EyeCare Professional Magazine July 2011 Issue

SPORTS RELATED EYEWEAR / PAGE 6 ONLINE DISPENSING AWARENESS / PAGE 26

July 2011 • Volume 5, Issue 43 • www.ECPmag.com

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Younger Optics offers the broadest selection of Transitions® XTRActive™ lenses, now available in 1.50 as well as Trilogy®, polycarbonate and 1.67

It’s important to have the right tool for the job

Make sure your patients have the tools they need: Everyday lenses and Sunwear lenses

You need more than one pair of clippers for hedges and haircuts. And patients need more than one pair of lenses to provide comfort, convenience and protection for everyday and sunwear. Your patients need More Choices; Younger Optics is pleased to offer the largest range of both everyday and sunwear lenses.

EVERYDAY LENSES SUNWEAR LENSES

Transitions and the swirl are registered trademarks and SOLFX and XTRActiveDrivewear, NuPolar and Trilogy are registered trademarks of Younger Optics, USA.

For your free More Choices booklet, go to www.YoungerOptics.com/Marketing

JULY2011_Younger.qxd 6/24/11 12:59 PM

Courtesy ofC

inzia Designs

SPORTS RELATED EYEWEAROffer the latest in Sports Eyewear and appeal to your active andfashion conscious patients.by ECP Staff

SPORTS PROTECTIONProtect your patients against ocular injuries and increase your 2ndpair sales.by Carrie Wilson, BS, LDO, ABOAC, NCLEC

DISPENSARY STRATEGYIndependent Dispensers can still succeed with the appropriatestrategy and organization.by Warren G. McDonald, PhD

LETTING THE PUBLIC KNOWPublish an article in your local newspaper and let the public knowabout the dangers of online dispensing.by Anthony Record, RDO

EMAIL MARKETINGUsing email to communicate with patients is becoming an essentialway to run an efficient practice.by Lindsey Getz

SOLVING GLAUCOMAStem cell injections are just one of many new exciting treatmentsavailable to halt the spread of glaucoma.by Elmer Friedman, OD

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

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

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

DISPENSING OPTICIAN .................................................................................32

FASHIONABLE ECP..........................................................................................40

ADVERTISER INDEX .......................................................................................46

INDUSTRY QUICK ACCESS ............................................................................47

LAST LOOK .......................................................................................................50

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JULY2011

Vol. 5Issue 43

On The Cover:RUDY PROJECT [email protected]

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Publisher/Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeff Smith

Production/Graphics Manager. . . . . . . . . . . Bruce S. Drob

Director, Advertising Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . Lynnette Grande

Contributing Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Judy Canty,

Paul DiGiovanni, Gary Fore, Elmer Friedman,

Lindsey Getz, Ginny Johnson, Jim Magay,

Warren McDonald, Laura Miller, Anthony Record,

Jason Smith, Carrie Wilson

Technical Editor . . . . . . . . Brian A. Thomas, P.h.D, ABOM

Internet Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry Adler

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

ADVERTISING & SALES(215) 355-6444 • (800) [email protected]

EDITORIAL OFFICES111 E. Pennsylvania Blvd.Feasterville, PA 19053 (215) 355-6444 • Fax (215) [email protected]

EyeCare Professional Magazine, ECP™ is published monthly by OptiCourier, Ltd.Delivered by Third Class Mail Volume 5 Number 43TrademarkSM 1994 by OptiCourier, Ltd.All Rights Reserved.

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

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

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

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

Purpose: EyeCare Professional Magazine, ECP™ is a publication dedicated to providing information and resources affecting thefinancial well-being of the Optical Professional both professional-ly and personally. It is committed to introducing a wide array ofproduct and service vendors, national and regional, and the myriad cost savings and benefits they offer.

For Back Issues and Reprints contact Jeff Smith, Publisher at800-914-4322 or by Email: [email protected]

Copyright © 2011 by OptiCourier Ltd. All Rights Reserved

MagazineEditor / viewby Jeff Smith

THE BENEFITS OF ANTI-REFLECTIVE COATING – both to the patient and the practice’s bottom line, appear to be readily apparent to the average ECP. Butsomething is clearly getting lost in translation during the dispensing process.

This may not seem to be the case for your practice, but the numbers speak forthemselves. According to The Vision Council, only around 30% of U.S. eyewear features AR Coating, compared to over 50% for the rest of the world.

Not too many years ago, the only coatings readily available were UV protectionand scratch coat. With polycarbonate, and later many of the high index plasticlenses, these were either unneeded or considered a relatively expensive option.Unfortunately, that caused the development of an attitude of presenting theseoptions as not really necessary, if at all.

When AR was first introduced, there were several problems associated with it thatgave the coating a bad reputation. They were prone to crazing (thin cracks), crater-ing (pits), and even peeling. They were difficult to clean and delicate, so specialattention when cleaning the lenses had to be observed to avoid scratches. Advancesin coating chemistry and manufacturing have all but eliminated these problems,and in some cases have exceeded the characteristics of even the best lens materials.

The benefits of the coating are obvious when compared to a non-coated lens. Thecoated lens appears cleaner and clearer, in most cases dramatically so. Because littleof the light is reflected back, the lens appears to disappear, and with the properframe selection, the appearance of wearing glasses is almost eliminated.

Another benefit, perhaps the most significant to the patient, is not so obvious untilthey actually wear the lenses. Because more light passes through the lens withoutbeing reflected off, overall vision is improved. Colors are more vivid, contrast is improved so reading is less tiring, and low light vision is improved.

But if all that is not enough to convince you to recommend AR, there is one morebenefit: when driving at night, the dangerous glare of incoming headlights is allbut eliminated. While the headlight will still be bright, it will be a bright spotrather than a blinding globe. Tell that to a long time eyeglass wearer and you’ve got a sale.

