September 2013 Issue of EyeCare Professional Magazine

NEW RELEASES FOR FALL / PAGE 6 MANAGING MANAGED CARE / PAGE 12

September 2013 • Volume 7, Issue 69 • www.ECPmag.com

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NEW RELEASES FOR THE FALLUsher in the new season with the latest releases in eyewear and sunwear.by ECP Staff

MANAGED CARE PLANSWhich managed care plans should you adopt and how can you work with them successfully?by Cliff Capriola, Practice Management Consultant

REMEMBERING YOUR PATIENTSIncrease your patient retention and satisfaction by immediatelyremembering their names.by Anthony Record, ABO/NCLE, RDO

OFFICE EXPERIENCEFive practical ways you can make your patients’ office experiencemore enjoyable.by Corrie Pelc

EYE SHAVINGThe ancient practice of a barber scraping a razor over the eyes still goes on in China today.by Elmer Friedman, OD

SOCIAL MEDIA REVIEWSThe emergence of medical rating websites means that ECPs must be careful to avoid damaging reviews.by Jason Smith, OD

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EEYECAREPROFESSIONALMagazine

Features

Departments

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MOVERS AND SHAKERS ..................................................................................22

MOBILE OPTICIAN ...........................................................................................24

DISPENSING OPTICIAN...................................................................................28

TECHNOLOGICAL ECP ....................................................................................36

INDUSTRY QUICK ACCESS..............................................................................44

ADVERTISER INDEX .........................................................................................45

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

Cont

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On The Cover:US OPTICAL800-445-2773www.USOPTICAL.com

SEPTEMBER2013

Vol. 7Issue 69

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STARS!in their Eyes

English R&B singer Rihanna, wearingROBERTO CAVALLI sun frame ‘Marutea’in London.

Actor George Clooney wearing ‘Snowdon’by TOM FORD.

RUDY PROJECT has entered a partnershipwith Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder YasielPuig to wear its technologically advancedeyewear while on the baseball field for theremainder of his rookie Major League season in 2013.

Signet Armorlite Launches KODAK Lens Intelligent Dispensing Software

Signet Armorlite is pleased to introduce KODAKLens Intelligent Dispensing Software, also known asKODAK Lens IDS. Compatible with the latest versionof the iPad with Retina display, KODAK Lens IDS is anapp composed of three separate sections: FRAME,LENS and MEASURE. The FRAME section comparesand shares photos of patient frame options. The LENSsection assists the eyecare practitioner in educatingthe patient about the visual benefits of KODAK

Progressive Lenses including KODAK Lens designs aswell as polarized, photochromic and AR coatingoptions. The MEASURE section of the KODAK LensIDS app optimizes the use of an iPad by quickly turning it into a measuring device. With the help of a back plate with light and a frame measurement clip,patients’ prescriptions can be easily and accuratelycollected. When all sections are utilized, KODAK LensIDS is an incredibly powerful tool for the independenteyecare practitioner.

“KODAK Lens IDS is a remarkable tool for the eyecare professional,” says Francois Glon, Executive Vice-President, Global Marketing. “From helping tochoose frames, to educating patients on their lensand material options, all the way to obtaining opticalmeasurements for customized KODAK ProgressiveLenses – KODAK Lens IDS is truly a PracticeSolution.” For more information, go to: www.signetarmorlite.com/KODAKLensIDS

ic! berlinic! berlin’s fabulously innovativeSummer Collection presents theRitter Butzkes I and II – like twometal eye protectors worn byknights in the old days. The RitterButzkes’ sleek sheetmetal designoffers a perfect fit for all faceshapes with its simple clean elegantdesign. www.ic-berlin.de

Correction from the August 2013 Issue:

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New Releasesfor FALL

2. Trevi ColiseumClark 832 is constructed from the highest qualityMazzucchelli zyl with silver metal temple inlays foradded style. It defines the concept of fashion andbeauty. Available in 3 beautiful colors: red (shown),black and blue. Made in Italy and backed by a twoyear warranty. Sold exclusively in North America by

National Lens. www.national-lens.com

3. BCBGMAXAZRIABCBGMAXAZRIA Celeste’s lightweight,flat metal Wayfarer is heavy on style. This retro inspired frame is modernizedthrough a fashion forward stud bardesign on its temporal edges. The rich &colorful temple materials make Celeste astandout beauty. Available in Black, BlueSlate, and Wine. www.cvoptical.com

1. Spectacle EyeworksThe Canadian design house keeps thegeek chic revival revving with sevennew additions to their RETRO line, acollection of cool, confident designswith current old-school style.Seamlessly blending the modernand the modish, these fresh stylesalso play with opposing ends of thesize spectrum. Adding to the appealof the new designs is the unique dotmatrix finish utilized on each frame,which adds a rich texturizing to thecolor, without being intrusive.www.spec-eyeworks.com

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4. LINDBERGLINDBERG Strip 9800 blends style details fromLINDBERG acetate and titanium plate designs, withthe upper rim featuring more pronounced curves,and the unique screw-free front where the lenses fixthe acetate front to the titanium frame. The range isour only ‘combi-style’ frame, distinctive for its subtlecurvaceous appearance and fashion-forward fiftiesinspired design. www.lindberg.com

5. SALT OpticsInspired by the timeless styles of the 50’s and 60’s,THE HARLAN pays homage to this classic era.Handcrafted construction of Italian acetate and titanium is paired with flexible silicone nose padsintended for maximum comfort. The engraved detailing on the bridge gives this piece a classic lookand feel. The HARLAN sun comes in two colorsalong with PFV polarized lenses while the HARLENRX has four color options. www.saltoptics.com

6. ic! berlinColorful, gaudy, shiny. Just like a rainbow. Nearly too good to be true. Just like our frames. This time,we’ve coated them: no varnish. They shine in

exciting new colors created through simple light refraction. For the first time,through the electric! PVD coating, wehave managed to get our stainless steelto sparkle in fantastic new colors. We’re launching eight new models in four new

colors: electric! violet, electric! light blue,electric! turquoise and electric! magenta. www.ic-berlin.de

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Revolution Eyewear

Revolution Eyewear continues to raise the bar with a newcombination of zyl and titanium. This fashion forward style willfeel weightless on your face. Featured is Matte Rose, othercolors include Dark Tortoise, Sky Amber, and Turquoise. Sizeis 50-21-140 with a generous B measurement of 40.8 forthose needing progressives. www.revolutioneyewear.com

Hilco

The new FrameWorks Asia Collection is your plasticframe fitting solution for Asian/ethnic patients. Mostframes are designed and constructed to fit typicalCaucasian facial features, not the higher cheekbonesand flatter bridges of many Asian and other ethnicfaces. The frames feature a reduced pantoscopicangle, flatter face form, higher nose pads or thickerbuilt-up pads and wider bridges. www.hilco.com

MarcolinKC2725 from the Kenneth Cole Reaction sun collectionis a new part of a special 11-piece capsule created byMarcolin and Kenneth Cole Productions. The overallzebra stripe pattern is printed on a paper transfer andwrapped over the injected frame, making the styleextremely lightweight; it also features a smoky gradientlens. www.marcolin.com

Baby Banz

Baby Banz is excited to announce a new specialty line ofJunior Banz. These frames feature Swarovski crystals handplaced by Jimmy Crystal of New York. These fun frames arefashionable and protective – featuring 100% UVA/UVB protection as well as polarized lenses. usa.babybanz.com

Jonathan Paul Eyewear™

We proudly set the trend in over-prescription sunglasses with25 styles and 46 colors. Sunglass sizes range from extra-small to extra-large and can be worn with or without regularprescription glasses. As trend setters, we carry 2 styles ofsunglasses for children. IKARA™ style – Berry Crush with aPOLARVUE™ Gray lenses (IK002). www.fitovers.com

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Best Image Optical

This Fall/Winter, the Dolabany Eyewear collection recreatesoriginal vintage design that captures the true retro-trend withframe models: Arden & Wilder. The Arden (shown) and theWilder are two very different designs that enhance the collec-tion, while incorporating the finest Italian zyl in deep, earthytones, which include tortoise patterns, crystal frame fronts,and honey hues. bestimageoptical.com

K-Mars Optical

Undergram™ Eyewear – Guinness World Record lightest eyewear frame in the world. Made from 100% medical gradetitanium. This frame is available in different thickness andmultiple colors. www.kmarsoptical.com

Rudy ProjectDistilling several key technologies intoa unified form, the new Agon sunglassis the ultimate fusion of aesthetics and function. Years of research withbiometric specialists have advancedthe design to achieve ultimate comfortand stability. The newly integratedVent Controller™ allows rapid adjust-ment of airflow to reduce thermalshock and prevent fogging. Helmetcompatibility is a core design concept– assuring the Agon fits perfectly withany lid. www.rudyprojectusa.com

Clariti Eyewear

New AirMag Style A6030: This AirMag Acetate Eyewear withpolarized clip-on magnetic sunglasses suits a variety of per-sonalities. From geek chic to sophisticate and professional,Clariti Eyewear offers this style in three rich colors includingMatte Black, Demi Brown/Green and Black/Crystal Blue.www.claritieyewear.com

J.F. Rey

JF2518: The new STRUCTURE line explores the fashion and textiles fields in the autumn/winter seasons. Using laserengraving technology, with an extremely thin work design, the brand succeeds in creating some outstanding touch and textile effects. Scottish tartan, dog tooth pattern and sophisti-cated weaving bring a pure and smart silhouette. The stainless-steel work allows subtle light effects to enhance the frames. www.jfrey.fr

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Consumer Barometer Shows 3.9 Percent Increase in Vision Care Market Revenues

The latest VisionWatch Consumer Barometer, covering the 12-month period ending June 2013,reflects a 3.9 percent overall increase in revenues for vision care products and services in the U.S. compared to the prior year period.

