August 2012 • Volume 6, Issue 56 • www.ECPmag.com

DESIGNER EYEWEAR / PAGE 6 RALPH COTRAN US OPTICAL INTERVIEW / PAGE 18

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Your patients can now instantly view ‘1 or 2’ comparisons and their old vs. new proposed Rx changes. The automated digital exam is less confusing, and more accurate – with consistent results in the hands of multiple users. Less time refracting means

more quality time consulting with patients. Now you have the ability to control best patient outcomes, experience, and total practice efficiencies.

The TRS-5100 downloads accurate data smoothly into your EMR system– without costly transcription errors.

Arrange your free practice assessment and find your true happiness. Contact us today at www.whosincontrol.info.

you KNOWthe face of 20/happy

TRS-5100 Total Refraction System

www.marco.com800.874.5274 ®VEW 9035

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Courtesy ofC

lassique Eyew

ear

DESIGNER EYEWEARKeep your patient’s cool with the latest in Designer Eyewear and Sunwearby ECP Staff

BEATING THE INTERNET RETAILERSDifferentiate your practice from the online retailers by offeringservices that they cannot match.by Anthony Record, RDO

UN-BUNDLING YOUR SERVICESUn-bundling is a way for ECPs to clarify the ancillary services that they provide to the consumer.by Judy Canty, LDO and Renee Jacobs, OD, M.A.

INTERVIEW: US OPTICALUS Optical’s Ralph Cotran discusses what makes his family’s labunique in the optical world.by Paul DiGiovanni, LDO

COMPUTER LENSESThe increase in digital viewing makes computer lens educationmore important than ever.by Corrie Pelc

FACE BLINDNESSProsopagnoisa is a disorder where the ability to recognize faces is impaired, even while other recognition is normal.by Jason Smith, OD

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EEYECAREPROFESSIONALMagazine

Features

Departments

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EDITOR/VIEW .....................................................................................................4

PATIENT CARE..................................................................................................22

MOVERS AND SHAKERS.................................................................................28

MOBILE OPTICIAN .........................................................................................30

SECOND GLANCE ............................................................................................34

INDUSTRY QUICK ACCESS ............................................................................42

ADVERTISER INDEX .......................................................................................44

LAST LOOK .......................................................................................................46

AUGUST2012

Vol. 6Issue 56

On The Cover:US OPTICAL 800-445-2773www.USOPTICAL.com

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tent

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Publisher/Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeff SmithProduction/Graphics Manager. . . . . . . . . . . Bruce S. DrobDirector, Advertising Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . Lynnette GrandeContributing Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Judy Canty, Dee Carew, Paul DiGiovanni, Gary Fore, Elmer Friedman, Lindsey Getz, Ginny Johnson, Jim Magay, Warren McDonald, Laura Miller, Anthony Record, Jason SmithTechnical Editor . . . . . . . . Brian A. Thomas, P.h.D, ABOMInternet Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry Adler

Opinions expressed in editorial submissions contributed to EyeCareProfessional Magazine, ECP™ are those of the individual writers exclusively and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of EyeCareProfessional Magazine, ECP™ its staff, its advertisers, or its reader-ship. EyeCare Professional Magazine, ECP™ assume no responsibilitytoward independently contributed editorial submissions or any typographical errors, mistakes, misprints, or missing informationwithin advertising copy.

ADVERTISING & SALES(215) 355-6444 • (800) 914-4322lgrande@ECPmag.com

EDITORIAL OFFICES111 E. Pennsylvania Blvd.Feasterville, PA 19053 (215) 355-6444 • Fax (215) 355-7618www.ECPmag.comeditor@ECPmag.com

EyeCare Professional Magazine, ECP™ is published monthly by OptiCourier, Ltd.Delivered by Third Class Mail Volume 6 Number 56TrademarkSM 1994 by OptiCourier, Ltd.All Rights Reserved.

No part of this magazine may be used or reproduced in anyform or by any means without prior written permission of thepublisher.

OptiCourier, Ltd. makes no warranty of any kind, eitherexpressed, or implied, with regard to the material contained herein.

OptiCourier, Ltd. is not responsible for any errors and omissions,typographical, clerical and otherwise. The possibility of errorsdoes exist with respect to anything printed herein.

It shall not be construed that OptiCourier, Ltd. endorses, pro-motes, subsidizes, advocates or is an agent or representative forany of the products, services or individuals in this publication.

For Back Issues and Reprints contact Jeff Smith, Publisher at800-914-4322 or by Email: jeff@ECPmag.com

Copyright © 2012 by OptiCourier Ltd. All Rights Reserved

For Subscription Changes, email: admin@ecpmag.com

Magazine

W ITH VISION EXPO West right around the corner (Sept 6-8 in Las Vegas), now is a good time to get back into the trade show loop if you’ve been taking a break. According to the Center for Exhibition

Industry Research, trade show attendance was up 3.8 percent nationally in the 4thquarter of 2011 compared with the same period the year before.

So for anyone going to the show nextmonth, please stop by our booth and sayhello. Getting back to the present, thismonth we have the usual assortment ofentertainment, editorial, and education:

We are featuring the latest in designereyewear and sunwear, a segment of themarket that keeps growing as consumersbecome more brand conscious. AnthonyRecord describes how important it is for ECPs to clarify what differentiatesthemselves from online retailers. Judy

Canty and Renee Jacobs expand on this idea while emphasizing the need to un-bundle service fees from product fees.

Lindsey Getz stresses the importance of bedside manner when dealing with apatient, regardless of the situation. The huge increase in digital screen viewingmeans that computer lens education is a must, says Corrie Pelc. Paul DiGiovanniinterviews Ralph Cotran, co-owner of the fast growing lab US Optical.

An inspiring trip to the Antiques Roadshow caused Ginny Johnson to wonder howits finer points could be applied to the optical industry. Postage stamps – as ElmerFriedman aptly explains – have provided a unique insight into the history ofeyeglasses throughout the world.

Jason Smith discusses face blindness, a rare condition in which otherwise healthypeople lose the ability to recognize faces. Industry veteran Jim Magay providessome historical perspective on the vast array of lens tints he’s encountered over the years.

This is only part of what this month’s issue has to offer, and please remember thatall of our articles are also available online at: www.ecpmag.com. We also have aninteractive, digital version of the complete magazine – advertisements included –on the website. Also check out our OptiBlog, which enables readers to post comments at the end of each article.

EEYECAREPROFESSIONAL

4 | EEYECAREPROFESSIONAL | AUGUST 2012

Scan this barcode with your smartphone to go to our website.

EDITOR VIEWJeff Smith

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1. SAFILOTh1112/SMP (04L6) – This translucent blue

plastic aviator from the Spring 2012 Tommy

Hilfiger collection features wooden temples

with a bold tribal print. The frames are in

support of the Tommy Hilfiger Millennium

Promise Project which benefits Africa. It is a

wearable, unisex frame, which is a modern

take on the classic aviator look.

www.safilousa.com

2. ULTRA PALMCaviar 5582 is an embellished sunglass with

a modern edge. This sunglass is part of the

Champagne Collection for Caviar. The 5582

features hand set genuine Austrian Crystals

with larger baguettes and smaller square cut

crystals making the details stand out in this

temple design. This “one of a kind” sunglass

is available as a drill mount & a full frame.

www.caviarframes.com

3. CHARMANTThe Trussardi TR12827 features an innova-

tive use of coloring that draws the eye to this

seductive frame through the alternating

opaque and translucent shading on temple

and frame front. Slightly upturned oversized

rims, uniquely temple-centred arms and a

swish Trussardi button logo complete this

glamorous feminine style.

www.charmant.com/usa

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DESIGNEREYEWEAR4. CLASSIQUE EYEWEARWilliam Morris London stands out as a distinctive

“English” eyewear brand for the metropolitan

wearer who is free spirited and loves life. It’s a

market leader with unique design integrity and

quality, European craftsmanship. William Morris

London stands out as a brand that makes its

eyewear a fashion accessory, not necessity.

www.classique-eyewear.com

5. TAG HEUERThis avant-garde frame combines the collection’s

strongest features for the most innovative design

yet. With pure titanium, carbon fiber, composite

elastomere and a selection of genuine leathers,

the L-Type Light is a sum of the brand’s most

luxurious components.

www.tagheuer.com/eyewear

6. MARCHONROCKSTUD (V641S) – This bold, flirty acetate

frame from the Fall/Winter Valentino Collection

has a vintage look inspired by cat-eye styles and

pin-up girls. Metal studs run like dots along the

entire browline. The “V” on the temple is a

functional hinge and is accompanied by the

logo. www.marchon.com

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MONDOTTICA

Grace and sophistication is key to the Anna Sui Eyewear

collection, and this timeless frame portrays the collection

beautifully. Featured is AS506 in Black, this charming frame

also comes in Purple in size 52/16-140. The collection is

feminine and stylish, creating an accessory to any outfit.

