Corporate Optometry Nation Podcast interviews Dr Diana Ramirez. Dr Ramirez has a sublease with Walmart in Texas. She was awarded 2020 OD of the Year at Walmart for Excellence in Patient Care. Listen in to the podcast was Dr Sampalis interviews her about how she works with the optical staff to secure her success in her own practice. Learn how to motivate and partner with the optical staff in corporate optometry.
To have a successful optometry practice, you need to have goals for the practice and implement systems to complete those goals. However, the hardest part about managing an optometrist clinic can be to stick to the action plan. While trying to implement the plan, there are some common optometry practice management mistakes you could be making.
Here are the 10 most common optometry practice management mistakes that are made.
1. Failure to Take Control
If you fail to take control of your practice, your personal life and happiness can be affected as well. You need to make a total commitment to the practice. When you set out to make changes in the clinic, you may notice a dilemma that the staff is not really ready to make these changes. If they aren’t willing, nothing will happen.
If the staff is not committing to the new program and the new culture it initiates, they will not understand the dedication that is necessary to take the office to a whole new level. If you really want the optometric office to make those changes, you need to step up. The cost begins with creating goals for the clinic, implementing them through action plans, and measuring the result.
Take support from your family and your staff. The staff should carry your program on their shoulders and become partners in moving the practice along. Be assertive and take control!
2. Bland Office Image
The first impression your office gives is crucial to making the patient see value in your office appearance. By offering them a comfortable and appealing appearance, you are ensuring that they look forward to getting the care they need. Having a visually aesthetic clinic that you take pride in is necessary to provide the staff support in offering patients good-quality care.
3. Under-Utilization of Techonology
Hi-tech equipment can help make patients perceive the clinic as a state-of-the-art practice and result in optimal performance. Equipment can help create a more efficient and effective system that helps you provides better care. Investing in such equipment can be a step in the right direction.
4. Unable to Project a Positive Image
While your office décor and environment can be aesthetically pleasing, it may not project a positive image as you intended. Your patients should know that they stepped into the right place when they enter through the doors. The office needs to have a ‘successful’ look; hence, all the staff needs to look professional too.
5. Not Treating Staff Members As Partners
If you want a successful and productive office, you cannot get one without a group of strong people who give you support. Treating your co-workers with the utmost respect and professionalism is necessary. Treat them like partners in the clinic and initiate a bonus plan to keep them motivated.
6. Lack of Control of at the Front Desk
If you don’t pay attention to how your staff is dealing with patients, you are making a very common optometry practice management mistake. You need to be in control of front desk training and interactions. Your staff must be trained to properly greet and accommodate patients.
7. Failure to Emphasize and Understand New-Patient Experiences
Every patient that walks into the practice has a monetary value. Have you calculated this value so that you know the exact value of new patients? Knowing these metrics and be very important for your practice.
Their experience of the new patient begins from the first phone call they make to book an appointment or ask for details. How are the calls handled at your practice? Do you ask so much information that you drive the patient away, or do you tell them you are happy they called you?
Making a patient feel welcome and special can be quite a game-changer when it comes to having a successful practice. Make sure you are able to accommodate walk ins and same day appointments.
8. Failure to Cultivate a Proper Team
You need to have the support of a group of dedicated, talented people who believe in the goals you have made for the clinic. While it can take serious effort and time to develop such a team, it can be totally worth it to have such a team.
The team members need to think that the optometrist can deliver the best care to sell it to the patients too. This attitude and self-esteem of believing in the practice can make it fulfilling, exciting, and fun. Remember your vendors are your partners as well. They will help to grow your team as well.
9. Lack of Great Attitude
Optometrists need to believe in their practice and have a great attitude as well. They may have a tendency to become too comfortable in the current environment. This can limit their ability to make any necessary paradigm shift. However, the world is constantly changing around you, and the clinic needs to keep up with it. Materials and procedures that worked 2 decades ago may not be the best options right now.
Hence, you should believe in yourself and your clinic.
10. Confidence
The biggest optometry practice management mistake is lack of confidence.
While optometry school may have given them adequate knowledge to provide great patient care, we don’t get a lot of practice management. An optometrist who can share the treatment plan, value, and benefits of the plan clearly will be perceived as valuable by patients. Becoming more confident in billing, coding and marketing will help grow your practice.
If you want a successful practice, you can’t make optometry practice management mistakes. If the management is perfect, everything else will fall into place as well.
Corporate Optometry Nation podcast interviews Dr Hillary Morrow. Dr Morrow was the 2019 OD of the Year at Eyeglass World. Dr Morrow practice in Indiana. Listen in to get more insight on who is Dr Morrow.
