PDF Edition - Review of Optometry

SEPTEMBER 2015
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The Editorial Pages
A
p3
Mind the Gap
n August 13 opinion piece appeared in the New
That’s discouraging, but it’s not irreversible. Employment experts
York Times, “Let’s Expose the Gender Gap,” in
tell prospective employees to avoid providing a potential employer your
which journalist Joanne Lipman called the pay gap
previous salary. Instead, focus on what you want to be paid by redirecting
“one of the most intractable problems of our time.”
the question. “I’m looking for a position in the $___ range.” Flexing your
She wrote, “More than a half-century after President
negotiating muscles comes into play far more often than in compensation
John F. Kennedy signed the Equal Pay Act of 1963, the
conversations. (On page 5, WO Professional Co-editors April Jasper, OD,
gap between what men and women earn has defied
FAAO, and Katie Gilbert-Spear, OD, MPH, share their experiences.)
every
effort
to
close
it.”
While individuals can take some control over their personal situation,
Marjolijn Bijlefeld
Data shows that the gap exists in all professions,
there’s also an effort to address the pay gap more broadly. Lipman cites a
including optometry. The 2015 ECP Compensation Study by Jobson Optical
new British plan to have companies with more than 250 employees publicly
Research in conjunction with Local Eye Site reported that employed female
report wages by gender. The government hopes that this move could elimODs earned an average compensation of
inate the gender gap in a generation. In April
Optometrist Compensation by Gender
$99,914, compared to employed male ODs,
2014, President Barack Obama signed a memwho earned an average compensation of
orandum instructing federal contractors and
■ Male ■ Female
$115,550. Female owners/partners earned
subcontractors to report worker compensation
$147,322 $137,091
an average compensation of $137,091, about
by gender and race. The Equal Pay Act of 1963
$115,550 $99,914
$10,000 less than their male colleagues in
has been impeded, he wrote, “by a lack of sufthose positions, where the average compensaficiently robust and reliable data on employee
OD—Employee
OD—Owner/Partner
tion was $147,322, according to the report.
compensation, including data by sex and race.”
Average Compensation
Average Compensation
Economists and researchers have worked to
The drumbeat from organizations that track pay
Source: 2015 ECP Compensation Study
analyze the issue, accounting for hours worked,
disparity among women and minorities is helptime off for having and raising babies, age and race. What these studies show
ing to create this kind of institutional change.
is that even controlling for these factors, women earn less—across the board. It
It’s an intriguing and frustrating subject, and there’s no easy answer.
also appears that they ask for less. Lipman cites a book by Linda Babcock and
It’s also one that Women In Optometry will explore in greater depth at its live
Sara Laschever, Women Don’t Ask: The High Cost of Avoiding Negotiation—
networking sessions held at Vision Expo West and the American Academy of
and Positive Strategies for Change. The authors say that men are four times
Optometry meetings this year. When we make conversations about salary and
as likely as women to negotiate a first salary. Women, they say, are often so
negotiating taboo, we’re not doing any women any favors. WO
grateful to have been offered a job that they accept the offer without question.
Many people don’t like to talk about their salary and income. But by
opting not to negotiate salary or compensation, people leave a lot of money
on the table. Since many ODs, even those who eventually own their own
practice, start out by working for someone else, the implication may be that
Marjolijn Bijlefeld, Director of Custom Publications
women undervalue their worth from day one.
Practice Advancement Associates
Women In Optometry® is published quarterly by the
Professional Publications Group of Jobson Medical Information,
publisher of Review of Optometry,
Review of Cornea & Contact Lenses and Review of Ophthalmology.
SEPTEMBER 2015
Address advertising inquiries to Scott Tobin, advertising
production manager, Jobson Professional Publications Group,
11 Campus Blvd., Suite 100, Newtown Square, PA 19073,
at [email protected] or call 610-492-1011.
Publisher: Al Greco
Executive Editor: Roger Mummert
Professional Co-editors:
Katie Gilbert-Spear, OD, MPH, and April Jasper, OD, FAAO
Director of Custom Publications,
Practice Advancement Associates: Marjolijn Bijlefeld
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Comments on Women In Optometry can be sent to [email protected]
540-899-1761 or fax 540-242-3438
Lead Sponsor:
Associate Editor: Maggie Biunno
Creative Director: Stephanie Kloos Donoghue
Graphic Designer: Barbara W. Gallois
Supporting Sponsors:
Women In Optometry September 2015
on Outcomes
By JeanMarie Davis, OD, FAAO
Ocular Wellness Starts With Prevention
Don’t rely on trouble-shooting problems; become a wellness-promoter instead
A
fundamental tenet of health and wellness as well as of
business management is that preventing a problem is
more productive in the long term than fixing a problem
after it occurs. In daily management of an optometric office,
that might mean devising the processes and protocols that keep
things moving smoothly.
In the exam room, that concept extends to discussions about
compliance with any prescribed medications, a healthy
ocular surface and the importance of comprehensive
annual eye exams. However, it’s also important
to spend a few moments reviewing overall compliance with contact lens instructions, including
the use of a recommended contact lens cleaning
and disinfecting solution. Think of the potential
problems that can occur when patients are not
compliant with their contact lens instructions.
According to the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention, there are nearly 1 million doctor’s
office, clinic and ER visits for keratitis annually related to improper
use of a multi-purpose solution and/or poor lens care hygiene.1
While ocular health is obviously critical to long-term successful
contact lens wear, there’s a more immediate benefit for patients.
Good compliance with contact lens recommendations can contribute
to a comfortable daily contact lens wearing experience. Review contact lens replacement and care. Remind patients not to top off solutions and to replace their contact lens cases frequently, for example.
In light of recent FDA studies that show that disinfection could
be compromised by preservative uptake in some lens materials2-4,
it’s a good time to assess your recommendations. Look for products
that are highly biocompatible and can contribute to a patient’s
overall comfort and wettability. For example, Alcon launched CLEAR
CARE® PLUS with HydraGlyde® Moisture Matrix, an innovative,
proprietary reconditioning agent that surrounds the contact lens
with long-lasting moisture.5 In addition, CLEAR CARE® PLUS neutralizes to a gentle, preservative-free saline solution, which makes
it highly biocompatible.
For patients who are not candidates for daily disposables6,
recommend a solution such as CLEAR CARE® PLUS to optimize
the lens wearing experience. Making a firm recommendation for a cleaning and disinfecting solution
doesn’t take much more than 15 seconds, but
JeanMarie Davis, OD,
those moments can create a positive cycle for your
FAAO, is Global Performance
patients. It’s as easy as saying, “I’m prescribing
Development, Vision Care
these contact lenses for you because of these speTechnical Head at Alcon.
cific reasons. And here’s the contact lens solution
that I want you to use because not all contact lens
solutions are the same. This is the one that works
well and will keep your contact lenses feeling
comfortable. I want you
to have the best outcome
with your new prescription, so stay with this solution.” Write down your
recommended brand near
the patient’s contact lens
Consider these statistics1:
prescription. Alcon has
n 85 percent of patients say that they
also created an instructional card and couare compliant with lens care
®
pon for CLEAR CARE PLUS. Staff memn 2 percent actually demonstrate
bers can reinforce compliance and specific
care recommendations during the history
good compliance*
and application and removal training.
n 42 percent topped off their used
Sixteen percent of patients drop out
contact solution occasionally or
of contact lenses annually, and the #1
every night
cause of dropout is discomfort.6 Contact
®
lens wearers using CLEAR CARE Solution
*A patient was considered to have good compliare 57 percent more likely than users of
ance when receiving a score of 90% or better.
other brands to continue wearing their
1 Robertson DM, Cavanagh HE. Non-compliance
contact lenses rather than switching to
with
contact
lens wear and care practices: a comparaeyeglasses due to irritation.7 The payoff
tive analysis. Optom Vis Sci. 2011;88(12):1402-1408.
could be huge in terms of patient satisfaction as well as impact to a practice.
Imagine being able to impact a patients’ overall wearing experience—for the short term and the long term—just by making a
strong recommendation for a contact lens solution that enhances
your contact lens prescription, too. It’s a proactive recommendation
focused on prevention.
Are Patients
Compliant?
1 Collier SA, Gronostaj MP, MacGurn AK, et al. Estimated burden of keratitis—United States, 2010. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2014;63(45):1027-1030.
2 Clavet CR, Chaput MP, Silverman MD, et al. Impact of contact lens materials on multipurpose contact lens solution disinfection activity against Fusarium
solani. Eye Contact Lens. 2012;38(6):379-384.
3 Shoff ME, Lucas AD, Brown JN, et al. The effects of contact lens materials on a multipurpose contact lens solution disinfection activity against
Staphylococcus aureus. Eye Contact Lens. 2012;38(6):368-373.
4 Shoff ME, Lucas, AD, Phillips KS, et al. The effect of contact lens materials on disinfection activity of polyquaternium-1 and myristamidopropyl dimethylamine multipurpose solution against Staphylococcus aureus. Eye Contact Lens. 2012;38(6):374-378.
5 CLEAR CARE PLUS [package insert]. Ft. Worth, TX: Alcon; 2015.
6 Rumpakis J. New data on contact lens dropouts: an international perspective. Review of Optometry. 2010;147:37-42.
7 Based on a survey of 316 CLEAR CARE buyers, Alcon data on file, 2013.
Sponsored by Alcon
PRA15006AE
mance
are
n.
The Editorial Pages
p5
Negotiate From a Position of Strength
M
en are four times more likely to ask for higher pay than are women
who have the same qualifications for the role, according to Women
Don’t Ask: The High Cost of Avoiding Negotiation—and Positive
Strategies for Change. Their reluctance to negotiate
impacts them not just financially but in other ways, too. The
authors say, “From career promotions to help with child
care, studies show time and again that women don’t ask–
and frequently don’t even realize that they can.”
Earlier this year, Women In Optometry conducted a survey
on negotiating salary and compensation. Of the employed
women ODs who responded, 48 percent said that they feel
Dr. Jasper
uncomfortable or very uncomfortable negotiating for salary and/
or benefits. In contrast, 19 percent said they feel or felt very or somewhat comfortable negotiating these items. While 52 percent of all women OD respondents said
that they did try to negotiate their starting salary, 40 percent said they did not.
WO asked Professional Co-editors April Jasper, OD, FAAO, and Katie
Gilbert-Spear, OD, MPH, to share some of their negotiating experiences.
Dr. Jasper: ”The purchase of my practice was certainly the most challenging and rewarding negotiating experience. The challenge was that it was
the most expensive and uncertain purchase I had ever made. There were
many unknowns attached, and I was negotiating with a family whom I considered very good friends.
“I purchased the practice that my family had gone to for our eye care most of
our lives. I cared a great deal for the family selling the practice, and yet this doctor
was not going to give the practice away, as it was providing for his retirement.
“It was very emotional for both of us, and knowing when to give and
when to hold strong was tricky. In the end, the doctor I purchased the practice
from commented to many of our friends on several occasions that I was a
tough negotiator. I took that as a compliment. What made me most happy
about this negotiation was that it was done with respect for both parties, and
both of us walked away happy with the concessions we had given and earned.
The practice purchase has obviously been one of the highlights of my life.”
Dr. Gilbert-Spear: “While I cannot pinpoint a specific negotiation that
stands out, I do admire the negotiating skills of my 4-year-old daughter, Zara.
She is a fierce negotiator. One of her tactics is to ask for more than she actually
wants. I counteroffer—and land exactly on the place where she wanted to be.
WO Advisory Panel
“For example, we have lollipops at my office. Instead of asking for one and
risking that I would say ‘no’ and she would get none, she asks, ‘Can I have two
or one lollipops?’ Faced with a straight yes or no answer to the request for a
lollipop, I would normally say no. But when she presents this
option to me, I typically choose the middle ground: one lollipop.
“I realize that as ODs, we negotiate far more difficult
challenges. But I still admire her strategy to determine what
she wants and present it in a way that invites negotiation.
“I encourage my employees to come to me with wellthought-out reasons and rationales for their requests, just as I
prepare my own points when it’s time for me to negotiate. As
Dr. Gilbert-Spear
I get older, I get better at negotiating. At some point, you get
past the fear that others think of you as selfish or greedy because you speak
your mind and ask for what you want.”
Dr. Jasper: ”My comfort and skills
with negotiating have improved with
practice. Knowing when to walk away
has made it easier, as well. If you are
happy with where you are, then you are
never negotiating out of desperation.”
Forty-eight percent of
WO survey respondents
said that they feel
uncomfortable or very
uncomfortable negotiating
for salary and/or benefits.
Dr. Gilbert-Spear: “If you have
trouble negotiating for yourself, recast
the issue in your mind so that you
are advocating for someone else. For
example, if I were negotiating for a
job that is going to take extra time away from my family, I’d feel I owe it to my
children to make the job worth my extra time away. Thinking of it from this
perspective lessens feelings of selfishness or greediness.”