The Anna Sui Eyewear collection is the perfect mix between

whimsical and elegant with a distinctive feminine appeal.

www.mondotticausa.com

BEST IMAGE OPTICAL

Mario Galbatti’s MG-149 is the latest style to debut this

coming Fall season. This spexy cat-eye frame with its

unique and curvy shape comes in three colors: Cranberry

Demi, Confetti Demi, and Black, in size 54-17-140.

www.bestimageoptical.com

MCGEE GROUPMobley is a full rim acetate frame with a high bridge and

large rectangular eyeshape. Metal décor on the temple

as well as argyle patterned temple

tip accents add to the retro

feel of the frame. The

triple color fade

front and

custom Italian acetate on the

Grey/Red frame creates a unique color combina-

tion that is vivid in the hand, but becomes more

muted and classic on the face. Mobley is also

available in Tort/Blue, with a subtle pop of bright

color on the inside endpiece. www.mcgeegroup.com

VILLA EYEWEAR

Blackfin is a collection with a legacy of lightness and innova-

tion, and is characterized by two elective materials: titanium

and acetate. It targets contemporary men and women that

live the everyday reality intensely and express this through

the look of a minimalistic and sophisticated accessory. The

collection includes 12 styles in pure Titanium front and

ultra-flexible Beta Titanium temples, and 4 shapes in Acetate

front. www.villaeyewear.com

ZIG EYEWEAR

Designer Cendrine O. brings

her signature flair to new

acetate frames in the Jean Reno

collection. Reno 1235 C3 in

crystal caramel evokes the air of

old Hollywood with a modern,

artistic temple and lens design.

www.zig-eyewear.com

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Visit us at Vision Expo WestSeptember 6th - 8th, 2012

Suite 34 - 104

Juri Maier - wearing ‘nameless 2012’

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REVOLUTION EYEWEAR

True Religion eyewear portrays the same Hippie, Bohemian-

Chic-Flare with a Vintage-Feel-Vibe that their jeans emit,

using the finest quality components. The collection has

many shapes from modified ovals to aviator. Featured above

is style QUINN in Black/Blue. Rich materials are seen

throughout the collection in zyl, leather wrapped and

stitched temples, and an array of colors such as Cocoa,

Golden Bronze, Olive, Brown Horn.

www.revolutioneyewear.com

L’AMY

The distinctive metal plate with raised Celtic cross topped

by a shiny crystal is the hallmark of Nicole Miller’s Duane

style. The matte metal plate is unique and modern,

lending the NM Duane a gothic edge befitting this innovative

style. The deeper feminine eye shape and acetate colors

are accented by the matte metal, while flex hinges provide

comfort. www.lamyamerica.com

EASTERN STATES EYEWEARThe Cazal 8006 is one of the hottest

sunglasses to be released by the

historic collection this year. This

chunky plastic design’s pilot shape

is enhanced by striking, gold toned

metal accents. The model’s boldness

recalls the classic Cazal designs of the

early days of the collection but with a

very modern spin. www.eseyewear.comwww.ultrapalm.com

REM EYEWEAR

Casual luxury and rock ‘n’ roll come together in the new

John Varvatos V352 optical frame. Renowned for its

fastidious attention to detail, fine craftsmanship and killer

design, John Varvatos Eyewear is created for the man of

style and substance. Based on a vintage frame from the

1920’s, this design has a statement-making bridge which

stands out and supports the small, round lenses that echo

an eccentric aesthetic. www.remeyewear.com

TREVI COLISEUM EYEWEAR

Cotton Club 288 is constructed from the highest quality

Mazzucchelli Zyl with rubberized temple inlays for style and

comfort. It defines the concept of fashion and beauty.

Available in 3 colors Black/Gun/Black (shown),

Tortoise/Blue/Silver and Havana/Gun/Purple. Made in Italy

and backed by a two year warranty. Sold exclusively in

North America by National Lens. www.national-lens.com

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J.F. REY

Resolutely innovating, the Pixel concept is directly inspired

by the world of graphic arts. This creative approach makes

it possible to obtain a complete two tone in the form of fine

shading and pictural asymmetry. Of course, as always,

100% handmade in France. Pixel was nominated for the

Silmo d’OR awards 2011 in the very select category of

“Optical Frames.” www.jfreyusa.com

ic berlin!

kjell reloaded 2012 masculine —Classic. Tough. Player?

Gentleman? Good or bad cop? You cross mountains and

valleys on a motorbike? You cap your trip off with a bottle of

whisky and a camp fire? You love to conquer the seven seas

in your one man boat? Action hero or timeless gentleman,

beer or water, it doesn’t matter. The two times classic,

already worn by Jason Statham and Bruce Willis, makes

a 2012 comeback in four stylish color combinations with

thinner temple arms, giving extra corners and edges

masculine. Classic. Tough. Women will go weak at their

knees, promised! www.ic-berlin.de

DESIGNER EYEWEAR can project a modern look for

trend-makers with multifaceted lifestyles, as each designer

has a certain image they portray through clothing and

accessories. Select numerous designer name brands that

will accentuate your customer’s individuality and style.

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12 | EEYECAREPROFESSIONAL | AUGUST 2012

PREVIOUS ARTICLES have addressedthe issue using many different approach-es and offering many different takes.Contact your legislator, educate yourpatients, and just say no (to taking PDsand servicing Internet-bought goods)are just a few.

Regardless of what your opinion ofonline selling is, and regardless of whatthe future may or may not hold, mostECPs would agree on one thing:We would like to have those would-be Internet buyers purchase their prescription eyeglasses from us – in our friendly brick-and-mortar opticalestablishment.

With that in mind, I recently challengeda group of 100 opticians to do somebrainstorming and share with me all thereasons why. Why should consumers not purchase their eye-wear over the Web? What can we offer clients in person, thatonline retailers cannot? If we could identify some of thesethings and then consciously begin to emphasize these things inour day-to-day dispensing, perhaps the flow of online businessmay start to recede instead of flourish. Here are some things wecame up with:

Knowledgeable Guidance. With a few well-chosen, thought-provoking (call it Lifestyle Dispensing if it makes you feel better) questions, you can begin to build a personal rapport andmutual respect with a client that can lead to you offering betterguidance for the patient’s needs. First, what about lens materi-al? Would the patient be better with plastic, glass, high-index,polycarbonate or Trivex®? Okay, what about index of refraction?Should it be 1.50, 1.55, 1.60, 1.66, 1.74? So many to choosefrom! Transitions? Polarized? Bifocals? Progressives? Two pairs?

The simple act of informing the patientof all the choices that are available – andthe ability to coherently offer hands-on,knowledgeable guidance – might beenough to motivate the patient to keepthe sale in-house.

PDs and MFHs. How you approachPupillary Distance and MultifocalHeights might encourage a would-bevirtual customer to become your actualclient. While many opinions andapproaches to this have been shared bymany industry professionals (includingme), I don’t think I’ve ever heard thisapproach: When someone asks you totake a PD for an Internet order, begin toact a bit tentative or hesitant. Thenexplain that while you could give themthe PD measurement, most online retail-ers don’t even ask for an MFH on their

order forms. Explain that they really “guess” at a height, andthat if they guess a millimeter or two too high or low, the bifo-cals will be difficult – if not impossible – to use.

Attend to the Small Things. In the blockbuster, best-sellingwork The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, relationship andmanagement expert, Dr. Stephen R. Covey, shares six specificthings we can do to build relationships based on mutual trust,respect, and rapport. He calls them “deposits” in a person’s“Emotional Bank Account.” We have that advantage over a faceless, non-human, online seller. Think of all we can do witha client vis-à-vis attending to the small things that they cannot:say good morning; pull the chair out for them before they sitdown; hold the door when they leave; compliment their clothesor hairstyle; make inquiries as to their family; make a follow-upphone call after the initial sale.

MANAGING OPTICIANAnthony Record, ABO/NCLE, RDO

Are We All in Trouble?Are we all in trouble? I don’t think so. I can say with complete confidence that no

other topic in the optical field generates as much interest, or elicits as much passionfrom eye care professionals (ECPs) as the sale of eyeglasses over the Internet.

AUG2012.qxd 7/27/12 10:59 AM Page 12

Feeling and Fitting. Most online retailers offer a “see how theyfit” option. Customers can superimpose an image of the frameover a photo of their face. Sounds cool enough. Be sure toexplain to your in-person customer that those virtual try-onfeatures shed no light on how the frame will “feel” on the face.Although it looks good, it might be too loose or tight on thenose or temples. Be sure to communicate that. And speaking offitting, an Internet retailer can’t cut temples. If the person think-ing about buying online is small or petite, be sure to explain thatyou can custom-fit the glasses (including the temples) to fit just right. Additionally, dispensing opticians needto get back to hands-on, comprehensive adjustments. I cringewhen I see a so-called optician simply hand glasses to a client.“Do they feel okay? They do? Great! Have a nice day.” And sadly,I’m only exaggerating a little bit. If you do not take the time togive a hands-on adjustment both before you take the initialmeasurements and when the glasses are dispensed, you have justcreated a “there’s no real difference between us and the onliners”impression in the mind of the patient. I say shame on those ofus who do that.

