10
January 2019 Volume 19, Number 1 President’s Letter Dear ARA Members, I hope your holidays were enjoyable and 2019 is progressing well for you! While some flowers are already starting to bloom, the Polar Vortex going on in our country reminds us that winter isn’t over yet. We now have the dates for our 2019 luncheons on the Alcon campus reserved. As usual, the dates are all on Mondays. Be sure to mark your calendars for March 11 th , June 10 th , September 16 th and December 2 nd (the annual Christmas Lupper). We will continue to meet in the old Alcon cafeteria, now called the Crossroads Conference Center and will start at 12:00 noon for signing-in. Our ARA luncheons are a wonderful opportunity to get together with old friends and colleagues and to hear our informative speaker programs. Our speaker for the first luncheon in March will be announced in the meeting reminder email. On December 3rd, 2018, our annual ARA Christmas Lupper took place and was a festive occasion and well attended. As last year, the TCU Horns played for us and contributed to the seasonal ambiance. Read more and see photos on pages 8 and 9 in this newsletter. You can also log into the ARA website and click on the News tab to reach the Gallery web-link. Many thanks to Gary Vick for the great photos! During our Lupper, Brad Kling passed the baton to me as the new president. We are all very grateful to Brad for his ten years of service. As I am now starting to learn my new responsibilities, I am very happy to say that Brad has agreed to continue to work with us. Thank you Brad for your service and your continued support to the Alcon Retirees Association. I want to welcome and thank Annabelle Corboy for accepting the position as our new editor of the InHindsight newsletter. As always, we welcome our ARA member news and photos. Please send them to Annabelle at [email protected] . Also, look for news of volunteer opportunities during the year. The ARA partners with Alcon Corporate Giving which provides for a variety of company sponsored activities. All retirees are invited to participate. Please enjoy this edition of the Inhindsight newsletter. Many thanks to Annabelle for its preparation! I look forward to seeing our ARA members and their guests at the March luncheon! With Best Regards, Pat ARA Website Want to see more? Go to this website: http://www.alcon-ara.com for all the latest information. The site is updated between newsletters, so you might want to bookmark it and check from time to time. Photo Gallery Photos from recent ARA events are posted on the ARA website. Please login to the Members Section and click on the News tab to find the link to the Gallery. Retiree News We would love to have some stories from our retirees to share in our ARA newsletter. We are especially interested in photos of places & people - vacations or, if you’ve moved away from Fort Worth, where you live now. Do you have a second career? If you retired from Alcon and took up a new line of work, we’d love to hear about it. And last, if you’re doing volunteer work, we’d like to be able to share that, too. You can contact us at [email protected] . Just send a note and we will get back with you to get more details. Continued on Page 2. Index President’s Letter P.1 Announcements & Events P.1,2 Cataract Awareness Month: FOMO in Cataract Patients P.2 Update on Novartis Spinoff P.3 Alcon Foundation Supports Medical Missions To Restore Sight P.4 Alcon launches Brazil’s first ophthalmological educational center- By Alcon Brazil P.5 Bringing Eye Care to Tibet- by Alcon China P.6 Alcon to develop SMART Suite digital health platform for cataract surgery P.7 Alcon Launches Retina Fellows Institute Providing hands-on educational experience for future leaders in ophthalmology P.7 2018 Christmas Lupper P.8.9 Alcon Retiree News P.10

President’s Letter With Best Regards, · 2019-02-01 · Volume 19, Number 1 January 2019 President’s Letter With Best Regards, Dear ARA Members, I hope your holidays were enjoyable

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Page 1: President’s Letter With Best Regards, · 2019-02-01 · Volume 19, Number 1 January 2019 President’s Letter With Best Regards, Dear ARA Members, I hope your holidays were enjoyable

January 2019 Volume 19, Number 1

President’s Letter

Dear ARA Members,

I hope your holidays were enjoyable and 2019 is progressing well for you! While some flowers are already starting to bloom, the Polar Vortex going on in our country reminds us that winter isn’t over yet.