Experts will point out negotiating on behalf of someone else or a group
can be very effective. After all, you rarely negotiate just for yourself. Your
negotiations impact those around you—your family and even your professional colleagues and staff. When you successfully negotiate a deal that
makes you happier and more content, those around you benefit, too. When
you negotiate a reasonable purchase price for a practice or a partnership,
you open the door to new opportunities for many people. WO
Find Us on the Web
W
Naheed Ahmad, OD
Roswell, Ga.
Elise Brisco, OD,
FAAO
Los Angeles, Calif.
Kimberly K. Friedman,
OD, FAAO
Moorestown, N.J.
Ann M. Hoscheit, OD
Gastonia, N.C.
Louise Sclafani, OD,
FAAO
Chicago, Ill.
Charlotte Tlachac,
OD, FAAO
Alameda, Calif.
omen In Optometry (WO) maintains an active
website that features exclusive stories, columns
and photos, as well as the current issue of WO
and archives. Visit womeninoptometry.com frequently.
Also make sure that you are subscribed to the WO
eblasts, such as Makeover Monday, which features
a story about an office redesign or remodel; and WO
Wednesdays, featuring new content or newly placed
content on the web. Sign up for the eblasts by going to
womeninoptometry.com/subscribe/wo-emails. Also visit
us on other social media.
Ffacebook.com/WOmagazine
Ftwitter.com/WomenODs
Flinkedin.com—and search “Women In
Optometry” to join the group
Women In Optometry September 2015
WO0915_Paragon.indd 1
8/17/15 2:14 PM
Sharing Great Ideas
T
he WO advisory panel members were asked to share some of
the most recent great ideas they’ve implemented in their practices. We encourage our readers to do the same, and these
great ideas will be shared in future pages of WO and on the
p7
Views from our Advisory Panel
website, womeninoptometry.com.
What’s wonderful about these ideas, too, is the wide range.
There are simple, low-cost ideas and ones that involve significant
planning and budgeting.
Hire Another Doctor By Kimberly K. Friedman, OD, FAAO
W
associate. Instead of hiring an OD for just one
e made a decision to hire a fourth
day per week, we decided to hire someone
doctor for our office. What pushed
to work three or four days a week.
me to it was that one of our
That has allowed us to expand our
associates had to cut her
office hours and make the time that
hours by one day per week, and we
we spend here feel less jam-packed.
were getting overwhelmed by the
We hired a receptionist and one
number of patients we were seeing.
more technician to accommodate the
One day when I walked in, I saw my
additional patients being seen, but it’s
optician’s desk look like a bomb went
been worth it.
off. Orders were piled up, and I realToo often, independent ODs—and
ized I was stressing everyone out. We
Dr. Friedman
I include myself—wait too long to
needed a little more breathing room.
bring in help in the form of extra doctors or
We also determined that we would not
staff. Taking on that salary expense can seem
merely cover the hours formerly worked by our
daunting when you just look at the big number,
but time and time again I’ve discovered that
when we hire more staff we get more efficient
and reduce the burden on our other staff. That
makes for a more pleasant environment for
patients, doctors and employees and ultimately
improves the bottom line of the practice.
I now have a little more time to concentrate on practice management. I used to feel
rushed just trying to squeeze in management
tasks here and there in between patients.
Although it is always scary to add another OD
salary to pay, it has allowed me to feel a little
more balanced at work and in life. WO
Modest Ideas Can Contribute to Connections By Charlotte Tlachac, OD, FAAO
S
pecial little touches that show patients
you care don’t need to cost a lot. They
just need to be genuine ways to encourage patients to connect with you.
For example, we recently added an
unusual business card holder. It’s really a
photo holder, with wires coming out of a small
metal cube. It allows us to put business cards
within easy reach, and because the display is
almost sculpture-like, it encourages patients to
grab a card on the way out. We have noticed
that we are replacing business cards much
faster in this manner than when they were
simply stacked by the front desk.
Business cards can help create a personal
connection with patients—if you take just the
simple extra step of circling or adding your email
or cell phone number. If the patient walks out
knowing exactly whom to call with questions on
eyeglasses or contact lenses or eye care, that
patient feels much more connected to the office.
We have other little touches throughout
the office that pamper
patients. We keep a
candy machine on
the front counter, and
patients love to turn the
handle to get a handful of
M&Ms. Patients love the Dr. Tlachac
mini fridge with bottled
water, as well as the puzzles, games and even
a rocking horse for active children and the
aquarium for young and old alike. WO
Get Patients Involved in Philanthropy By Ann M. Hoscheit, OD
A
supply of contact lenses, eyeglasses or gift
s we approached our 10th anniversary,
cards. We also encouraged nominations for 10
we wanted to incorporate our philanthropic
nonprofit organizations, each of which
efforts into our marketing and
would receive $1,000.
strategic plan as a practice that
If you’ve ever wondered about the
cares about the community and the
power of social media, a campaign like
people. We had already determined
this can really show its reach. Patients
that we would give a $10,000 donation
and people in the community began
to an organization for our 10th annicommenting and sharing the details of
versary. Then we realized that getting
the campaign. The level of engagement
patients involved would be much better.
on our Facebook page was amazing. A
For 10 days, we used social
Dr. Hoscheit
local newspaper picked up the story, too.
media to celebrate our anniversary,
The goal of the campaign was, of course,
calling it “The Big Give Back.” We held daily
about giving back. We were delighted to be
contests for special prizes, such as a year’s
able to provide
donations to organizations in the
community that
were so important
to our patients. But
we also gained. The
interest that was
generated from this The practice invited
social media cam- patients to participate
paign became a
through social media.
marketing bonanza
that we did not expect or imagine. We gave—
and we received. Both were wonderful. WO
Have a Great Idea?
Send an email to WO editors at [email protected] and one of our editors will follow up with you.
Women In Optometry September 2015
Don’t let prescriptions
walk out your door
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WO0915_CareCredit.indd 1
WO0915OA
8/21/15 11:29 AM
p9
Kid-friendly Practices Need
Kid-friendly Dispensaries
J
ennifer Sortor, OD, MS, FAAO, FCOVD,
of Ann Arbor, Michigan, says that about
one-third of her patient base is youngsters
under 18. “I’ve been doing vision therapy
for a long time, so we draw a lot of families
and a lot of kids,” she says. The
practice, Ann Arbor Optometry, is
located in a six-unit condo, and her
vision therapy practice, Ann Arbor
Vision Therapy, is just two doors
away from her optometric practice.
With this setup, she only needs
to manage one optical dispensary.
Vision therapy patients can walk
to the optometric practice easily
Dr. Sortor
to select their eyewear. Because
so many of her vision therapy patients are
younger, it’s very important that she keeps a
selection of frames that is attractive for this
group. “Teens and tweens are also drawn to
some of the smaller adult frames, but we are
paying more attention to the fashion of kids’
eyewear, even for the younger kids, because
they demand it. They want to see well, and
they want to look great,” she says.
Even for these young patients, eyewear is
a fashion accessory. “It’s one of the most fun
parts of our work when we can see that we’ve
made a child feel confident in his or her new
eyeglasses,” Dr. Sortor says. The practice
has a corner in the dispensary devoted to its
young patients. A low, glass-top table with
drawers displays the kids’ frames. “It’s kidheight and accessible. Children walk over and
love to pull the drawers out to start looking,”
Dr. Sortor says. She doesn’t mind
that at all because she believes
that eyewear is meant to be experienced. “Sometimes adults are hesitant to take frames off the board
to try them on. This table display
encourages exploration.”
In fact, a number of children
have already picked out their
favorite frames even before
they see Dr. Sortor or Christina
Curcione, OD. “They’ll carry the frame into
the exam room and say, ‘I don’t know if I’m
going to need eyeglasses, but if I do, I want
these.” Or they’ll shyly tell her they found a
pair they liked. “I’ll make a big deal and ask
if I can see them, and they’ll be so proud and
happy to put them on for me.” All the opticians also enjoy working with the children and
go out of their way to stop by and compliment
a child who is trying on frames.
The practice carries a number of
Marchon frames for children and adults,
too. The practice does particularly well
with Nike, X-Games and Flexon frames for
young patients. The Flexon
line for kids is terrific,
durable and fashionable.
“Our Marchon representatives always guide us as
to what’s new in fashion,”
Dr. Sortor says.
osting a trunk show for kids? Keep these ideas in
Don’t overlook the oppormind.
tunity to prescribe multiple
1) Make it fun: Parents will appreciate a style show
pairs of eyewear for children,
that’s short and sweet. Hire a face painter or other kids’
too, she says. She always
entertainment.
recommends to parents
of children with very high
2) Open your schedule: Allow time for screenings or
prescriptions that their child
refractions so that families can complete the purchase
should have a backup pair.
while they’re there.
“These kids should never be
3) Involve your patients: Ask parents whether their
without corrective eyewear,”
child would be interested in modeling for the event.
she says. Teens and tweens
Encourage families to take photos and post them on
who are moving into contact
social media for maximum impact.
lenses should also have back4) Coordinate with a children’s boutique: You can
up eyewear. Children who are
tap into another business’ clientele—and vice versa.
active in sports or particularly
5) Save treats until the end: Lemonade on the lawn,
rough on their eyewear also
for example, gets the sticky food and active children out
benefit from multiple pairs.
of your dispensary but lets the fun continue. WO
Five Ways to Host a Successful
Fashion Event for Kids
H
Millennials voted Nike as their # 1 favorite brand, ahead of
Apple, in a recent report. Marchon provides point-of-sale
material highlighting the brand for young wearers.
Educate Parents About
Children’s Eye Health
A
nn Arbor is home to the University of Michigan,
which means that the patient demographics for Ann
Arbor Optometry are generally well-educated, informed
families. “We have an outstanding patient base,” says
Dr. Jennifer Sortor. “We stress the importance of vision
and learning and seeing well in the classroom. We also
tell parents that children’s eyes can change very quickly.
One year, their vision may be perfect, and the next
year, they’ll need eyeglasses.”
That emphasis on preventive care and an overall
focus on health care keeps her patients coming back year
after year. “We do see most of our pediatric patients every
year reliably,” she says. That’s a direct result of spending
the time educating parents and the community. WO
Parents can maximize the overall effectiveness of their children’s eyewear by adding
photochromic lenses and antiglare treatments,
too. “We used to reserve those special features
for adult eyewear, but as parents have learned
more about protecting their children’s eyes from
UV exposure, more of our children’s eyewear
carries those features, too.”
Dr. Sortor also keeps a number of Nike
sun frames for kids in the sunwear displays.
“Kids get excited about eyeglasses when
they’re here, and sometimes, when a child
needs no refractive correction, they can still
be excited about picking out a pair of sunglasses that look great,” she says. “All the
kids know the Nike name, so they’re excited
about that.” WO
Women In Optometry September 2015
SYSTEMS
“The TRS-5100 has been a strong factor in increasing per-patient revenue because
the technology allows me to show people the changes in their Rx with a push of
a button. The practice has seen an increase in patients buying new eyewear, even
with the subtle prescription changes.”
Dori M. Carlson, OD | Park River, ND
Designed and Manufactured by NIDEK - Represented by Marco
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WO0915_Marco.indd 1
8/21/15 11:27 AM
p 11
Patients Want to Feel
J
Connected
Rural practice increases its outreach
beyond the patient visit
aclyn Munson, OD, joined the
exam. “Rave reviews come from busy
Weatherford Eyecare Center, a Vision
moms, college professors and even
Source® practice in Weatherford,
our savvy geriatric crowd, who have
complimented us on the ease of conOklahoma, two years ago. One of her
firmation. It has lightened
first initiatives was to increase
the load here so that we
the amount of communication
can focus on the demands
between the practice, its patients
and immediate needs of
and the community. “We’re in rural
patients who are here in
America, and rural America wants
the office.”
this kind of connection,” she says.
Solutionreach,
The practice connected with
which offers a robust
Solutionreach and has had an
menu of services as
excellent experience, she says. “I
part of a standard packdid not get a degree in web design
age, has teamed with
or social marketing. The company’s Dr. Munson
Eyemaginations. So now the practice
support team has helped me with all kinds of
can send quick videos through text
issues, from how to post survey responses on
or posted on the website. “Early in
our website to how to create newsletters,” she
the spring, we had a lot of sunglasssays.
Patient reviews are posted on the practice website. Any
es in inventory. We did an eblast on complaints are addressed in that space, too.
It has also proved to be handy for instant
the importance of sunwear and UV
communications. “One day we announced
protection, and by the end of the month, we
a change to the office hours and sent an
she says. Dr. Munson makes sure that she
had very few pairs of
email to our family
responds to any patient who voices a comthose sunglasses left,”
of patients. We had
plaint on one of these surveys. She’ll add the
Dr. Munson says.
five people show up
comment and/or apology for a lapse of service
“It’s a great way to
within 10 minutes of
just below the posted complaint. That way,
promote an event or a
that email going out
others can see that the office is responsive to
new service.”
to pick up their eyethese patients.