Ease of Service. This is a big one. Why not ask a few questionswhen you learn a client is considering an online purchase.Questions like: “How do you know they will fit? Who will takethe initial measurements so that you see as well as you can?What if you need adjustments or a screw falls out – would youexpect free service for something you had purchased elsewhere?What’s the warranty? What would you use for glasses if you hadto ship them back for repair? Who will verify that what youorder is actually what you receive and that the prescription wasground accurately? What assurance do you have that a qualified,licensed professional will prepare this personalized, medicaldevice?”Again, questions like these, communicated without sar-casm but with true concern, might dissuade the online decision.Give it a try.

Supporting the Local Economy. While it might not influence allor even many of the people not to do it, try explaining that mak-ing the online buy does no good for the local economy and byproxy it does no good for local professionals. Some people actu-ally would be influenced by this; they just never really thoughtabout it. Make ‘em think.

You. This one is probably the most significant and persuasivereason a client should never make a prescription eyewear pur-chase on-line. They can’t have you! If you embrace this conceptthen it’s time to look in the mirror and do some real, honestintrospection. Take out a piece of paper and write down asmany reasons as possible why you would buy eyeglasses fromyou if you weren’t you. (Did you follow all those yous?) Onceyou identify those reasons, work on them, improve them anduse them to your advantage. Hopefully you came up with 10 or12 reasons in a matter of seconds. If you had any difficultydoing so, indeed, we are all in trouble. ■

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14 | EEYECAREPROFESSIONAL | AUGUST 2012

It is easy to give away your competitive advantage.Simply continue two traditions:

1. Bundle Fees for Services with Fees for Frames and Lenses

Make certain your fees for products always appear higher thanthe online retailer’s fees for similar products. Achieve this bybundling fees for professional services, such as fitting and dis-pensing, into invoiced fees for frames and lenses. Do not breakout or itemize the professional work that differentiates yourbusiness from your online competition. Allow every patient tobelieve that your prices for products are expensive compared tosimilar frames and lenses available online.

2. Provide Free Optical Services

When a patient chooses to buy their eyeglasses from an onlineretailer, adjust and align the new eyewear for free. If for any rea-son, the new purchase does not meet expectations, help thepatient troubleshoot problems and enforce warranty agree-ments with their provider of choice. Supply unlimited expertadvice and assistance as a courtesy.

After all, paying your opticians to give away professional servic-es will persuade every patient to buy your obviously overpricedframes and lenses next time out of sheer gratitude. Right?

Traditional business practices are giving the competitive advan-tage to online retailers on a silver platter.

STOP Helping Your Competition!

As online optical retail gains market share and with it, con-sumer acceptance, it’s time for eye care professionals to redesigntraditional business tactics:

1. Recognize what services differentiate your practice.2. Unbundle service fees from product fees.3. Educate your patients about the monetary value of

professional optical services.

Stay competitive in a changing marketplace. Redesign yourbusiness model to help patients make smarter comparisons.Finally, persuade consumers to purchase services that differen-tiate your business from your competition.

1. Recognize what services differentiate your practice.

Think of the lens and frame order. During this process, brickand mortar locations provide services online retailers cannotoffer. An automated website cannot judge frame suitability fora unique prescription. It is not possible to pre-adjust the frameto assure comfort and proper fit prior to taking measures forthe most accurate lens order. An online optical retailer cannottake the measurements necessary to tailor a custom free formlens. They cannot determine monocular PDs, vertex distance,pantoscopic tilt, and wrap. Patients need the services that brickand mortar stores provide.

Think about lens and frame delivery. After the new eyewear isfabricated and delivered by mail, the online retailer cannot confirm accurate lens alignment to assure best vision. Theycannot adjust the frame to improve comfort. An online opticalsimply cannot provide the hands on services that patients needand deserve.

It is interesting that online retailers have turned their weakness-es into a competitive advantage. They can’t provide services, sotheir product fees do not include bundled fees for services. Forthis reason, online retailers can legitimately advertise lowerprices than most brick and mortar stores. Patients, who do not

DISPENSING OPTICIANJudy Canty, LDO

with Renee Jacobs, OD, M.A.

Are You Helping OnlineRetailers Grow Market Share?Eye care professionals have the option to either redesign traditional business methods, or continue helping online retailers gain market share.

AUG2012.qxd 7/26/12 1:01 PM Page 14

understand the monetary value of services, perceive a tremendous opportunity for savings. Do not allow online retailers to win this competitive battle!

Recognize that your services are your strength. In fact, you cancapitalize on your ability to provide hands on services patientsneed when they buy from you or when they choose to buyonline. You can unbundle services from products: itemize theframe, the lens, lens options, plus services. And, you can offer ala carte services. These services differentiate your practice fromyour competition, online or around the corner. Make the feesobvious.

Good news. It is OK to charge appropriate fees for services rendered!

2. Unbundle service fees from product fees.

Redesign your business model to maintain profitability. Do thisby unbundling professional service fees from frame and lensproduct fees. There are two immediate benefits:

First, your frame and lens product fees will become competitiveagainst both brick and mortar competition and your onlinecompetition.

Second, you can offer a la carte services patients need when theychoose to buy prescription eye wear online. Provide patients theopportunity to purchase frame advice, lens material advice, andthe measurements necessary for an accurate order. Help patientsmake decisions that will assure the best possible vision. Later,when the eyewear arrives in the mail, offer proper lens align-ment, frame adjustment for comfort, and verification that theprescription meets industry standards. Measure corrected visualacuity. Standardize appropriate care and charge appropriate feesfor services rendered.

Not Sure What to Charge?

If you don’t know what to charge, begin by calculating the prof-it your business already generates from optical services. EyeCareProfessional has a free (downloadable) Spreadsheet Calculatorprovided by Renee Jacobs, O.D., M.A., and Director of PracticeManagement Depot. You can use the spreadsheet to unbundleservice fees from product fees. In addition, you can calculateyour “Limited Dispensing Fee,” the fee for lens alignment andframe adjustment at the time of dispense. The SpreadsheetCalculator is accompanied by a video explanation narrated byDr. Jacobs.

www.practicemanagementdepot.com/Free/EcpServicePackageFeeCalculator.php

Evolve business tactics to maintain profitability. Calculate thetypical profit you generate from providing a specific service.Then, with revenue numbers in mind, set an appropriate fee.

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3. Educate your patients about the monetary value ofprofessional optical services.

When you unbundle professional fees, it is important to communicate the monetary value of services. Many opticiansare not adequately prepared to explain what they do, anddefend itemized fees for their work. Many are uncomfortableexplaining why their services have value. Address this challenge.Transform weakness into strength.

Help your patients understand that optical services have monetary value. This knowledge is good for patients, certainlygood for business, and arguably good for the profession ofopticianry. Communicating the importance of best practiceselevates every ophthalmic profession.

Consciously standardize procedures and patient educationstrategies. Deliver each service with ultimate attention to detail.Explain every procedure plus the visual benefit.

For example, if a patient purchases eye wear from your office,then during dispense you might say:

Before we called to schedule your dispensing appointment,we verified that your new lenses meet industry standards for prescription accuracy, including power and axis

alignment. You might think accurate prescription fabricationis regulated, but it isn’t. In the US, compliance to standards isvoluntary. We take pride knowing you will see your best whenyour lenses match doctor’s prescription.

Teach your patients that services differentiate your businessfrom the competition. Modify patient education strategies untilyour patients believe itemized services are worth every pennyinvoiced. Knowledgeable patients will recruit their friends toexperience your top notch service.

Make it happen!

The optical marketplace is expanding to include a new kind of competition, the Online Optical Retailer. In the new environment, traditional business practices give away competi-tive advantage. It is time to come clean with the consumer.Unbundle optical service fees and deliver those services withpride. Differentiate your business.

Don’t wait until the day no one comes through the door, exceptthe patients who need those “free” services.

Don’t lose profitability or give away your competitive advantage as e-retail gains market share. Instead, take actionnow. ■

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“We saw the results immediately. Our no-shows decreased dramatically, and we had much fewer phone calls to make to confirm appointments. We chose Solutionreach to save our staff time, but we had no idea how much our patients would love it.”

