CRU 2023: Learn to care for your patients' retinas with genetic testing

Steven Ferrucci, OD, FAAO, who is part of the faculty for the CRU Eye Symposium, caught up with Optometry Times®' assistant managing editor, Emily Kaiser, to talk about the meeting.

CRU is an acronym that stands for "current, relevant, useful," and the second annual symposium will be held November 10-12, 2023, at the Silverado Resort in Napa Valley, California. S. Barry Eiden, OD, FAAO, FSLS; Stephanie Woo, OD, FAAO, FSLS; and John D. Gelles, OD, FAAO, FIAOMC, FCLSA, FSLS, FBCLA, are the co-chairs of the meeting, with honorary ambassador Vance Thompson, MD, FACS.

If you are interested in attending the CRU meeting, click here to register.

Transcript

Editor's note: This transcript has been edited for clarity.

Emily Kaiser:

Hi, everyone. I'm Emily Kaiser with Optometry Times, and I'm sitting down with Dr Steven Ferrucci, who is part of the faculty of the Current, Relevant, Useful—or CRU—meeting, which will be held in Napa Valley, California in November of 2023. Welcome, Dr Ferrucci. Thanks for taking the time to talk to us.

Steven Ferrucci, OD, FAAO:

Sure. Thanks for having me.

Kaiser:

Yeah, happy to have you here. So, why should optometrists be excited about CRU?

Ferrucci:

I think you sort of said it when you said what CRU stands for: current, relevant and useful information. I think this program really focuses on just that. Information that's current, that's new, that is useful, [and] that a practitioner can actually use when they get back to their office. Sometimes you go to meetings [and] you go, "that was interesting, but it doesn't pertain to me," or, "I don't know how to use it." To me, this is very practical, useful information. That's one thing I really, really like about this meeting.

Kaiser:

Yeah, for sure. What are you most excited to share with attendees?

Ferrucci:

I'm going to be talking a little bit about retina [and] more so about genetic testing, from what I understand. I've been involved with a couple of companies that have done genetic testing for macular degeneration. I'll be discussing that, how you can use this genetic testing to help take better care of your patients with macular degeneration, and how you can use that information to change your protocol to see patients who are at higher risk, perhaps more frequently.

[As well as], talking to patients who are at higher risk, a little bit more about risk factors they can manage in order to decrease their chances of progressive maculopathy, and that sort of thing. That's what I'm most looking forward to.

Actually, even a little more than that, though, is that the the setting is in Napa. If you've never been a Napa [or if] whoever's listening has never been to Napa, it's one of the more beautiful places out here. It's just beautiful. They've got wine tasting and even if you don't like wine—I do like wine, it's a problem—[it's] just a beautiful area with a lot to do and great scenery. So if nothing else, just for the setting.

Kaiser:

Yeah, absolutely. And, you know, why not? So, what sets CRU apart from the other meetings?

Ferrucci:

I think the fact that, like I said, they really focus on current, useful information. Also, it's a somewhat smaller meeting. It's a more intimate meeting, [and] you can really connect with your peers as well as with the speakers there because it's not a huge, huge meeting that you can get lost in. So I think it's a little more intimate. And then I don't know if I mentioned but it's in Napa, and there's wine.

Kaiser:

Yeah, you and everyone else [has]. I think it's a great, great thing to bring up. Are there any other miscellaneous points you'd like to share about CRU?

Ferrucci:

It really is a nice little meeting, it's not a huge meeting. I think there's gonna be a lot of information. I'm more interested in the posters [and] retina stuff, but there's also glaucoma and dry eye things. There's a lot of different things, contact lenses as well. So no matter what your interest is, in your practice, there's something for everyone.

Kaiser:

Fantastic. Well, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to me and I can't wait to see you in California.

Ferrucci:

Sounds good, looking forward to it. Thanks.