The practice is
glasses and contact
The comments from these reviews
introducing the porlenses. Being able
help the practice address these situations
tal system to send
to communicate like
and improve patients’ experiences. “It has
patients secure billing
that with our patients
increased our overall accountability,” she says.
reminders. Most
extends an arm of care
“Hearing from patients on a regular basis
fees and co-pays are
outside of the structure
helps us keep our service real, relevant and
collected at the time
of the building. Inside,
exceeding patient expectations.”
of service, but those
we know we provide
This fall, the practice will add iPads for
patients who have
an intimate approach.
registration for patients in the reception area
a balance after the
Now we can extend
and instant eyewear notifications. Patient
insurance has been
that beyond our walls,”
forms can be downloaded to the two iPads,
processed can get
she says.
and patients can review and sign them. “It
friendly billing remindPatients have mulwill streamline the process, and patients will
Match your office communications to patients’
ers at 30, 60 or 90
tiple interactions with
be impressed that HIPAA information is even
days. Patients can
the service. At the time lifestyles.
more protected,” she adds. “We anticipate
also pay their bills on the office app. “It’s very
that patients schedule their appointment, they
that patients will also appreciate the more
effective. It’s a way to keep us above and past
receive a confirmation text or email or both.
frequent communication about their orders for
the technology curve. Patients appreciate it,”
Patients can customize which delivery method
eyeglasses and contact lenses, for example.
she says.
they want. And if they prefer to get a phone
Our practice works with higher-quality labs,
The surveys that are sent to patients two
call from the staff, that’s fine. But the number
and that sometimes adds a day or two onto
days after their exam or after new prescription
of reminder phone calls that the staff now has
the process. We’re not competing with the
eyewear has been picked up have helped the
to make has dropped dramatically. Patients
60-minute, one-stop bargain eyeglasses, so
practice build on its reputation for excellence.
can synch these reminders with their Google
being able to tell patients that their eyeglasses
“We have a lot of happy patients, thankfully,
calendar, if they choose. They’re also sent a
order has been received or is leaving the lab
and they’re willing to share their experiences
confirmation notice two days before the exam,
or has arrived in our office is a nice courtesy
so that others can read about it on our website,”
and they receive a reminder on the day of the
that helps emphasize the value.” WO
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9/2/14 1:19 PM
p 13
Group Gives Women ODs
in Minnesota a Chance to Connect
I
and with the MOA.
“Many said, ‘We do
feel isolated,’” she
says. Of the group she
assembled, only half
were MOA members.
Group members
decided to meet every
other month. To grow
the group, Dr. Brown
gave them one requirement—if you come to
the next meeting, bring Networking Optometric Women plan their meetings around networking events.
Here, they helped prepare meals for children.
a colleague.
more members.
So far they’ve had three meetings. The first
Dr. Brown thinks younger ODs, both men
was mostly to assess interest, which was very
and women, tend to drift away from the networking opportunities in the profession soon
after they start practicing. “In school, you
“In school, you have all these
have all these classmates—comrades—with
classes and labs and clinics and exams and
classmates—comrades—
boards, and you’re all in it together,” she says.
with classes and labs and
“And then you graduate and you’re alone, and
nobody holds your hand after that.”
clinics and exams and
For older and more involved ODs, there are
boards, and you’re all in
good reasons to make connections with their
younger colleagues. First, every group needs
it together. And then you
the energy that new members bring. And secgraduate and you’re alone.”
ondly, if you don’t get them, somebody else
will. “They’ll get involved with something else,
—Dr. Brown
using their minimal free time for their church,
community or kids’ soccer league. Then they
fill up their plate, and they don’t have room or
time to get involved,” she says.
high, she says. The second meeting was social;
The MOA has also launched a second
the group met at a bistro called Pinstripes, which
group, for young ODs, which is being lead by
has bowling and bocce
two MOA members, Lauren Haverly, OD, and
games for entertainment.
Molly McDonald, OD. This group is also in the
The third meeting was a
early stages and has been hosting networking
community service effort
events that bring together MOA members and
with a local chapter of Feed
nonmembers, along with ODs in leadership
My Starving Children, a nonroles in the MOA.
profit that uses volunteers to
Young ODs, both male and female, benefit
prepare hand-packed meals
from some outreach from professional organizadesigned for undernourished
tions, Dr. Brown says. She thinks young women
children. “We all stood and
entering the profession can sometimes have differpacked meals, and that was
ent obstacles to making those kinds of connections.
a lot of fun,” she says. “We
The group had another meeting at a bistro that offers bowling and bocce. did good.”
Some choose career paths that mean changing
their focus from career to family and back again.
These early meetings have been aimed to
with a longer career experience.
“The women need to feel like they have worth,
help these ODs get to know each other and form
At her invitation, and with some effort detereven if they’re working part time,” she says.
a network. One of the members, Georgiann
mining a date on which they all were available,
This new group has the immediate benefit
Jensen, OD, came with a name, the Networking
they gathered on a Monday evening at the assoof connecting women ODs now, and there are
Optometric Women, or NOW. The group has a
ciation’s Minneapolis headquarters for dinner.
future benefits, too. “I think we may get some
Facebook page (search Networking Optometric
Dr. Brown asked them to describe their feeling
leaders out of this,” says Dr. Brown. WO
Women) and is continuing to work on attracting
of involvement with other OD professionals
n Minnesota, a new effort designed to bring
more women into leadership positions in the
state professional association is underway.
Marlane (Laney) Brown, OD, a past president of the Minnesota Optometric Association
(MOA), is leading a new group of women ODs
to encourage camaraderie, sharing
experiences and their
involvement in the
MOA.
For the MOA,
the need to increase
the involvement of
women ODs started
with a discussion at
Dr. Brown
a recent strategic
planning session of the group’s board. Beth
Coleman, the group’s executive director,
asked Dr. Brown if she would lead the effort.
Getting more women involved in professional group activities “has been a passion of
mine for a lot of years, but I was never sure
how or when to get started,” Dr. Brown says.
A women-oriented group “either didn’t exist or
nobody knew how important it was to start a
group like this.”
Dr. Brown has been in practice for more
than 35 years in Minnesota, and through
those years and her involvement in the MOA,
she has come to know many people in the
field. She pulled together a group of about 10
women from a variety of practice modalities,
including corporate, group and private practice
settings, combining younger ODs and those
Women In Optometry September 2015
WO0615_Solutions.indd 1
5/28/15 11:21 AM
p 15
OD Helps Put
Options Within Reach
Patient financing can remove the obstacles to the most appropriate care
M
onica Allison, OD, of Stone Oak Vision
Source® in San Antonio, Texas, has
built a significant practice through
orthokeratology. As the success stories
mount, more families are interested in this
option for their children, she says.
“Ortho-k is a great option for battling myopia progression. It is also
good for kids who are very active
in sports, as it allows them visual
freedom without the restrictions
that frames have or the fear that
contacts could fall out.”
However, it’s not inexpensive.
That’s where accepting CareCredit
Dr. Allison
health care credit cards has been
very helpful. She’s been making that option
available to patients since she opened the
practice because it allows patients the option
of selecting the most appropriate eyewear or
eye care services without having to make that
decision based on their available balance in their
checkbook. Many patients do not want to add an
extra purchase to their consumer credit cards.
So they’re faced with the frustrating option of
delaying the purchase or settling for less.
By being able to extend eligible patients
special financing options with monthly payments
(subject to credit approval), it makes it possible
for many patients to purchase what would have
been out of reach.
“We provide quality products and
services,” says Dr. Allison, noting
that the practice carries a range of
eyewear. “But not everyone has $500,
$600 or $1,000 sitting in his or her
account at the time of the visit. Still,
patients are here to purchase eyewear
that they’ll need and want for the next
year. Our staff says, ‘It’s not something you should sell yourself short on.’”
Right from the start, patients understand
that there is financing available to help patients
fit their purchase into their household budget.
There is point-of-purchase information from
CareCredit at the front desk, and the staff
weaves the financing options in throughout
conversations about payments. “The optical staff
does it in a way that flows well with the regular
conversation,” says Dr. Allison. “For example,
if the patient is looking
at a Varilux® S lens
and a high-end frame,
the optician might say,
‘This is the total cost,
t’s not difficult for staff to explain that the practice
but with your insurance,
accepts CareCredit. “We ask patients if they already
and the remainder in 12
have a CareCredit health care credit card. If they don’t,
monthly payments with
CareCredit, it’s $___ per
we explain that if they apply here, they can use it for promonth. Would you like
fessional services and products and that their dentist and
more information about
veterinarian may be participating providers, too,” says Dr.
that? Or we also accept
Monica Allison. The staff can submit the application or
cash, check and credit
patients can apply on their own and receive an immediate
cards.”
qualifying value, if they are approved. “Once we have that
As long as patients
number, we can tell patients what the orthokeratology
pay their minimum
payment schedule can be, or that they can get that second
monthly payments on
pair of eyewear, an annual supply of contact lenses or the
time and pay the balance
nice frames using 12-month special financing.”
in full by the end of the
Staff also explains that CareCredit statements make it
promotional period, they
will not be charged
easier to track medical expenses and reminds patients to
interest. There’s no cost
provide these statements to their accountants.
for providers to enroll,
Payments from CareCredit are posted to the practice
and there are no monthly
account within two days of the transaction. WO
fees for providers. Credit
decisions are nearly
Easy Explanations, Easy Process
I
Learn More
T
here are about 9 million CareCredit cardholders, who can use their credit card* with any
health care provider who accepts CareCredit.
These cardholders receive periodic marketing
messages and can access an online Provider
Locator that they can use to find participating
providers. WO
instantaneous, and the practice receives payment in two business days. Patients can use
the health care credit card for any member of
the family*, and the practice is protected from
responsibility if patients delay or default on their
payment with CareCredit**.
“Not everyone has $500,
$600 or $1,000 sitting in
his or her account at the
time of the visit. Still, patients
are here to purchase eyewear
that they’ll need and want
for the next year.”
—Dr. Allison
Dr. Allison says that she sees the processing fees that the practice pays as an investment, not an expense. “Accepting CareCredit
helps patients enhance their lives with a second
pair of eyeglasses or higher-end brands that
they might not have purchased without financing,” she says. The percentage of patients in
Varilux and other higher-end progressive ophthalmic lenses has increased, as have contact
lens annual supplies. She says she believes that
CareCredit helped make that happen. WO
*Subject to credit approval. Minimum monthly
payments required. See carecredit.com for details.
**Subject to terms, representations and warranties of the Participating Provider Agreement.
Women In Optometry September 2015
p 16
From Family OD to
Mentor to Partner
OD appreciates the years-long guidance she has received as she enters partnership
A
series of transitions are underway
at Scituate Harbor Vision Source® in
Scituate Harbor, Massachusetts. As
one of the associate doctors
leaves the practice and a new OD
joins the team, Jessica Crooker,
OD, is in the process of purchasing
50 percent of the business with the
expectation to buy the remaining
half in three years.
Dr. Crooker says that she
didn’t think the opportunity to
become a partner would present
Dr. Crooker
itself so quickly. She joined the
practice three years ago as an associate OD,
having previously worked in the practice during
optometry school. She had discussed the possibility with practice owner Gordon Price, OD,
“[Patients] can come to the
office and get a pair of
eyeglasses but also talk
about their wrinkles or
eyelashes. I like to listen
to what my patients say
beyond their vision issues.”
—Dr. Crooker
but she says that she had imagined a longer
timeline.
As she and Dr. Price proceed through
this change in ownership, Dr. Crooker says
that she wants to learn as much as she can
from his expertise. “I am confident with the
clinical side, but I don’t know everything
about the administrative side of running a
practice,” she says. “While Dr. Price is still
here, he can lead the way.” Dr. Crooker
has already taken on some administrative
responsibilities, such as payroll, running
weekly staff meetings and monitoring practice benchmarks with the office’s LIMBS
software. Dr. Crooker can see trends among
each doctor and staff member and look at the
Women In Optometry September 2015
practice’s financial data, filtering by frames
or contact lens sales. “This information identifies what we can work on and what we’re
doing well,” she says. The practice
continues to increase its number
of annual supplies sold, and the
team is targeting opportunities to
prescribe progressive lenses.
Dr. Crooker says that she’s
finding balance by creating some
separation between her clinical and
administrative responsibilities. “I’m
here every day seeing patients,
and then I like to have some time
to myself to focus when everybody leaves.”
The time at the end of the day allows her to
“slow down for the day and reel everything
back in.” She also adds that it helped to find
a lawyer who knew the ins and outs of optometry and the right strategy to take.
She’s already brainstorming ways she
can expand the business to serve its patient
base better. “We’re rolling out a whole line
of products to target the areas that we have
heard patients talking about,” Dr. Crooker
says. “They can come to the office and get
a pair of eyeglasses but also talk about their
wrinkles or eyelashes. I like to listen to what
my patients say beyond their vision issues.”
In June, she developed a sunglasses awareness campaign with practice manager Denise
Price. “Sunglasses can be fun and functional,
and we had a different theme each day for
women, men, kids and the elderly.”