Solutionreach has revolutionized vision marketing. We offer a custom and comprehensive marketing platform to help your practice acquire, retain, educate and reactivate patients. Solutionreach equips your practice with a high-tech solution that does not sacrifice high-touch personalization. And it’s all backed by our unlimited live Revolutionary Support.

sales@solutionreach.com 866.605.6867

is my solutionis my

SolutionreachSolutionreachsolution

– Beth, Office Manager

Get a free $10 Starbucks Gift Card when you take our live demo.Remember to mention Starbucks when contacting our sales dept.

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18 | EEYECAREPROFESSIONAL | AUGUST 2012

EyeCare Professional’s Paul DiGiovanni, LDO, speaking with Ralph Cotran, Co-Owner, US Optical.

US OPTICALProviding First Class Lab Service – All Within 24 Hours

Please provide a brief history of US Optical.US Optical was created on March 1, 2008 by myself andmy two brothers Ronald and Robert. Previously we ownedanother lab, Optogenics, which we sold to Essilor ofAmerica in 1999. We decided to come back into theIndependent lab business as we were very excited aboutFree form, new lens technologies, new AR coatings, digital equipment and the rapid innovation in the opticalindustry.

We are entrepreneurs and wanted to create another viableIndependent lab to help consumers see better – muchbetter – and this time digitally better.

This focus, coupled with our unique 24HR turnaround onuncut lenses and very fast service on complete and edged jobs, has catapulted US Optical to the fourthlargest Independent lab in the US. We are humbled by the support the Independent eye care professionals havegiven us.

US Optical is the largest supermarket of Free form lenses,giving ECPs endless choices. We have also invested inautomation with 3 Free form generators and 6 digital polishers, four Zeiss AR machines and two MEI edgers—the fastest edger in the world that specializes in wraptechnology and drill mounts as well as conventional jobs.

US Optical is positioned to continue to lead theIndependent wholesale lab industry in the areas of newtechnologies, Free form, turnaround time and superior finishing jobs.

What brands of lenses are available to your customers?We provide the following lens brands: Zeiss, Shamir,Seiko, Younger, Hoya, Sola, Vision-Ease, Essilor, Signet,Carrera Xcede, Kbco, Pixel & US Optical Freeform. It isour goal to give customers choices and we do this byincreasing lens selections and AR coatings. Our two

newest products are Hoya Free-Form and Zeiss IndividualII Wrap Free Form technology. We also have a large number of Zeiss AR coatings available.

In your opinion, what differentiates US Optical from itscompetitors?What differentiates US Optical is our USP! (Unique SellingProposition) We provide our customers with 7 incrediblereasons to use US Optical and these are accompanied by7 benefits that add thousands of dollars to the eye careprofessional’s bottom line!

1. FASTEST LAB IN AMERICA!™ ECP’s will receive 24 hour turnaround on uncut lenses (with or without Zeiss AR coatings), and 3-5 working daysturnaround on edged or complete jobs. This service will WOW your customers and is worth tens ofthousands of dollars to your practice. It will differen-tiate you from the pack. NO OTHER LAB CAN DO THIS! Our turnaround time will give you a distinctive competitive advantage. You will blowyour competition away.

2. Family owned, independent just like our customers. Our goal is to help you serve your customer, growyour business profitably and make you happy, soyou can focus on your own customers. We under-stand your needs as an Independent Professional.

3. Largest supermarket of brand Free form HighDefinition lenses. You will be able to offer your customers endless lens choices such as the ZeissIndividual II, Shamir Autograph II, Seiko Surmount,Hoya ID and Essilor Definity. We have recentlylaunched our value line of US Optical proprietaryFree form HD lenses, such as the Ultimate HD™

and the Wrap HD™.

4. We are easy to work with. Our customer service is extremely knowledgeable and will be helpful

Ralph Cotran Robert Cotran Ronald Cotran

USOptical_0812.qxd 7/27/12 11:49 AM Page 2

to your practice. We answer all your questions promptly.

5. Our prices are Net, Competitive and Fair. All thesebenefits, including our 24Hour service are equiva-lent to a 50% price value discount over any otherlab! We do not inflate our price pages!

6. We use the most advanced MEI edger in the worldfor Wraps and Sunglass frames. (6 & 8 bases) Ourproprietary SUN RX Lens HD technology producesdistortion free & cosmetically beautiful sunglassesmaking your customers very happy and your prac-tice known as Sunglass RX experts!

7. We pioneer and specialize in new technologiessuch as Free form lenses, PhotoFusion® by Zeiss,Transitions New Vantage® polarized lenses, Carrera’sXcede Sun RX, and Pixel’s emPower!™ ElectronicEyeglasses. As our customer, you will always knowand have access to the finest and latest opticaltechnologies giving you an edge over the competition.

What is the turn-around time for a standard job to becompleted and returned to the customer?Finished jobs take between 3 to 5 working days from

when we receive the customer’s frame (3 without AR and 5 with AR). Add a day or two for drill mounts. Edged onlyjobs can be produced in 3 days even with Zeiss AR coatings! (It pays for an ECP to have a tracer as well.)Completed jobs are shipped by either FedEx or UPSovernight.

What factors should ECPs consider when determiningwhich lab to use?ECPs should look at VALUE. Does the lab they work withhelp them make money.

You make money when your lab consistently executes withdelivery and quality and is willing to become a partner,helping you with your challenges. Is customer servicefriendly and proactive, are they knowledgeable? Does thelab have reasonable pricing, fair policies and excellentconsistent turnaround time? If a problem or challengeoccurs will the lab take responsibility and fix the problem,expedite a job or redo the job correctly? Do they havemost of the products that you need? Do they give youchoices? Can they handle your sunglasses? Will the man-agers pick up the phone and talk to you when you need aspecial lens or have a complex question? Are they EASYto work with? If you find that most of the time the answeris YES, then you found the lab that brings you VALUE.

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We at US OPTICAL believe we are the best VALUE play inAmerica—besides being the FASTEST LAB IN AMERICA™.Value is also all about profitability and ease of relationshipfor the ECP. A win-win situation for the ECP and the Labcreates Value and is a great result for the American consumer!

What’s new at US Optical?US Optical is adding approximately 7,500 to 8,000 squarefeet to its facility. We need extra room to keep up with ourfast turnaround, growth, personnel and service.

In addition we bought our second BISPHERA MEI edgerwhich will cut and edge 45 pairs of eyeglass lenses perhour and will house this new edger and peripherals in thisnew addition. Also another digital surfacing line with twodigital polishers will be purchased which will sit next to theMEI edger. Because we are growing quite fast we willneed the expansion to increase our lens inventory andadditional space for our current employees as well asfuture ones. We anticipate an additional 15 employees inthe next two to three years.

We will also be building another employee cafeteria in thenew space and moving some equipment from our currentspace into the new space. This will allow us to increaseour customer service area which is very crowded currently.The expansion is needed for further growth, new digital

equipment, and a new coating center, in line with ourdesire to stay at the cutting edge of new technologies andcontinue to be one of the leaders in lens digital manufac-turing in the USA.

We also need to maintain our ability to turnaround jobs in twenty four hours as we continue to grow in order tomaintain our service standard and business model which we believe differentiates us from thousands of competitors.

Please explain the MEI edger used for wrap around sunglasses and the technology behind it?The MEI edger is a breakthrough in technology. Theseedgers can produce about 45 pairs of glasses an hour of any type, zyl or metal, rimless or drilled. It can also produce all the specialty wrap frames such as Rudy Project,Oakley Jacket and Flak Jacket, Liberty Sport, Nike Showand Skyline, Carrera Xcede and all of the Wiley X frames. Itcan do this because every edger has 12 different tools thatit uses to edge the lenses. These tools are controlled byproprietary Cad Software that cuts the lenses in sequenceto achieve the complex shapes of these lenses. ■

BISPHERA-XDD from MEI Systems. These edgers can produce up to 45 glasses per hour.

USOptical_0812.qxd 7/27/12 11:54 AM Page 4

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When it comes to practicing eyecare, there’s often a focus onclinical skills and abilities. And while that’s incredibly impor-tant, bedside manner should not be overlooked. In fact, a recentstudy has shown that poor bedside manner can harm patients’health. Researchers from Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles and theJohns Hopkins University found that surgeons’ behavior in theoperating room actually had an impact on their patients’ out-come. While you might not have a life in your hands when apatient is in your exam chair, the way you treat them can stillmake a big difference.

It’s not uncommon for patients to be nervous and on-edgewhen it comes to their eye health. Vision is obviously a highlyvalued ability and patients may be anxious when it comes timefor their exam, particularly if they have a family history of eyedisease or have been experiencing problems. It’s important topractice good bedside manner to help put patients’ fears at easeand to help develop a stronger relationship. We rounded upsome tips that may help you enhance your bedside manner.