The total vision care market, as defined by TheVision Council’s VisionWatch survey, reached $35.47billion in the 12-month period, and includes dollarsspent at all retail types, at any retail location, andspent on the sale of either spectacle lenses (includingRx Sun), frames, contact lenses, plano sunglasses, OTC readers or revenue earned by refractive surgery or eye examinations. The numberdoes not include sunglass clips and reflects the dollars spent by U.S. adults ages 18 and over.

The report shows an increase in Rx spectacle lenssales of 6.0 percent to $10.85 billion in that 12-monthperiod, while frame sales at retail rose 2.7 percent in

dollars to $8.77 billion during the year ending June.Contact lens sales, in dollars, climbed 5.9 percent to$4.1 billion in that period while plano sunglassesincreased 4.0 percent in retail dollars to $3.61 billion.

Also during the 12 months ending June,VisionWatch reported that eye exam revenuesreached $5.34 billion, up 2 percent from the year agoperiod. The number of eye exams for refraction conducted within the last six months for the periodending June 2013 was 50.8 million, per the ConsumerBarometer, compared to 49.9 million for the six-month period ending June, 2012. Independents conducted 68.2 percent of the eye exams in the sixmonths ending June, even with the prior year’s six-month period ending in June 2012. Chains conducted 31.8 percent of the eye exams for the sixmonths ending June, 2013, versus 32.0 percent forthe six months ending June, 2012.

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SINCE LITTLE WAS KNOWNabout it back then, rumorsabounded, and there were allsorts of theories on how to

prepare for it. Basically, managed careseeks to lower the costs and improve theeffectiveness of healthcare under a formalsystem that sets standards, reviews pro-grams, and negotiates fees. Emphasis is onpreventive care and practicing efficiently,with incentives to do so. It became appar-ent early on that managed care wouldhave vastly different effects on the threeO’s of eye care (opticians, optometrists,and ophthalmologists).

Since one of the methods of reducingcosts and improving efficiency was theconcept of providing all eye care servicesunder one roof, the free-standing opti-cians bore the brunt of the impact man-aged care had on the eye care industry.In fact, since they could provide only oneof the three components of eye care (pri-mary care, surgery, and vision correction);opticians were not allowed to participatein many plans. For the optometrists andophthalmologists managed care was adouble-edged sword. Yes, it lowered theprofit per patient providers had grownaccustomed to, but it also increased thepatient volume of ODs and MDs alike.

It appeared ophthalmologists held theupper hand since by adding a dispensarythey could provide patients with all threecomponents of eye care. Since virtuallyeveryone was unsure of the exact effectsmanaged care would have, many ODsaffiliated with MDs so they would not beleft out of provider panels. However, the

business-savvy optometrists realized thatthey could function perfectly well in amanaged care environment without paying outrageous fees to join a specificMD group. They simply found local ophthalmologists they were comfortableworking with and retained patients forprimary care and most vision correction.

Managed care is a given in today’s marketplace, and in 2013 the largest managed care problems facing independ-ents are maximizing managed care anddetermining which plans to participate in.Let’s analyze how to do just that, alwayskeeping in mind that the real power in anyplan lies with the end users – the patientsand the doctors. Go into this processknowing that you are not required toaccept any plans, and choose the ones that

work for your practice. Here are some tipsto help you decide which plans to keep oradopt and how to work with them on aneveryday basis:

1. Is The Plan Profitable?The easiest method to determine this is tofind the average patient transaction valuefor a given plan. This is relatively easy todetermine from your financial statements.Take the total dollar volume from a planfor the previous year and divide it by thenumber of patients seen who are coveredby the plan. If you have no history withthe plan, determine your chair cost.You can do this by taking your annualoverhead costs and dividing that numberby the number of hours you are open per year.

PRACTICE MANAGEMENT

Cliff Capriola, Practice Management Consultant

12 E Y E C A R E P R O F E S S I O N A L

Are You Thriving With Managed Care?In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, managed care appeared as a modern-day Sword of Damocles, hanging over the eye care industry.

Continued on page 14

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2. Can You Profit From Selling UP?One of the most important factors to consider is whether the plan allows you toprofit from selling premium products.If so, you and your staff need to betrained to sell today’s premium products.So much of this depends upon how infor-mation given to the patient is phrased;for example, which dispenser would youprefer working with your patients?

Dispenser 1 – “Well, your insurance covers frames up to $X, and scratch-coated plastic lenses.”

Dispenser 2 – “These lightweight andthin polycarbonate anti-reflective lenses,which allow more light to reach your eyes,reduces eye strain, and improve yourvision, would cost you $X without yourinsurance, but for you, they would onlycost you $X minus Y.”

The first dispenser takes a very negativepoint of view and obviously has a low opinion of the patients’ visioninsurance. The second dispenser beginswith the fact that her or his patientsshould have the opportunity to acquire

the product best for their vision, and thatit is not the dispensers’ place to calculatewhat the patient might want to spend.Dispenser 1 stresses the low amount covered by insurance, while Dispenser 2stresses how much more affordable theoptimal product is for the patient.

3. Patient CommunicationI have seen far too many offices wherepatients arrive not having a clue as towhat their insurance covers. This leads to upset and disillusioned patients whooften blame the dispensers. Vision insurance companies are notorious fornot communicating the plan details to theemployees covered. When at all possible,pre-certify patients coming in as to their

eligibility, and when setting appointmentsurge patients to check with the planadministrator in their company to explaintheir benefits BEFORE coming into yourpractice. Most vision plans are madeavailable to companies for little or no costto the business. There is nothing wrongwith telling patients that pay $X permonth into the plan to re-evaluatewhether their plan is worth what they pay.This leads us to:

4. Offer Your Own Vision PlanSooner or later you will have to drop anunprofitable plan, and in this situation it is best to offer an alternative. Manypractices, especially is small communities,have offered their own plan to local areabusinesses free of charge. They do nothave to be complicated and the easiestmethod is to offer a percentage discountoff of goods and services. Spend a fewdollars and have vision plan cards printedup and get out into your community.

5. Designate an Insurance Contact PersonYou need to have one person in yourpractice who serves as your in-house

“The largest managed careproblems facing independentsare maximizing managed careand determining which plansto participate in.”


E Y E C A R E P R O F E S S I O N A L 15

expert on the plans you accept. It could bean office manager, head optician, or frontdesk person. This person would also beresponsible for any ongoing training concerning any plan changes affectingyour practice.

6. Outsource Your Coding and BillingIf you’re a small practice, it’s usually noteconomically feasible to have one personon staff that will do billing, claim filing,claim follow-up, and coding for maximum reimbursement effectively.Competent coding and insurance employees can easily cost you $50,000-$60,000 per year, and that person is oneless employee focusing on making moneyfor you.

7. Should You Drop (or Not Join) a Plan?Usually 80% of your income is derivedfrom 20% of your patients, and thisshould be kept in mind when decidingwhether to keep or enroll in a plan. Thatsaid, there a quite a few factors to takeinto consideration when you make thisdecision (hey, they call it managed care,not easy care!)

a. Profitability – obviously, the mostimportant factor in this decision.Does the plan meet or exceed yourchair cost per hour? If not, is itclose enough that the volume ofpatients makes it worthwhile?

b. Ease of Use – does the plan makeyour employees jump throughhoops to get each patient pre-certi-fied? Does the plan make you waitand wait for re-imbursement? Do your patients hate the plan?Might they be happier if offered astraight discount plan throughyour practice vision plan?

c. Patient Volume – this is wherethings can get tricky. If you are in asmall town with 2 or 3 mainemployers, and 2 of them have acertain plan, then you almost haveto accept the plan. Along with this,however, is your patient volume.How far out are you booked? Ifyour next appointment is a monthfrom now, it’s pretty safe to drop anunderperforming vision plan.

d. If you drop a plan, notify the

affected patients with a mailing,offering them either a cash dis-count on goods and services ontheir next visit or membership inthe free vision plan offered by yourpractice. Communication is thekey to retaining these patients andsome providers actually see anincrease in the average patienttransaction with these patients.

8. The Devil is in the DetailsFewer and fewer practices have the luxuryof not accepting managed care. So, insteadof whining about it, embrace it! Oneindisputable effect of managed care is thatit magnifies the strong and weak areas ofyour practice. If your staff is weak in marketing premium products, the effecton your bottom line will be larger withmanaged care patients than with cashpatients. If communication of benefits isweak, patients will spend more time in the dispensary, disrupting patient flow.I hear many doctors say that managedcare is killing their practice, when in fact;it is their practice that can’t handle managed care. �


Building a BetterMemoryYEARS AGO I WAS WORKING WITHA NEWLY LICENSED OPTICIAN INONE OF OUR STORES.