From her first experience in the practice
as a patient to working in the office during
optometry school, Dr. Crooker says that she
developed high expectations and standards for
a practice where she would work. “Dr. Price
invests in the latest and greatest technology
for everything in the office, and patients comment that they have never been in an office
that is so progressive,” Dr. Crooker says.
“My goal was always to work here.” Her new
leadership position will allow her to impact the
community even further. WO
A Change in Direction
D
r. Jessica Crooker had envisioned working at Scituate Harbor Vision Source®
for many years before she became an associate OD in 2012. When she was
in high school and had worn eyeglasses only for several years, Dr. Gordon Price
introduced Dr. Crooker to contact lenses. “They changed my whole life, and I
became more social and felt better about myself,” Dr. Crooker says. While she
initially considered a career in optometry, she chose sports medicine. Nearly
done earning her master’s in exercise physiology, Dr. Crooker had her annual
exam with Dr. Price. She shared that she thought this career path wasn’t for her
and what she had expected. “He said, ‘Remember you wanted to be an optometrist?’” she recalls.
Dr. Crooker spent time observing in his office, and she says that she enjoyed
the opportunity to work with a wide range of patients and cases. The rest is history,
Dr. Crooker says, and she applied to the New England College of Optometry and
worked in the practice one day a week as she earned her degree. While she had
hoped to join the office as an associate OD at graduation, there weren’t any openings at the time. Dr. Crooker accepted a position and moved to Connecticut for one
year, until Dr. Price called with the news that there was an opening with her name
on it. “I feel so lucky to be here,” Dr. Crooker says of the small community where
she grew up and where she regularly meets patients who know her parents, who
teach in the towns nearby. “I really love that about this place.” WO
Career
Transition Allows Doctors to Develop
p 17
Primary Care-based Dry Eye Practice
L
eslie O’Dell, OD, wanted to have a
stronger voice. She had enjoyed working
in a medical/surgical practice for the
past 11 years, and the fit seemed ideal
after a residency in ocular disease. But as the
years went on, “I developed more of a desire
to be a leader. I
wanted to have a say
in the technology and
staffing,” she says.
So she needed
to make a decision:
go out on her own or
join a group that was
a good fit for her. “I
don’t have the full
Dr. O’Dell
range of business
skills,” she says. “Even though there are a lot of
resources for optometrists starting out, I thought
I’d have too much stress.” The better option for
her was to take her medical practice experience
in ocular surface disease and dry eyes and
bring it to an optometric practice. She also has
a strong interest in glaucoma, diabetes and
age-related macular degeneration.
Dr. O’Dell had a chance in the past
decade to meet many ODs. In fact, she had
the challenge of going to them to ask for
referrals. As the first OD in her region to offer
new technologies for dry eye management,
she needed to convince ODs that their patients
would be seen for this medical condition and
then sent back to them for primary care.
“They started to feel more comfortable with
me because of the different skill set. I did a lot
of reaching out and building friendships,” she
recalls. Those networks eventually led to a job
offer with Wheatlyn Eye Care, an optometry
group practice in Manchester, Pennsylvania.
She started this month, after taking much of
the summer to catch her breath in the career
transition and spend the summer break with
her daughter, age 7, and her son, age 4.
The new practice is about 20 miles from
the medical practice—where she still has a
strong connection with the surgeons. “They’re
cutting-edge cataract surgeons,” she says.
“It’s important to keep your connections
strong. Don’t ever burn your bridges.” In fact,
she also took time this summer to visit with
other MDs in the area to learn more about
areas where she doesn’t have as much experience, such as oculoplastics, cornea and
neuro-ophthalmology.
Her training and experience will be a
benefit to the practice she’s joining, she says.
“One of my colleagues who was also residency
trained asked me how I would ‘continue to be’
challenged. I think that’s an easy answer. In the
“There are a lot of patients
suffering from dry eye
conditions who don’t even
know that’s the problem.
Now is the time to be more
proactive in our patients’
care—looking for dry eye
before symptoms present.”
—Dr. O’Dell
medical practice, I was seeing a lot of endstage glaucoma patients. But I’d much rather
be involved earlier in the disease process to
help diagnose sooner and prevent vision loss for
patients. I have a strong interest in meibomian
gland dysfunction and developing a successful
dry eye practice,” she says. It’s a great opportunity. “There are a lot of patients suffering from
dry eye conditions who don’t even know that’s
the problem,” she says. “Now is the time to be
more proactive in our patients’ care—looking for
dry eye before symptoms present.”
She’s eager to build a dry eye practice
that is not only accessible to patients but
convenient, too. “I will be starting The Dry
Eye Center of Pennsylvania within this new
group. It’s a very exciting time for me, as this
is something I have been planning since 2007,
but I just hadn’t found the right setting until
now.” One of her ideas is to offer dry eyes
products in the practice. She particularly likes
many of the dry eye products from OCuSOFT,
such as Retaine® MGD® Lubricant Eye Drops,
OcuSOFT® Lid Scrub Foaming Eyelid Cleanser
and Tears Again® Advanced Eyelid Spray. “The
spray is great for my older patients or anyone
who struggles to use eye drops for dry eyes,”
she says. She has also been introduced to
OCuSOFT Oust™ Demodex® Cleanser, an
in-office, tea tree oil treatment. “I’m excited to
introduce this in my management for patients
with Demodex blepharitis.” By having these
products available for sale in the office, the focus
moves to “one-stop shopping. When patients can
leave with the product in hand, they will be more
compliant. Compliance—whether we’re talking
about glaucoma, dry eyes or contact lenses—is
so important to successful treatment and, ultimately, patient satisfaction,” she says.
To be successful with a dry eye practice,
a practitioner has to be willing to build it into a
practice. That means educating patients and
even educating colleagues who might refer
patients to you. Dr. O’Dell has also been invited
to be part of the Tear Film and Ocular Surface
Society’s Dry Eye Workshop initiative, known as
DEWS II, a global dry eye research effort, where
she serves on the public awareness committee.
(See related story on page 28.) WO
Read More From Dr. O’Dell
D
r. Leslie O’Dell is the faculty/author of a one-hour online CE available course
through Review of Optometry. Her course, Glaucoma and Dry Eye: Principles and
Parallels, jointly sponsored by Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University,
is available through Jan. 1, 2018. Visit reviewofoptometry.com and search under her
name to find the link. She has also written on dry eye and ocular surface conditions
for Optometry Times and other national and international publications. WO
Women In Optometry September 2015
p 18
COVER STORY
Building a
Pediatric Practice
t’s back-to-school season, which means that many practices throughout the country have seen or are seeing large numbers of children. However, these ODs have made their business plan out of catering to kids
throughout the year.
Awareness for Children’s Preventive Eye Care
become well-received
by the patient population
and community. “In the
beginning, some established patients wanted
to have parents and
kids examined all in one
place,” Dr. Schuetz says.
“We were firm and let
patients know that Little
Eyes is here to serve
the pediatric community in a
special way. Once Dr. Schuetz enjoys seeing the littlest patients.
owners who want to achieve that goal even
patients come here, they get
without opening a separate office.
it, and anything negative turns
And while it wasn’t easy, Dr. Schuetz says
to positive.” There’s a differthat having a second location has paid off for
ent look to the office space,
the practice mission. “We were worried that we
and the exam experience is
could cannibalize our own practice, but it’s been
completely tailored for children
from the video games
in the reception area to
the chance for patients
to see themselves on
the big screen TV after
they pick up their new
eyeglasses.
Each piece of
instrumentation chosen
for Little Eyes was
carefully analyzed,
and while none of the
technology is designed
specifically for chilColorful and fun displays (shown above and at middle left)
dren, the features of
attract the attention of young patients.
each are kid-friendly.
the opposite,” Dr. Schuetz says. The concept
“We use a retinal camera that
has helped them grow both practices, and Little
can get a good image quickly,”
Eyes and RevolutionEYES regularly refer patients
Dr. Schuetz says, adding that
to each other. Personal visits to local pediatrithey also chose an autorefraccians’ offices have also helped Dr. Schuetz build
tor that is well-suited for wiggly
Little Eyes. In addition, the practice makes a
children in the chair. Expanding
donation to Indiana Blind Children’s Foundation
the pediatric segment of any
for every purchase of eyeglasses and has particpractice can be beneficial for
ipated in Indiana Colts Kids Club events around
business, Dr. Schuetz says, so
the state.
choosing
technology
with
these
The reception area includes lots of diversions to keep children
Consistent education in both offices drives
characteristics can help practice
entertained.
arents of patients at
Little Eyes in Carmel,
Indiana, often ask
Katherine Schuetz,
OD, what to look for and how to
know if their child is having any
vision problems. “A comprehensive eye exam is the only way to
get it done, and it doesn’t mean
you are a good or bad parent,”
Dr. Schuetz
she explains. She educates all
parents about how regular eye exams let her
monitor vision and also
ocular health.
It’s been two years
since Little Eyes, a
pediatric-only practice,
branched out from
RevolutionEYES, located
just two miles away.
Dr. Schuetz spends half
of her week working
with practice owner
Jeremy Ciano, OD, in
the main office. Little
Eyes was inspired by
Dr. Ciano’s son, Alex
(read the full story at
littleyes.com) and has
Women In Optometry September 2015
ce
p 19
home the message about the importance of
pediatric vision care. “We frequently have moms
who are worried because their first grader can’t
read in school,” Dr. Schuetz says. “They bring
along their 9-year-old, too, and that child with
no symptoms is sometimes the one who needs
correction. You can be a hero to a child and
his or her family when you deliver +8.00D eyeglasses to a child who could never see.” These
families become advocates for the practice. “It’s
extremely rewarding working with kids, and our
presence has changed the mindset of lots of
parents and pediatricians, bringing a level of
awareness,” she says, as her littlest patients
begin a routine of having regular, preventive
checkups. WO
Dr. Ciano and Dr. Schuetz opened Little Eyes two years ago
as a pediatric offshoot of RevolutionEYES, located two miles
away. Little Eyes is totally dedicated to pediatric patients.
A Pediatric and Special-needs Niche Practice Helps
Community and Patient Flow in Primary Office
athy Doty, OD, can pinpoint her determination to open a practice for pediatric
and special-needs patients to a little boy
she saw in October 2014.
The family had a long wait
to get onto her schedule—she’s one
of the only InfantSEE® and Medicaid
providers for pediatric patients in the
area. But when she saw him, she
recalls feeling heartbroken. At 18
months old, he was developmentally
delayed and she could sense the
family’s stress. It turns out that the
Dr. Doty
child was severely hyperopic, at
about +10.00D in each eye. But that started
her thinking that she wanted to dedicate herself
to these patients. “Families and primary care
doctors need someone whom they can turn to
quickly,” she says.
She spoke to her partners at Family Eye
Care, a two-location Vision Source® practice in
leased additional space there, and the work
started to create Special Eyes, which opened in
May 2015. “We updated the building, with new
electrical and plumbing fixtures. We
painted with bright colors throughout.”
She sees children and specialneeds adults; several of those
patients she saw in the first few
months that the practice was open
had never had an eye exam.
Having a separate children’s
facility helps the office flow in the
New Bern practice, as well. “The preliminary workup area at the primary
care practice was very crowded. A lot of times
when children come to an office, they come with
mom, dad and a few siblings. That takes up a lot
of the reception area, too.”
Now, the other doctors at the primary
practice have taken over her former two exam
rooms, providing them and the technicians with
needed breathing room. “I encourage
any OD who has gotten to the point
where he or she is having growing
pains in the main office to look at a
niche practice in a separate location,”
she says.
She took her two highly trained
technicians with her and hired a
receptionist. The administrative staff
who work in that building has stepped
in to help with some duties in Special
Eyes, too. Because the offices are so
Dr. Doty says a pediatric practice is naturally a pleasant place.
close to each other, Dr. Doty maintains
only a selection of Medicaid-covered frames
New Bern and Pamlico, North Carolina. New Bern
in Special Eyes, so she can measure and fit
Family Eye Care already rented a building two
those patients right away. Others, however, are
parking lots away, which serves as its insurance,
escorted by a staff member across the parking
telephone and administrative center. The practice
Dr. Doty at the ribbon cutting for Special Eyes
Bright colors contribute to the fun atmosphere.
lot. A staff member from Special Eyes calls the
New Bern office to let staff know a patient is
coming, and Dr. Doty’s prescription, entered
into RevolutionEHR, is printed out at the main
office so that an optician is ready to assist the
family. “Our dream is to have a golf cart to use
to escort these patients. We plan on painting it
with eyeballs and eyeglasses,” she says. WO
Women In Optometry September 2015
p 20
COVER STORY
Vision Therapy Focus Has Big Impact in Community
Concussion awareness in youth sports raises interest in binocular vision
uanita Collier, MS, OD, FCOVD, of
Cromwell, Connecticut, opened 4D
Vision Gym two years ago, after seeing
the demand for vision therapy services
in her region. In fact, even as a relatively new
practice, she says she’s been very busy. New
patients are booked
two months out. “I’ll
do some primary care
for family members
of patients. However,
due to my waiting list,
most of my patients
are here for the specialty care I provide,
not necessarily priDr. Collier
mary care.”