Ease into Exams

If patients are in any way squeamish or anxious about tools inor near their eyes, you can help relieve some of that fear by

spending a little bit of time talking up front. Even justa simple explanation of what’s going to take place dur-ing the exam can go a long way in helping the patientto feel more comfortable. Do a quick walk-through ofwhat you’ll be doing or even take a “show-and-tellapproach” in which you show the patient what toolyou’re using and tell them what it is before doing any-thing. Obviously you don’t have to do this each andevery time your regular patients come in for an exam.But making it a habit with new patients will help putthem at ease and perhaps even turn them into regu-lars. A comfortable patient is much more likely to be arepeat patient.

Practice Good Communication

You have a large amount of control over how yourpatient will handle the exam or even a diagnosis andthat’s through communication. Pay attention to howyou word things and make sure that you convey clearinstructions or explanations. Don’t bog down yourcommunication with “medical speak” as it can be

overwhelming for patients. Patients feel frustrated when theyget home and feel confused by the information or instructionsconveyed. If there’s a lot that the patient needs to do or under-stand, write it down for them.

Accentuate the Positive

When giving patients information, try to focus on the positive.Even though saying “everything is fine” and “there’s not a prob-lem” essentially mean the exact same thing, using the latterphrase may cause the patient to hone in on the negative word“problem.” Help keep patients calm by remaining positive andputting some thought into the way you convey information.

Don’t Rush

While today’s eye care practitioners are often pressed for time,feeling “rushed” is one of patients’ biggest gripes. They may feelthey’re investing significant money into their eyecare, particu-larly if they regularly purchase contacts or glasses, and theywant to get all of their questions answered as part of that invest-ment. Try to schedule enough time between patients that you’reable to answer questions without making patients feel rushedout the door.

PATIENT CARELindsey Getz

Practicing GoodBedside Manner

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Focus on the Patient

During a busy day it’s easy for your attention to be pulled inmany different directions. You might be distracted by a phonecall, an email, or other happenings in the office. But try to makeit a habit that your focus is on the patient when he or she is inyour exam chair. If an urgent phone call or email can’t wait, askthe patient to excuse you and take a few minutes to attend tothe matter outside of the room. When you come back to thepatient, make it obvious that you’ve returned your full atten-tion to them. While distractions can’t always be avoided, tryingto give the patient as much of your attention as you can affordwill pay off.

Diagnose Delicately

If you’re an eye care veteran you’ve likely seen it all. But alwaysremember that a diagnosis of even a minor eye condition isnew and potentially scary for your patient. Take the time towalk through the condition with your patients, arming themwith information. Even if you’re sending them to a specialist,it’s helpful to take some time explaining the diagnosis and whatit will mean so that they feel prepared. Print-outs with infor-mation on common conditions can be a helpful take-homeitem for the patient. It’s likely they may feel overwhelmed asyou explain what you’ve found, and might not be fully listeningor comprehending what you’re saying. It can help for them tohave some information to take with them when they’re betterable to digest it.

Pretend it was You

No matter what the diagnosis or situation, it helps to put thepatients’ mind at ease as best as you can. This might not be easywith a difficult diagnosis, but the way you deliver the informa-tion can go a long way. Put yourself in your patient’s shoes andthink about what you’d want to be told. Make sure patients arewell-aware that you’re available if they have additional ques-tions or need more information. If you’re sending them tosomeone else’s care, make a point to follow up and see howthey’re doing.

Leave on a Positive Note

Some patients are just difficult and that may make it hard tohave a “good exam” no matter what. But even if the patient wasn’t easy or you had to deliver a tough diagnosis, try to wrapthings up in a positive way. Reassure them about the specialistthey’ll be seeing, the great advances in eye care, or even some ofthe top-notch treatments available.

There’s always a way to find some sort of bright side and putting the emphasis on that is important for patients. Even ifit was just a routine visit, try to wrap things up on a positivenote so that patients walk out feeling well cared for and happyabout their time at your practice. ■

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The Ins and Outs of Computer GlassesTalk to anyone in the United States today, and nine times out of10 they use some sort of technology during the day. Maybe theyare at a job where they are on a computer for eight hours a day,maybe they are addicted to their smartphone or tablet, ormaybe they love spending their free time in front of their per-sonal laptop surfing the Internet.

And statistics like these prove it:

• About 82 percent of Americans frequently work with acomputer or a hand-held device, according to theAmerican Optometric Association’s (AOA) Eye-QTMsurvey.

• Nearly 75 million people in the United States currentlyuse tablets and that number is expected to hit 117 million,or 47 percent of Internet users in the United States, by2013, according to an article on DigitalTrends.com.

• The number of smartphone users in the United States isexpected to grow to 110 million people by 2015, accord-ing to NIC, Inc.

This increase in technology use has also driven an increase foreye and vision issues related to staring at a computer screen forlong periods of time. According to the AOA, a survey of optometrists indicated that 10 million primary eye careexaminations are provided annually in the United States main-ly because of visual problems of computers users on the job.

To help meet the needs of their patients, ECPs may want to consider offering computer glasses and/or occupational lensesin their practice.

What They Are

According to Robert Escobedo, master optician at the SouthernCalifornia College of Optometry, computer glasses and occupa-tional lenses are specifically for patients who are on the com-puter for a long period of time and more than just a few hours.

“(The patient) would get a very wide viewing area for the computer screen and it would take a lot of the strain off theireyes if they’re on the computer for more than four hours a day,”Escobedo says, when discussing the patient benefits ofcomputer glasses.

Computer glasses are also different from normal prescriptionglasses as they are made specifically for the computer-viewingrange of between 26 and 32 inches, says Joe Croft, ChiefTechnology Officer (CTO) for Gunnar Optiks.

Escobedo adds that many times computer glasses or occupa-tional lenses will have an anti-reflective coating to help cutdown on the glare from light emitted from the computer screenitself, or glare of fluorescent lighting off the monitor. “And some people like a tint, so they have certain tints that they recommend for indoor lighting and for the computer screenthat can be an enhancement for the lenses also,” he says.

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Prescribing Tips

When prescribing computer glasses for a patient, Croft says it’simportant for ECPs to understand the problems of long-termcomputer viewing so then they can look for those problems intheir patient and help them find a solution.

The first, says Croft, is fixed focal distance for long periods oftime. “You get your focusing mechanism locked down on a tar-get for a long time, and those muscles are flexed and they aren’tgetting a lot of chance to relax,” he explains. Next is blink rate,so ensure that a patient has proper tear production and reten-tion, says Croft. Helping to fix the patient’s quality of life andcutting down on “extraneous visual noise” is also important.

When prescribing computer glasses or occupational lenses forpatients wearing progressive lenses – which correct for far,intermediate and near distances – Escobedo says there is anoption for ECPs called occupational progressives that may be abenefit to that patient. “For somebody who’s on the computer,the channel where the computer power is in the progressivelens isn’t wide enough for somebody to get a real good use outof it when they’re working on the computer for more than fourto five hours a day,” he explains. “That’s when a computer pro-gressive would work for that patient a lot better.”

Making the Sale

For ECPs that are considering offering computer glasses oroccupational lenses to their patients, how can they make suretheir patients are purchasing?

Croft suggests the first step is to make sure there are “quality oflife” type questions in the new patient questionnaire that willget patients thinking about their computer usage, such as howlong do they work on a computer each day, do their eyes feeltired after being on the computer, etc. “If they get their patientthinking about computer eyewear, it becomes very easy to thenstart prescribing computer eyewear,” he adds.

At SCCO’s Eye Care Center, Escobedo says they post material inthe optical dispensary to let patients know they offer computerlenses, and they also have pamphlets available to help ECPseducate patients on these types of offerings. “A lot of patientsdon’t even know they make a special occupational lens forcomputer users,” he adds. “But the important thing is in theexam chair to ask the lifestyle questions that would help thatpatient realize that those are available to them.”

Croft also says that offering computer glasses in a practice canbe a great way to encourage second pair sales. And taking it astep further, by offering over-the-counter computer glasses for 20/20 users, a practice can potentially see frame sales from

patients who have had corrective surgery or are wearing contactlenses.

For the Future

If you’re not currently offering computer glasses for yourpatients, should you be?

Escobedo believes the computer glasses and occupational lens-es business at SCCO’s Eye Care Center will continue to growdue to the “computer age” we are currently in and patientsbecoming more aware that these options are available.

Croft agrees and says it’s a growing field and he encourages allECPs to “jump on the bandwagon” and not only help theirpatients, but their bottom line as well.

“It would be a shame for them not to (add computer glasses totheir practice) because this is a fast moving train and they canjump on board now or possibly be left in the dust,” Croft adds.“We see that the ECPs who bring them in do phenomenallywell with it. And if they’re not the ones offering it, then it mightbe the guy across town who does.” ■

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Davis VisionManaged vision care company, Davis Vision,Inc. has named Celina Burns president. Burnsbrings more than 25 years of experience to hernew position, with experience working forhealth insurers and health and welfare professional service firms, including Humana,

Prudential Financial and Aetna. She joins Davis Vision from Buck Consultants, a Xerox Company based in Dallas,where she was a market leader and principal, responsible foroverall development and implementation of strategic andoperating plans.