There was no doctor that day so it was arelatively laid-back environment. Justbefore noon, a middle-aged womanentered our shop. She was dressed in avery distinctive, professional manner. Theyoung optician approached the client andsaid, “Good morning, how may I helpyou?” The customer replied, “I pickedthese glasses up a few days ago, and Ithink the tint is too dark. They said youmight be able to lighten them for me.”The young optician said no problem, andinstructed the woman to return in a cou-ple of hours. So far, so good.

Fast forward two hours later. Whilebusiness had picked up a bit, it was still anon-doctor day so it’s not like it had beenGrand Central Station. The business-woman returned, and the same opticianapproached her, saying (you guessed it),“Good afternoon, how may I help you?”In other words, despite the fact that shehad only interacted with maybe eight orten people since their first encounter,despite the fact it had only been a coupleof hours, and despite the fact the clientwas dressed exactly the same way, theoptician had no memory whatsoever ofhaving met the woman at all.

If you can’t relate to that specific event,I’m sure most of you can relate to thisone: You meet someone for the first timeand of course, you introduce yourself toone another. Maybe the person you’remeeting says, “Hi, my name’s Carol.” Andas she walks away you find yourself think-ing, “What the heck was her name?” Whenyou address her you say, “It sure was niceto meet you Karen,” or “See you later,Sharon.” If you’re lucky, at some pointshe’ll remind you, “It’s Carol!”

That happened to me many times overthe years, but it never embarrassed meenough to do anything about it, until oneday when it happened to me in front of abunch of important people. Finally, it hadembarrassed me enough to do somethingabout it. So I bought a book on improvingmemory called, oddly enough, “TheMemory Book” by Harry Lorayne. Here’sa novel idea (for some people): I read it! Ilearned I was doing things as I met peoplethat were counterproductive to remem-bering their names, and I picked up somereal-life tips and techniques that I couldreally relate to – things that I said tomyself, “I could do that.”

Now to be honest, there were a coupleof things he suggested doing that I said tomyself, “Oh no...that’s not me...I couldnever do that.” But I didn’t discard thebook because of the one or two things Ifelt I couldn’t do. Rather, I embraced thosethings I knew I could do. And after prac-ticing for a few weeks, I developed theability to remember names and faces bet-ter than probably 95% of my peers andcolleagues.

What are the advantages to that? Theadvantages for you personally would varydepending on what you do. For me, I seetwo distinct advantages. As aninstructor/lecturer, demonstrating the

ability to remember 30-40 attendees’ firstand last names without nametags provesto them that any challenge can be over-come - if we’re willing to take in newinformation and do a few things different-ly. But as an ECP (Eye Care Professional)working the front lines of my optical dis-pensary, the advantage is huge. Imagineyou’re a customer who hasn’t been to myoffice for six months...imagine the differ-ence between the following two greetings.Greeting One: “Good morning, welcometo Max Optics, how may I help you?”Greeting Two: “Good morning, Mr.Cusack, nice to see you again, how’d yourwife’s hip operation turn out?” To borrowfrom our optometric friends, “Was it better at one...or better at two?” Theinstant rapport in the second greetingshould be quite obvious to all.

Now I’m not going to mislead you. Ican’t greet all of my previous clients theway I illustrated in Greeting Two. Butguess what? I can with maybe 60-70 per-cent of them. Not too shabby. And beforeI share a few things you can do to improveyour memory, let me address what someof you are thinking. Things like, “I couldnever do that,” or “I was born with a badmemory,” or “That’s just the way I am.”You could settle for that. But instead ofbeing so quick to say that’s just the wayyou are, why not consider that that’s justthe way you choose to be. Take in somenew information, be willing to do things alittle differently than you do now, and thesky is truly the limit. So here are a few tipsfor improving your memory.

First, get yourself a good reference guide – the place where you can learnsome different things to do. Things likerepetition, facial cues, association, devel-oping a memory landscape. The book Imentioned earlier is a good one, as is “The Memory System” by Bob Burg.

MANAGING OPTICIAN

Anthony Record, ABO/NCLE, RDO



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Second, learn to use mnemonic devices.Most people think mnemonic devices areonly acronyms you use to rememberthings. Any ECP remembers the order ofthe colors in the spectrum using theacronym Roy G. Biv (this is a nameacronym that helps you remember it’s red,orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, andviolet). However, you will learn fromwhatever reference book you purchase,that basically anything you use to helpimprove your memory is a mnemonicdevice: a to-do list, Microsoft Outlook, apiece of string tied around your finger.

Third, consider that diet, exercise, nutri-tion, lifestyle choices, and even sleep canaffect your ability to remember. Accordingto Dr. Laura J. Martin, in an article pub-lished by WebMD, exercise may “slowdown or even reverse age-related memoryloss in older adults.” Not surprisingly, thesame foods that are good for your waist-line, are good for your memory; foods likewhole grains, fresh fruit and vegetables,and not too much protein - just enoughto fuel your body’s daily activities.Another study suggested that diets rich inolive oil were conducive to good memoryskills (of course it was from an Italian

university, so maybe it was just a bitbiased). Omega-3 acids found in mostlycold-water fish like salmon, tuna, and her-ring, also had a positive influence on “nat-ural” memory.

Researchers at the University of NorthCarolina have proven that vitamin B12 isimportant for memory and other cogni-tive functions. According to nutritionistand researcher Richard C. Mohs, “Gettingenough of vitamins C and E may alsoperk up flagging memory and keep itsharp.” Dr. Mohs also claims that magne-sium (which is sometimes called the anti-stress mineral) has “many essential meta-bolic functions in the body, and it may beimportant in learning and memory.” Hisresearch also showed that routine aerobicexercise can also maintain, and evenimprove, memory function. As you wouldalso imagine, drinking too much alcoholand smoking too much tobacco canadversely affect your memory. Morespecifically those two habits can perma-nently damage your ability to remember“everyday life.”

Fourth and finally, it has long beenknown that inadequate sleep can also neg-

atively affect your memory. Research asfar back as the 1960s showed that peoplewho didn’t get enough sleep the nightbefore had a harder time processing sim-ple, short-term memory items. Maybethat optician I worked with years ago hadpulled an all-nighter! If you have difficultyfalling asleep, memory experts say you arebetter NOT taking sleep-inducing drugs.Instead they offer the following six guide-lines for falling asleep naturally: 1) Go tosleep and wake up at the same time everyday. 2) Keep your bedroom quiet anddark. 3) Follow the same routine beforeyou go to bed each night. 4) Use yourbedroom only for sleep (and that otherbedroom activity that begins with the let-ter S). Do not read, watch TV, eat, or talkon the phone while in bed. 5) Don’t try to“concentrate” on falling asleep. 6) If youhaven’t fallen asleep after 20-30 minutesin bed, get up and go to another room, sitquietly, read, or watch TV. Then go backto bed. Repeat steps 5 and 6 as necessary.

Developing a better memory is like any other skill: It takes time and a littlediligence to master. And while nothing is a guarantee, I can promise you from personal experience: it’s possible. �

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MAR2013_Allergan.qxd 2/28/13 12:00 PM Page 1

GETTING PATIENTS to stepinto your practice is important.

However, what kind of an experiencethey have while in your office can makethe difference between a one-time patientand a repeat patient. And let’s face it –repeat patients is how a practice is built asnot only do they keep coming back, butmany times they become your referralsource by spreading the word to theirfriends and family.

“Those patient referrals are the bestreferrals you’ll ever get, and probably theleast expensive referrals you’ll ever get,”says Joy Gibb, ABOC, owner of Eyes of JoyMobile Optical Service in Woods Cross,UT. “If you want to be the best, you reallyhave to have people feel comfortable to goout saying they are the best.”

“It’s vital to our survival because wemostly grow our practice through word ofmouth,” says Dr. David Redman, co-ownerof Precision Eye Care Centers in

Mountain View and San Jose, CA. “Thereare nine optometrists to choose from inour town, so if we don’t do a good jobthere are plenty of other good doctors tochoose from, so we like to make sure thatwe give the best service possible.”

That means it’s up to the doctor andtheir staff to make sure their patients aregetting the best in-office experience possi-ble, which sometimes is not as simple as itseems. Here are five tips on how you canhelp ensure you’re giving your patients thebest experience possible.

#1 – A Warm Welcome

One of the things emphasized to theentire team — both doctors and staff —at Gee Eye Care in Missouri City, TX, ismaking sure patients receive a warm wel-come, says owner Dr. Kevin Gee. “Whenyou walk into our office we want you tofeel like you’re at home,” he explains.

Dr. Gee’s staff achieves a warm welcomein two ways. The first is the way patients

are greeted — he says it’s never with a “hi”or “hello,” but instead they are “wel-comed” into the practice. Plus being thatthe majority of their storefront is glass, thestaff anticipates and watches for patientscoming in. “About 80 percent of the time(we) open the door for the patient whenwe see them walking to the door,” he adds.

Another way patients are welcomed isthrough the appearance and ambience ofthe office, including how it smells. “One ofthe first things folks will comment onwhen they walk into our office is this scentwe have in the office,” Dr. Gee says, whichis an aromatherapy-type smell that con-veys a “homey feeling.”

#2 – Make it Simple

Another way of improving a patient’sin-office experience is to make it as simplefor them as possible, Gibb says. For exam-ple, allow patients to complete paperworkbefore coming to the office or makeappointments online. Or hire on a patientliaison to find out about insurance bene-fits before a patient even walks throughthe door. “Anything you can do to makethat main contact streamlined, easy, andconvenient I think is huge.”