She also does not have an optical dispensary because she wants other ODs in
town to know that her practice is focused on
vision therapy, sports vision and an increasing
amount of post-concussion therapy.
While she works with adult patients as
well, most of her
practice population is children
and teens. She
sees a lot of
middle school
and high school
athletes who
have suffered
concussions,
referred to her
by an increasKids who comes into the 4D Vision Gym
ing number
stop in at the locker room.
of concussion
centers that have
opened. Most of these patients spend about
practice as a “gym” and not a more medically
two or three months, with several weekly visits,
oriented therapy location. In fact, it mimics an
in vision therapy, where she works to remediate exercise gym. Patients are given membership
any underlying binocular vision problem. “So
cards that they show when they check in at
many of these athletes have been able to comthe front desk. Their first stop is the “locker
pensate for an underlying vision problem, but
room” and from there, they’re taken to one of
it’s really important that these are addressed,”
six therapy rooms, some designed to look like a
she says. Because these young athletes may
gym, complete with the rubber padded flooring.
have been good at their
“So many of these young patients already go
schoolwork and good at
to several different therapists. We wanted this
sports, previous doctors
to feel like a place that they want to go to, not
may not have looked
just have to go to.”
too carefully at these
Dr. Collier has been intrigued by vision
binocular issues. “But in
therapy as she learned the impact it could
that split-second decision
have on issues such as learning, mental fogwhere an athlete has to
giness, balance, headaches and more. “I had
decide how to move when
always been a good student, but when I hit
there’s a potential impact
college, everything became more difficult. I
with another player or a
thought maybe I wasn’t seeing properly, and
ball, binocular vision can
my eye doctor gave me reading glasses—that
be extremely important,”
made my convergence insufficiency worse.” In
she says.
optometry school, when she realized the impact
Patients who have
of vision therapy, she was hooked.
vision therapy for learning
She has eight vision therapists or assistants
issues, many of whom are
working for her, and she’s trained them all. The
on the autism spectrum,
practice also accepts many medical insurances
can come in weekly for
because she wants to make sure people who
six months to a year.
need vision therapy can access it. WO
That’s one reason that
Visit covd.org for more information about vision therapy.
Dr. Collier envisioned her
Learn More
Women In Optometry September 2015
p 21
OD Schools Herself in Vision Therapy
ake Worth Eye School has just celebrated its one-year anniversary.
“Students” at this vision therapy
practice have their binders and their
homework, and when they achieve their goals,
they earn an Odee. When they accumulate
enough Odees, they
can turn them in for
prizes.
Odees and the
make-school-fun
approach of Lake
Worth Eye School are
the brainchild of Trina
Lieske, OD. The eye
school is now a part
Dr. Lieske
of her practice that
she initially opened in January 2006, Vision City
of Lake Worth, in Lake Worth, Texas. Here’s
how the expansion developed.
When the issue of board certification
arose, Dr. Lieske decided that “I didn’t want
to be last to be certified. In fact, I wanted to
be among the first.” So she began studying in
2012. During that time, she came across sample questions on vision therapy. “I remember
thinking, ‘Why do I know nothing about vision
therapy?’ I was looking up all the answers,”
Odee is the mascot and the currency at Lake
Worth Eye School.
she says. The subject hadn’t been part of her
coursework when she graduated optometry
school in 1998.
At SECO in March 2013, she really hit her
stride. She began taking CE courses on vision
therapy and connecting with other vision therapy
providers. “The more I learned, the more I realized what I could be doing for kids around here.
There are children with strabismus and conver-
Then she opens a vision therapy school
Lake Worth Eye School recently celebrated its first anniversary.
gence issues, and there’s no one around here to
help them.”
It quickly became her passion. As a parent
of a special-needs child, she knows the stress
that parents undergo. “The frustration for a
parent who knows that there’s something not
quite right with the child is so high. What’s the
right answer? Drugs? Surgery? These parents
Valamides, OD, see patients at the primary
care Vision City location.
For this first year, she didn’t advertise. She
didn’t want to be overwhelmed with a demand
she couldn’t accept. Even so, patients kept
finding her through dyslexia support meetings
and occupational therapists who have seen the
impact on previous patients.
The Spending Power of Odees
W
hether a child is an impulse buyer or a saver, there’s an Odee incentive that works.
Odee is a giant cartoon eyeball with tennis shoes. It’s also the coin of the realm at
Lake Worth Eye School. There’s a little store, where the most expensive item costs 12
Odees, says Dr. Trina Lieske.
“We have chocolate eyeballs for one Odee. There are lots of little puzzles, toys, gift
cards to a yogurt shop and vision therapy games, like ball-catching games. When kids show
up for the appointment, they earn an Odee. If they remember to bring their binder to show
that they’ve done their homework, they earn an Odee,” she says.
One boy recently proudly turned in the 10 Odees he had saved to buy his mom a
necklace. Even the impulse buyers who immediately swap their Odees for the day for little
treats start to see the value of saving for a higher-Odee item. “Odees teach life skills, too.
And it’s something that the parents can use to help give them structure. If a child needs
to sit for 16 hours of structured homework time, the child and the parent have this as an
additional incentive,” she says. “It’s vision therapy as a kind of life lesson.” WO
are looking for anyone who can help them,”
she says.
When vision therapy does help, the impact
is tremendous, she says. “It can be the difference between a kid who drops out of high
school or one who goes on to college. So often,
children are labeled as dyslexic or ADHD, and
that becomes almost an excuse. When we
can work on these issues, we end up with
high-functioning students,” she says.
That doesn’t mean it’s easy, though. In
fact, so far it hasn’t even been tremendously
profitable. Dr. Lieske trained her own technician, taking her along to courses. The two
spend about 90 minutes preparing for every
hour of vision therapy delivered. Dr. Lieske has
about an eight-patient load at Lake Worth Eye
School, and she and her practice partner Jon
As she enters her second year, she anticipates
that she will start advertising. She’s also hoping she can begin to bill medical insurances
successfully. So far, most families have paid
for vision therapy as an out-of-pocket expense.
“But the value to families is that their children can get homework done in 30 minutes
instead of an agonizing two hours. Their visual
perceptions improve, so these teenagers can
drive safely. That’s tremendous value,” she
says. She’s particularly interested in working
with autistic children, those with learning
problems and more severe strabismus. “I was
able to use prisms on a 15-year-old autistic
boy that changed his spatial awareness.
That’s my vision of power, to be able to
change spatial awareness for someone,” she
says. WO
Women In Optometry September 2015
p 22
COVER STORY
Help Kids Feel Comfortable
rlene Espiritu, OD, says that getting children involved in their exam
experience is an important part
of easing their worries. “If there
is any apprehension, I quickly get the chief
about gathering
the data you
need. Children get
bored too easily.”
Keep your
descriptions
simple and
straightforward, particularly when
discussing
dilation and intraocular pressure (IOP) measurement. Dr. Espiritu says that children
tend to be most apprehensive about those
parts of the exam. “I make it a point not
to overdescribe what’s going to happen,”
she says. Dr. Espiritu uses an Icare
Tonometer instead of traditional IOP
Dr. Belmonte, left, and Dr. Espiritu have integrated children’s
testing, which she has found to be
eye care into their primary care practice.
less intimidating for young patients.
“When children realize they won’t feel
complaint from the parent, and right away
anything, they are put at ease and I
address the child,” Dr. Espiritu says. Map out
can complete the
a plan for the exam. “I
test.”
am constantly talking to
Dr. Espiritu
the patients throughout
and practice
the exam,” whether
“I make it a point not
partner Susana
she’s asking them quesBelmonte, OD, can use
tions about what they do
to overdescribe what’s
a variety of different
for fun or about school
going to happen.”
toys and gadgets to
or giving them a short
help throughout the
description of what’s
—Dr. Espiritu
exam, including finger
going to happen next.
puppets, light-up toys
“I think engaging the
to check for dilation and
child is key in a pediatric
video-on-demand within
practice.”
the acuity chart. Popsicle sticks with detailed
She explains to young patients at Eyes of
stickers are great to use for fixation targets.
East Sacramento, California, that she will show
They can select the most appropriate tools for
them pictures and letters and that the exam
will be easy. “If it’s a
long, drawn-out description, the child gets too
anxious,” Dr. Espiritu
says. “The bottom line
is getting the accurate
results while being swift
Women In Optometry September 2015
The doctors use a
variety of toys and
tools to engage
young patients in
their exams.
the child’s age and temperament.
Eyes of East Sacramento has also dedicated a special “romper” room so children can
relax before their exam or wait during dilation
or while their parents are having eye exams.
The room is in view from the exam rooms. Dr.
Espiritu explains, “They are generally supervised by their parent, or if they are playing
comfortably and quietly, they are allowed by
themselves since we are literally next door.”
Kids can choose from an assortment of DVDs,
as well as play on the train rug or pick from the
box of toys and puzzles. WO
Visit womeninoptometry.com to read more
about Eyes of East Sacramento, the collaborative vision of Dr. Espiritu and Dr. Belmonte
after previously working together. Find their
story under Models of Practice in The Physical
Space channel.
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p 24
Center Dedicated to Dry Eye Treatment
and Research Finds Half of Its
T
Patients Are Self-referral
he TearWell Advanced Dry Eye Treatment
Center just celebrated its first anniversary
at Southern College of Optometry (SCO).
Whitney Hauser, OD, an assistant
professor at SCO and clinical development
consultant for the TearWell center,
says the timing was right for the
college to add a dry eye center for
treatment and research of dry eye
issues. “The dry eye population is
expanding exponentially as baby
boomers age. It’s an underserved
area, and some estimates show that
as many as 60 million people suffer
from dry eye symptoms.”
Additionally, it’s not typically a Dr. Hauser
priority for many practitioners. “But it’s a high
priority for the patients. Our patients appreciate
that we are uniquely dedicated to one focus,”
she says. Between research being done on the
ocular surface at SCO and at other places, dry
eye is gaining interest. “For so long, dry eye
disease just wasn’t glamorous from a clinical
perspective. The patients can be hard to satisfy,
and dry eye can stem from many different
causes. But between research and drugs in the
pipelines, we’re going to be able to do so much
more for patients,” she says.
Referrals to the center come from colleagues
in the community, she says, but more than half
of the patients who came to the center in the
first year referred themselves. It’s important
to educate patients that dry eye is a complex
condition, she says. In fact, one of the first
steps is for patients themselves to
recognize that dry eye is more than
a nuisance. “Dry eye sounds so
benign. But patients are frustrated
by it and also skeptical that there’s
anything to do about it,” she says.
Part of that skepticism stems from
them having tried over-the-counter
artificial tears, often with very limited or short-term success.
Every member of the clinic staff
begins to educate patients that dry eye has different forms and causes as soon as they come
in. “We’re constantly explaining the tests that
we do and what we’re trying to find out about
their dry eye causes so that we can find the
best treatment for that patient,” she says.
While the TearWell center does have
the latest equipment—a LipiFlow® Thermal
Pulsation System and a Lumenis M22 Intense
Pulse Light unit—that kind of investment isn’t
necessary for community-based optometrists
who want to help their patients. “Fantastic diagnostic equipment does help, but the greatest
Don’t Overlook Lid Hygiene
D
r. Whitney Hauser says that when students or visiting practitioners are examining a dry eye patient at TearWell Advanced Dry Eye Treatment Center, they are
eager to “dive into the eye. They want to look at the tear film and the corneal surface, but often the origin of the problem is the lid or lid margin.”
Dr. Hauser takes anterior segment photos first and tells patients that she’s looking at the lids. “Hyperkeratinization of cells along the lid margin can limit or entirely
stop the secretion of meibum, which can influence dry eye symptoms and breed
ocular surface discomfort,” she says.
Multiple products with different objectives are available to treat these conditions.
Surfactants are good for more aggressive, short-term cleansing; tea tree oil products
are ideal for Demodex mites; and hypochlorous acid products reduce the bacterial
load at the lid margin. There are also newer products containing hyaluronic acid that
are still designed to clean cellular debris but have the added benefit of delivering
moisture to the lids. “Sometimes I’ll use a scaled approach and start a patient on
one and then move onto another,” Dr. Hauser says. WO
Women In Optometry September 2015
key to success is listening to the patient. You
have to be willing to be a partner with patients
in their care. That’s what they’re looking for.”
Dr. Hauser says she knows that isn’t
always easy. “I was in private practice for 10
years, and I know that in order to keep the
lights on and pay the staff, you have to move
between patients quickly. But in dry eye cases,
much of the magic can happen with the staff.
If you have a well-educated staff, you can do
so much for these patients.”
She encourages doctors to drill down in
their electronic medical records software to
gain a better understanding of their patient
population. “When you see who is walking
through your door and whom you can serve,
it’s easier to make the investment in passion,
dedication, education and even capital,” she
says. A dry eye component can be profitable to
a practice, too. “It’s elective for many patients,
and for others, exams and ancillary tests, such
as external photography and tear osmolarity,
can be billed to medical insurance. I see
some of my dry eye patients every six or eight
weeks.”