Salus UniversityRear Admiral Michael H. Mittelman, OD, MPH,will succeed Dr. Thomas L. Lewis as SalusUniversity’s next president, according to theUniversity’s Board of Trustees Chair Jo Surpin.An active duty member of the Armed Forces,Dr. Mittelman will complete his service with the

Navy before beginning as Salus University president sometimein late spring or early summer 2013. In order to accommodatethis timing and to ensure a smooth transition, Dr. Lewis hasagreed to remain as president during this period.

American Academy of OpthalmologyDr. Y. Ralph Chu has been honored with theSenior Achievement Award from the AmericanAcademy of Opthalmology. The award recognizes individuals for their contributions tothe Academy through instruction, participationand other areas of service. Dr. Chu is an

international physician instructor on cataract and intraocularlens implantations, phakic lens implantations, laser visioncorrection technologies and ocular therapeutic treatments.As a solo practitioner, he founded Bloomington-based ChuVision Institute in 1999.

GUESS?GUESS? Inc. announced that Frank Rescignawould be joining the company’s senior management team as president of licensingworldwide. In this position, Frank will reportdirectly to Paul Marciano, GUESS? Co-founderand CEO, and he will be responsible for all

domestic and international licensing. Rescigna was mostrecently president of Viva International Group, the GUESSeyewear licensee.

Celina Burns Dr. Y. Ralph Chu

Frank RescignaM. Mittleman

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

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On the roadshow againJust can’t wait to help our patients againThe life I love is seeing eyewear make them grinAnd I can’t wait to put on a show again

A FEW MONTHS AGO I registered to win tickets to theAntiques Roadshow 2012 Summer Tour. I made sure to tell acouple of my antique junkie friends to register as well. Eachwinner would receive two free admission tickets and each ticket holder could bring along two items to have appraised.I knew this would probably be a once-in-a-lifetime opportuni-ty so waking up at 4:00 am was not a big deal.

On the day the results were to be announced I jumped online tocheck the status of my entry form. At the click of a button I wasvery disappointed to find out that my name was not on the listof winners. However, one of my friends did win and we hadagreed beforehand that if either of us won then we would gotogether. I was appalled to find out she had invited her brotherto go with her. No way! If it wasn’t for me she wouldn’t haveeven known about it. How could she forget about our agreement? Did she have selective memory lapse?

Oh well, nothing that forwarding a copy of the originalRoadshow email I sent her wouldn’t take care of. Without anyfuss she said her brother and I could have the tickets and shewould just go along for the ride. As we say in the South, “she’sgood people.”

The Antiques Roadshow Tour was the most organized event I have ever been to with approximately 6,000 ticket holders.My experience in that behind the scenes television show environment zoomed in on the lights, camera, action mentalitywe should try and keep in our ECP practices.

From the moment we drove into the parking lot of the event wewere treated special. The guy directing traffic was reminding usto have a good time and not to forget and leave our loot in thecar. Adequate parking spaces for patients should be high onyour practice’s priority list. It may mean that the staff has to beinconvenienced a bit. You don’t want patients coming throughyour front door already in a tizzy over what they had to gothrough just to park their car.

There were about seventy appraisers at the Roadshow that werequick to look at an item and begin their assessment. I wasamazed at some of the antique items that people brought to theshow. From famous autographs to wood carved life size figures,it’s obvious that we all have possessions which we believe arevaluable.

As ECPs we need to remain professional when appraising ourpatient’s possessions. When assessing a patient’s old worn outcheesy pair of eyeglasses, remember that they have value. Inyour mind you know they have depreciated beyond belief and

THE MOBILE OPTICIANGinny Johnson, LDO, ABOC

ON THE ROAD(SHOW) AGAIN

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Progressivelenses.com

have negative worth while in the patient’s mind they have beenand are still very valuable. It may be hard for them to finally letgo of eyeglasses that are older than dirt. Eyeglass lenses that areworn for 730 days or more can pretty much be consideredantique at this point with such rapid advancements in lenstechnology.

At the Roadshow if a ticket holder brought an item that wasdeemed extremely valuable then they were escorted to a specialsection of the exhibit hall for the possible filming of a futureRoadshow episode. Although those ticket holders might begrinning from ear to ear they were obviously nervous aboutbeing in the spotlight. Calming mannerisms were demonstrat-ed by the Roadshow’s staff to reassure ticket holders that tapingsegments of the show was fun. Sure enough everyone seemed towalk away from the set looking happy.

Helping your patients by putting the spotlight on eyeglass lenses first before discussing frame selection can be tricky attimes with a gallery full of the latest designer frames right attheir fingertips. Ask patients to describe their ideal pair of eye-glass lenses to you. If they answer “I don’t know” then helpthem know. Look at their current lenses. Are they scratched?Are the lenses cosmetically pleasing? What do they know aboutprogressive lenses? How much time do they spend on theirsmartphone/computer/outdoors/in low light situations/playing sports? How long have they been wearing lined bi-focals? Are they happy with them? Are they in denial anddon’t feel like they need to wear any corrective lenses? Assurethem that you are listening and encourage them to feed you asmuch vision information as possible. Without bombardingthem with too much information at once start building themthe best lens solution in a natural conversation.

Patients have so many choices when it comes to frame selection. Ask them what’s important to them when decidingon new frames? Do they prefer head turners or celebrityapproved frames? What colors do they like to wear? Are they

conservative? Do they want geek chic? What do they like abouttheir current frames? How often do they wear their currenteyeglasses? If they say “never” then find out why. Do they notlike the way they look? Are they uncomfortable? Do they feellike they are too small or too large for their face? Make sure theyfeel like a superstar regardless of their final frame selection.

Even though my two antique items appraised for less than $200each, the appraisers gave the items sentimental value that wasvery high and priceless. It was obvious that they were passion-ate about antiques and that they loved what they do. Do yourbest to make sure that patients will want to come back nextyear. Express the importance of eye health without soundinglike a nag. Let them know that you value their business everytime they walk through your door.

Make a big deal out of how well their new eyewear looks onthem. Share in their excitement about clear vision. Take pic-tures and let them strike a pose. Make sure you give them anywearing instructions and have answered their questions beforethey leave. Ask for referrals and offer small tokens of apprecia-tion (movie passes, gas cards, gift cards) unless you believe thata sentimental thank you is enough.

I wish that the Antiques Roadshow Tour came to town everyyear. I still can’t believe there was zero chaos with that manypeople under one roof. To help prevent chaos from happeningin your practice tell patients what to expect on their appoint-ment day. Use creative scheduling and block off a little extratime on the schedule for those precious almost antique patientsthat require extra time.

When exiting the Roadshow event they encouraged everyone toshare their feedback, thoughts or suggestions about the event.Are you encouraging your patients to provide you with feedback on how well they were treated in your practice? I suggest we all shoot for patient experiences that are pricelessand without chaos so they won’t hit the road! ■

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34 | EEYECAREPROFESSIONAL | AUGUST 2012

Also, I have been an active optometric journalist for over 15years. I am proud to report that I have never reprinted a columnin all that time and I plan to continue with that ideal. Recently,I was hard pressed to come up with a new theme for this issue.My friend and colleague, Dr. Natty Bumpo of Finster, N.J., as heoften did, came to my rescue. I received this letter that was sointriguing I felt compelled to share the information with you.

The letter is as follows: “Elmer: It’s been a while since I lastwrote to you. But I was stimulated enough by a recent unusualexperience that I felt obliged to convey the circumstances toyou. I am aware that you are always on the hunt for unusual andrare information regarding our eye care professionals,”explained Natty. “My grandson, Sam, is fourteen years old andis an avid stamp collector. On one occasion, he pointed out

a stamp that was a commemorative of vision care in a SouthAmerican country. It seems that every stamp has a story totell. Almost every country in the world has published stampsand as a result stamp collecting has become a worldwidepassion of its adherents. Typically, famous people or eventshave been regular themes. It may cover subjects such as culture, geography or history.”

Natty continued, “The study of spectacle wearers on stampsis interesting. At one time they were rarely seen but are capturing more attention in recent years. We don’t considereyeglasses as commonplace since our profession has a seri-

ous view of any appliance that is related to vision correction.But most people consider eyewear as commonplace. So, it is nosurprise to find that people are intrigued and curious about the many famous and important people that wear spectacles.”