And much of that, Gibb says, comesdown to the communication within theentire office team. “When you don’t havegood communication, sometimes moralegoes down the tubes, sometimes you havemiscommunication, and people aren’treally sure what their job is supposed to beor what their responsibilities are,”she explains.

For this reason, Gibb suggests regular,consistent staff meetings. “Just don’t dropthe big bombshells on them, but reallymake sure they’re in-tune with how theoffice is functioning on a regular weekly

MARKETING ECP

Corrie Pelc


5 Ways To Better Your Patients In-Office Experience

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basis,” she says. “Touching base with the staff makes a huge difference in that.”

#3 – Know Your Stuff

At Precision Eye Care Centers, Dr. Redman says not only offering good quality products and services, but having staffknowledgeable about them, is key. “Knowing a lot about theproducts and services you offer (makes it) so you can be confident in what services you offer,” he adds.

Dr. Redman says they guarantee all services in their office totheir patients, such as successful contact lens fittings and glasses.And for products, they offer a two year guarantee. “Even if theybreak, if they bring back the pieces we’ll replace it for them within reason,” Dr. Redman says.

And when it comes to knowledge, Gibb suggests doctors be notonly willing but engaged in making sure their staff have opportu-nities to become educated about the products in the office —where does it come from, how is it made, why is it priced the wayit is. “If you don’t know your products, it’s really hard to sell it,”she adds. “It doesn’t sound like you’re recommending it, itsounds like you’re selling it and there’s a difference.”

#4 – Have Fun

Another way to better patients’ in-office experience is to have ateam that has fun together, Gibb says, who adds it should be funto do business with you. “Are people excited to work there?” shesays. “If they’re not, it conveys to the patient.”

Gibb also suggests figuring out what is it that makes your prac-tice unique to patients. “It doesn’t have to be expensive, it doesn’thave to be over the top, but what makes it fun to do businesswith you,” she adds.

For example, Dr. Redman has a funny candy jar on theircounter — a kid’s Halloween basket that’s a large eyeball withfeet. “The staff dresses it up for each season, so for Fourth of Julyit had red, white and blue,” he says. “Patients really like that.”

#5 – A Fond Farewell

And when it’s time for patients to leave, don’t let their experi-ence just end abruptly — that is where the “fond farewell” comesin, says Dr. Gee. He says patients are literally escorted out thedoor and thanked on the way, and staff even helps patients totheir cars since many times they have been dilated for their exam.“About 99 percent of our patients are walked to the door andoutside the door when they leave our office,” Dr. Gee adds.

Dr. Redman and his staff also make sure to thank patients fortheir business before they leave. Additionally, they send eachpatient a survey so they can comment to them directly on howtheir experience was. The surveys are shared and discussed withthe entire staff on ways they can improve. “We’ll either improveour policies or talk to the patient directly — our goal is always to exceed their expectations,” he adds. �

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Optical Lab Division Awards and PioneersThe Optical Lab Division has named BarneyDougher, president of Hoya Vision Care, NorthAmerica, as the recipient of the 2013 Directors’Choice Award. This year’s Optical Pioneers Hall ofFame honorees are: Richard Cherry, president ofRD Cherry Optical, Jonathan Jacobs, president ofSuperior Optical, Andrew Karp, editor Jobson

Optical Group, James McLean, former owner of Dietz-McLeanOptical, David Rips, president of Younger Optics, JosephSantinelli, CEO of Santinelli International, and Robert Shanbaum,president of Ocuco.

Shared Visions V-AwardsMarshall B. Ketchum University will honor community leaders for their philanthropic impactand humanitarian support of optometry at thethird annual Shared Visions Gala & V-Awards. TheCorporate V-Award will be presented to Allergan,Inc. and will be accepted by Allergan chairman ofthe board and CEO, David E.I. Pyott. The

Founder’s V-Award will be accepted by the Ketchum family for the university’s founder, Marshall B. Ketchum, MD. The Shared Visions Artist Award will go to Susan Joy Gustafson ofVancouver, Wash.

Vision SourceVision Source’s founder, Glenn D. Ellisor, OD,will transition from chairman and chief executiveofficer to the newly created position of executivechairman of the corporation. Jim Greenwood willassume the role of president and chief executiveofficer. Ellisor will continue to lead the company’sboard of directors and will remain actively involved

in the company’s strategy development, including being the full-time clinical lead of the company and setting the strategicdirection of the optometric alliance.

George Woo Wins AwardProfessor George Woo, visiting chair professor ofoptometry and emeritus professor of The HongKong Polytechnic University’s School ofOptometry, will be presented the Essilor Award forOutstanding International Contributions toOptometry by the American Academy ofOptometry next month. Woo graduated with a

Doctor of Optometry degree from the University of Waterloo andcompleted his PhD at Indiana University. After serving at differentuniversities in Canada, the U.S., the U.K. and Australia, he joinedthe then Hong Kong Polytechnic in 1987.

Barney Dougher

David E.I. Pyott

Glenn D. Ellisor

George Woo


SEPT2013_MOVERS.qxd 8/28/13 12:33 PM Page 2

Neurotech PharmaceuticalsNeurotech Pharmaceuticals, a biotechnology com-pany developing sight-saving therapies for chron-ic retinal disease, announced that James Mazzowas appointed the company’s executive chairman.Mazzo, a long time leader in the ophthalmic industry, is the former CEO of AbbottMedical Optics (AMO), is an operating partner

at Versant Ventures and was recently named chairman and CEO ofAcuFocus, a Versant portfolio company.

SynergEyesSynergEyes, Inc. has appointed Peg Achenbach,OD, FAAO, vice president of professional services.Prior to joining SynergEyes, Dr. Achenbach waschief medical and academic strategist atContamac, Ltd. She also served as senior directorof professional and medical Affairs at Vistakonand as manager of worldwide clinical research

at Bausch + Lomb. Dr. Achenbach also spent 16 years in privatepractice in various group practices across the U.S. and in solo practice in New Jersey.

SPYSPY Inc. has announced that Jim McGinty willassume the role of CFO. In addition, David Ranewill join the company’s board of directors.McGinty has honed his career in the retail sector,working with fashion companies Victoria’s Secret,Structure, and Express, all functioning as divisionsof Limited, Inc. For the last 13 years, McGinty

served as CFO at Hot Topic. Rane’s professional history spans 30 years in senior financial roles in the hard good and technology industries, as well as the investment management sector.

Will Be Missed...Frederick E. “Rick” Mider III, a former SignetArmorlite sales representative, passed away at theage of 64 in Syracuse, NY on August 12. Mider’scareer spanned 35 years in optical lens salesthroughout which he traveled the Northeastextensively. He often mentored new sales reps, andwas sought out for his advice even after he left

Signet Armorlite in January, 2012. Survivors include his wife of 33years, Michele; son, Keith (Lacey) Mider; grandson, Aidan Mider;mother, Shirley Mider and sister, Catherine Stanard.

James Mazzo

Peg Achenbach

Jim McGinty

Frederick E. Mider III

MOVERS & SHAKERS

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Who knows? Maybe you don’t care andyou’re just reading this to kill some time.I always thought that was an interestingconcept of time...killing time. Bang, bang,I shot and murdered some time today at work. How was your day? It doesn’tmatter because I really can’t stop to listen.I’m too busy on the run to keep myselffrom get busted. You see it doesn’t makesense for me to have to go back and serve time.

Let’s face it, we’re all guilty of wastingtime throughout the day. I’ve becomemore aware lately of the little time wastersthat can quickly lead to larger ones. Asridiculous as it may sound, I’ve startedsaving seconds daily for more enjoyablemoments.

By the time you reach the end of thisarticle maybe it will make more sense. It’sunfolding in perfect timing, just for you.All that’s required is that you make anhonest assessment of the way you spendyour time. If you are already pleased withthe way you are spending your time, thenthat’s great, if not, then what are you waiting for?

How much time do you believe are youwasting at work each day? It may be onsomething as petty as walking across the

room to retrievesomethingyou couldpositioncloser toyou, orsurfing the internetwhile waitingon an impor-tant email that has beensitting in yourspam folder.It might betrying to decidewhat’s for lunchbecause you didn’t make time to prepare lunch before you left the house.Maybe it’s plopping down at your desk,wishing you were elsewhere and not bothering to keep that a secret. So that’ssomewhere between a few minutes andeight plus hours.

Everyone already knows that time flieswhen we’re having fun. But why is that?Why is it that one hour of work can feelso much longer than one hour on break?They are exactly the same amount of time.

I’ve decided it has something to do withmy predicting outcomes beforehand. I’ve

been known to reference days backwardsand carry those results over into a newday. I’d make my predictions for todaybeing just as bad, if not worse, than yesterday. Not to worry, I’d be on thelookout for those I told you so moments,so others could enjoy my sense of timewarp. I told you today was going to seemlike a long day. I told you doing it this waywould feel like it was taking forever. I toldyou we would never get out of here ontime. I told you so maybe you’ll listen tome next time.

THE MOBILE OPTICIAN

Ginny Johnson, LDO, ABOC



Clutter is a Kill JoyDo you ever have days when you feel as though therearen’t enough hours in the day? How about daysthat seem like they take forever to end?