She graduated from Indiana University School of Optometry in 2008. She did here undergrad from IU as well. She only did 3 years of courses before going directly to Optometry school . She has worked for National Vision, Inc. since graduation in 2008. Started as a float OD in the Chicago market for America’s Best, worked in Midtown Milwaukee for AB, then transferred to the Oak Creek, Wisconsin location for 4 years. She also had her own sole proprietor business from 2008-2016 working as an OD inside an optical only business until she joined them in 2008, 2-3 days a week in Lake Forest, IL called the The Village Optical Shop while working for Americas Best . She moved back to Indiana in 2016 and stayed within NVI but now work for Eyeglass World. She started as a float OD and now works 4 days a week at our Greenwood, IN location, just under a 3 million dollar store and works 1 day a week at the Noblesville location. She lives in Fishers, IN with her husband and their chihuahua and cat. She enjoy’s running, volunteering at Trinity clinic (a free medical clinic associated with Our Lady of Mt. Carmel church providing health care for underinsured), one Wednesday a month, repurposing old furniture, gardening, and cooking.
Corporate Optometry Nation podcast interviews Dr Camille Cohen. Dr Cohen purchased an established Pearle Vision Franchise in New York. She just purchased it before COVID-19 put New York on lock down. Listen in to learn what to look for when buying a franchise and why Pearle Vision was the best option for her.
Corporate Optometry Nation Podcast host Dr Maria Sampalis interviews the VBA CEO Jeff Hollowood. We divide into the great things VBA is doing for ODs during this pandemic. VBA set up the Pennsylvania Optometric Emergency Assistance Program. It currently has provided close to 500k in loan assistance to optometrists.
Questions that were asked during the interview highlighted. The Pennsylvania Optometric Emergency Assistance Program.
· Who is eligible?
· What is the eligibility criteria?
· When did the program begin?
· How long do participating providers have to pay back the loan?
· Why did VBA decide to offer POEAP loans?
Listen in to learn more about this great program to help the OD community.
In this fun chat with Optom. Ukti Vora, Dr Stuti Misra discusses her journey from undergrad to doctoral degree to working in academia in New Zealand. Stuti aims to guide optometry students (based in India or elsewhere) interested in studying overseas, doing eye research or simply interested in practicing optometry on distant shores. With a constant intent of taking an unconventional path, Stuti describes how she ended up in Optometry let alone in the land of ‘Lord of the rings’ better known as ‘middle-earth’. She believes one doesn’t need to be clever or smart but primarily STUBBORN to undertake doctoral degree. Stuti also briefly mentions about her passion for research and interest areas of ocular surface diseases, dry eye and diabetes.’
For more information on practicing optometry in New Zealand or Australia, please visit www.ocanz.org
Contact Dr Stuti Misra via email s.misra@auckland.ac.nz OR Twitter @DrStutiMisra
Optometry and Youth: Catch Them Young !!
Current scenario in Indian Optometry
Indian optometry is at a very interesting and critical juncture. The allied and health care council bill 2018 is tabled in the upper house of the parliament and gone to the standing committee for deliberation with various stakeholders. Their suggestions will be considered and revised bill will be presented in the parliament.
It could be a giant step towards professional recognition of Optometry.
We have the Optometry Council of India (OCI), a peer regulating body with the responsibility of establishing & maintaining high standards of optometry education & recognition of optometry qualifications in India. The Indian Optometry Federation (IOF) is an umbrella organization of various associations. State associations are members of this association. Lobbying with govt about optometry rights etc. Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO) works with the institutes to standardize curricula, infra structure and also towards capacity building of educators. These organizations are doing a good job in getting optometry recognized by the government and bringing standardization within the profession. In other words, we are getting our house in order.
The other important aspect is creating awareness about the profession and getting public recognition. We need people to know about optometry and its scope. We want people to come asking for the optometrist for a comprehensive eye test. For that each optometrist has to offer the best clinical eye examination and provide the best services to patients.
This is exactly why I chose to focus on the awareness part. Looking at the students’ enthusiasm and creativity I thought they can definitely contribute a lot in this area. One fine day a group of optometry students and fresh graduates was formed and it still continues to work cohesively as one unit.
Role of youth
Almost everything that is great has been done by youth- Benjamin Disraeli
We are sitting on a gold mine. Probably it is the largest untapped resource. There are more than 50 institutes offering a 4-year B. Optometry program. Imagine the number of students graduating every year. Most of them are technologically savvy. They are very active on social media. They are happy to travel and meet new people. Most of the students I have seen are are passionate about the profession and want to contribute in a significant way. If we can channelize their energy and creativity, we can do wonders. There is no dearth of raw talent. They need direction. They need acknowledgement & recognition. More importantly they need to have the feeling that they belong to the community.