We now have the dates for our 2019 luncheons on the Alcon campus reserved. As usual, the dates are all on Mondays. Be sure to mark your calendars for March 11th, June 10th, September 16th and December 2nd (the annual Christmas Lupper). We will continue to meet in the old Alcon cafeteria, now called the Crossroads Conference Center and will start at 12:00 noon for signing-in. Our ARA luncheons are a wonderful opportunity to get together with old friends and colleagues and to hear our informative speaker programs. Our speaker for the first luncheon in March will be announced in the meeting reminder email.

On December 3rd, 2018, our annual ARA Christmas Lupper took place and was a festive occasion and well attended. As last year, the TCU Horns played for us and contributed to the seasonal ambiance. Read more and see photos on pages 8 and 9 in this newsletter. You can also log into the ARA website and click on the News tab to reach the Gallery web-link. Many thanks to Gary Vick for the great photos!

During our Lupper, Brad Kling passed the baton to me as the new president. We are all very grateful to Brad for his ten years of service. As I am now starting to learn my new responsibilities, I am very happy to say that Brad has agreed to continue to work with us.

Thank you Brad for your service and your continued support to the Alcon Retirees Association.

I want to welcome and thank Annabelle Corboy for accepting the position as our new editor of the InHindsight newsletter. As always, we welcome our ARA member news and photos. Please send them to Annabelle at [email protected].

Also, look for news of volunteer opportunities during the year. The ARA partners with Alcon Corporate Giving which provides for a variety of company sponsored activities. All retirees are invited to participate.

Please enjoy this edition of the Inhindsight newsletter. Many thanks to Annabelle for its preparation! I look forward to seeing our ARA members and their guests at the March luncheon! With Best Regards, Pat

ARA Website

Want to see more? Go to this website: http://www.alcon-ara.com for all the latest information. The site is updated between newsletters, so you might want to bookmark it and check from time to time.

Photo Gallery Photos from recent ARA events are posted on

the ARA website. Please login to the Members Section and click on the News tab to find the link to the Gallery.

Retiree News

We would love to have some stories from our retirees to share in our ARA newsletter. We are especially interested in photos of places & people - vacations or, if you’ve moved away from Fort Worth, where you live now. Do you have a second career? If you retired from Alcon and took up a new line of work, we’d love to hear about it. And last, if you’re doing volunteer work, we’d like to be able to share that, too. You can contact us at [email protected]. Just send a note and we will get back with you to get more details. Continued on Page 2.

Index President’s Letter P.1 Announcements & Events P.1,2 Cataract Awareness Month: FOMO in Cataract Patients P.2 Update on Novartis Spinoff P.3 Alcon Foundation Supports Medical Missions To Restore Sight P.4 Alcon launches Brazil’s first ophthalmological educational center- By Alcon Brazil P.5 Bringing Eye Care to Tibet- by Alcon China P.6 Alcon to develop SMART Suite digital health platform for cataract surgery P.7 Alcon Launches Retina Fellows Institute Providing hands-on educational experience for future leaders in ophthalmology P.7 2018 Christmas Lupper P.8.9 Alcon Retiree News P.10

Page 2: President’s Letter With Best Regards, · 2019-02-01 · Volume 19, Number 1 January 2019 President’s Letter With Best Regards, Dear ARA Members, I hope your holidays were enjoyable

In HindSight, Page 2 January 2019

Announcements continued

Alcon Fort Worth Fitness Center All retirees are welcome to use the Alcon

Fitness Center on the Fort Worth campus. If you are not already registered, please see Brad Sanow, Fitness Center Manager. Also, please remember the procedure for security access to the Center — simply exchange your retiree Gold Card for a Fitness Center badge with Joshua Poisson at the Tower A reception and he will return your Gold Card when you’re finished and ready to leave Alcon.