One of the keys to presenting these rather complex coatings is to keep the presentation simple, use language the patient can relate to, and take advantage ofany demonstration aids you might have available. Of course, if you wear eyeglasses,they most certainly should have AR on them.

Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to offer your patient clarity, cleanability, and scratchprotection with warranties that often cover all instances for up to two years? So,how do you sell premium AR? Simple – tell them the benefits!

EEYECAREPROFESSIONAL

4 | EEYECAREPROFESSIONAL | JULY 2011

Raising AR Awareness

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3. Under ArmourBuilt strong for on-field performance andworn by world-class athletes, UA Coreoffers a wide selection of innova-tions that enhance athlete’son-field performancewhile providing a

comfortable fit.Featuring nearly every

frame and lens technologyUnder Armour Performance Eyewear

has to offer, UA Core is truly a sport-driven sunglass. The molded “Cap-Gripper” allows

for players to securely wear their sunglasseson the brim of their cap.www.UAeyewear.com

2. AllisonThis is the first year that Zerorh+ has developed

a ladies collection. Olympo XS RH708 features the perfect balance between ergonomics and beauty to achieve

an eyewear model totally dedicated to athletes. Wraparound,lightweight, sturdy and above all technical eyewear suited

to all types of sports and performance.www.allison.it, www.allisonamerica.com

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1. AdidasThe evil eye halfrim pro features the durable yetflexible SPX™ material making the eyewearextremely lightweight for the demands of bothmountain biking on rugged trails and arduousroad racing. The removable sweat blocker preventssweat from running into the eyes, and a built inventilation system and anti-fog coating on the lensensures perfect vision. www.adidas.com/eyewear

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2

SPORTSRelated Eyewear

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5. BobsterStyle meets performance with the Informant part of

the new Bobster® Street Series. This flexibleGrilamid TR90 frame is lightweight and stressresistant. The frame is low profile with an activewrap, increasing wind protection without reducing

peripheral vision; smoked lenses are polycarbonate andprovide clear vision. www.bobster.com

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4. KBL EyewearKBL has teamed up with vintage inspired swimwear brand PRET-A-SURF

to release these exclusive frames, a modern take on the classic cat eyeshape and a bold matte red frame that picks up the trims and prints that

Pret-a-Surf so carefully selects. The lenses are NXT polarized, offering fullprotection to the wearer. www.kbleyewear.com

6. Rudy ProjectThe new Kylix XY utilizes durable yet lightweight materials,cutting-edge technology and Italian Design and is perfectfor smaller faces. It incorporates pliable 360o adjustabletemple tips, an amendable nosepiece, and interchangeablelens technology. The Kylix is also Rxable either throughOptical Insert or Direct in Frame using Rear SurfacedDigital Free Form Tek lenses in a wide range of Rxes.www.rudyprojectusa.com


Triton

Whether out on a surf adventure, fishing expedition, or com-peting in beach and ocean sports, Triton Premium PolarizedSunglasses provide comfort, performance, and timeless designquality. Lightweight yet rugged, they are carefully designedand manufactured to combine proven sun protection andoptical clarity with precision craftsmanship. Each lens andframe is rigorously tested to ensure a comfortable grip andstable fit during active use and under harsh conditions.www.tritonsurfboard.com

Hilco

The Metrix™ features a unique 6-base design that gives the illusion of an 8-base wrap-around sports goggle and is perfectfor basketball, tennis, racquetball, squash, and soccer. Thepatented SprinGuard™ lens retention system outperformsstandard “V” safety bevels. Metrix also meets ASTM F803standards with standard “V” or SprinGuard edging and the patented LENS-LOK center opening eye rimsimplifies lens insertion. www.hilco.com

KaenonClean, with intelligent details, Trade provides maximum eye coverage in an extremely comfortablefit due to its 8-base wrapped frame geometry. Thetall and boxy design enjoys angular lines andergonomically engineered load-spreading templetips, while fusing Kaenon’s hallmark Californiadesign-sense and functionality. Variflex nose padsanchor the frame securely, offering a slip-free experience. www.kaenon.com

Cinzia Designs

The Cinzia Sport series offers 4 different looks, each availablein three colors. All four metal styles are ideal for your sporty,active lifestyle offering full comfort and protection duringyour outdoor activities. Each style features a unique qualitysuch as polarized and UV 400 protected lenses to eliminateglare and shield against 99-100% of the suns harmful rays.In addition, their sleek wraparound design ensures full protection from the sun at all angles. www.cinziadesigns.com

L’Amy

Columbia Sportswear introduces 4 new models designed forthe outdoor-active lifestyle. The new “combo” models featurestainless steel metal fronts and our proprietary H90 (hyperlite90) injection-molded temples. “H90” is an extremely durableand ultra-light material that provides featherweight comfortfor long wear in what Columbia calls its Greater Outdoors.www.lamyamerica.com


Unrivalled technology. Unrivalled performance vision.A prescription shouldn’t stand between your patients and an incredible visual experience of the world around them. And it won’t with NXT® Rx lenses featuring:

Trivex® material

Now you can offer the premium performance of NXT lenses in many customized lens

Available in the complete range of NXT lens treatments to meet every sun lens need:

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Scheyden Precision Eyewear

Handcrafted from the world’s finest materials to offer superiorquality, Scheyden offers both functional and comfortable sun-glasses. Combining a cedar rolled composite frame withhypoallergenic NiHg temples and cloissone tips, the compos-ite hybrids are the only full-coverage wrap to offer a uniquecustom fit. Available in four distinct styles — Revelstoke,Revelry, Jet-A and Panorama — and eight types of lenses.www.scheyden.com