Clutter is a Kill Joy

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Progressivelenses.com

If this is starting to sound like you orsomeone you know (besides me) thendon’t go waving this in their face just yet.They probably have some clutter issuesand are not real happy at the moment.Given time, hopefully they’ll clean uptheir act and make some positive changes.

What exactly is clutter? In my opinion,clutter is anything that holds you backfrom moving forward with the gift oftime. Some examples of clutter are amessy desk, distracting thoughts, junkemails, unnecessary texts, trash, visualchaos, and even certain people.

Clutter is a kill joy. It can creep up onyou fast and put you in a funk. Everybodyknows what it feels like to be in a funk. It’srecognizing and lessening our clutter sofunks are few and far between that matter.

So without further hesitation, how isclutter affecting you and your work? Howoften do you find yourself getting in afunk over controllable clutter?

Here are 13 tips that may help you eliminate some work clutter:

1. Unsubscribe to daily, weekly, monthlyemail resources that clutter yourmind and any emails forwarded inpoor taste.

2. Have a secure, online password manager and bookmark the websitesyou frequent.

3. Recycle any magazines that are morethan a couple of months old. Get ridof any outdated product brochures,catalogs or point of purchase (POP)materials.

4. Sell or donate any retail displays, fur-niture or equipment that you nolonger use.

5. Do your best not to play the officetime game (this day is dragging andtaking forever).

6. Keep all of the living plants in thepractice watered and dust free.Snip off any dead stems or leaves andthrow out the gum and candy wrap-pers that patients drop in the planter.If plants don’t look healthy then don’thave them sitting out in everyone’sview. By the way, watering fake plantsdoesn’t make them grow. I found thatout not too long ago.

7. Organize your desk from an outsider’s point of view. What dopeople see when they walk past your desk? Return any items you mayhave borrowed that are cluttering upyour desk.

8. Look for the obvious needs. Ifyou are having to get up from yourdesk and borrow a pair of scissorsevery time you need to cut some-thing, then your office needs to purchase some freaking scissors.Unless there’s a scissors app that Idon’t know about.

9. Keep all of the restrooms clean.Check the patient’s restroomthroughout the day and make sure itis skunk and funk free.

10. Stop the madness. If the same personkeeps calling to follow up on a pro-posal and the decision maker isn’tinterested and wants you to relay themessage for them, this can mean afunk coming on. If the caller will notaccept your professional rejectionthen this tip has worked for me in thepast. The next time they call, pick upand hang up without saying a word.It may take more than one time, butat least it’s more fun than funk. Make

sure you have the correct Caller IDperson on the other end of the linethough.

11. Don’t let junk mail fool you. Junkmail shouldn’t make it to your desktop but be careful before you toss orshred any mail. I went to throw awaywhat I thought was junk mail theother day and instead I opened it atthe last second. Thank goodness Itook the time to look at it closer.Otherwise, I would have been shred-ding cash money. Inside the enve-lope, there was a crisp ten dollar billfrom a survey I had participated in afew weeks ago.

12. Do any co-workers leave you feelingdrained rather than good aboutthings after every conversation? Ifyou can’t totally avoid conversationswith them, figure out ways to limittheir impact on you. Refuse to lettheir funk rub off on you.

13. Leave your excess outside baggagefunk at the front door as much ashumanly possible. The boss needs toset boundaries in this area before anynew hires come on board to avoid afunky town setting.

As you can see, clutter can be distract-ing and it takes away from your best pro-ductive self. Too much visible clutterreminds us of all that needs to be done, allthe time. And that is enough to put any-body in a funk.

So for the sake of time, do somethingabout it. �


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INDEPENDENCEOr Something Like It

THAT WORD, that adjective, hasbeen on many an eye care professionalsmind of late. Recent changes in largevision care plans have caused many inthe eye care professions and associatedindustries to question their dependencyon a third party to sustain their independent practices.

While this situation will sort itself outeventually, how does the average eyecare professional begin to evaluate hisor her dependence on outside entities?

• Review the numbers. Are you sacri-ficing valuable exam time for privatepay patients to accommodate theincreased volume of vision care planmembers? Are you replacing “Thatwas the best exam I’ve ever had”with “Wow! That was fast”? Does anoutside entity require specific addi-tional testing or other services withlittle or no reimbursement or withsubstantial discounts?

• Evaluate your patient database.Who is active and what percentageof them are private pay versus insurance pay? Who is not activeand why? Are you competing with big-box retailers for the same covered lives?

• Evaluate your services. What canyou offer, what do you offer andwhat do you want to offer in yourarea of influence?

• Evaluate your products. Does a thirdparty require that you carry specific

products or use specific lab servicesand does that requirement enhanceor undermine your control overyour inventory, cost of goods andpatient satisfaction? Are yourequired to offer discounted prod-ucts and services in addition to whatis covered by a third party payer?

• Evaluate your staff. Are inadequatereimbursements or excessive dis-counts forcing you to change yourstaffing levels or stretch your stafftoo far to provide anything otherthan a perfunctory level of service?Has the increase in size and com-plexity of administering vision careplans forced you to hire extra stafffor that function only?

Does this make you sad? It should. Thisis not independence, this is benign dicta-torship. The iron hand in a velvet glove,my late father-in-law used to say.

Jeanne Ruff, OD of Williamsburg, VAlooked long and hard at her practicenumbers for 2012 and YTD (Year-To-Date) 2013. She found that 40% of herfees were billed to one vision care plan,yet that same plan only constituted 17%of her insurance payments and only 4%of all (insurance and private) paymentsreceived. Having dropped one plan morethan a year ago with no ill effect, she isconsidering dropping yet another. HerLicensed Optician, Debby Robertsoncontends that she can only make a profitfrom these plans by either using cheapmaterials or by up-selling every patient

every time. In either scenario (low qualityor high price), the practice reputation suf-fers in their patients eyes.

So, what is a practice owner supposedto do?

Control what you can control, manageeverything else.

• Control the database. While you’redigging through your database, diginto your local demographics. Havethey changed? Is it time to changehow you market to your area?Patients disappear from a practicefor a variety of reasons. They move,change jobs, were dissatisfied, wereaccidentally dropped from a recalllist, change names (thinkmarriage/divorce, NOT witness pro-tection) or die. Whatever the reason,knowing it allows you and your staffto take corrective action. Building a

DISPENSING OPTICIAN

Judy Canty, LDO



WEBSTER’S DEFINES INDEPENDENT AS “NOT RULED,CONTROLLED, SUPPORTED, ETC. BY OTHERS.”

SEPT2013_canty.qxd 8/29/13 11:53 AM Page 2

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practice around a third party payeris not independence and allowingunfettered access to your databaseby any entity is foolhardy.

• Control your services. Just advertis-ing “full-scope” Optometry isn’tclear enough. You know what itmeans, I think I know what itmeans, but to a potential patient itdoesn’t mean much. Plus, anythingthat involves a “scope” soundspainful. Is there a specialty that isnot readily available in your area?What was your vision of your prac-tice when you graduated? LowVision, Sports Vision, Pediatrics,Specialty Contact Lenses, Glaucoma,Dry Eyes, etc. are all specialties orsub-specialties worth investigating.While you’re at it, are you chargingan appropriate fee for your services?

• Control your products. What doyou offer in your dispensary that noone else offers in your area? If youoffer the same products that everyother practice offers, your onlypoint of comparison is price. Whilesome level of brand recognition maydraw patients to your door, beingable to offer something unique willkeep them there. There are literallythousands of lens and frame combi-nations available to every eye care

professional. Make the most ofthose choices to differentiate yourpractice from others in your area.You may need to step outside yourcomfort zone, but it could be thedifference between standing out andjust standing.

• Manage your staff. Do you have theright number of people with theright personalities, with the propertraining to enable your practice tofunction smoothly? The old adviceto “hire for personality, then trainfor skill” is not only outdated, it isexpensive. The optical industry hasbecome far too technologicallyadvanced to simply allow staffmembers to learn by doing or byscrewing up. As the scope and prac-tice of optometry has evolved, lessand less time is available to spendevaluating lens materials, designsand treatments or on frame materi-als and construction. A well-educat-ed, experienced optician is worth hisor her weight in gold. Optometrictechnicians are performing morespecialized testing with increasinglyadvanced equipment requiring ahigher level of skill and training.Even the front office is required tohandle computerized schedulingand other data entry tasks unheardof even just a few years ago. This

isn’t your Mom and Pop practiceanymore. Finding and keeping thebest staff is critical to building andmaintaining any successful practice.

• Manage your practice image. Howvisible is your practice within yourcommunity? Do you and/or yourstaff participate in communityevents? Have you established your-self and your staff as the localexperts in vision care? Is choosingyour practice a complete and posi-tive patient experience fromappointment scheduling to final dis-pensing? Do you regularly surveyyour patients for their opinions?

You may be uneasy, if not downrightterrified to take that first step or rejectthat contract, but there are many fineresources to help you on your way.Consult with your peers, classmates andsuccessful business owners in any field,not just your own. There are many terrificresources online and through your profes-sional organizations, including a personalfavorite, “ODs on Facebook”.