“Jane Lippert Hushea is a stamp collector who, over a period of50 years, has amassed a specific type of collection based on atopic or theme,” said Natty. “Elmer, if you look up info on thiswoman you will discover she was a pioneer and one of the firstto work in these types of specific collections. I am enclosingcopies of samples of her collection commemorating eyewearover the ages. Jane has an intense passion for her hobby. Herinterest in eye glass stamps took root beginning in the 1950’sand continued over several decades. I was amazed to discover

SECOND GLANCEElmer Friedman, OD

EYE GLASSES AND POSTAGE STAMPSGO TOGETHEREYE GLASSES AND POSTAGE STAMPSGO TOGETHERI am a stamp collector. My stamps are only samples of United Statespostage, air mail and commemorative issues. Some are mint (unused)and many are used. I never wanted to compete with serious collectors.I merely wanted a sample of each stamp whether it be mint or not.

AUG2012.qxd 7/26/12 8:47 AM Page 34

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that she had amassed over 1,000 different examples fromalmost every country in the world. She must be the only personwho had friends in every part of the world who forwarded toher a variety of stamps, all of which pictured eyeglasses as animportant part of the theme.”

“The oldest eye glasses, according to Ms. Hushea, appeared on a stamp from a German issue depicting Nikolaus Cusanus(1401-1464) who appears to be wearing spectacles. He was apriest, scientist and philosopher. Another ‘oldie’ is the remark-able portrait of a be-spectacled Francois Rabelais (1494-1553) who was an important Renaissance writer thatappeared on a Monaco stamp. Many 19th and 20th centurypersonalities can be seen wearing eye wear on stamps. Jane wasable to organize a sort of history of eyewear by dating herstamps chronologically. A viewer may see the evolutionarychanges that have taken place in the style and type used duringvarious time periods.”

Natty continued to tell me about this remarkable woman.“She married an optician. He had an optical company inCanton, Ohio. Jane had a talent that we, in the profession, wishwe could emulate. She created window displays and advertisingpromotions for the business. She was able to produce new,exciting techniques for merchandising eyewear. Her displaysconveyed a timeless message that an eye-catching window canpromote and enhance awareness of her optical products.Between 1955 and 1959 she won seven major internationalmedals for her display advertising. In the year 2000 theNational Association of Display Windows described her ‘creativity and pure artistic thought.’ (Where was she when Ineeded help for my display window in the olden days?) She became an inspiration for many design students during the second half of the 20th century. In 2007 Jane became recog-nized by the Guinness World Records, who lauded her signifi-cant collections which have not been equaled in size or depth.”

“Elmer, I came across some information regarding this subjectthat I bet dollars to donuts that you or your readers did notknow. On April 21, 2008, Canada Post issued its first Braillestamp. It commemorated the centenary of the MontrealAssociation for the Blind. It featured a yellow Labrador

retriever guide dog, a breed commonly used to help the blind.It was appropriate for the 52 cent denomination to be printedin large type with an embossing of the Braille alphabet to assistthe visually impaired. While this stamp was the first Braillestamp to be issued in North America, it is not the first in theworld. Credit for issuing the first Braille stamp goes to Brazil.In 1974 they issued a stamp with raised dots to honor the 5thWorld Council for the Welfare of the Blind that was held in SaoPaulo. Other countries which issued stamps with Brailleembossing are Denmark, Israel and Switzerland. The latter hasadded some different stamps which include an embroideredstamp, a wooden stamp, (which is quite fragile and would splitalong the grain), stamps that smell of Swiss chocolate and,of course, Braille stamps.”

“These stamps, while helpful to the sight impaired, are a chal-lenge to collectors. The raised dots of the Braille lettering areeasily damaged, since they are nothing more than impressionson the stamp paper. Unused or mint stamps must be handledcarefully as they can be easily ‘de-embossed’ if pressed againstother objects. Used Braille stamps are virtually impossible tofind with the raised letters in good condition as the very letterprocessing equipment in the postal centers will compress theraised dots, rendering them flat and useless.”

Natty concluded by telling me the following. “Collectors owe agreat deal to Ms. Hushea and the vast information she hasaccumulated. I was able to glean a good bit of info from theinternet about this unusual person. I also owe a hearty thankyou to my grandson, Sam, for tickling my fancy regarding thesubject of eye glasses and the postage stamps they adorn. I loveall my seven grandchildren. If I knew they would be so muchfun, I would have had them first. Got to go now, all the best toyou and Lillian.”

Stamp collecting has been and continues to be a very popularand fascinating hobby. It deserves our attention and recogni-tion. Collectors number in the millions, world wide. This article is devoted to those eye care professionals who share the passion and can revel in the fact that eye care has been a recognized theme in the world of philately. ■

AUG2012.qxd 7/26/12 8:48 AM Page 36

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38 | EEYECAREPROFESSIONAL | AUGUST 2012

Continued on page 40

If you looked at the 2 pictures above, would you be able to recognize the 16thPresident of the United States, Abraham Lincoln? This black and white picture on

the left should make visual sense to us in that he is an older man with a beard.

WE RECOGNIZE his eyes, the ears, the receding hair line, hisolder age, the shape of his mouth, and his elongated head. We“see” this picture, we process this information, we draw conclu-sions about the picture, and we may even have memories aboutthis picture and what it may mean to us personally as well ashistorically.

Do you remember seeing Lincoln’s picture when it was hung on the wall in your classroom? Did you see this picture in amuseum? Do you remember President Lincoln because his picture is on the face of the five dollar bill? Do you rememberseeing his picture in U.S. history books and anytime the CivilWar is mentioned? His face is familiar to most of us. Whatabout the picture to the right? This is the same picture, except itis upside down.

On March 18, 2012, CBS and 60 Minutes host Lesley Stahl narrated a segment titled “Face Blindness: When Everyone Is aStranger.” The term “prosopagnosia” is also used to describeface blindness. According to Wikipedia, “prosopagnosia” isGreek; “prosopon” is face and “agnosia” is not knowing. This isa disorder of face perception where the ability to recognize facesis impaired, while the ability to recognize other objects may berelatively intact.

Bradley Duchaine is an associate professor of psychological andbrain sciences at Dartmouth College who is familiar with thisproblem. He compares what these people see to looking at a picture upside down. The term originally referred to a condition following acute brain damage. However, a congenitalform of the disorder has been proposed which may be inherit-ed by about 2.5% of the population. Face blindness was firstrecognized in the 1940’s when soldiers who had suffered headinjuries were now unable to recognize faces. It was not nameduntil the term prosopagnosia was first used in 1947 by JoachimBodamer, a German neurologist. He described three cases,including a 24-year-old man who suffered a bullet wound to thehead and lost his ability to recognize his friends, family, andeven his own face.

It is estimated that 1 in 50 people may suffer from face blindness. The specific brain area usually associated with faceblindness is the fusiform gyrus located in the temporal lobe ofthe human brain. Some also use the term “prosophenosia,”which refers to the inability to recognize faces following extensive damage of both occipital and temporal lobes of thebrain. As eye care professionals, the last word that we want tohear is “blindness.” We try to prevent blindness or to reduce its negative effects by providing optical aids, prescribing

Jason Smith, OD, MS

OD PERSPECTIVE

Face Blindness

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40 | EEYECAREPROFESSIONAL | AUGUST 2012

medications, and referring to specialists for medical interven-tion when necessary.

Blindness is defined as no light perception, the inability to seeanything, or amaurosis. The Dictionary of Visual Science hasthree pages of different forms of blindness including absolute,color, flash, night, organic, psychic, and snow, but there is nomention of facial blindness. People with the problem of faceblindness can see, so using the term blindness to describe thiscondition is misleading. The problem that exists is that they areunable to recognize faces that should be familiar to them, butare not. Their vision is fine, but they are unable to process whatthey see into a recognizable form.

For example, people with face blindness cannot recognize theirown face, as well as the face of a daughter, son, or spouse.Famous movie actors or actresses that most of us can recognizesuch as Julia Roberts, Meryl Streep, or George Clooney cannotbe named. Famous president’s such as Washington or Lincolnwould be a total mystery. You or I could recognize familiar faceseven if this same person changed their hair color, hair style, orplaced a hat on their head. This would only further confuse aperson with face blindness. People with face blindness who arein a business environment may use someone’s hair style, howthey dress, or their chin shape as a cue to help them “recognize”someone they already know. Changing any of these cues wouldonly complicate an already difficult situation of poor recogni-tion. Face blindness can create serious social problems. Theyoften use alternative routes to recognition, but these routes arenot as effective as actual recognition of someone’s face.