Pilla

The Pilla ‘National’is sleek, light and provides the wearer withcomplete 180-degree peripheral vision and protection fromwind, sun and dust or dirt. Pilla’s patented Ballistx lenses offertwice the clarity of the average competitors lens, reduce glareand increase usable light. The color enhancing propertiesimprove performance and visual comfort, making theNational perfect for any sporting activity and all day use.www.pillasport.com

McGee GroupMaximum by Totally Rimless offers sport-inspired designs for men and women living an activelifestyle. These sporty frames arethe ultimate in comfort,quality and styling. The“Edge” Collection includes three new frames: TR 177, TR 178and TR 179. The frames are all titanium and extremely light-weight. Adjustable nose pads, spring hinges and rubber templetips guarantee that the frames will stay in place.www.mcgeegroup.com

Live Eyewear

Cocoons are now available with Blue Mirror Polaré polarizedlenses that feature a flash blue mirror coat designed to addboth style and performance to the collection. The new lensoption is available in all six frame sizes. In addition to helpingreduce glare, the blue mirror adds a touch of style for thosethat want to minimize the fact that they are wearing sunglassesover their corrective eyewear. www.liveeyewear.com

Tifosi Optics

The 2011 Slip features a fully-adjustable hydrophilic earpieceand nose piece for even better grip as the wearer sweats.Ventilated lenses on the Slip help to increase airflow andreduce fogging. Updated styling features also complement thetechnological improvements, and an aggressive lens cut and alustrous, totally remodeled frame improve an already popularmodel. The frame is molded from Grilamid TR-90.www.tifosioptics.com


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Continued on page 14

SportsEyewear:An Important Second Pair

SPORTS INJURIES account for around 40,000 eyeinjuries within the United States, with a significantproportion of them occurring in individuals under theage of 30. Children are probably the most susceptiblegroup for ocular injuries due to their underdeveloped sense ofdepth perception and slow hand and eye coordination. A childmay misjudge the speed and placement of a ball, miss it, and bestruck in the face, resulting in an injury. The sports in which eyeinjuries are the most common every year are basketball,baseball, and racquet sports.

Eye injuries can vary from minor bumps and scrapes to majortraumas that result in loss of vision that can be temporary orpermanent. The following are common eye injuries that canresult from recreational activities.

Corneal abrasion – A corneal abrasion is classified as a scrape of the clear portion of the surface of the eye, and can beextremely painful. Additional symptoms are a foreign body sensation, tearing, blurred vision or vision loss, photophobiaand squinting.

Traumatic iritis – Traumatic iritis commonly occurs whenblunt force trauma to the eye causes iritic bruising, iris sphincter tears, or, more seriously, iriodialysis, a condition inwhich the iris pulls away from the wall of the eye. Because theinjury and resulting inflammation may prevent the iris fromopening and closing properly, photophobia may result. Furthersymptoms include redness, acute pain, blurry vision and glare.

Hyphemas – Hyphemas are the result of blood in the anteriorchamber after blunt force trauma to the eye. The blood caneither present itself as a reddish tinge along the posterior sur-face of the cornea or as a pool of blood. Although it normallyrectifies itself in time, it can lead to a complete or partial block

in vision. If the Hyphema takes an abnormally long time toheal, iron deposits on the cornea or a change in eye color mayoccur. An increase in ocular pressure is also not uncommon ifthe intra-ocular drainage system is blocked by blood.

Orbital Blowout Fractures – An orbital blowout fracture occurswhen a blunt object strikes the eyeball itself, resulting in thecompression of the globe. This sudden compression causes theglobe to displace itself vertically which can result in a fracture ofone or more of the seven bones that make up the orbital cavity.Although the fracture may occur anywhere, it is typically seenalong the orbital floor in the maxillary bone. If the intra-orbitalpressure is immense, the orbital contents may go into the fracture sight and possibly into the sinus cavity.

Symptoms can range from asymptomatic, to facial pain andtenderness, blurred vision, bleeding, eye redness, swelling of thelids, ocular pain, drooping eyelid, and loss of motility resultingin double vision. The motility loss can be the consequence ofnerve and muscle being pinched either from the bone itself, ahemorrhage, or edema. Typically, the patient is unable to rotatethe globe upwards because the inferior rectus muscle becomestrapped in the bone fragments.

Lacerations – Lacerations, or cuts, can occur to the conjunctiva,sclera or cornea.

Foreign Bodies – Foreign bodies may present with differentsymptoms based on where the foreign body is in relation to theeye. Corneal foreign bodies may present with tearing, blurredvision and photophobia. The object itself may be seen in the

Through the LensCarrie Wilson, BS, LDO, ABOM, NCLE-AC

Photo: Adidas evil eye halfrim pro A167

JULY2011.qxd 6/27/11 9:10 AM

helping you to grow your practice

More than 2.5 million eye injuries occur each year. By using the “Inquire. Inform.

Introduce.” strategy you can help patients protect their vision, while at the same

time expanding your patient base and diversifying your revenue stream.

To learn more about vision protection and how you can make a difference, visit

www.thevisioncouncil.org/ecp or email [email protected].

Protect Their Vision.Diversify Your Revenue.

It seems like a new line of sports eyewear or sunglassesis introduced to the American market weekly; complete withfashion photos of athletes engaged in a variety of sportsactivities. While pictures and words may imply that productsare acceptable to wear during sports activities, it is importantto check labels to ensure the level of protection matches thecorrect activity. The ANSI Z87 is the industrial safety standard, while the American Society for Testing Materials(ASTM) provides standards for a variety of sports-relatedactivities. It should be noted that section 2.1 of the mostrecently published ANSI Z87.1-2010 standard specificallyexcludes “sports and recreation.” ANSI Z87 impact testinginvolves either a small (1/4) projectile moving at high speed(high speed testing) or a pointed projectile moving at slowspeed (high mass testing).