But even beyond the potential profitability,
it’s important to recognize that this is an issue
that optometry should own, Dr. Hauser says.
“This starts and ends in optometry’s wheelhouse. Even when a cataract surgeon knows
that osmolarity affects the outcome of surgery,
that doctor recognizes that he or she would
rather be in the OR than working on dry eye
disease. So if ODs have great relationships
with these MDs, it can benefit the surgeon, the
optometrist and, most of all, the patient.” WO
Paragon BioTeck, Inc., has introduced ilast®
for Lid Hygiene, which contains hyaluronic
acid, to hydrate and soothe dry, irritated skin
around the eyes.
p 25
Technology Brings Even
Higher Levels of Efficiency
OD was convinced technology could benefit her practice after visiting
another and seeing OPD-Scan III in action
E
helped in educating the
ven knowing that there will be an adjustpatients. “I love that
ment and learning curve with bringing in
you can show patients
new technology, Lorie Lippiatt, OD, says
pathologies and irreguit’s worth it. She has been in practice for
lar tear film. It’s a very
26 years in Salem, Ohio, and has spent much
useful education tool
of that time working
for patients who don’t
with companies
understand why they can’t
consulting and beta
see better,” she says. That
testing new technolholds true for those with
ogies. She’s worked
higher-order aberration and
on electronic medical
even for patients with astigrecords for several
matism. “There are a lot of ways to explain
companies, integratastigmatism, but when patients see it on a
ing medical equipscan, that really clicks into place,” she says.
ment and improving
Dr. Lippiatt
It can help patients understand why they need
office flow. In fact,
specialty prescriptions, too.
she says, her office has such a reputation for a
Several months ago, she brought the OPDwell-planned office flow that other doctors have
Scan III into her practice, and it has resulted in
come to observe it.
a higher level of accuracy and efficiency, she
Dr. Lippiatt first added two TRS-5100 digsays. Marco’s support team and easily digestital refraction systems from Marco about eight
ible online training videos helped everyone on
years ago and then brought one of those units
the team feel comfortable with the technology,
into each of her four exam lanes. “Once we
she says. “Now, I look at patients from a more
understood the efficiencies it brought into the
global standpoint. Even before I see the patient,
workflow, it became nearly impossible to use a
I look at the OPD scan and determine in my
manual system from the standpoint of time and
mind, based on those values, whether or not
accuracy,” she says. Integrating the TRS-5100
that patient can achieve 20/20 vision. Then I
into the Eyefinity ExamWriter® electronic health
can take it to the next level with the TRS sysrecords software doubled the practice’s capatem, narrowing down the axis for astigmatic
bilities in terms of workflow, she estimates. So
she felt like the practice was operating
at close to maximum efficiency.
But she heard from other doctors
that adding the OPD-Scan III would
make her even more efficient. “I
e’re going to customize your vision correcwasn’t sure of the value that the OPDtion,” Dr. Lorie Lippiatt and her associate,
Scan III would bring to my practice.
Carmela Abraham, OD, tell their patients. With
I thought I was doing a good job to
the OPD-Scan III, they know even before they
begin with,” she says. She changed
walk in to see the patient whether they’re going
her mind after a dinner meeting with
to be able to achieve 20/20 or better vision for the
G. Timothy Petito, OD, FAAO, of
patient.
St. Petersburg, Florida. “He said I
wouldn’t believe the whole new level
The prescription and notes about lens treatof sophistication the OPD would bring,
ments are in the practice management software,
and I said I’d have to see it to believe
available to the optician, even before the patient
it.” So she flew to Florida to spend a
steps into the optical. “It has increased our ability
day in his practice.
to provide the patient with the best optical correc He, too, had a lot of elderly patients
tion in the least amount of time.” WO
with ocular surface disease, and she
could see how the OPD information
Wow Your Patients
“W
Dr. Lippiatt says that the OPD-Scan III
brought a whole new level of efficiency
to her practice.
correction to within one degree. I didn’t bother
with that before because it could have meant
15 minutes chasing down an axis measurement that may or may not have benefitted the
patient. Now I know before I walk in if it could
help,” she says. A high root-mean-square
(RMS) value means that the patient is unlikely
to achieve 20/20 vision, but a low RMS value
generally makes it worth the effort to narrow
the astigmatism axis to within one degree,
she says. “In the first six months of having
the OPD-Scan III, we’ve been able to correct
patients’ vision to 20/15 in a way they haven’t
ever seen before,” she says.
“My evaluation process of the patient’s
visual system has literally been cut in half. I
no longer have to wonder about why I can’t
get them to 20/20.” She says that it makes
her a better diagnostic clinician, as
she is able to customize the visual
correction faster and more precisely.
The Marco technology also eliminates
transcription errors.
The result is tremendously happy
patients who recognize that the new
technology is providing them with a
prescription for the best vision they’ve
ever had, and that they’ve been able to
achieve this quickly. “The OPD-Scan III
is as fast as a traditional autorefractor,”
Dr. Lippiatt says. The OPD viewing
stations are set up on all monitors in
the exam room and also in the doctors’
rooms so that they can take a look at
the scan even before they go in to see
the patient, she says. “I think that I’ve
become a better diagnostic clinician in a
shorter amount of time.” WO
Women In Optometry September 2015
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1/2/15 10:50 AM
TRUSTED COLLEAGUE
Michelle Mumford, OD
[email protected]
Re-envisioning Her Dream
Doctor discovers new dimensions for her practice
Amir Khoshnevis, OD, the Vision Source® administrator in North Carolina, and Michael Clark, OD, were
having lunch one day in Charlotte when they walked past the display windows in the private practice
that Michelle Mumford, OD, had opened in December 2011. Dr. Khoshnevis decided to go into the
practice and ask Dr. Mumford to join him for dinner, so he could tell her about Vision Source®.
Dr. Mumford became a Vision Source® member in the summer of 2012. While that wasn’t soon enough
to take advantage of Vision Source® pricing when equipping her office initially, it has helped to spur
her growth. After having been a part of Vision Source® for about six months, she brought in an Optos
Daytona unit. At The Exchange® in Boston in 2014, the first of those meetings she was able to attend,
she purchased the Marco TRS-5100 refraction system for a second exam lane. “The benefits from my
Vision Source® membership have allowed me to bring newer technology into my practice earlier than I
might have otherwise,” she says.
When Dr. Mumford graduated from optometry school in 2008, she had a vision for her future practice.
She planned to have a medical practice in a medical office complex. She laughs about that now because
while she was searching for the right property, her vision completely changed. “There was definitely an evolution in my thinking,” she says. “The more
I talked through what I wanted, the more I knew it wasn’t the sterile, medically focused practice I first imagined. I grew up wearing contact lenses and
eyeglasses, which the cool kids didn’t do. So I wanted a place where people could have a good time, enjoy the experience and ultimately really enjoy
their eyewear.”
As she expanded her location search beyond medical complexes, Dr. Mumford ended up finding a retail space in a high-traffic, high-end neighborhood. The
glass front (the same one that had the displays that attracted Dr. Khoshnevis’ attention) grabbed her imagination, too. She hired designer Barbara Wright
to turn the 1,500-square-foot location into an eyewear boutique in a family-friendly practice. “I had always pictured myself in a medical building, but the
truth is that we are in retail.”
Her husband, Jeff Mumford, whose background is in business and finance, has been tremendously helpful in the process, she says. Her Vision Source®
colleagues have been, too. “Going out on my own was an intimidating idea. But it’s so nice to know that I have many doctors I can call on who are willing
to share their expertise with me,” Dr. Mumford says. “I always look forward to our Vision Source® monthly meetings.” That was important because she
faced a learning curve on dispensary management. “I knew the medical side, but I had never made these kinds of purchasing decisions before.”
That’s where she picks up strategies about lab arrangements or products that could benefit her office. For example, she added Macro’s TRS 5100 to her
new, second exam lane. Between that and the three team members that she has added since opening, she is so much more efficient. “I’ve been able to
delegate a lot of duties to my technician, so that allows me to enjoy the fun part of the job—talking with patients—while still being able to increase the
number of patients I see each day,” she says.
“We’ve been very busy, and we continue to increase our patient volume and awareness of the practice,” she says. It’s nearly time to add an additional
team member, too. While the look of the practice has undergone an evolution, the focus on customer service has not changed. “Our original concept
was that I wanted to keep a lower volume, with higher revenue per patient. That would also allow me to take on more challenging cases. The concept
has been very successful,” she says. Yet she’s been able to build the medical practice, as well.
In the exam lane with the Marco TRS system, Dr. Mumford performs the autorefractions herself. “Every day, every exam, I hear comments on that.
Patients will say how much easier it is,” she says. “We have so much more flexibility, and we’re keeping the patient flow going more smoothly.”
And patients in the dispensary are enjoying perusing the designer and higher-end frame lines, such as Barton Perreira, Lindberg, Chanel, Tory Burch,
Gucci, Face a Face and Tom Ford, among others. They’re having fun in there … just as Dr. Mumford envisioned they would.
For more information go to VisionSourcePlan.com
Vision Source® is a registered trademark of Vision Source LP. ©Vision Source LP 2015
027_WO0915_VisionSource.indd 1
8/26/15 10:37 AM
p 28
How to Become the
CEO of You
By Lauretta Justin,
OD, Orlando, Fla.
T
here are three
essentials that
all CEOs must
have to ensure
the success of their
organization: an
MVP, a strategy and
Dr. Justin
a team. In an earlier
issue, I provided an overview of the three, and
now we’ll look more closely at the MVP—your
mission, vision and purpose. Your MVP should
be the foundation for everything you do. Once
you define it, you will have focus, clarity and
direction.
Your mission is your what.
A clear mission will give you focus.
It will inspire team members and patient
engagement and boost overall company
performance. Your mission should define
what you do, how you do it and whom you
Develop your mission, vision and
purpose for a solid foundation
do it for. One of the best examples of this is
The Ritz-Carlton mission statement: Provide
genuine care and exceptional products and
services resulting in profit leadership. In
fact, I highly recommend reading all of The
Ritz-Carlton Gold Standards, which include
the company’s credo, motto, three steps of
service, service values and more. When you
define your mission, you’ll create a unique
place for you and your services in any
market.
Your purpose is your why.
Your vision is your where.
“People don’t buy what you do; they buy
why you do it. And what you do simply proves
what you believe.”—Simon Sinek
Why do you do what you do? That’s
a very important question you need to
answer. Knowing your why will give you
passion and fulfillment in your work. It
doesn’t matter how successful you become;
if you’re not true to yourself, you’ll feel
empty in the end. Be true to you and determine your why.
According to Psychology Today, a vision
defines the optimal desired future state—it
provides guidance and inspiration as to what
an organization is focused on achieving in five,
10 or more years.
If there were no limits to what you could
do, what would that look like? The image you
get in your head when you think of that question is your vision. Capture it and put it into
plain words that anyone can understand and
implement.
It is imperative that you define and write
down your MVP and review it often, at least
quarterly. Your MVP will give you a strong
foundation to build on. In future publications, I will review steps two and three. But
for now, you have enough to start on your
journey. So don’t waste another minute; go
for it! Dream big, take risks and become the
CEO of YOU. I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Email me your comments at drlauretta@
drlaurettajustin.com. WO
DEWS II on Track
T
he Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society
(TFOS) has launched an update to the
original Dry Eye Workshop (DEWS)
called DEWS II. DEWS II will update the
definition, classification and diagnosis of dry
eye disease, critically assess the etiology,
mechanism, distribution and global impact of
this disorder and address its management and
therapy. Potential topics in the updated report
could include:
FDefinition and classification
FPathophysiology
FSex differences
FPain/sensation
FIatrogenic dry eye (i.e., drug- and
surgery-induced)
FEpidemiology
FTear film
FDiagnosis
Women In Optometry September 2015
FManagement & therapy
FClinical trial design
FConsumer (i.e., communication of the conclusions
and recommendations for the
lay person)
This report will be published in a peer-reviewed
journal, and the TFOS DEWS
II members will be authors.
The TFOS DEWS II will be an
international effort that will
lead to a global consensus on
Visit tfosdewsreport.org to keep up with developments in DEWS II.
dry eye disease. Preliminary
subcommittee summaries may be presented
comes from gold sponsor Allergan; silver sponat the next TFOS Conference in September
sor Bausch + Lomb; bronze sponsors Akorn,
2016.
Dompé, Horus, Oculeve, TearLab and THEA;
Title sponsor for the study is Alcon, with Shire
and sponsor Senju.
as a platinum sponsor. Additional sponsorship
To read more, visit tfosdewsreport.org. WO
WO Survey
Results
Emotional Energy
Swirls in Optometric Offices
p 29
ODs share strategies for taming the drama in the workplace
M
ix together all the elements of a busy
optometric practice—clinical decisions,
staffing issues, patients’ emotions and
personalities, financial targets, retail
sales and pressures from outside the office—
and it’s no wonder that emotions can run
high. Overall, the majority of women ODs who
responded to a short Women In Optometry (WO)
survey on managing emotions in the workplace
said that they consider their workplace a happy
place (66 percent). Twenty-seven percent said
their work environment is neutral, neither happy
nor unhappy and 7 percent said that they’d call
their workplace an unhappy place.