Independence is always hard won andoften difficult to maintain. It will requirethe same laser-like focus on your goalsthat propelled you through school. But, ifit was easy, everyone would do it. �

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Eye cleaning is an ancientcraft in the same category asear picking. The craft was sup-posedly popularized by broth-ers Zhou Chengfu and ZhouChengyin, who followed theirfather’s footsteps and excelledin the technique of servicingthe eyeballs, ears and necks ofclients. For those who aresuper anxious to know aboutthe procedure, I will not holdyou in suspense any longer. The scene willseem surreal and raise your anxiety levels.It is, believe it or not, a daily occurrence inChengdu. Read on at your own risk andwonder.

After sharpening his razor, and rinsingit in clean water, the barber holds one ofhis customer’s eyes open with one handand holds the razor in the opposite hand.He then gently scrapes the razor across the inner surface of each eyelid. Liu thenpokes a thin metal rod with a smooth ballshaped end beneath the customer’s eyelidand moves it around, much like a wind-shield wiper. The entire process takesabout five minutes and no waiting.He charges five Yuan ($0.82) for eye shaving which includes a facial shave and a haircut.

A customer who has undergone theprocess several time reports, “I am still abit nervous during eye shaving. I do notdare move even a bit during the process.”But he also added that the experience wasquite comfortable, saying “My eyes feelmoist and my vision is clearer.” Whenasked about their lack of concern over thesafety of the eye cleaning procedure orabout hygienic matters, most customersexpressed lack of concern. Liu soaks histools in alcohol every night for disinfec-tion. However, the same cleansing rod isused over and over in customer’s eyes anddisinfected only at night.

Another frequent, satisfied customernamed Jiang is 97 years old. He has hadLiu shave his eyelids for seven years. Jiangsaid that he often felt that his eyes weredry and sticky on the inside of the lids.This discomfort went away after his eye-

lids were shaved. He reportedto the newspaper, “I can seethings more clearly now.”(Apparently they pay attentionto lyrics of American music.)

Liu said that he discoveredeye shaving when he was seven-teen years old. It took himthree years to become profi-cient. He states that, “Thesecret is in the strength and

flexibility of the wrist and steadiness ofthe hand.” Astonishingly, he has notcaused any eye accidents over the courseof his career. Liu’s customers may enjoyhis eyeball shaving, but eye care profes-sionals warn the public to be cautious.The practice was widely used in hospitalssixty or seventy years ago to treat tra-choma, said Qu Chao, deputy director ofthe ophthalmology department of theSichuan Provincial People’s Hospital.However, it has been phased out as tra-choma became much less widespread andmedical technology advanced.

“Eye shaving can scrape away the ulcersand scar tissue under trachoma patient’seyelids, and stimulate the eyelids so theymay secrete a liquid to moisten the eyesockets,” said Qu. But the practice couldalso easily result in damage to a client’s

Elmer Friedman, OD



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THERE STILL EXISTS A TRADITIONAL chinese practice called “eye shaving.”There is an old saying in Sichuan, that cleaning the eyes renders the beauty in life visible.Sichuan barber, Liu Deyuan, 53 is one of the few remaining barbers known to still engage

in the practice today, as reported in the Chengdu Business Daily.

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TRO_0713.qxd 6/28/13 10:37 AM Page 1

retina. Poor hygiene could also result inthe spread of infection of eye diseasesalong to other customers.

As your reporter, I have a certainresponsibility to use accurate and verifi-able information in our columns. This Ihave done. The question then follows,“Why have USA eye care professionalsbeen sitting on their duffs allowing Chinato dominate the field of eye ball cleaning?Medicare and third party insurers havenot yet sunk their bloody hooks into thisfield. At this time, eyeball cleaning is aselected procedure. We had to inventLASIK and special implant procedures toavoid downgrading our fee structures. Wemust act now before they issue codes andfees that will be commensurate with thatof Liu. And imagine, he is a barber andnot a professional like we are. They willuse his $0.80 per cleaning as the baselinefor their payments. We will have to see500 patients per day to help pay the hugemalpractice premiums that will be tendered. You do the math.

I fear it would take a millennium to create a patient base that would showinterest enough for frequent visits. Whilewe take pride in the skills we have devel-oped as eye care specialists providing a

broad base of services, we must presentthe new field of eyeball shaving in anappealing light so that we may attractpractitioners for this procedure. In ahasty, informal poll of some practitionersand students, I have determined that veryfew (if any) are ready to take up the cudg-els, as it were.

Therefore we must take a leap into thenext possibility for success: the grouppractice. There are a plethora of officesthat are multi doctor based. I vow thateach office has a small cubicle of spacethat can be converted for the use of eye-ball cleaning. Somewhere between a dis-pensing desk and the bathroom would beideal. The eyeball cleaner is standingbehind a seat where the eyeball cleanee isseated. The nearby bathroom will beequipped with band aids and anti infec-tion medications, plus lotions, herbs andincantations for every occasion. Theworking area must be free of traffic thatmight jar or tremorize the cleaner’s hand.The cleaner will not be able to perform tothe highest degree of his training if hemust be in an area that may be affected byearthquakes, hurricanes and tornadoes.

It would be wise to inform the panel ofdoctors in your center that someone is

available for the eyeball cleaning service.After all, who can expect a normal,average patient to think of it by him or herself? In addition, a heavier thanaverage advertising campaign will beneeded. But be careful, be wise, do notinclude any pictures or photos of the procedure. Some narrow minds may consider them disgusting or worse.

If all avenues are attacked successfully, Ivisualize eyeball cleaning reaching a pointof acceptance. I can see kits that are soldvery cheap, to the public for self eye ballcleaning (with ear picking on the side)and training classes all over the country.Liu could come to the USA and openschools for eye ball cleaning throughoutthe country. Maybe, at first, his companywill not appear on the NYSE – Liu willneed to sell shares in his company tofinance his endeavor. A smart logo to takethe place of the dirty fingers pictured inthe newspapers about him and eyeballshaving would be a good place to start.An ambitious public relations man wouldbe helpful. His main job would be tomake people suspend their sense of realityand seriously consider the service we havedescribed. If you accept this mission,lots of luck. �


“I am still a bit nervous during eye shaving.I do not dare move even a bit during the process.”

SEPT2013_elmer.qxd 8/30/13 11:38 AM Page 4

Publisher/Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeff SmithProduction/Graphics Manager . . . . . . . . . . . Bruce S. DrobDirector, Advertising Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lynnette GrandeContributing Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Judy Canty, Cliff Capriola, Paul DiGiovanni, Gary Fore, Elmer Friedman, Lindsey Getz, Renee Jacobs, Ginny Johnson, Jim Magay, Warren McDonald, Corrie Pelc, Anthony Record, John Seegers, Jason Smith

Technical 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.

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EyeCare Professional Magazine, ECP™ is published monthly by OptiCourier, Ltd.Delivered by Third Class Mail Volume 7 Number 69TrademarkSM 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.

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SEPT2013_Masthead.qxd 8/28/13 1:14 PM Page 1

POP!A La CartOptics may be closerthan they appear

The Pop-up business trend continues,takin’ it to the streets to reach customersin affordable, opportunistic and seasonalways. The long-standing American hotdog stand has evolved into specialty kiosksmoving into shopping malls’ center aisles.Empty store fronts in revitalizing neigh-borhoods are being rented out for eclectic,rotating restaurants.

An August/September local ad magazinedelivered to my mailbox has a new busi-ness offering by a well-known ice creambrand to stock, deliver and pick-up an icecream cart, rentals starting at $150.00.Why increase your advertising budgetaimed at attracting customers to yourbricks location, when you can mobilizeyour products and services and go on theroad with your own “OPTICART”? Ifyou’ve ever considered a company-letteredvan outfitted with a dispensary unafford-able, consider a smaller and more maneu-verable vehicle: a pop-up umbrella cart.

What we’re going for here is, in the signbusiness, known as “number of expo-sures.” Vehicle signage, next to word-of-mouth, is the most cost-effective advertis-ing you can buy. Just a few sales can reim-burse your expenditure and from then onthe rest is profit. You’re probably alsothinking in terms of weather exposure.

Whether your cart is bicycle/motorcyclepowered, hauled in a pick-up truck ortrailer-mounted and pulled behind, it’spossible to customize for most routineinclement conditions.

Adding a pop-up tent (fans & heaters)could up your appeal in a downpour,whether at a large stadium sporting eventfeaturing tail-gate parties or a neighbor-hood ball game, convention, fair or fleamarket. A pop-up camper is another idealvariation and if you’re an RV enthusiast,converting your own to a mini-opticalshop in the off-season could maximizeboth your use and tax write-off opportu-nity. Instead of paying to store your RV in an RV parking lot, you could park it incampgrounds, posting hours of operation,and in front of your business and/or your home.

In case you’re “tut-tuting” all this as alittle too unconventional, unprofessional,even a little too “gypsy” for someone like yourself who is long rooted in the

established doctors office, optical shop,retail dispensary prestige, try thinking ofthis approach as a community outreacheffort. If you do business in an area that’sbeen damaged by nature: fire, flood,hurricane, it would behoove you to getinvolved partnering with rescue/supportagencies. There has to be crisis victimswho’ve lost too much, including their eyeglasses, not to overlook assisting the rescuers with their emergency vision needs.

If the “gypsy” aspect just happens toreally appeal to you, there is a push inAmerica for the Gypsy Vanner horse, avery expensive and scarce breed bredspecifically to pull gypsy vans. If you’reinto equine, the folks who breed thesesturdy, unique and beautiful creatures(many priced from $4,000) form caravanparades to their get-togethers and mostneed some eyewear not only to participatebut to enjoy the spectator value of theview. They draw curious crowds andthey’ll be looking at you, too.