Hazards encountered during sports activities typicallyinvolve large, blunt masses like balls and elbows. Projectilessuch as squash balls, lacrosse balls and baseballs exertmassive forces sufficient to fracture all but the most robust,well-designed frames. Even when lenses are retained in aframe, the force can be severe enough to cause eye damagefrom frame and lens flexure (oil canning). For this reason,detailed eye protection standards for many ball sports activities are published by the ASTM. ASTM F803 standards

are specific to individual ball sports, or groups of sports, andproducts that claim to meet the standards must be labeledaccordingly (i.e. “meets ASTM F803 for squash”).

It is important to understand how the products we dispense will be used in order to avoid unnecessary accidents and/or liability. Use the guideline below when dis-cussing sports and/or protective eyewear with your patients:

• ASTM* F803 is the recognized standard for Rx andplano protective ball sports eyewear.

• ANSI Z87 is the industrial eyewear standard, whichexcludes sports eyewear. ASTM F803 is sports specific. Testing protocols simulate the hazards of particular sports activities. Product labeling must definethe sport(s) for which the protector was designed and tested.

• Select eyewear that meets the standard for the appropriate sport, or a sport with similar risks.

• ASTM F803 testing protocols are not available for allsports activities. Not every standard can be met withavailable Rx eye protectors (i.e: 55mph baseball).

• For maximum eye protection 3mm polycarbonate lenses are recommended.

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cornea. If the object is metal, a rust stain can occur. Intraorbitalforeign bodies may be asymptomatic, especially at first, butdecreased vision, pain and double vision may occur hours ordays after the injury. Intraocular foreign bodies may initiallyhave no symptoms as well, but eye pain and decreased visionmay present itself later.

Although these eye injuries can be devastating, this is not alwaysthe case and luckily, 90% of all eye injuries are preventableaccording to Prevent Blindness America. One of the easiest andmost efficient ways to prevent eye injuries is through the use ofsports eyewear.

Making the Most of Impact Resistance

The first step in providing the patient with superior sportsglasses is picking the proper lens. Polycarbonate is the lensmaterial of choice for sports eyewear, due to the inherentimpact resistance of the material. Polycarbonate is still the goldstandard for impact resistance.

Polycarbonate has been used in eyewear since 1979, althoughnot commonly until the mid 1980’s. A strong, lightweight andhighly durable lens, polycarbonate has a large market sharewithin the United States for impact resistant eyewear. It doeshave some major drawbacks, however. Polycarbonate, with anABBE value of 30, has the lowest ABBE value of any lens on themarket. In addition, polycarbonate is very difficult to tintbecause of the hardness of the scratch coat that is needed toprotect the soft, flexible, polycarbonate material. When tint ona sports lens is desired, if ordering polycarbonate, be sure tospecify a tintable scratch resistant coating and use lower temperatures when tinting.

Trivex® is the latest advancement in impact resistant lens mate-rials. Developed by PPG Industries in 2001 for the United Statesmilitary, Trivex combines the some of the impact resistance andbenefits of polycarbonate, with a higher ABBE value of 43.Although Trivex is more expensive than polycarbonate, it canbe easily tinted in a wide range of colors. Keep in mind thatTrivex absorbs tint very quickly so the ECP should tint the lensat a lower temperature than standard and should check thecolor frequently.

Both materials are available in polarized, single vision, linedmultifocal and progressive lens styles.

Enhancing the Lens through Color

Although there are many different color combinations and tinting densities to choose from, some common colors thatwork well with athletic activities are:

Yellow and Orange: These colors heighten contrast betweenobjects and blue or green backgrounds. Sometimes marketed as“blue blockers,” yellow and orange tints are good for hazy, foggyor overcast conditions. Not an appropriate color for an activitythat depends on accurate color perception, it is an excellentchoice for low light and indoor activities. A word of caution,yellow and orange can cause discomfort to the eyes when used inextreme bright light conditions.

Rose and Red: Although these colors heighten contrast in part-ly cloudy and sunny conditions, they may cause significantcolor imbalances. The main benefit to these colors is that theyallow the patients’ eyes to adjust quickly between alternatinglight conditions.

Purple: Commonly used as a fashion tint, dark purple canshade the eye while maintaining natural color perception.

Dark Amber, Brown, and Copper: These colors help reduceglare and perform best in hazy sunshine. They are especiallyadvantageous in improving contrast on grass and against blueskies; as well as activities where glare and depth perception canbe a deciding factor.

Green/Gray: A mild, contrast enhancing tint, green/gray is gen-erally used to reduce eyestrain under bright lighting conditions.As soothing tints, they offer the best contrast and visual acuityof all tints due to the fact that the visible spectrum will transmitthrough the lenses in the exact same manner that it does in thehuman eye.

When participating in the activities in which eye injuries arelikely to occur, certain colors work better than others:

• Hunting/Shooting- yellow/orange, rose/red, and darkamber, brown and copper, purple

• Water sports- yellow/orange, rose/red, dark amber, brownand copper

• Golf- dark amber, brown and copper, green/gray

• Baseball and racquet sports- dark amber, brown and copper, green

Deciding to go Polarized

Tints, although an effective option in sports eyewear, are not asefficient as polarized lenses. Tinting only makes the lens darker,thereby blocking the amount of usable light entering the eyewhile allowing glare to pass through. Polarization on the otherhand, acts as a filter. Polarization is a film that is inside the lensand acts like a Venetian blind, blocking reflected light that caus-es harmful glare. As a result, glare is eliminated and the wearerwill experience increased comfort, visual acuity and contrast.