As of January 2019, the Alcon Fitness Center is offering an Alcon Retiree Exercise class at 10:30 am on Mondays and Thursdays every week. Each class is 45 minutes long, held in the Group Exercise Room. The classes will be geared toward seniors, focusing on strength, balance, and core conditioning. Though these classes are setup for retirees, they are open to all Alcon employees. You must be a member of the Alcon Fitness Center in order to participate in the exercise classes. You can join the class at any time and there’s no obligation to attend every session.

The Alcon Fitness Center also hosts a monthly retiree 5k walk at the running track on the Alcon campus. These events are usually held the 4th Monday of the month, but we suggest you verify the date and time by calling Brad Sanow or checking the "Alcon Friends Past & Present" Facebook page.

2019 ARA Luncheons and Lupper Mark your calendars for Monday, March

11th, June 10th, September 16th and December 2nd (the annual Christmas Lupper). The quarterly luncheons are held on the Alcon Fort Worth campus.

First in 2019: March 11th ARA Luncheon

Note: Luncheons are held in the

Crossroads Conference Center (old cafeteria) with a buffet lunch starting at 12:00 noon for signing-in, and the program will start by 1:00 pm. All ARA members, spouses, and guests are welcome to attend. Lunch is complimentary for members, whereas there is a charge of $10 for all others.

Please remember to bring your Alcon Retiree Gold Card for access to the Fort Worth campus. Alcon Corporate Security will reserve parking places — look for the orange street cones.

February is Low Vision Month

If you wear corrective lenses and still don’t

see as well as you’d like, it’s time to see an eye care professional. February is Low Vision Awareness Month, so it’s a perfect time to see your doctor to rule out low vision – or to catch it early and seek treatment. What is low vision and who does it effect?

Low vision is a visual impairment that can’t be remedied with standard corrective lenses,

medication, or surgery. The condition can

make common daily activities such as reading, shopping, cooking, writing, and watching TV a significant challenge.1 Low vision also result in

feelings of helplessness and depression. Low vision often cannot be restored, but it

can be managed with proper treatment and vision rehabilitation.

The sooner the condition is

detected, the greater the chances of keeping the remaining vision. What are the symptoms of low vision?

People with low vision can’t see well enough to do simple, everyday tasks — even if they use regular corrective lenses, medicine or have had surgery. Symptoms include finding it

difficult or impossible to: Read, Write, Shop,

Watch television, Drive a car, Recognize faces, Set dials, Manage glare, and Match the color

of clothes Early Detection Is Key.

Learn more about the symptoms and causes of low vision, and the services available to cope with the condition. And then schedule an appointment with your eye care professional if you are experiencing any symptoms. Vision rehabilitation are available to help people adapt to vision loss and maintain their current lifestyle. A vision rehabilitation program offers a wide range of services, including training in the use of magnifiers and other adaptive devices.

Excerpted from

https://www.alcon.com/stories/education-awareness/february-low-vision-month

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In HindSight, Page 3 January 2019

Update on Novartis Spinoff

Alcon highlights its vision, strategy and benefits as a standalone company to investors and analysts in New York and London in November and December…

In New York on November 27, 2018, Alcon, the eye care division of Novartis, held its first Capital Markets Day for investors and analysts in relation to the previously-announced intention of Novartis to execute a tax-neutral, 100% spinoff of the Alcon business. If the transaction proceeds, shares in Alcon Inc. will be listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (SIX) and the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the ticker symbol "ALC".

Mike Ball, Chairman-designate of Alcon, said: "Alcon has been a leader in the ophthalmic industry for over 70 years and is dedicated to providing innovative products that enhance quality of life by helping people see better. More recently, Alcon has executed a turnaround plan that has reinvigorated its pipeline, strengthened its customer relationships, and increased investments in promotion, capital and systems while developing a nimble medical device culture. These actions have strengthened its foundation and positioned Alcon well to become a standalone company."