TECHNOLOGICAL ECP

Mary Armstrong, ABOC



SEPT2013_mary.qxd 8/28/13 10:22 AM Page 2

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SEPT2013_FEA.qxd 8/28/13 10:35 AM Page 1

Fairly recent examples of rising to meetmarket demand occurred during OccupyWall Street. I’m surprised that no one hadan ice cream cart selling to the 99%, as“99’s” are a uniquely English ice creamtreat: wafflecone, soft ice cream toppedwith a cookie (biscuit). Wall Street reachesacross the pond in so many ways.

Also, during the London Olympics lastyear, Black Cabbies, providing shuttlingduring the day, converted their Black Cabs into pop-up motels at night (start-ing at $75). Bathroom facilities were pre-arranged, including one who madehis home privy to his guests. Othersoffered candlelight and champagne and continental breakfast.

It was a perfect solution when hotelswere all fully booked: being in the rightplace, right time with the right service at the right price. Check up on your competitors and co-providers. Are any of them creating Pop-up Art? Could youcreate a sensation, by being the first toPop-Up with a POptical cart? Be fast. Befirst. Be Best. Be fill-in-the blank. And notthe least, be there. Showing up counts.

David Cay Johnston, Pulitzer Prizeauthor of several books, including “Free

Lunch” and “Perfectly Legal”, stated in avideotaping in the documentary, “Heist”,that: 1⁄3 of US jobs pay less than $15K/year(including those with 2 part-time jobs orunemployed); 1⁄2 make less than $25K/yr;3⁄4 make less than $54K/yr and the 99%, weare all too familiar with, make less than$250,000/yr.

What is the average income of yourcustomer base? Regularly fit many of the1% millionaires? With the development ofnew diagnostic tools whose cost is bun-dled into the price of eyewear purchases,capturing incremental revenue, by goingoutside the box (your office or store) maybe the only way to nudge the profit mar-gin up enough for you to stay in business.

Just as flexibility and adaptability arethe key requirements to not only survivebut succeed, creativity is always in style.Make a new survey of your patient pro-files. Solicit them and your staff for theirinterests and ideas about what new activi-ties they are considering, what new trendsexcite them, what new destinations they’recontemplating. Ask your employees abouttheir willingness to stock and staff thecart; a chance to get out of the office andstill be on the payroll. Where do they seelocation and product opportunities?

Fear not the internet. Enhance yourFacebook page and company website withtimely announcements of your attendancewith customized services, products,contests and giveaways at specific events.Email announcements to your customers,patients and suppliers and include themin newsletters. Post your innovations onyour LinkedIn profile. Engage the othersocial media, like Twitter, that work foryou to repeat the messages.

When you pop the champagne corksthis New Year’s Eve and you look back atyour career year in your Third Eye’s RearView Mirror, I hope you see images ofOptics Objects that were indeed closerthan they appeared. By accelerbratingnow, full speed A Head, one at a time,your optician’s toast might go somethinglike this:

“May all your reflections be in the mirror.Neither conCaving in nor conVexing about,But converging on clear images of success:Double Vision, Multi-Focal Points, andPopping Up & Out!” �

SEPT2013_mary.qxd 8/29/13 11:54 AM Page 4

Augen OpticsBristol C&D

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Hoya LensI-Coat

Kaenon PolarizedKBco

Lab-TechL.B.I. Lenses

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Nassau Lens

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Pixel OpticsPolycore

Polylens (Chandel Optical)Rochester Optical

Seiko OpticalShamir Insight

Shore LensSignet-ArmorliteSOMO Optical

Specialty Lens/iRx XperioTechtran LensesTitmus (Frames)UVCO/ChemilensVision Dynamics

Vision-EaseX-Cel Optical

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Hilco Releases NewEyewear/Accessories

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chandising solutions for your eyewear and acces-sories showcasing a wide variety of products inan attractive and professional manner. This newmodular display system is designed to minimizespace and maximize product sell-through. Hilcooffers turnkey solutions to suit every practiceneed with displays that are modular and customizable and also available for individual or multiple products. Choose from single-sidedcountertop/wall mount, rotating double-sidedcountertop or the impactful floor display. LeaderMerchandising displays optimize shelf space andproduct presentation and allows for the flexibilityin merchandising and location of eyewear andaccessory products.

Displays available for all major product categories: Rx Sport, Rx Sunglasses, Rx SafetyWorkwear, Sun Accessories, Lens Care/Accessories, and Readers. Displays are free withpurchase of pre-selected product assortment or order an empty display to build your own personalized assortment. For more information,go to www.hilco.com

SEPT2013_opticom.qxd 8/28/13 1:56 PM Page 1

THE WORLD OF SOCIAL MEDIA ISCHANGING THE WAY EYE CAREPROFESSIONALS DO BUSINESS.

Social media is not only affecting howwe market our businesses, but the way thepublic may view us, either positively ornegatively. In the past, if someone neededto find a product, a service, or a doctor, they may have checked theyellow pages or heard by word ofmouth. That certainly still existstoday, but with a smart phone, atablet, notebook, or (still) a desktopcomputer, more information aboutyou may be available to the publicthan you had ever imagined.

If you have ever decided to Googleyour name, you may be surprised atwhat you find. There could be peo-ple with the same name located indifferent locations, both nationallyand internationally, which can createconfusion for people who want tosearch for you locally. If you fine-tune the Google search and includethe added words optician,optometrist, or ophthalmologistwith your name, the search may provideyou with some information that may behelpful, damaging, confusing, or outrightmisleading.

In this age of email, messaging, blogs,YouTube, Twitter, Flickr, Facebook, aggre-gator sites, and e-commerce, the worldthat we used to know is changing. The

Internet has changed the “game” ofbusiness entirely. People are lookingonline in order to do their own researchmore than ever before. Unfortunately,sometimes this information can be mis-leading or inaccurate depending upon thesource of the information, the author, andthe motivations of those people who areactually posting information.

There are some newer sites on theInternet that are allowing the public torate their doctors, medical professionals,health care professionals, and eye careprofessionals. New sites namedHealthgrades.com, Ratemds.com,Zocdoc.com, Kudzu.com,Thedochelps.com, and Yelp.com areallowing patients, customers, and the pub-

lic to write something about their experi-ence at a local eye care professional’soffice. At the site Ratemds.com, you cansign up and post any comment youchoose concerning the staff, their punctu-ality, if they were helpful, and if theyshowed knowledge about what they weredoing. Whether the posting is fair or not,ECPs have an opportunity to respond.

Obviously, there are some problems that can be encounteredwith these rating sites. Certainly theycan serve a useful purpose so that the public can get more informationconcerning a good professional versus someone who creates profes-sional chaos. But there are other people who may want to vent theirfrustrations on these sites for no reason other than to cause trouble.There may be a former spouse orboyfriend or girlfriend who thinksthat it is ok to blast someone “virtually” and publicly on a suppos-edly “trusted” site. There is also theconcern for legal action that can be taken if someone maliciouslyslanders or libels another person,

even though it is done with proper intentions online.

Ratemds.com has posted on its site a“wall of shame” list of doctors that havehad patients sign a “gag contract” beforethey are accepted as patients. There aremany comments about this topic wherepeople have reacted either positively or

OD PERSPECTIVE

Jason Smith, OD, MS



Your Patients Will Tell the World about You:The New Age of Social Media Reviews

SEPT2013_jsmith.qxd 8/27/13 4:11 PM Page 2

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negatively. Some doctors are worriedabout their reputations and are trying tofight back against negative reviews,requiring patients to sign contracts.Critics call them “gag orders,” promisingnot to post comments onto public sites.Such contracts have not been tested incourt, and Internet law experts say thatthey are unlikely to prevail. Critics say thatthey are nothing short of censorship.“Essentially, patients are being asked to trade in their freedom of speech formedical care,” says John Swapceinski,founder of RateMDs.com.

Dr. Jeffrey Segal is a neurosurgeon andthe founder of Medical Justice ServicesInc. that helps doctors battle defamation.He has stated that, “Patients are alwaysfree to seek the services of a doctor whodoes not require the signing of a waiver.For those people who do sign the waiver,the contracts are a way to balance therights of a patient and the rights of a doc-tor. There is no venue for physicians to gettheir side of the story out and doctorscannot respond to specific patientsbecause doing so would violate federalprivacy laws.”

Angie’s list is another site where peoplecan go for information and be able to postinformation. This company is largeenough financially to be able to affordnational advertising on TV. According totheir website, “Angie’s list is a word-of-mouth network, helping more than 1.5million households find the best physi-cians, dentists, and healthcare specialistsin their area. Read detailed reviews frommembers near you to find out which doctors (and others) to trust, and whichto avoid. Reviews are submitted by verified members, not anonymous visi-tors. Companies do not pay to be onAngie’s list. We are the only review sitecertified by BPA Worldwide, a respectedauditing firm. Find and submit reviews inmore than 500 service and health care categories including plumbers, roofers,dentists, and medical specialists. See bothsides of the story. Companies andproviders can respond to their reports.”

