Kentucky academy of eye physicians and surgeons
GOVERNANCE - The Academy is governed by a Board of Directors who is responsible for establishing goals and setting policy. Several committees of the Board serve various program activities. Officers are elected by the membership at-large every two years during the annual business meeting of the KAEPS. Committee Chairpersons are appointed by the President of the KAEPS and serve as the Board of Directors.
PRESIDENT
Dr. Carl Baker of Paducah was elected to a two-year term as President at the 2016 Spring Meeting.
Dr. Carl W. Baker is a graduate of the University of Kentucky and received his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine. He completed an internship in 1994 at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and served as Chief Resident in Ophthalmology at MUSC. He received a Vitreoretinal Surgery Fellowship and served as an Assistant Professor in Ophthalmology at the University of Kentucky in 2000. He was the recipient of the William W. Vallotton Award for Academic Excellence in Residency. Dr. Baker is engaged in clinical research for Macular Degeneration, Diabetic Retinopathy, Cataracts, and Retinal Vein Occlusions. For the past 15 years, he has been involved with several projects that have led to the developments of several new medications and devices for the treatment of eye diseases. Dr. Baker is actively involved as a leader in ophthalmology at the national and state level. He is the current president of the Kentucky Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Baker is a member of the American Society of Retinal Specialists, and the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Dr. Baker served as a vice-chair of the Diabetic Retinopathy Clinical Research Network from 2011-2014 and is currently a member of the executive committee of the DRCR Network. Dr. Baker and his wife, Jil, have three children. He is a private pilot and loves to fly. He also enjoys tennis and golf.  | PRESIDENT-ELECT
Dr. Frank Burns of Louisville has been selected as President-elect of KAEPS. His term will begin in the summer of 2018. Dr. Burns brings a wealth of experience and service to KAEPS.
 | EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Elizabeth "Liz" Roach grew up in a medical family, with a father and grandfather serving as family practice physicians in Midway, Ky. Her passions of service and connecting with others led her to pursue work in government and the non-profit world. In her eight years of service for the Commonwealth of Kentucky, she worked in several capacities, including Deputy Speechwriter, Press Secretary, and Director of Scheduling. Most recently, she served as Development Manager at the non-profit organization The Council of State Governments. Based in Lexington, Liz is a member of the 2017-18 Leadership Lexington class, a board member of the Woodford County Community Fund, and a volunteer at Radio Eye. She is a graduate of Furman University and the Columbia Journalism School Publishing Program.
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2016-2018 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Carl Baker, M.D. - President
Frank Burns, M.D. - President-elect, Legislative Chair
Chip Richardson, M.D. - Secretary/Treasurer
Julie Lee, M.D. - Councilor, Immediate Past President
Woodford Van Meter, M.D. - Alternate Councilor
Kenneth Weaver, M.D. - At-Large Member
Sheila Garcia-Santana, M.D. - At-Large Member
Ron Tilford, M.D. - Health Plans Relations Chair
Tom Harper, M.D. - Membership Chair
Jeff Taylor, M.D. - Bylaws Chair
Mark Kleinman, M.D. - Kentucky Ophthalmological Political Action Committee Chair
Ben Mackey, M.D. - Ethics Chair
Lucy Franklin, M.D. - YO Committee Chair
Maurice Oakley, M.D. - KMA Delegate
John Franklin, M.D. - Leadership Development Program AAO
Ashima Gupta, M.D. - Contractor Advisory Committee for Medicaid
Joern Soltau, M.D. - University of Louisville Representative
Julia Stevens, M.D. - University of Kentucky Representative
COMMITTEES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
- Bylaws Committee- Review and submit proposed changes to the Bylaws to the Board and membership.
- Ethics Committee- Establish professional standards for KAEPS members.
- Health Plan Relations Committee- Works with all third party payers, including Medicare and Medicaid, to establish appropriate medical policies for services provided by ophthalmologists. Responds to questions from the membership. Addresses problems members are having with the appropriate third party payer. Addresses problems members are having with the appropriate managed care program.
- KOPAC- Coordinates collection and distribution of PAC funds.
- Legislative Committee- Work with the lobbyist and legislature on proposed rules and bills before the General Assembly and other state regulatory commissions and committees.
- Membership Committee- Enlists and recruits qualified persons for active membership, maintains a census of ophthalmologists, and supervises a collection of demographic information regarding Kentucky ophthalmologists.