How have they contributed till now?
These students and fresh graduates have been very active in last twelve months or so. One group has started ‘Let’s RevolutionaryEYES’ – Social media presence on Facebook, Instagram, twitter and youtube. They regularly post content related to eyecare and eye related facts etc. The platform serves to both optometrists and public. As ‘World Optometry Day’ is celebrated across the world on 23rd March, 23rd of every month is dedicated to #Optometry #Eyecare. All social media channels are flooded with eye care related posts on this day. It is a great way to catch attention of people.
Another team created an explanatory video about scope of optometry. It covers what students are taught in a four-year course and what investigations an optometrist can perform. A poem composed by one group along with visuals was so well received by all that it even reached the govt. officials and was appreciated.
The Optometry Council of India (OCI) required eye awareness posters for their pan India campaign. These students conceptualized and designed posters with innovative ideas. Their efforts were recognized by OCI and Bausch + Lomb and these posters are being used extensively now.
This group also raised some fund through their efforts and contribution to the field. What is heartening to know is that they donated to the Kerala flood victims. Along with talent today’s optometry youth also has Good values.
Their energy and creativity were at display during awareness walks and street plays on World Sight Day.
Recently four new graduates under the supervision of Masterclass Optometry conceptualized and organized a program ‘Shaping Millennial’s for final year students. This program was developed considering what confusion a graduating student goes through. Over 225 students from 13 institutes were benefited from expert’s guidance.
Way forward
We have just unlocked the potential of this goldmine. We need to keep nurturing these minds. They need to be kept busy in a right way. We are already working on a new project wherein the Optometry Council of India needs Optometrists to approach high schools and counsel the class 11,12 students about optometry, refractive errors and eyecare in general. Many of these fresh graduates from different parts of India have already offered to be a part of this project. We are really excited to see how it works. You never know, going forward we could help them find the right placement for work. Also, we could establish international links wherein these youngsters can freely interact with international students and experts.
The future definitely belongs to the youth. The youth of today are the leaders of tomorrow. Its time for the senior optometrists to acknowledge their potential and help them convert it into performance. Young ODs need role models NOT just critics !!
Corporate Optometry Nation interviews Dr Ryan LeBlanc. Dr LeBlanc has four subleases with National Vision Walmart in North Carolina. Listen in to to learn about the subleases in corporate optometry and debunk those myths.
With about 450 million people needing vision correction, uncorrected refractive error accounts for over 50% of vision impairment in India. Optometry is yet an unregulated profession. Defocus Media and Corporate Optometry Nation would like to present a podcast with Ms. Ukti Vora, an Indian optometrist who shares details about the history and growth of Optometry in India post the launch of ‘Vision 2020 – Right For Sight’ program.
She provides insights about how optometry is practiced differently in India compared to major countries like USA and Australia. Optometrists in India are exploring different ways to deal with major competitors like Lenskart and Titan Eye Plus. Lack of regulation affects the policies for insurance and law in India. Efforts by various organization like Optometry Council of India (OCI), Associations of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO), Indian Optometry Federation (IOF) and ‘Let’s RevolutionarEyes’ are contributing towards promoting and regularizing the profession. Organizations like MasterClass Optometry are promoting quality CME for practicing optometrists. India, still a developing market, has tremendous opportunities for collaboration in academics, research and corporate world. Ukti shares her experience and knowledge over the years to bring us closer to understanding optometry in India.
With about 450 million people needing vision correction, uncorrected refractive error accounts for over 50% of vision impairment in India. Optometry is yet an unregulated profession. Defocus Media and Corporate Optometry Nation would like to present a podcast with Ms. Ukti Vora, an Indian optometrist who shares details about the history and growth of Optometry in India post the launch of ‘Vision 2020 – Right For Sight’ program.
She provides insights about how optometry is practiced differently in India compared to major countries like USA and Australia. Optometrists in India are exploring different ways to deal with major competitors like Lenskart and Titan Eye Plus. Lack of regulation affects the policies for insurance and law in India. Efforts by various organization like Optometry Council of India (OCI), Associations of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO), Indian Optometry Federation (IOF) and ‘Let’s RevolutionarEyes’ are contributing towards promoting and regularizing the profession. Organizations like MasterClass Optometry are promoting quality CME for practicing optometrists. India, still a developing market, has tremendous opportunities for collaboration in academics, research and corporate world. Ukti shares her experience and knowledge over the years to bring us closer to understanding optometry in India.
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