JULY2011.qxd 6/27/11 9:11 AM

Thank you for supporting

X-Cel and allowing us to

continue serving your needs.

WHAT’S MOST IMPORTANT ISN’T IN THE BOX.

©2011 X-Cel Optical Company, all rights reserved. Transitions and the swirl are registered trademarks of Transitions Optical, Inc. T H E U L T I M A T E V I S I O N

APR2011_XCel.qxd 3/30/11 12:23 PM Page 1


Dark Gray – 25% light transmission; truest color recognitionand is ideal for bright sunny days and high glare activities suchas deep water fishing and driving

Light Gray – 55% light transmission; ideal for being used withtints to create a custom colored polarized lens

Dark Brown – 25% light transmission; as a semi-blue blocker,it is ideal for improved contrast, visual acuity and depth perception, and is useful in activities such as driving and shallow water fishing

Light Brown – 45% light transmission; ideal for being usedwith tints to create a custom colored polarized lens

Melanin – 25% light transmission; a relatively new lens to themarket, it contains the pigment that normally occurs in thebody and is ideal for anyone with macular degeneration andworks well in bright conditions and activities in which the lightvaries such as golfing

Red – 55% light transmission; a high contrast lens that is idealfor low light fishing and as a shooting lens in bright light

Orange – 50% light transmission; blocks blue light, increasescontrast and is most commonly used for clay target shooting(depending on the skeet color), biking, and skiing

Green – 60% light transmission; true color balanced lens thatworks well in varying light conditions such as golf and tennis

Violet – 55% light transmission; increases contrast and darkenscertain backgrounds so it works well with shooting in averageto bright, golfing and for winter sports

Yellow – 80% light transmission; eliminates blue light whichincreases contrast significantly. The increased contrast makesthe individual objects truly stand out from their background

Polarized polycarbonate lenses are available from Seiko, YoungerOptics, Essilor, Hoya, and Shamir to name a few. The first Trivexpolarized lens is the NXT Polarized Sunless by PPG. By confin-ing the polarized film to the 0.9mm of the lens surface, PPG provides a lens that retains its color over time and remains uniform regardless of thickness and surfacing processes.

Sports Frame

Effective sports frames are lightweight and customarily madeout of nylon, Kevlar or a nylon/polycarbonate blend to providedurability. Large, rubber nose pads evenly disperse weight toprovide comfort and decrease slipping. The frame should besnug and form fitting to diffuse the impact of a blow over a larg-er area, away from the eyeball. A wrap fit is also desirable witha strap instead of traditional temples. All sport frames that theECP recommends should be verified that they are ASTM approvedfor that sport and that the frame literature indicates that the framehas passed the F803.88 standard for sports protection.

Conclusion

Eye injuries can not only occur due to an accident, but throughprofessional negligence by the ECP as well. Ocular injuries canbe incredibly painful as well and lead to short term or long termvision loss. Luckily, prevention is key with eye injuries. By providing the best in sports eyewear, a majority of injuries canbe prevented. Ultimately the patient wins and the ECP has significant intrinsic pride in providing the best care for each oftheir patients. ■

With contributions from Brian A. Thomas, P.h.D, ABOM

JULY2011.qxd 6/28/11 11:56 AM

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The 21st Century OpticianWarren G. McDonald, PhD

Professor of Health AdministrationReeves School of Business / Methodist University

My outstanding colleague at Methodist University, ProfessorMichael Wayland and I, recently completed our first booktogether entitled Strategy Development for the Optical Industryand Beyond, now available through the Opticians Association ofAmerica. We feel strategy is extremely important to the life ofany successful organization. For the next few months we will begin to evaluate the important place it must hold in ourbusiness and professional lives in today’s turbulent economy.

Keep in mind that strategy is a management process that is future focused. I know that many of you have played somelevel of sports, and will remember your coach developing astrategy that would allow your team to be successful. That iswhat strategy does for your organization. It is a process ofanalysis and planning that will prepare you for the future, andwhile it does not guarantee success, it will give you the bestopportunity to succeed.

Most ECPs receive little to no education in management, butare expected to run million dollar organizations by the seat oftheir pants. It takes more than luck to succeed in today’s competitive environment, and I hope by delving into this topica bit, we can provide a better understanding of the processesinvolved in the strategic management. And always remember, itis a process, and not a one time activity.

The Nature of Strategic Management– What is it?

The health care marketplace is in flux now more thanat any other point in my 58 years, and I suspect morethan at any point in the history of the United States.The Health Care Reform debate rages on, and as theplan is implemented, it will continue to evolve,making it difficult to keep up with the most currentinitiatives coming from Congress. Most agree reformis necessary, but the debate on the methods used issignificant, and will require a continuing effort on thepart of all health care providers to keep up with the

myriad of changes to follow. That leads us to the tremendousneed to a greater strategic focus for all ECPs...large and small. Ifwe are to even survive, much less thrive, we must strategicallyview the landscape. We must prepare for changes even beforethey arrive, and strategy is how we accomplish that task. It isour “crystal ball.”

Strategic Management: The Beginning

Early on the term long-range planning was used. For manyyears, health care was a stable environment. Things did notchange much. Hospitals did 10-year plans and often they sawlittle change, if any. After WWII, the economy became morevolatile, and we looked more towards strategic planning.The difference is simply this; long-range implies more of a timeperiod approach, while strategic planning implies more of a“readiness for change” kind of view with periodic evaluation ofthe services and products we provide.