Imagine walking into your place of work where you have beenfor years and not recognizing a close co-worker or your boss.They describe the experience as “a memory that has not beenfiled.” They can describe what they see but they cannot“micromeasure” the information in order for it to be used againand again. People who may be unaware that they are havingcontact with someone with face blindness may be offendedwith the fact that this person really does not recognize them.The face blindness person may receive a reaction of being snob-bish, inattentive, or offensive. Imagine seeing the same peoplewho you have been working with for years and not being ableto recognize their faces! We recognize faces for the identity, thebeauty, the character, the expression, and the emotions that areseen, perceived, and processed by us. All of these normal humancharacteristics are missing in the face blind person. So the term“blindness” should probably be replaced with “misperception.”But the term “blindness” catches our attention.

Recently, there has been evidence that people can be born withface blindness. The causes of face blindness are still in the earlyinvestigative stages. A woman who had a tumor removed in thefusiform area of the temporal lobe suffered face blindness after

the surgery. But congenital face blindness patients who hadMRI’s of this same area all had a normal functioning temporallobe and a normal fusiform face area. Areas that are currentlyunder research include the role of brain damage, brain injuries,seizures, tumors, nerves, the wiring within the brain, and neu-rochemicals. It would appear that the human eye’s ability to seeis totally intact and functional in these patient’s. These peoplehave no problems functioning in high level occupations such asa doctor or a computer analyst. Once the visualized informa-tion begins its optical, chemical, neurological, psychological,and interpretive journey to the brain, something breaks down.

Something that is still unknown to researchers and medical scientists causes the breakdown of recognition, interpretation,understanding, perception, and memory of a face that may be new or one that has been seen numerous times. There maybe different causes to face blindness based on congenital,developmental, or hormonal problems compared to face blind-ness caused by a traumatic brain injury or a tumor. There maybe a neurobiological disorder, a microbiological, or a micro-chemical problem whose causes are not yet fully understood.There may be DNA, RNA, or chromosomal abnormalities. Thestudy of face blindness has been crucial in the development ofthe theories of face perception. Face blindness is not a singledisorder; different people may show different types and levels ofimpairment. It has been argued that face perception involves anumber of stages, each of which can be caused by separatelydamaged areas of the brain. This is reflected not just in theamount of impairment displayed, but also in the qualitative differences in impairment that a person with face blindnessmay exhibit.

As difficult as it would be for an adult to suffer from face blindness, it could be more difficult for children. They may havea difficult time making friends because they cannot recognizetheir classmates. They may be unable to distinguish who abrother or sister may be and be unable to be certain that “momis mom.” Teachers, school professionals, and physicians maytreat these children for some other problem than that whichreally does exist. Medical professionals must become moreaware that this is a real problem and develop some diagnostictests that can utilized to distinguish face blindness from something more serious such as functional autism.

The outlook for a cure or for more understanding of this andmany other medical problems lies in the research, the dollarsavailable for research, and the public outcry for solving theseproblems. Up to this point, there has been no public outcry forsolving the face blindness problem compared to medical problems such as autism. With public awareness increased bythe national exposure created by the 60 Minutes piece that wasbroadcast recently this may change. ■

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AUGUST 2012 | EEYECAREPROFESSIONAL | 43

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44 | EEYECAREPROFESSIONAL | AUGUST 2012

ADVERTISER PAGE # PHONE # WEB SITE

Allergan 31 800-433-8871 www.allerganoptometry.com

Balester Optical 33 800-233-8373 www.balester.com

CNS Frame Displays 28 877-274-9300 www.framesdisplays.com

Coburn Technologies 15 800-262-8761 www.coburntechnologies.com

CV Digital Optical Labs 26 800-475-3628 www.chematvision.com

Eyevertise 41 847-202-1411 www.EyeVertise.com

FEA Industries 27, 37 800-327-2002 www.feaind.com

Grimes Optical 44 800-749-8427 www.grimesoptical.com

Hoya Free-Form BACK COVER 800-423-2361 www.thehoyafreeformcompany.com

ic! berlin 9 49 30 247 27 200 www.ic-berlin.de

i-see optical 32 800-257-7724 www.iseelabs.com

J.F. REY 5 212-842-1269 www.jfreyusa.com

Marco INSIDE FRONT COVER 800-874-5274 www.marco.com

Marcolin INSIDE BACK COVER 888-MARCOLIN www.marcolinusa.com

Morel Eyewear 13 800-526-8838 www.morel-france.com

My Vision Express 43 877-882-7456 www.myvisionexpress.com

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National Lens 36 866-923-5600 www.national-lens.com

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Optical Women’s Association 45 972-233-9107 www.opticalwomen.com

Opticom 45 800-678-4266 www.opticom-inc.com

OptiSource 25 800-678-4768 www.1-800-optisource.com

Optogenics 16 800-678-4225 www.optogenics.com

PPG Industries 21 800-358-8258 www.nxt-vision.com/zeiss

Solutionreach 17 866-605-6867 www.solutionreach.com

Tech-Optics 43 800-678-4277 www.techopticsinternational.com

Trevi Coliseum 11,41 866-923-5600 www.national-lens.com

TuneAmp 39 888-815-3240 www.tuneamp.com

US Ophthalmic, LLC 23, 43 888-334-4640 www.gilohr.com

US Optical FRONT COVER, 19 800-445-2773 www.usoptical.com

Vision Expo West 21 800-811-7151 www.visionexpowest.com

Visionix 35 800-292-7468 www.visionix.com

Vision Systems 44 866-934-1030 www.Patternless.com

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AUG2012.qxd 7/27/12 1:14 PM Page 48

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Curt Brey, vice president of marketing and business developmentstated; “There are several critical differences that set the new True-Form System apart from other high-volume digital surfacing systems currently on the market. The CobaltDS Digital SurfaceGenerator uses a new cold mist cutting technology which combinesthe benefits of a dry cut generator with those of a wet cuttingprocess. The result: the CobaltDS eliminates the need for a large,high-maintenance water reclamation system, yet it produces a surfacefinish that may just be the best in the industry.”

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AUG2012.qxd 7/26/12 2:13 PM Page 45

46 | EEYECAREPROFESSIONAL | AUGUST 2012

Shades of ... Grey?Shades of ... Grey?

GREEN WAS POPULAR, as were the Cruxite andSoftlite shades for office use. Then along came G-15, TruColor glass and plastic, and a bit later onlike magic, we entered the realm of adaptable tints

with Photogrey glass from Corning followed by Photogrey Xtraand Photobrown Xtra, then onward to Transitions in plastic inall their forms – and I would like to say how much we like thenew Transitions Vantage.

My 8-year-old granddaughter has the first pair we dispensedand she is enjoying them. My second fit was a soccer refereewith a progressive pair, he bought them (Rudy Project Frame)for sports but likes them so well he is wearing them as an every-day pair – the red and black temples look really sharp.

In looking over current catalogues we now have incrediblechoices with tints. (26 color options in the Rudy Project catalogue alone). Kaenon offers 6 outdoor tints, while Julbo has4 options.

Got to love the versatile clips available today as well. eClips hasa great selection of 8 colors, 6 in Polarized form and you canadd 3 different mirrors to them.

Remember when Corning came out with color technology forocular problems in the 80’s? It is now called CPF GlareControl.They are photochromic glasses or clip-ons that absorb ultra-violet light and varying amounts of HEV and come in 5versions that range in color from yellow to brown. These werequite the thing when first introduced, and today they are marketed for a variety of conditions ranging from albinism toretinitis pigmentosa.

A pioneering expert in health and light; John Ott, in his book,Health and Light states:

“Certain ailments of the eye have also been related to excessiveexposure to the ultraviolet in sunlight, and (as noted earlier) thepractice of wearing sunglasses is becoming increasingly preva-lent. It would be difficult to find an optician today who did notsell one brand or another of eyeglasses designed to filter out thisso-called ‘harmful’ ultraviolet radiation and prevent it fromentering the eyes. Yet the paradox of this theory about theharmful effects of ultraviolet from sunlight is that scientificstudies relating a high rate of pterygium, an abnormal growthon the eyeball that destroys vision through exposure to highintensity sunlight in the tropics, did not take into considerationwhether or not those people with pterygium wore any kind ofeyeglasses or sunglasses which would protect the eye from theultraviolet part of the sunlight spectrum. Even ordinary eyeglasses filter out much of the ultraviolet in sunlight.”

He goes on to say: “Could the lack of the normal amount ofultraviolet in sunlight received through the eyes possibly causea condition of hormonal or chemical imbalance and in turnmake the skin hyper-sensitive to sunlight as far as skin cancer isconcerned? It is known that some drugs and certain ingredientsin soaps and cosmetics make people more sensitive to light.The question of any possible connection between different conditions of light sensitivity and hormonal imbalance or malfunction of the endocrine system might well be worth further investigation.”

Whoa, with the entire tint arsenal available wouldn’t it be akiller if it were harmful to block all UV? ■

LAST LOOKJim Magay, RDO

In the beginning there were smoked lenses,then Grey 1,2 and 3 glasses

AUG2012.qxd 7/25/12 3:15 PM Page 50

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