[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 17]
[Senate]
[Page 22365]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




              25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE AAO--CODE OF ETHICS

  Mr. KOHL. Mr. President, I would like to congratulate the American 
Academy of Ophthalmology as this year marks the 25th anniversary of 
their groundbreaking ethics code. One of the first of its kind in the 
medical world, the Academy Code of Ethics represents a milestone. This 
self-initiated code of ethics paved the way and set the standard for 
numerous other codes of conduct within professional medical 
organizations. Since the code's inception in 1983, the academy's Ethics 
Committee has reviewed over 3,500 inquiries about ethical behavior and 
concerns about member conduct.
  The American Academy of Ophthalmology is the largest national 
membership association of ophthalmologists, with 430 in Wisconsin 
alone. Its members are committed to advancing the highest standards of 
comprehensive eye care and are dedicated to enhancing the quality of 
life for every patient they serve. The academy uses its code of ethics, 
a consensus of the members' views on the ethical issues encountered in 
ophthalmology, to do just that.
  I would also like to note the AAO's commitment to educating its 
members about unintended influence from the drug industry that can 
result from the acceptance of excessive gifts and payments. Since 1991, 
its Ethics Committee has encouraged its members to disclose potential 
conflicts to patients, the public, and colleagues. AAO's internal 
policies on this matter, which have been continually updated through 
the years, are very much in line with the Physician Payments Sunshine 
Act, S. 301, of which I am a lead sponsor.
  Because so many complex ethical dilemmas affect nearly every facet of 
our health system, the fact that the academy was one of the very first 
organizations in professional health care to develop an ethical code is 
truly commendable. Therefore, I once again express my congratulations 
to the American Academy of Ophthalmology on the 25th anniversary of 
their code of ethics.

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