David Endicott, CEO of Alcon, said: "As the leading eye care devices company in the world, with $6.8 billion in sales in 2017, we are uniquely positioned to succeed as a standalone organization. Our legacy of industry firsts and advancements, our leading positions in the markets we operate in and our substantial investment in innovation position us well for the future. We look forward to sharing our strategy, vision and financial goals with investors and analysts at our Capital Markets Day events."

Mega-trends shape future of eye care

Alcon highlights mega-trends shaping the future of eye care, including the aging global population, innovation that improves patient options and outcomes, increasing wealth and growth in emerging economies, and the prevalence of myopia and digital eye strain. These trends present Alcon with sizeable growth opportunities in the $23 billion eye care devices market. Alcon also showcases its leading ocular solutions for refractive disorders, presbyopia, dry eye, cataracts and retinal diseases

CFO David Murray highlighted how Alcon has returned to a position of strength by delivering consecutive quarters of sales growth, and how the company plans to make steady core operating margin improvements to industry benchmark levels, from high teens today to low to mid 20s by 2023. Post-spinoff, Alcon is targeting an investment grade credit rating and will have a financial framework focused on sales growth, operational excellence and free cash flow generation.

Priorities will include investment in organic growth and R&D, a disciplined focus on "bolt-on" acquisition, licensing and collaboration opportunities, and returns to shareholders with Alcon expecting to pay a regular cash dividend from 2020.

Michael Onuscheck, President Global Business & Innovation, highlighted Alcon's market leadership in its Surgical Franchise, with 2017 global sales of $3.7 billion. He discussed Alcon's best-in-class equipment platforms and the expansion potential of its leading installed base and complementary consumables business, as well as key near-term growth drivers such as advanced technology intraocular lenses (AT-IOLs) and leading-edge vitreoretinal technologies.

Andy Pawson, President & General Manager, Global Vision Care Franchise, provided an overview of Alcon as one of the leaders in the $14 billion vision care market, with 2017 global sales of $3.1 billion. Key trends in contact lenses include the shift from reusable to daily disposable lenses and increasing demand for premium lenses such as toric, multifocal and cosmetic. In ocular health, increased awareness of treatment options for dry eye is driving demand. He also discussed near-term growth drivers, which are the DAILIES TOTAL1 contact lens portfolio and its market-leading dry eye treatment, SYSTANE.

The Alcon executive team also discussed their expectations for the primary drivers of longer term vision care and surgical growth. These include the acceleration of innovation, expansion into new markets and adjacencies, as well as new business models and go-to-market solutions, which better serve the needs of eye care professionals, patients and consumers.

Franck Leveiller, Senior Vice President, Head of Global R&D, discussed Alcon's aspiration to lead the world in eye care innovation. He highlighted Alcon's history of industry firsts, positioning as the partner of choice for external innovation, and continued commitment to R&D investment resulting in a pipeline fueled for growth. He discussed Alcon's world-class capabilities in optics, material and surface chemistry, equipment and instrumentation, and automation, which is already delivering improved cycle times, increased flexibility and productivity enhancements.

Spinoff completion subject to approvals and conditions being met, including shareholder approval at the Novartis annual shareholder meeting on February 28, 2019. If approvals are secured and conditions are met, the spinoff is expected to be completed in the first half of 2019.

For background slides and webcast (audio

only) please refer to the following link: https://www.novartis.com/investors/event-calendar

Page 4: President’s Letter With Best Regards, · 2019-02-01 · Volume 19, Number 1 January 2019 President’s Letter With Best Regards, Dear ARA Members, I hope your holidays were enjoyable

In HindSight, Page 4 January 2019

Alcon Foundation Supports Medical

Missions, to Restore Sight

The joy radiating from the face of a patient who

can see again after years of blindness motivates Madhavi Reddy, MD to take time out of her Brownsville, Texas, ophthalmology practice every year, pack her bags and travel thousands of miles to deliver free eye care to people in need.

