MS Optometry Board Newsletter: AED, CPR Requirements and Senate Bill 2699 Update

MISSISSIPPI STATE BOARD OF OPTOMETRY

Kimberly Johnson Ragan, OD

President

Hilary Parrish, OD Secretary

Lori Blackmer, OD Anna Middleton, OD Rules Spotlight Yvonne Laird Executive Director  If you are PEP-certi�ied and perform PEP procedures at Leyser Hayes approved and �iled in January, the following applies: Special Assistant Attorney General your location, per the temporary rules that were Legal Counsel An Cynthia Brown in-person and hands-on AED course is required and an Compliance Specialist Source: AED device must be easily accessible for PEP-certi�ied Ann . §§ 73-19-9, 73-19-153optometrists only if they are performing PEP Miss Code procedures within their business. 5 Old River Place, Suite 105  The CPR requirements have changed. This was part of Jackson, Mississippi 39202 the temporary rules that were �iled in January. Please Phone: (601) 919-1343 note this change: The Board will grant one hour of Fax: (601) 919-1432 education credit each year for required in-person and www.msbo.ms.gov hands-on active CPR certi�ication and one hour of info@msbo.ms.gov education credit will be given annually for completion

of a two-hour course on the prescribing and diversion of controlled substances. Miss Code Ann Source: . The current Board members are: § 73-19-153. Both of these courses are mandatory for all optometrists.  Senate Bill 2699 was signed by Governor Tate Reeves If you need to make a on March 28, 2025, and provided reauthorization of change to your The Patient's Right to Informed Health Care Choices of�ice address, mailing Miss. Code Ann. Act, § 41-121-1 et seq. To view this address, phone number legislation as well as the Mississippi Attorney General's and/or name, please use Opinion 2018-00116, click here. This Act, the Attorney the Change Noti�ication General's Opinion, along with MSBO Rule 9.4 provide form. It is located on our Board Contact Information that your optometry license must be displayed in each website under the of your practice locations in Mississippi. If you need a "Forms" tab. license to display in your of�ice, please use the form NEWSLETTER

Volume 11 Issue 2 May 2025 located here.

Kimberly Johnson Ragan, OD, Board President

Third Congressional District Dr. Kimberly Johnson Ragan has practiced at Ragan Family Eye Care, LLC, located in Madison, Mississippi, for over 17 years. In 2000, she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Biology from Jackson State University with honors. She is a 2004 graduate of Southern College of Optometry. Dr. Ragan is a 2015 graduate of the MOA Inaugural Leadership Optometry Class. She served as the Board President of the Mississippi Vision Foundation for over 10 years where she helped guide the foundation through its expansion. In 2022, Dr. Ragan was appointed to serve on the Mississippi State Board of Optometry where she currently serves as Board President. She is a member of the AOA, MOA, Madison County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and the JSU National Alumni Association. She volunteers her time and services in the community including the Jackson Free Clinic Vision Services Department. Dr. Ragan enjoys spending time with her husband James and their three wonderful children Madison, James III and Jackson.

Hilary Parrish, OD, Board Secretary

Fourth Congressional District Dr. Hilary Parrish has been a dedicated optometrist for 13 years, bringing her expertise and passion for eye care to the Vicksburg, Mississippi community. A proud alumna of Mississippi State University, she graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in 2008. She furthered her education at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where she earned her Doctor of Optometry degree in 2012. Upon completing her studies, Dr. Parrish returned to her hometown of Vicksburg, where she was determined to make a positive impact on her community. She co-owns Riverbend Eyecare. Under her leadership, Riverbend Eyecare has been recognized for its outstanding service, recently winning the titles of Best Optometrist and Best Eye Clinic in Vicksburg's 2024 Best of the Best Awards. In addition to her clinical practice, Dr. Parrish is actively involved in the professional community. In 2022, she was honored with a nomination to serve on the Mississippi State Board of Optometry, where she currently holds the position of Secretary. Her contributions to the Board re�lect her commitment to advancing the standards of optometry and ensuring quality care for patients across the state.

Lori Blackmer, OD, Board Member

Fifth Congressional District Dr. Lori Blackmer graduated from the Southern College of Optometry in 1987. She is married to a fellow optometrist, Dr. Marc Hautot. They have two children, Claire and Paul, and two grand dogs, Abita and Beebs. Dr. Blackmer has been practicing in Picayune for over 35 years. She enjoys gardening, crocheting and football of any sort, but especially the New Orleans Saints.

Anna Middleton, OD, Board Member

Second Congressional District A native of Kosciusko, Mississippi, Dr. Anna Middleton graduated summa cum laude from Mississippi State University in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biological Sciences. In 2011, she earned her Doctor of Optometry degree from Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, Tennessee. For the last 14 years, Dr. Middleton has worked at Thomas Vision in Kosciusko, where she especially enjoys seeing pediatric patients and �itting contact lenses. She is a member of the AOA and MOA and is in her second year serving on the Mississippi State Board of Optometry. Dr. Middleton also serves on the board of Presbyterian Day School as secretary and is an active member of First Baptist Church where she sings in the choir. She and her husband, Adam, have been married for 14 years and have three young children. In her free time, Dr. Middleton enjoys traveling, swimming and watching true crime shows.