Most of the ODs reported that there are
moments of tension—often—with 27 percent of the respondents reporting that they
experience their own negative emotions at
least every day and 23 percent saying they
experience the negative emotions of others
who work with them at least daily. More than
half of the ODs who responded said they experience their own or their colleagues’ negative
emotions at least once a week.
I experience my own negative
emotions (frustration, anxiety,
anger, crying) in the workplace
At least once a week—33%
At least once a day—27%
Rarely—24%
At least once a month—16%
I experience negative emotions
(frustration, anxiety, anger,
crying) from staff/associates
in the workplace
At least once a week—36%
At least once a month—29%
At least once a day—23%
Rarely—12%
Women ODs largely seem to consider
themselves fairly even-tempered. (A much
smaller sample of men ODs responded to
this survey, and their responses were generally similar.) A majority of women ODs, 52
percent, said that they have to be extremely
sad, frustrated or angry to cry at work, and 64
percent said that they have to be similarly sad,
frustrated or angry to lose their temper. Onethird of the women ODs who responded said
that they almost never cry, and 21 percent of
them said that they almost never get angry.
In addition, 87 percent of women ODs said
they were tolerant and sympathetic to their
colleagues’ and staff members’ emotional ups
and downs, with 44 percent of them saying
that they were either extremely or very tolerant
and sympathetic when others in the office are
dealing with an emotional moment.
Work-related stress (not staff-related)
topped the list of triggers, with staff-related
issues following closely. (See chart on the next
page.) Respondents who cited other causes
Continued on page 30
Employee and Patient Emotions Are a Part of Doing Business
Women ODs shared their views
No Place for Raised Voices
Treat the Whole Person
“I am more tolerant of others who cry or become emotionally upset in the workplace more than I am with those expressing anger or outbursts based in anger. I view reactive anger as
unprofessional in the workplace.”
“I find that patients often become emotional during eye
examinations, often about issues in their lives that have nothing
to do with their eyes. I think that it is important as a health care
professional to make the exam room a safe place to vent and
express emotions, and to treat the patient as a whole person.”
Role Model for Stress
“Holly Hunter’s character in Broadcast News is my role
model. She begins her day with a good, hard cry at her desk,
after which she stands up and gets on with her day.”
Keep an Open-door Policy
“I ask my staff not to bring their personal problems to work.
We are in a customer service industry, and the patients aren’t
there to learn about your problem. However, every staff member
knows I have an open-door policy and I’m there to listen at any
time and will help in any way I can.”
Patient Emotions Are More Challenging
“I think it is more difficult to deal with patients’ emotions
than staff emotions. An angry patient can affect not only other
staff but other patients, as well.”
Patients Want to Be Heard
“I listen to patients as they vent or accept bad news by
allowing them to cry (I’ll hand them tissues) or get matters off
their chest. Once they are done talking, I ask them how I can
help them. There may not be a ready solution, but at least they
feel that they were listened to.” WO
Women In Optometry September 2015
p 30
WO Survey Emotional Energy Swirls
Results In Optometric Offices
Christmas, everyone wrote notes to one another
and put them in the boxes. The notes were
filled with kind words, praise of a job well done
frequently listed computers, electronic health
in the office or encouragements. Right before
records, third-party payers, billing, irrational
our Christmas party each staff member read
patients and retirement planning. One hearther notes. It did seem to lighten the mood for
broken OD wrote in response to the survey,
a few months around the office,” she wrote.
“Ironic. I’m sitting here at work crying right
Several other ODs reported that they feel
now. My dog is in his final days, and I’m very
it’s best to address emotional issues quickly.
distracted thinking about him.”
“We allow time for ‘venting’ either immediately after a particular incident or during
Stressful emotional
our weekly meetings or five-minute hudencounters have many triggers.
dles,” wrote one OD. Another wrote, “In
the mornings, we have 15 minutes when
Work-related stress (not related to staff)—49%
employees can talk freely about personal
Staff-related issues—44%
lives. No work is discussed in this time.
Family/personal situations outside of work—33%
Once our first patient arrives, the employees know it’s time to work. By allowing
Telling patients difficult diagnoses—11%
this time in the mornings it cuts chatter
Other—9%
about personal lives throughout the day.”
Janelle Davison,
OD, of Marietta, Georgia, takes
Discussions about emotions are infrequent
a proactive approach to known
Despite the prevalence of emotional energy
highly emotional patients. “In
in the workplace, only 14 percent of women
morning huddle we identify any
ODs who responded said that emotional reacreturn patients who may take
tions are discussed routinely (at least once a
the office emotion to a negweek) in the workplace. Forty-four percent said
Dr. Davison
ative place. Everyone can be
that they are rarely discussed (maybe once or
ready and prepared to ‘kill that person with kindtwice a year), and 42 percent said that they are
ness.’ In most cases, that preparation gives the
never discussed.
staff the confidence to handle potentially unreaAmber Mayes, OD, of Oklahoma City,
sonable patients, and a lot of times, staff comes
Oklahoma, says that she
to me to say, ‘Oh, they weren’t so bad.’ We also
tried to address some of the
harness emotions with out-of-office team building
negativity among the staff
that doesn’t necessarily require seminars and
of more than a dozen that
education, such as going to family entertainment
reached a crescendo this
places like Dave and Buster’s or Main Event.”
past Thanksgiving. “I passed
Many ODs wrote in saying that as long
out old boxes to each staff
Dr. Mayes
as the emotional reactions stay behind the
member and let them wrap
curtain and don’t leak into the patient experitheir box in paper and decorate it with their
ence, they’re not necessarily bad. Continued,
name on it. During the weeks leading up to
Continued from page 29
Where Women ODs Work
Academia
Government-related
Ophthalmology or
setting—1%
medical practice
Other—1%
4%
11%
Corporateaffiliated
practice
Independent
optometry
practice
22%
61%
Primary work setting for women ODs
who responded
escalated responses by an employee might
be grounds for dismissal. One OD said staff
members who have repeated negative emotions are “highly toxic” to the office. But many
see the frustrating moments of the workflow
as a learning opportunity. One OD wrote,
“What did this event teach us that we need
to do or change? I am beginning to see that a
good culture at work allows for free exchange
of ideas, concerns, difference of opinions and
ultimately growth.” Indeed, said another, discussing these kinds of issues more often can
help everyone in the office understand that
criticism isn’t necessarily personal. “I do think
in the workplace we (or employees) can be a
little too emotionally sensitive and need to take
criticism better because criticism can help to
improve patient care.”
Take it all in stride, advises one OD, who
wrote, “You have to remember to breathe and
act, not react.” WO
Harvard Business Review Explores the Myths of Great Workplaces
O
n March 5, 2015, Harvard Business
Review ran an article, “5 Myths of Great
Workplaces.” The article states that many
assumptions about the imagined great
place to work don’t necessarily hold true.
Myth 1: Everyone is incessantly happy.
The article notes that euphoria leads to
being less careful and more tolerant of risks.
Negative emotions, like anger, embarrassment and shame encourage greater employee
engagement.
Women In Optometry September 2015
Myth 2: Conflict is rare. The article cites
research that disagreements over tasks fuel
better performance. Relationship-based conflicts, however, have a negative impact.
but too much similarity leads to complacency.
Myth 3: Mistakes are few. The article cites
more research, specifically a study that showed that
when employees were willing to acknowledge errors,
honest dialogue lead to greater improvements.
Myth 5: Their offices are full of fun
things. The article says that employees don’t
need luxuries. “What they need are experiences
that fulfill their basic, human needs….It’s the
extent to which they satisfy their employees’
emotional needs and develop working conditions that help people produce their best work.”
Myth 4: They hire for cultural fit. The article
says that some sharing of similar attitudes is great,
Read the whole story at hbr.org/2015/03/5myths-of-great-workplaces. WO
—1%
OFFICE DESIGN
The 30-second Commute
p 31
OD finds work balance and more
financial control with residence above office
M
ost business
owners have
a hard time
leaving work
behind at the end of
the day. For Christine
Blick, OD, the line
blurs even more. Her
Celebration, Florida,
office covers the
Dr. Blick
entire first floor of the
Mediterranean-style building she had constructed,
and her personal residence is on the second
floor. She designed her office, which opened
in 2007, to be an extension of the environment
that she likes to live and work in. “Since the
office is such a unique situation, there really
is no need to decompress or disconnect at the
end of a work day,” Dr. Blick says. “Being able
to care for patients with state-of-the-art equipment in a picture-perfect environment means
that going to work is really going to play.”
The space is bright
and airy with a calming
view of the courtyard,
located centrally in the
office. The inside has
the feel of a spa with
Dr. Blick lives and
beautiful chandeliers,
works in a dream
setting—all in one
white displays and piped
building.
music in every room.
Combining the overhead of office and
home allowed Dr. Blick to almost triple her
square footage at the office and upgrade to
the latest instrumentation and computers without increasing her overhead. “High-tech, hightouch is a huge wow factor for the patients,”
Dr. Blick says.
When Dr. Blick wants to leave the playground, as she describes it, and “go home,”
she locks the office and takes the elevator
upstairs. Dr. Blick can access her home and car
without entering the office. It’s an ideal situation
for a business owner, Dr. Blick says. There is
no travel time or expense to get to the office,
and the rent that the office would normally pay
for commercial space goes directly to the building mortgage and increases the doctor’s personal financial portfolio. Interest rates are lower,
and the office overhead is under the doctor’s
total control, she says. There are no surprise
rent increases, maintenance costs or shopping
center fees to be paid. WO
DIY Design Cut Costs
C
ourtney Dryer, OD, set out on her own
to open her practice in Charlotte, North
Carolina, just a year after her 2011
graduation from Southern College of
Optometry. She had earned her undergraduate
degree in business, and even completed a
small business project on opening an optometry office, but there were still many lessons left
to learn about running a practice. Dr. Dryer’s
been gaining on-the-job experience since day
one, and she says that she’s appreciative of
the great advice she’s received from her family
members, many of whom work in banking.
Her plan from the start was to keep costs
down. “When you have student loans, it’s more
difficult to open a practice, so the more you can do
yourself, the better,” she says. Dr. Dryer mocked
up an office design on her iPad before consulting
with an architect who created the blueprint.
The creation of 4 Eyes Optometry was a
family affair. For example, her brother
created the practice logo, and her
family helped repaint, reupholster and
repurpose furniture and décor found
at antique centers or other resale
outlets. These expenses were minimal
compared to hiring someone to design
and decorate. “You can hire design help, but it
doesn’t always express your individuality and
what your practice is about,” Dr. Dryer says.
Dr. Dryer’s vision was a boutique style
shop—different and unique from the competition in town—inspired by her favorite stores
such as Anthropologie and Nordstrom. With
the whimsical, artsy design, “we wanted to
create an environment where patients want
to shop,” she says. Dr. Dryer admits that she
was a bit anxious to see how it would all coordinate, as she and her family worked on projects piece by piece. However, she says that
she’s pleased with the result, and the quirky
elements tie together in the final design.
Her target demographic includes women
making health care decisions for themselves
and their families. Dr. Dryer and her one staff
member focus on a high-impact, low-volume
approach by providing thorough education
Dr. Dryer wanted a whimsical and artsy design to
her office.
and a personalized experience from exam to
optical dispensary. “I don’t want to see 20 to
30 patients a day,” Dr. Dryer says. “I try to
capture those patients with multiple-pair sales
and high-end eyewear. I can reinforce messages
about antireflective treatment while we talk
about frame selection.” Dr. Dryer says that a
large percentage of her income comes from the
optical. Dr. Dryer recently left behind fill-in work
with a corporate location nearby to dedicate
full-time effort to 4 Eyes Optometry. The practice is turning a profit after just two years.
Dr. Dryer shares insights and passion for
style and office design as an author on
newgradoptometry.com. She hopes to empower
new grads to take on projects on their own
and to tap into their networks for help. “Be
resourceful and creative—and if you aren’t,
you probably know someone who is.” WO
Women In Optometry September 2015
OFFICE DESIGN
p 32
Working in a Construction Zone During
Five-month Remodeling
Patients become engaged in the
renovation process, unveiling of new space
A
dvanced
Eyecare, the
Charleston,
West Virginia,
practice of Rebecca
St. Jean, OD, was
open for business
during five months of
renovations in 2013,
only closing for two
Dr. St. Jean
weeks for demolition
and trenching for plumbing. “We needed to
add 1,500 square feet, so we remodeled the
entire space,” Dr. St. Jean says. “My goal was
for a traditional, timeless look so that I would
not have to remodel anytime soon.”
Dr. St. Jean adjusted the schedule during
the construction period, and she says that
patients were understanding and eager to see
Move Enables
Doctor to
T
how the office space was progressing.