In the 14 years she has volunteered with SEE International – a non-profit humanitarian organization whose 650 volunteer ophthalmologists restore sight to people blinded by cataracts in more than 50 countries – she’s performed hundreds of cataract surgeries in countries in Central and South America, Africa and Asia

As she reels off a list of countries that includes Mexico, Ecuador, Honduras, El Salvador, Peru, Ethiopia, Cambodia, Myanmar and her native India, Madhavi’s passion for medical missions is unmistakable. Since 2017, she also travels at her own expense to Fort Worth, where she volunteers at Cornerstone Cataract Clinic. And she frequently solicits contributions from friends to pay for mission supplies, including the reading glasses that make it possible for older people experiencing a decline in near vision to continue to work and support their families.1

Individuals treated by SEE doctors like Madhavi in these countries lack access to eye care and the means to pay for it. So when eye care comes to them via a medical mission, these patients go to extraordinary lengths to receive treatment.

“People walk for miles, they walk for days, and it’s not uncommon to have 200 people lined up because they have an opportunity to get eye care and they’re going to take advantage of it for themselves, for their children or for their parents,” she said.

Having been blinded by cataracts, many patients are brought to clinics by sighted family members. Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness in the world and the most common cause of vision loss in people over age 40.

Medical Missions Madhavi is one of hundreds of eye doctors

who volunteer each year for medical missions supported by Alcon Cares through product donations that will exceed $50 million in 2018. Alcon Cares works to advance and improve the quality of eye health, education and access to care in underserved areas

“Alcon supports medical missions

because we believe it’s our responsibility to give back and there are many people around the world who are less fortunate, who cannot afford proper eye care or the products used in proper eye care,” said Rick Weisbarth, OD, FAAO, a member of the Alcon Foundation board and Alcon’s Vice President and Head of Professional Affairs for U.S. Vision Care. “Supporting missions is one way we pay it forward and help people in need today, as well as generations to come.”

In October alone, Alcon donated – through Alcon Cares – more than $5 million in products for use in performing more than 4,000 sight-restoring cataract surgeries during 48 medical missions.

October is significant because the 11th of the month is World Sight Day, an annual day of awareness about avoidable blindness and visual impairment.3 About 80 percent – four out of five cases – of visual impairment and blindness is avoidable if identified and treated early.

Each year, Alcon supports about 600 medical missions conducted by volunteer organizations through Alcon Cares. In addition to SEE’s medical missions, Alcon supports Mercy Ships, which deploys hospital ships that provide free lifesaving surgeries for people in places where medical care is virtually non-existent.

To increase Mercy Ships’ capacity, Alcon donated cash and products valued at $10 million for a new hospital ship that will go into service in late 2019 to treat patients and conduct medical training in West Africa.

Closer to home, Alcon supports Cornerstone Cataract Clinic and Community Eye Clinic in Fort Worth through the Alcon Foundation and Alcon Cares. The sister clinics serve the eye care needs of indigent patients and those with no or inadequate health insurance, like the 57-year-old Texas man who lost his job when his cataracts made it impossible for him to operate machinery at work.

Continued on next page

Page 5: President’s Letter With Best Regards, · 2019-02-01 · Volume 19, Number 1 January 2019 President’s Letter With Best Regards, Dear ARA Members, I hope your holidays were enjoyable

In HindSight, Page 5 January 2019

Continued from previous page Having lost his job and then his apartment,

and unable to see well enough to drive, he had to move in with his daughter, according to Jennifer Deakins, OD, FAAO, Director of Community Eye Clinic. Now, after evaluation at Community Eye Clinic, he is awaiting free cataract surgery at Cornerstone Cataract Clinic.