Then we began to view the process more as an organization-wide function, and the term strategic management took hold.All facets of the organization, from accounting to engineeringbecame a part of the strategic focus of the organization, versusjust the planning department of old. Now this is not a new

Developing Strategy:The Path to Business Success

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term. In fact, it has been used in health care for over 20 years,but in today’s environment, we must remember that strategiesare ultra-important to our staying power. Through this newseries of articles, we will investigate the process of strategicmanagement and hope that it provides some assistance to youin better managing your organization. Let us now evaluatesome of the many tools from which we can develop effectivestrategies for success.

Strategic Management: Tips and Tools

For the next few months, I want to describe some specific tipsand tools that can be utilized in your practice or organizationto better prepare your organization for the future. Somemonths back, I described a process called the S.W.O.T. Analysis.We will look further at that as we move through this series ofarticles, but in brief, the acronym SWOT stands for:

• Strengths– the organization evaluates its perceivedstrengths in the marketplace. What makes your organiza-tion stand out from the pack? What differentiates youfrom the competition?

• Weaknesses– in what areas do you need some improve-ment? No organization is without weaknesses, and youmust recognize them and improve in those areas.

Note that both of the topics so far are internal, and things weshould consider as a team, including others beyond the CEO orowner are important to assure an objective evaluation. But thatis only half the SWOT. Let’s now look to the external side of thisequation.

• Opportunities– where are there opportunities to reachout to new markets? Can we add new products or servic-es to an existing mix? Is there need for a new location to meet and expanding area of service we are not nowreaching? In short, we must consider new opportunitiesto further grow and develop the organization.

• Threats– who is trying to attract our customers andpatients? In this case we must be prepared, and alwaysbring our A game. If you are the top dog, believe me,someone is always trying to reach your position.Even Walmart has somebody trying to figure out how totopple them from the top retail spot.

The SWOT process can tell us a lot about ourselves and ourmarketplace. From that process we can develop a better under-standing of the future direction our organization.

Team Techniques for Strategy Development: Brainstorming

Brainstorming is one of the most utilized techniques, but isoften used ineffectively. “It is important to note that beginninga strategic plan with a vision of a desired future for an organi-zation leads to a very different outcome than that obtainedfrom ... an extrapolation of current business trends. Beginningwith the present and planning a future very much like the pres-ent is a far cry from envisioning a desired future and planninghow such a future can be achieved. Envisioning involves theconviction that our present actions can influence our future —we can help create our own future rather than passively acceptwhatever comes to pass. A powerful well thought out vision canbecome a magnet pulling an organization toward its idealfuture.” –Nolan, Goodstein and Goodstein (2008).

This quote says volumes, and as an organization, we must planfor the future we visualize. Let’s take a look at how we can effec-tively use the ideas floating around in our own organizations toour benefit through brainstorming. Much of this topic isexcerpted from our recent book, mentioned earlier.

Brainstorming

Brainstorming is a process for generating ideas in a group. Theunderlying concept is similar to the old adage that “Two headsare better than one.” If everyone involved (stakeholders) in aproject, issue, or problem can come together and generate pos-sible solutions, the variety of ideas will be greater, and theopportunity for a superior outcome is increased. Furthermore,acceptance of the outcome is generally more likely to beobtained from the stakeholders because they had a hand in cre-ating the outcome. Brainstorming is particularly useful whencreative, out of the box, or non-apparent solutions are needed.

Often, corporate or national cultures create barriers to peoplesharing their ideas openly and freely. For example, in an autocratic culture where people only do what they are told to,employees are less likely to speak up and voice opinions ormake suggestions. In a highly critical culture, or a culture thatdoes not permit failure, people may be afraid to suggest a different way of doing things for fear of criticism.Brainstorming overcomes these issues by creating an environ-ment where it is not only safe, but also expected, that peoplecontribute their ideas.

The concept of brainstorming was first introduced by advertis-ing executive Alex F. Osborn in his book Applied Imagination:Principles and Procedures of Creative Problem Solving,(Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1963). His four main principles of brainstorming were to: focus on quantity instead of quality,

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not allow criticism, encourage off the wall ideas, and encouragethe group to improve ideas by building off of other people’sideas. These core ideas remain today.

To create that safe environment for idea generation in modernbrainstorming, the brainstorming group typically begins bysetting its own ground rules. The ground rules set the parame-ters and establish what the group finds to be acceptable andunacceptable.

Typical ground rules may include such things as:

1. No ideas are bad ideas; give any and all ideas you think of

2. Speak one person at a time; don’t speak over others3. Criticism of other peoples ideas is not permitted4. Everyone participates5. Ideas will be evaluated only at the end, not as ideas

are generated6. Think out of the box

The purpose of brainstorming is to generate as many ideas aspossible. Quality is not important, quantity is. The groundrules are usually developed so as to ensure that maximum ideasare generated. For example, if a group member suggests an ideaand the other group members immediately begin to dissect it,evaluate it, and tear it appear, the person who put forward theidea may feel criticized and not give ideas like that again.Further, the group’s time has been refocused on determininghow “meritorious” the idea was instead of focusing on creatingmore ideas. The idea generation process is thus inhibited.

Brainstorming can be formal or informal. One person is designated the “scribe,” “facilitator,” or “leader.” It is this person’s role to write down every idea generated. Usually this isdone on a flip chart. Alternatively, “sticky notes” or even achalkboard can be used. Often the scribe role rotates so that noone person dominates the process. Many groups will establishthe principle that the scribe does not offer ideas, but onlywrites. This is to prevent the scribe from exerting leadershipthat could direct or redirect the group’s efforts in a way thatcould lead them down a particular path.

