caudill, who obtained his doctorate of optometry from the University of Alabama Birmingham School of Optometry, is the first Kentucky College of Optometry faculty member to be fully certified to use therapeutic lasers to treat eye problems. He was an assistant professor in the University of Kentucky Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences for more than a decade where he supervised its optometric education program.

His two-hour lecture entitled "Survival Guide to Implementing Injections and Minor Surgical Procedures" discussed indications, equipment and procedures that optometrists need to use injections and conduct minor surgical operations. His other lecture was a one-hour session called "Herpes Eye Disease, From HEDS to Tails" and looked into management concepts related to herpetic eye disease and the effect that landmark studies have had on methods to treat the disease.

The KOA Fall Conference offers up to 20 hours of continuing education to optometrists throughout Kentucky, while the AAO meeting gathers optometrists from around the world. The AAO meeting also features scientific posters, talks about the future of optometric education and encourages leadership within the optometrist profession.