For the first time this year, the clinics partnered with the Alcon Foundation to conduct free eye health and vision screenings for 300 adults at the State Fair of Texas on World Sight Day. Several of those screened told staffers that they hadn’t seen an eye doctor in years. “We see ourselves as local missions,” Jenn said.

Cataracts: Top Cause of Blindness

The Texas man awaiting cataract surgery is an example of how cataracts can steal vision and livelihoods. Cataracts are responsible for more than half of world blindness, about 20 million people. As lifespans increase and the global population ages, the number of people who will develop cataracts is projected to grow.

A cataract is a clouding of the lens in the eye that impairs vision. Most cataracts form naturally with age. If left untreated, cataracts cause continual loss of vision and can eventually lead to total blindness.

Surgery is the only way to remove cataracts and restore vision. The 20-minute outpatient procedure involves removing the cloudy natural lens of the eye and replacing it with an artificial lens implant known as an intraocular lens.

Cataract surgery is one of the most commonly performed and cost-effective surgical procedures, as well as among the most successful. More than 95 percent of cataract surgeries result in improved vision.

That’s obvious in photos of a smiling Madhavi flanked by her surgical patients in Peru, her most recent mission. Though the patients are still sporting bandages over one eye, their faces are beaming with the happiness of seeing again.

Excerpted from the article at https://www.alcon.com/stories/partnerships/alcon-foundation-supports-medical-missions

Alcon launches Brazil’s first ophthalmological educational center- By Alcon Brazil

It's been exactly 25 years since, back in 1993, Alcon opened up its wet lab in Brazil. Since then, thousands of ophthalmology residents, fellows and surgeons have had training in the facilities. Now, it's time for another milestone for Brazilian ophthalmology: On November 22, Alcon hosted the grand opening of Alcon Experience Center, a state-of-the art ophthalmology educational center, the only of such kind in Brazil, a complex that integrates a private practice room, a wet lab, a small auditorium, a meeting room and virtual reality equipment.

Over a thousand eye care professionals are expected to attend courses, workshops and conference per year. The Brazilian one will be the 6th Alcon Experience Center in the world, behind US, Spain, Japan, Australia and Colombia and reinforces our commitment to continued medical education.

Page 6: President’s Letter With Best Regards, · 2019-02-01 · Volume 19, Number 1 January 2019 President’s Letter With Best Regards, Dear ARA Members, I hope your holidays were enjoyable

In HindSight, Page 6 January 2019

Bringing Eye Care to Tibet- by Alcon China

Tibet, with an average altitude of over 4,000 meters, is known as the place that is closest to the sun. Due to the strong ultraviolet radiation and the plateau landform, the prevalence of eye diseases is very high here.

In 2017, as a sponsor of "Charity Tour to Tibet" of Beijing Tongren Zhang Xiaolou Ophthalmology Welfare Foundation, Alcon China travelled to Tibet for the first time and set up an eye charity clinic in Tibetan hospital, to diagnose and treat eye diseases of local inhabitants, and was widely covered by the media.

In order to bring better vision to more people in the area, on September 25 to 29, 2018, Alcon China travelled to Lhasa with the team again to carry out a two-day charity screening and surgeries in Tibetan Hospital. For the trip, a CONSTELLATION vitreoretinal surgery system and its disposables, with a total value of nearly RMB 2.6 million yuan, was donated to the Foundation by Alcon and was installed in the Ophthalmology Department of Tibetan Hospital of Tibet Autonomous Region. This donation will significantly improve the ophthalmic surgery facilities and ophthalmological healthcare level in the region.

In the past, people in Tibet had to travel to Beijing, Shanghai and other cities with rich medical resources to seek medical help for their vision. It is not only time consuming, but also could prevent them from getting timely treatment. Moreover, it is a great financial burden for most families to travel out of town. It has always been a dream close to the heart of local people to have access to the first-class eye care right in town. Charity Tour to Tibet is the dream coming true.