Brainstorming begins by group members offering quick, briefideas. Deep descriptions are not necessary. A brainstorm idea

may sound like “What if we did X?” As an example, imagine anexecutive team that is trying to cut costs for the business.The first idea offered may be: “we could cut our workforce byten percent.” Rather than judging the idea, the scribe jots itdown and moves on to the next idea.

If the “workforce cut” suggestion is attacked by a team member,the scribe reminds the group to hold off on evaluations, andpresses the group for more ideas. Even ridiculous and off thewall ideas are desired. Sometimes these “crazy” ideas have novalue, but they spur another person’s mind to think of some-thing new. Building off of other people’s ideas is not viewed ascheating, but rather as a great way to generate additional ideas.

In our cost cutting example above, the workforce reductionidea may lead to an idea to open the company’s union contractfor early renegotiation, which in turn may spur someone else tothink of renegotiating contracts with suppliers. This, in turn,may cause someone to suggest renegotiating contracts withcustomers. Someone else may suggest asking the leasing company that owns the headquarters office building to reducethe rent. Finally, someone remembers seeing that the government had recently designated the inner city area nearbyas an enterprise zone which would allow for tax incentives andstate subsidies if the company moved their headquarters there.The idea generation just moved from laying off employees torelocating the company headquarters!

Conclusion

There are many different tools we can use to help us develop anappropriate strategy for our organizations. Whether you are asmall optical dispensary, a multimillion dollar practice, a laboratory or in reality, just about any kind of organization,there is a tool that can help you. In the coming months we willaddress several of those included in our book. We will notaddress them all, however, for space and time simply do notpermit, but for those seeking to learn more about strategy,please go to the OAA website and purchase the book. It isdesigned in workbook fashion with many examples that willassist you in your efforts. I look forward to the next fewmonths. ■

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Movers AND ShakersTransitions Optical

Transitions Optical has announced that DaveCole, a long-time top executive with the com-pany, has been appointed president, effectiveimmediately. In his new role, Cole will assumefull responsibility for the Transitions Opticalbusiness. Cole started with the company when

it launched in 1990 and was named chief operating officer in 2010. In his expanded role, he will be accountable for effectively leveraging the regional and global leadership teams,and business strategy development and execution, while continuing to build strategic partnerships to drive the photochromic market.

American Optometric AssociationDori Carlson, OD, was elected president of theAmerican Optometric Association duringOptometry’s Meeting last month, succeedingJoe Ellis, OD. Carlson, who practices in NorthDakota, is the AOA’s first woman president.Carlson said her primary goal for the year ahead

is working to make sure the pediatric vision benefit in theupcoming health care reform means eye exams, not justscreenings, for young children.

Ronald Hopping, OD, of Texas is the new AOApresident-elect. Mitchell Munson, OD, ofColorado was elected AOA vice president, DavidCockrell, OD, of Oklahoma is the organization’snew secretary-treasurer. Newly elected AOAtrustees are Hilary Hawthorne, OD, of

California; Barbara Horn, OD, of Michigan; Steven Loomis,OD, of Colorado; Samuel Pierce, OD, of Alabama; ChristopherQuinn, OD, of New Jersey; and Andrea Thau, OD, of NewYork.

MarchonMarchon Eyewear, Inc. has announced MichaSiebenhandl has been named to the newly cre-ated position of vice president, global housebrands. In this new position, Siebenhandl willreport directly to Mark Ginsberg, senior vicepresident, global marketing, with a dotted line

to Claudio Gottardi, CEO and president of Marchon.Siebenhandl has been with Marchon since 1997, first as a salesagent for Marchon Germany and then as the sales director forGermany, a position he took on in 2002. Since then he has heldseveral senior positions including commercial director ofGermany and Austria.

Superior VisionManaged vision firm Superior Vision recentlyhired Jay Rausch as its vice president, strategicalliances. Rausch, who joined the company inMay, has more than 20 years’ experience ininsurance sales, most recently as VP of businessdevelopment for Dominion Dental. In his new

role with Superior, he is responsible for developing strategicrelationships with a variety of healthcare providers across thecountry, including medical carriers, dental plans, third-partyadministrators and other ancillary benefit companies.

Optometry Giving SightOptometry Giving Sight has appointed MaryAnne Murphy, OD of Front Range EyeAssociates, P.C., in Broomfield, Colo. to lead itsefforts in the U.S. to raise funds for people whoare blind or vision impaired due to uncorrectedrefractive error. She will replace Vic Connors,

OD as the organization’s chair of the U.S. National Committee.Murphy will help Optometry Giving Sight meet its goals overthe coming years to procure funding for projects that will provide affordable and accessible eye care services to people inunderserved communities.

AllisonAllison S.p.A. has named Giorgio Antichi aschief executive officer and Michele Osti as vicepresident of worldwide sales. Antichi wasappointed by the board of directors to his newrole and succeeds Antonio Bortuzzo. He hasspent the past five years as investment director

of Paladin Capital Partners. Antichi also has significant experi-ence in finance, mergers and acquisition and investments aswell as in consumer goods.

Michele Osti succeeds Giuseppe La Boria as vicepresident worldwide sales. Osti comes fromSafilo Group where he was responsible for managing sales to distributors and internationalaccounts, as well as managing the sales processand promotions, sales marketing, the develop-

ment of new markets and structuring the sales force.