Dr. Alan Glazier is an optometrist from Baltimore, MD and has written an

excellent book on the world of socialmedia and marketing, titled “SearchialMarketing”. According to Dr. Glazier,“Before social media, one unhappy customer would maybe tell ten peopleabout a bad experience. Now, one unhap-py customer can spread venom to thou-sands of people about your business easilywith the stroke of a keyboard and theclick of a mouse.”

If someone does post something nega-tive about you or your business, the com-ments may not be able to be retracted.If you know who the patient is, try to contact them and to resolve the problemverbally. Respond to the comment in apositive way. Never be confrontationalwith anyone who wrote a bad review. Itmay just make a bad situation worse. Badreviews can add to the perception that eyecare professionals are human and are susceptible to the same criticisms thatanyone can receive.

An Internet website calledReputation.com can help to improve youronline image. I heard about this site froma Sirius radio advertisement. Small busi-nesses can improve ratings and reviews.You can control your personal and privateinformation online and manage how yourenterprise looks online. According to theirwebsite, “Our team is on a mission. Webelieve that individuals have the right tocontrol how they look online. That is whywe are here. Reputation.com is the world’sleading provider of online reputationproducts and services. We have assembleda world-class team of engineers,researchers, and an award-winning customer service team in Redwood City,California. Our patented technology helpsyou understand your online reputationand gives you the tools to monitor,manage, and secure your information onthe Internet. We believe that you shouldcontrol your online reputation and private data.”

As eye care professionals, we are alsobeing reviewed and possibly audited bymanaged care companies and insurancecompanies. Medicare audits are becomingmore prevalent in a world that is plaguedby fraud. Doctors, hospitals, insurance

companies, and medical suppliers must keep accurate and appropriaterecords and bills, according to Medicareguidelines.

According to American Medical News,concern over increased billing of higherlevel evaluation and management services has led Medicare payers to startscrutinizing physician claims for patientoffice visits more closely. Medicareadministrative contractors have institutedreviews of claims for the services byrequiring physicians to submit supportingdocumentation before payment is issued.Davis Vision is a vision insurance compa-ny that does on-site record reviews withmost eye doctors every 2 years. Patientrecords are reviewed by another eye doctor and a written report is then pro-vided to the eye doctor for accuracy andfor improvements that need to be made.

Eye care professionals need to remem-ber that every patient who enters any kindof optical business must always be treatedwith the utmost respect and courtesy.Every patient has a unique and differentpersonality and even on your best days, apatient may be having a bad day and leaveunhappy or disgruntled for no reason.We can only put our best feet forward and always hope and expect the best. �

Now on your Mobile Device

SEPT2013_jsmith.qxd 8/27/13 4:11 PM Page 4

It’s not too late...

To make a donation visitwww.givingsight.org or call 888 OGS GIVE

Photo courtesy of FUDEM, El Salvador.

Your gift – Her vision for life.

Please make your donation before October 30!

Transforming lives through the gift of vision

SEPT2013_NL.qxd 8/29/13 2:14 PM Page 1

To advertise, call 800.914.4322,or visit www.ecpmag.com

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ADVERTISER PAGE # PHONE # WEB SITE

Allergan 19 800-433-8871 www.allerganoptometry.com

Balester 17 800-233-8373 www.balester.com

Corning INSIDE FRONT COVER 800-821-2020 www.corning.com/ophthalmic

CNS Frame Displays 38 877-274-9300 www.framesdisplays.com

Coburn Technologies 22 800-262-8761 www.coburntechnologies.com

Eyevertise 30 847-202-1411 www.eyevertise.com

FEA Industries 25, 37, 47 800-327-2002 www.feaind.com

Grimes Optical 45 800-749-8427 www.grimesoptical.com

i-see optical 26 800-257-7724 www.iseelabs.com

J.F. Rey 9 877-889-1429 www.jfreyusa.com

K-Mars Optical 14 800-296-1551 www.kmarsoptical.com

LINDBERG 5 +45 87444000 www.lindberg.com

Marco BACK COVER 800-874-5274 www.marco.com

My Vision Express 44 877-882-7456 www.myvisionexpress.com

Nanofilm 41 800-883-6266 www.nanofilmproducts.com

Nassau Vision Group 21 800-526-0313 www.nassau247.com

ADVERTISER PAGE # PHONE # WEB SITE

National Lens 34, 35, 43 866-923-5600 www.national-lens.com

Nellerk Contact Lens Cases 44 607-748-2166 —

Optical Specialists 23 503-807-6674 —

Opticom 39 800-678-4266 www.opticom-inc.com

OptiSource 31 800-678-4768 www.1-800-optisource.com

Optogenics 41 800-678-4225 www.optogenics.com

Optometry Giving Sight 43 888-OGS-GIVE www.givingsight.org

PPG Industries 27 412-434-3131 www.ppgtrivex.com

Rudy Project 11 888-860-7597 www.rudyprojectusa.com

Signet Armorlite 13 800-759-4630 www.KODAKLensPromo.com

Tech-Optics 44 800-678-4277 www.techopticsinternational.com

Three Rivers Optical 33 800-756-2020 www.threeriversoptical.com

Trevi Coliseum 15 866-923-5600 www.national-lens.com

US Optical FRONT COVER, 18 800-445-2773 www.usoptical.com

Vision Systems 45 866-934-1030 www.Patternless.com

Younger Optics 29 800-366-5367 www.youngeroptics.com

Advertiser Index

SEPT2013_ad_index.qxd 8/30/13 10:45 AM Page 3

What Does My Insurance Pay?

The banks are now too big to fail,the corporations (The averageCEO salary is $9.7 Million) are so big they become more

monopolistic by the day, and insurancecompanies; well...don’t even get me started on insurance companies.

Let me explain, I love having medicalexpenses covered – God knows we payenough in insurance premiums every yearto buy a nice place on the water some-where. When a big catastrophe occurs, weare very glad we have it, the rest of thetime it is like a dull pain as we scrape upthe money to pay the bill. Even with outrageous premiums, the insurance com-panies are reluctant to pay for legitimateexpenses. A major illness can result inmany thousands of dollars of uncoveredexpenses – even with great insurance.(“great insurance” an oxymoron?)

But, and it is a big “BUT” – insurancehas effectively destroyed the bond weECPs and every other medical providerhas had with their patients, clients,whatever you like to call them.

I’m sure I’m not unique in having oldcustomers, 2nd and 3rd generation clients,in tears telling me they “have” to go else-where for their vision services becausetheir insurance coverage has changed. Andthen there are the new patients with insurance that you accept, most times theyare just nice average folks glad to getsomething for nothing, other times theyare like the fellow who called today and

told me that he wanted a designer frameand Nikon brand progressives all fornothing because his insurance would pay.Uh oh!

I know you’ve heard it all before, butthe older I get, the more unsettling itbecomes. Especially the plans that dependon us to give large un-reimbursed dis-counts to their members – one wonderswhy clients pay premiums to an insurancecompany when we are the ones whofinance the patient’s benefit.

Maybe the answer is dropping insur-ance altogether as an MD friend of minedid recently. She has a general practiceand her slogan is “The Home of the$50.00 Office Visit.” She has been very

successful even with folks who have insur-ance and high deductibles. This move hasallowed her to eliminate the 2 or 3 billingclerks figuring out the labyrinth of insur-ance billing forms and has cut short theusual long waiting time to get in to see thedoctor. By reducing her overhead – shemaintains a nice standard of living, whilegetting the office visit costs down to theirpre-insurance company meddling levels.

Is this the right move for an ECP? Well,it depends. If you are in a wealthy areawhere people are in love with technologyand luxury and you have the skill set todeal with them – maybe. For most of usthough, we still need the people comingthrough the door asking, “What does myinsurance pay?” Darn it! �

LAST LOOK

Jim Magay, RDO

When people look back and say, “Whatever happened to America?”The answer may be that banks, multinational corporations, insurancecompanies, and their hired politicos ruined it.


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With XFRACTIONS taking less than 1 minute:• See, on average, 5-7 more patients daily• Display old and new Rx and set accurate patient expectations• Discern differences between patient’s day/night vision• Spend more quality time in patient consults• Invest the time in marketing other practice services• Achieve up to 20-30% gains in Optical revenue• Elevate the total patient and staff experience

Greatest efficiencies and best patient care coexist in thousands of Marco practices. You can choose to have it all.

XFRACTION:WAVEFRONT OPTIMIZED REFRAXION

VEW • MS8031800.874.5274

www.marco.com

*Data based on national averages.

Wavefront Optimized RefraXionIn a Fraction of the Time

How will you use the 5-7 minutes saved per refraction in your practice?

TRS-5100 completes minimal refinements or traditional refractions with digital speed and accuracy.

The OPD-Scan III ARK/Aberrometer and the TRS-5100 digital refractor assess the total visual system. In less than 1 minute patients requiring only minimal refinement to achieve 20/20 are identified.

LHOA [μm]: @4.00mm / Order = 4

T. Sph T. Coma T. Tre HO Total: 0.020 0.040 0.025 0.059 Cornea: 0.061 0.108 0.073 0.155 Internal: 0.041 0.085 0.091 0.156

Refraction: VD = 13.75mmSph Cyl Axis RMS

[email protected] +1.00 -0.50 105 0.07D [email protected] +0.75 -0.50 111 0.19D Diff -0.25 0.00 6

you choose.

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September 2013 Issue of EyeCare Professional Magazine

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Transcript of September 2013 Issue of EyeCare Professional Magazine