On September 25, colleagues from Alcon China travelled with Beijing Tongren Zhang Xiaolou Ophthalmology Foundation to Lhasa, and set out to prepare for the installation of CONSTELLATION vitreoretinal surgery system in Tibet Autonomous Region Tibetan Hospital.

Hypoxia brought extra difficulties to the already stressful work. Even with the experience from last year and enough number of oxygen cylinders, the attack of altitude reaction was overwhelming. The staff, enduring headache and shortness of breath, used oxygen tanks and continued their hard work.

After more than six hours of hard work, CONSTELLATION finally grandly stands in the ophthalmic operating room of the Hospital. Alcon colleagues, without taking any break, began to train the local medical staff.

On the afternoon of September 27, Prof. Wei Wenbin, Vice President of the Beijing Tongren Hospital, director of the ophthalmology department, and leader of the trip, arrived in Lhasa and immediately started charity treatment even though he was exhausted by the travel.

After seven back-to-back operations, Professor Wei told us that coming here in Tibet for surgery is only a beginning.

"We will also bring advanced equipment and knowledge to help Tibetan doctors master the technology. A warm connection between doctors and patients may make a difference for many lives. The greatest love is boundless. I wish more medical staff and individuals can participate in charity activities!" He said.

Although they speak different dialects, it doesn't stop the local people from showing their gratitude through body languages, such as bowing and handshaking, which moved us all and dispelled the fatigue over the days.

On September 29, 2018, the CONSTELLATION donation ceremony was officially launched.

Madame Dorothy Wang, GM of Alcon Great China and Mongolia, and Mr. Jack Lu, head of Alcon China Surgery Division, donated the equipment on behalf of the company.

The trip in 2018 is the second time that Alcon came to Tibet. We aim at coming back each year to help more patients with better equipment and technology. We want to do more and do better!

Page 7: President’s Letter With Best Regards, · 2019-02-01 · Volume 19, Number 1 January 2019 President’s Letter With Best Regards, Dear ARA Members, I hope your holidays were enjoyable

In HindSight, Page 7 January 2019

Alcon to develop SMART Suite digital health platform for cataract surgery

On October 23, 2018, Alcon announced a

plan to develop the SMART Suite by Alcon, an innovative, digital platform that is designed to streamline, simplify and improve cataract surgery for surgeons and patients.

The SMART Suite by Alcon will connect multiple diagnostic and surgical devices through a digital, open cloud-based infrastructure that seamlessly integrates with practices’ existing cataract diagnostic equipment, electronic medical record (EMR) systems, and technologies in the Alcon Cataract Refractive Suite.

As envisioned, eye care professionals will have easy access to patients’ vital diagnostic data throughout the cataract procedure, providing a simplified clinical process, consistency and greater efficiency. The cloud-based data will help eye care professionals analyze and optimize procedures with increased precision, driving improved patient outcomes.

“The SMART Suite by Alcon will be an important addition to our market-leading cataract refractive equipment portfolio and it builds on our existing cloud-based technologies like the ORA System,” said Michael Onuscheck, President, Global Business & Innovation at Alcon

The SMART Suite by Alcon will be built on the Philips HealthSuite digital platform, which provides the proven expertise and regulatory compliance for cloud-based services and technical tools that will enable SMART Suite to fit seamlessly into customers’ practices. Learn more about the SMART Suite by Alcon.

Alcon plans to announce additional details on the SMART Suite in mid-2019. The SMART Suite will be fully compatible with currently available surgical equipment, including the Alcon Cataract Refractive Suite.

For more information and a video, see the original article https://www.alcon.com/stories/innovation/alcon-develop-smart-suite-digital-health-platform-cataract-surgery

Alcon Launches Retina Fellows Institute Providing hands-on educational experience for future leaders in ophthalmology

In November 2018, as part of our continued

commitment to the education of eye care professionals, Alcon launched a one-of-a-kind training opportunity, the Alcon Retina Fellows Institute. Retina fellows are credentialed physicians who are pursuing additional training in the retina subspecialty of ophthalmology.