“We had to be flexible all throughout the
process as our workspaces continually
changed as the project progressed,” Dr.
St. Jean explains. “As optical was finishing,
we moved into that space, so construction
could begin on the workup areas.”
Dr. St. Jean says that while the
process was chaotic, she wouldn’t have
done it any other way, and she credits
her project manager and construction crew
for their work ethic and professionalism. “Our
project manager did everything he could to
minimize disruption to our practice,” she
says. “The crew came in on weekends, early
mornings and evenings and kept the work area
as clean as they could as they were working.
The crew was also mindful that patients were
within earshot at all times, and they were very
The expansion
resulted in a gorgeous blending
of old and new
spaces.
friendly to our
patients.”
Dr. St. Jean incorporated fabrics and
finishes that looked beautiful and are also
durable to last for years to come. Patients saw
the pieces come together when they visited the
office or through updates posted on the practice
Facebook page. The practice held an open
house when the project was complete. “Our
patients were very excited to be a part of the
transformation of the practice,” she says. WO
Position Practice for the Future
ory J. Goode,
OD, opened
Mountain View
Family Eyecare
in Heber City, Utah,
about five years ago.
As her lease was
reaching its term,
she wanted to see
whether expanding
Dr. Goode
was a possibility. It’s
a tricky proposition for a solo doctor who does
her own pretesting, she says. She needed to
balance the desire for convenience and comfort with the assurance that she’d be able to
do more in a larger location.
What she and her husband, Danny
Goode, found was an office that was just a
little larger (900 square foot compared to the
700-square-foot space that she had been in).
But sometimes a few hundred square feet can
make all the difference.
The first office previously had been an
insurance office, and Dr. Goode worked with the
layout. “At the front of the office, there was a
space for an optical and reception area, and then
there was one room for exams and pretests,” she
says. The space she moved to had been a dance
studio with a wide-open floor plan. So she was
able to design an office with better workflow. The
business duties are now contained in an office
space, so the front desk is truly a reception
area. “We split the pretest and exam lanes,”
she says. This was one of her most difficult
decisions: should she put in two exam lanes
or one testing room and an exam lane? She
ultimately chose the latter because she felt that
it gave her the most opportunity for growth. She
can bring on a technician and have both rooms
occupied at once.
The optical is larger, which is allowing her
to bring in more frame lines and increase the
inventory. Other than that, she didn’t have to add
much. She even liked the color scheme in the
dance studio and thought it was a nice break to
get away from the blue walls of the old office.
Dr. Goode had help
from the family
when she moved her
office into a
new space earlier
this year.
“Our town is only eight miles end to end,
and we moved about a mile and a half away.
Now we’re more in the center of town, on
a main street in a larger building with other
medical practices nearby,” she says. The
square footage may be only a little larger, but
the impact of the move will be a good one for
years to come, she says. WO
WO sends out Makeover Mondays via email. Visit womeninoptometry.com to see these and other great ideas. If you have a makeover idea to
share, email [email protected].
Women In Optometry September 2015
Women
in the
FAleta
Gong, OD,
Dr. Gong
Dr. Vogl
FAAO, FCOVD,
of Phoenix,
was named
2015 Optometrist of
the Year by
the Arizona
Optometric
Dr. Schmitt
Dr. Pyle-Smith
Association
(AzOA). Lilien Vogl, OD, of
Goodyear, became president
of the AzOA, and Cheryl
Schmitt, OD, of Tucson,
became immediate past
president. Beth Pyle-Smith,
Dr. Clyde
OD, of Avondale, is now
secretary-treasurer. Lindsey Clyde, OD, of
Phoenix, joined the AzOA Board of Directors.
NEWS
These ODs have
recently been awarded,
acknowledged or
recognized in their
communities or by
organizations
Dr. Hamada
Dr. Whitaker
Dr. Lyerly
FThe Association of Schools and Colleges
announced several awards recently. Denise
Goodwin, OD, FAAO, of Pacific University
College of
Optometry
was one of
the authors
honored
with the Dr.
Lester Janoff
Dr. Goodwin
Dr. Spatcher
Award for
Writing Excellence. Molly Spatcher, OD, a
2015 graduate of New England College of
Optometry, was honored with the Student
Award in Clinical Ethics, sponsored by
International Vision Expo. WO
Dr. Witherspoon
FRebecca Wincek
Dr. Choi
Dr. Wolff
Dr. Hsieh
Dr. Bateson
FThe American Academy
FVision Monday named
Dr. Marsh-Tootle
Dr. Summers
several women optometrists
in its annual Most Influential Women In Optical
report. Honorees in the Executive Suite included
Susan Cooper, OD, FAAO, past president
FSarah Lewis, OD,
Dr. Lewis
Dr. Saxon
MHP, is now vice president clinical standards at HVHC, Inc.
FThree women were
DeAnne Witherspoon, OD, of Rogers, received
the 2015 Lifetime of Excellence Award.
of Optometry announced
its 2015 Award recipients.
Wendy Marsh-Tootle, OD,
MS, will be receiving the
William Feinbloom Award at
the annual meeting in New
Orleans in
October.
Dr. Smith Zolman Dr. Coulter
FJanet Summers, OD,
of New York, New York,
became president-elect of
the American Optometric
Association.
among the five ODs honored
as Young OD of the Year by the California
Optometric Association: Isabell Choi, OD,
Bateson, OD, of Indiana,
has been awarded the
Southwestern Pennsylvania
Optometrist of the Year
Award by the Pennsylvania
Optometric Association.
Dr. Dryer
of Orange County; Sarah Wolff, OD, of
Bellflower; and Jennifer Hsieh, OD, FAAO, of
San Jose.
FAndrea P. Thau, OD,
Dr. Thau
Dr. DeBlack
Dr. Reynoldson Dr. Voorhees
of the World Council of Optometry; Sally M.
Dillehay, OD, EdD, vice president, clinical and
regulatory affairs, Visioneering Technologies,
Inc.; Jennifer L. Geertz, OD, owner of Bird’s Eye
Optometry Ltd. in Batavia and Hodgkins, Illinois;
Tonya Reynoldson, OD, chairman of the board,
Tennessee Association of Optometric Physicians;
and Lorraine Voorhees, OD, MS, vice president for student affairs at Marshall B. Ketchum
University. Courtney Dryer, OD, of Charlotte,
North Carolina, and Jennifer Smith Zolman,
OD, FCOVD, of Charleston, South Carolina, were
named Rising Stars. Rachel “Stacey” Coulter,
OD, associate professor, Nova Southeastern
University, and Jill M. Saxon, OD, director,
professional strategy, Bausch + Lomb, were recognized as Mentors. Innovators included Weslie
M. Hamada, OD, FAAO, principal research
optometrist, Johnson & Johnson Vision Care,
Inc.; Jennifer Lyerly, OD, author and editor
of Eyedolatry Blog in Cary, North Carolina; and
Diane B. Whitaker, OD, chief, vision rehabilitation services, and assistant professor of ophthalmology at Duke Eye Center.
FBelinda Starkey, OD, of Springdale,
became secretary/treasurer of the Arkansas
Optometric Association. Susan DeBlack, OD,
of Conway, became immediate past president.
Dr. Starkey
p 33
of Louisville, was named
the Young Optometrist of
the Year by the Colorado
Optometric Association.
Dr. Cooper
Dr. Dillehay
Dr. Geertz
Women In Optometry September 2015
Voices
p 34
Voices
Voices
Voices
Voices
Voices
It’s Pretty Easy Being Green
By Laura Armstrong, OD, Alberta Eye Care, Portland, Oregon
bottle or paper cup can recycle it.
Recycle more than paper, glass and
n Portland, green living is part of the culture. When I opened my
cans. We let patients know that the blister packs
practice in 2012, creating a business with a low environmental
for daily disposable contact lenses are recyclable.
impact was important to me and my husband, James Armstrong,
They’re too small for curbside recycling, but I
MBA, my business manager. Here’s how we do it.
encourage patients to return their blister packs
Go paperless. Having an electronic
to our office, and I’ll
Dr. Armstrong
medical records system is one important
bring them to the
step. We go further. We use laminated routrecycling station. We also post signs about what
ing slips and forms for patients that can be
can be recycled and where it goes: the recycling
wiped clean and reused. We offer patients
center or curbside pickup. I’ll bring packing peacoffee in mugs and, after their exams,
nuts to the UPS store and compact fluorescent
patients are invited to have a glass of wine.
bulbs and batteries to IKEA or Best Buy. The city
That’s served in a real glass. We have an
provides a website with an easy-to-use search
The green office looks inviting with reclaimed wood and
energy-efficient dishwasher in the office.
function for recyclables.
Buy recycled paper. Avoiding all paper energy-efficient lighting.
Use energy-efficient lighting. Our large
is nearly impossible, but we only purchase 100 percent recycled. This
front windows let in a lot of natural light, but we use energy-saving lightway we can print order forms or instructions to patients responsibly.
ing throughout the space and LED lighting in the optical displays.
Set up recycling stations. Next to nearly every wastebasket in the
Use reclaimed wood. All of the wood used in the displays, recepoffice there’s also a recycling container. We also have recycling contion desk and optical furnishings are reclaimed wood. Each piece has a
tainers in the reception area so that patients who come in with a drink
story and character, which makes the space warm and inviting. WO
I
Why I Think Proactive Integration Is a Good Thing for Optometry
By Amanda K. Lee, OD, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
T
he evolution of eye care in the U.S. has shown us one
thing for certain: change is constant. In the early 1900s,
we were refractionists. In the 1920-1930s, we were slow
to adopt the designation of “doctor.” In 1971, Rhode
Island became the first state to extend diagnostic medication
privileges to optometrists. In 1976, West Virginia became the
first state to extend therapeutic medications privileges to optometrists. By the early to mid-1990s, only half of U.S. ODs were
Dr. Lee
able to prescribe therapeutics. By the early 2010s, we became
the provider of primary eye health care services.
That seems like great news, right? But the irony is that by the 2020s,
we face eradication of our profession by industry dynamics and economical
efficiencies driven by new technology. Look at the demise of the independent
pharmacy since the 1980s or the influx of nurse practitioners and physician
assistants that has altered the traditional medical practice. Fifteen years ago,
primary care physicians were mainly independent. Now, only about 30 percent are, and that number continues to decline. It is becoming increasingly
more difficult for them maintain their independent private practices.
On top of that, optometry is fertile for disruptive technologies and
services. Warby Parker was introduced in 2010, and very
recently, we’ve been rattled by the disruptive technologies of
Opternative, Blink and Walgreens, to name just a few.
What we need is for all of optometry to stand collectively
and decide what optometry’s future is going to look like. If
you choose to take a leadership role, we can accomplish
whatever we want to as a profession.
While there may not be an all-encompassing answer that
satisfies every one of us in private practice optometry, there is one
entity that exists and has always existed to help private practice
optometrists thrive: Vision Source®. Full disclosure, I am a private
practitioner in a Vision Source office and help co- administrate the state of
South Carolina with my practice partner Tammy Tully, OD. I’d rather stand
among those who are proactive than reactive. That perspective helps me
see why the acquisition of Vision Source by Essilor was not only inevitable,
but takes the long view. Essilor was a natural partner in our industry. Would
you consider Apple and Google health care companies? I would! Integration
in health care is going to continue. So will the debates on whether that’s
good or bad. In a book by Dan Millman, a character named Socrates said,
“The secret of change is to focus all of your energy not into fighting the old
but on building the new.” Let’s work together to build a strong future. WO
Let Your Voice Be Heard
Are you interested in sharing your views or experience in this space? Women In Optometry invites submissions to Voices for
each issue. Contact Editor Marjolijn Bijlefeld at [email protected] for more information.
Women In Optometry September 2015
2015
up to
MEETINGS
12 CE
Credits*
MEETINGS CO-CHAIRS:
MURRAY FINGERET, OD
ROBERT N. WEINREB, MD
Continuing Education
SYMPOSIUMS
SAN FRANCISCO OPTOMETRIC
GLAUCOMA SYMPOSIUM
October 17, 2015
Marriott Union Square
480 Sutter St
SAN FRANCISCO, CA
Up to
6 CE
Credits*
Up to 6 COPE Credits for $120!
www.revoptom.com/SFOGS
Please call the hotel directly at 866-912-0973 and identify yourself as a participant of the San Francisco Optometric Glaucoma Symposium.
7th Annual
WEST COAST OPTOMETRIC
GLAUCOMA SYMPOSIUM
December 11-12, 2015
Hilton Waterfront
21100 Pacific Coast Hwy,
HUNTINGTON BEACH, CA
Up to
12 CE
Credits*
Up to 12 COPE Credits for $225!
www.revoptom.com/WCOGS
Please call the hotel directly at 800-822-7873 and identify yourself as a participant of the West Coast Optometric Glaucoma Symposium.
For faculty & more information, visit
www.revoptom.com/Meetings
call 1-866-658-1772, or email [email protected]
Partially supported by an unrestricted
educational grant from
Alcon
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Bausch + Lomb
*Approval pending
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