The Alcon Retina Fellows Institute is a unique educational offering consisting of a weekend-long training at the Alcon Experience Center in Fort Worth, Texas. In its inaugural year, the program hosted 40 attendees to enhance their education through hands-on, experiential surgical trainings featuring the latest innovations in retina surgery.

Led by a small group of world-class faculty, the Institute further emphasizes Alcon’s commitment to well-rounded learning over lecturing. The dynamic training program is designed to develop the next generation of retinal surgeons and enhance patient outcomes by bridging gaps in education and experience with experiential trainings for key procedures in a surgical laboratory setting. Overall, the pioneer program was well-received by the attendees, who all agreed they would participate in the Institute again.

For more information,

https://www.alcon.com/stories/innovation/alcon-launches-retina-fellows-institute

Page 8: President’s Letter With Best Regards, · 2019-02-01 · Volume 19, Number 1 January 2019 President’s Letter With Best Regards, Dear ARA Members, I hope your holidays were enjoyable

In HindSight, Page 8 January 2019

The annual ARA Christmas Lupper was held on this past December 3rd on the Alcon Fort Worth campus. Many thanks to all for attending — we had a great turn-out. The Lupper is always a very festive time for visiting with retired colleagues and guests, enjoying a delicious meal, and listening to the wonderful Christmas music performed again this year by the TCU Horn Ensemble. So great to see everyone, and have fun raffling-off some fun prizes as well. While 2019 is just starting, please mark your calendar for December 2nd — you won’t want to miss the next Lupper.

Here are a few photos from the event with our thanks and appreciation to Gary Vick for taking the great pictures. To see all of the pictures, logging-in to the ARA website Members Section, selecting the News tab, and the link to the Photo Gallery will be the post on top.

We took a few minutes to thank Brad for his 10 years serving as president of the Alcon Retirees Association, with an award and a basket of wine and chocolate.

TCU Horn Ensemble

TCU H

2018 ARA Christmas Lupper

Page 9: President’s Letter With Best Regards, · 2019-02-01 · Volume 19, Number 1 January 2019 President’s Letter With Best Regards, Dear ARA Members, I hope your holidays were enjoyable

In HindSight, Page 9 January 2019

Page 10: President’s Letter With Best Regards, · 2019-02-01 · Volume 19, Number 1 January 2019 President’s Letter With Best Regards, Dear ARA Members, I hope your holidays were enjoyable

In HindSight, Page 10 January 2019

Alcon Retiree News Second Careers – Margaret Drake, sculptor

Margaret is a sculptor who had never picked up a sculpting tool until she retired from Alcon in 2008,

where she worked in Research and Development. Margaret loved to draw horses as a kid, but it was only after

retiring that she began to take classes and attend workshops, learning 3-D art and sculpting. She works with both water- and oil-based clays, creating realistic figures of the athletic human form, horses and other animals.

Her studio is in Glen Rose, on a small ranch where she lives with her husband, Bob, and numerous dogs, cats, horses, and goats.

And,10 years later, her work has been accepted into many juried competitions. Awards include "Best of Show" 2016, at Breckenridge Fine Art Show, and in 2017, the Museum of Western Art in Kerrville acquired one of Margaret's pieces for permanent exhibition.

Her sculptures are currently on display as part of the Cultura Del

Vaquero Jurored Exhibition at the Fort

Worth Community Arts Center, though

February 20. Shown here are First Saddle and

Comanche Spirit.

This Newsletter was sent to you on behalf of the Alcon Retiree's Association.

Alcon Retirees Association, Mail Drop R9-14. 6201 South Freeway, Fort Worth, Texas 76134

Retirees and Places they love Snow or sand? Photos from Greg Booher (Colorado), Sandy Sheehan (Big Bend & FW), Laurie

Stelljes (Antarctica)