American Board of OptometryThe ABO has elected two new optometrists to its board ofdirectors. According to the organization, Robert P. Nyre, OD,and James M. Vaught, OD, were unanimously elected to serveon the ABO board after Thomas L. Lewis, OD, PhD, retired inMay. Nyre, a graduate of Illinois College of Optometry, is

David Cole Jay Rausch

Mary Anne Murphy

Giorgio Antichi

Michele Osti

Dori Carlson

Ronald Hopping

Micha Siebenhandl

Movers & Shakers continued on page 24

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Movers AND Shakerscurrently in private practice in Minot, N.D., where he also servesas the president of the North Dakota Optometric Associationand is a past president of the North Central States OptometricCouncil. Vaught graduated from the University of Alabama atBirmingham School of Optometry and practices in Conway,S.C., and is a former president of the South CarolinaOptometric Physicians Association.

Vision WestVision West Inc., the ophthalmic practice man-agement and buying group resource, has addedDaniel Frutiger to its sales force as the represen-tative for the company’s Southern California ter-ritory. He has a BS in Business Managementalong with 15 years of experience in office man-

agement and executive directorship in the non-profit sector.Additionally he has 13 years of previous sales experience in theophthalmic industry serving as an Account Executive withEmpire Optical, Express Lens Lab, Viva and CSC Group.

Will Be Missed...

Jonathan Balester, 56, a former president ofBalester Optical Co., was found dead in his homein Shavertown, PA on May 26. His death wasruled a homicide and the Pennsylvania statepolice are investigating the murder. Jonathan wasborn in Wyoming, Pa., to Alison Garland

McLeod-Sharpe and the late Fred J. Balester, Jr. A 1972 graduateof Wyoming Seminary, he was president of ABBA AdvertisingProducts, which he operated from his home. He worked in theoptical industry for the past thirty-eight years, in Rochester, N.Y.for Main Optical and briefly for Bausch and Lomb. In additionto serving as president of his family’s business, he also served onBalester Optical’s board of directors.

Donations may be sent to the Salvation Army, 729 Sans SouciParkway, Hanover Township 18706; St. Vincent de Paul Kitchen,39 E. Jackson St., Wilkes-Barre, PA 18701; Back MountainHarvest Assembly of God Church, or to a charity of the donor’schoice.

Jacques Morel, 83, one of the driving forcesbehind the Morel frame company, passed awayon May 21st. He was laid to rest at the church ofNotre Dame in Morez, France on May 25th.Although very active with the company, whichmarked its 130th anniversary in 2010, Jacques

Morel was retired. As a statement noted, Morel, like his ancestorsbefore him and his children today, was “deeply passionate about

Daniel Frutiger

Jonathan Balester

Jacques Morel

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his profession and totally devoted to his company,industry, family and region,” the latter including the forest ofFrance’s Jura region. A well-known figure in the world ofeyewear, Morel was an officer of the French Order of Merit andwas involved in representative bodies such as the Syndicat desLunetiers du Jura and Silmo.

Hal Rothstein, 74, co-owner and president/CEO of HirschOptical, passed away in Melville, NY on June 6 following alengthy illness. Rothstein was born in Brooklyn, N.Y. andreceived law degrees from Columbia University and New YorkUniversity. He became a partner in the firm Rothstein &Weinstein in Melville, N.Y. from 1977 through 2000. He thenserved as counsel to Ruskin Moscou Faltischek, P.C. inUniondale, N.Y. where he was a member of the firm’s corporate& securities department. In 1978, Rothstein became a silentpartner in Hirsch Optical, a small wholesale laboratory inFarmingdale, N.Y. Hirsch Optical is currently managed by hisson, Michael Rothstein and Ken Mittel, the lab’s longtime man-ager.

Don Williamson, OD, a past president of SECO, died May 23after a long illness at the age of 69. Williamson had practiced inCape Coral, FL since 1973, after serving in Bangkok, Thailand,as the chief of eye services for the Diplomatic Medical Missionduring the Vietnam War. He graduated from the SouthernCollege of Optometry in 1967. Williamson was president of theSouthern Council of Optometrists in 1998, and was also a pastpresident of the Florida Optometric Association. He was recog-nized by the American Optometric Association as Optometristof the Year in 1996, and received the AOA’s highest honor, the Distinguished Service Award, in 2005.Donations in his memory may be made to the Moffit CancerCenter’s Foundation for Pancreatic Cancer Research, UTC-Found, 12902 Magnolia Dr., Tampa, Fla., 33612.

Margaret Furman, co-founder and vice president of marketingfor Magic Design/Visual Dynamics Inc., passed away in SanFrancisco on June 11 following a lengthy illness. She was 61years old. Magic Design, one of the industry’s long-time retaildispensary display/design companies, was started by Furmanand her husband Cy in the early ‘80s. Originally known as MagicGlass, the company specialized in glass showcases for retailers.But it was in 1983 that the Furmans turned their attention to the optical industry and began to specialize in the design andmerchandising business for retail dispensaries. MargaretFurman was a driving force behind the company’s growth whichtoday offers retailers a “total package” design with client services ranging from lighting to flooring and furniture selections.

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Managing OpticianAnthony Record, ABO/NCLE, RDO

Buy GlassesWith a Click? Click “Cancel”This article was published in The St. Petersburg Times on July 2ndin response to recent articles written in favor of online opticalretailing. The author felt compelled to reach out to the public viahis local newspaper to educate them about the pitfalls on onlinedispensing. Hopefully it will inspire other ECPs to do the same.

W ITH VERY FEW caveats mentioned in them, I haveread several articles over the last few years toutingthe benefits of purchasing eyeglasses online, the

most recent being “Buy glasses with a click” which appeared in The St. Petersburg Times on June 9, 2011. In the interest ofbalance, here’s a view with many caveats and only one benefit.If you or a loved one wears prescription eyeglasses I stronglyencourage you to read on.

Let’s start with the law. According to Florida Statute 484.001,“the Legislature finds that the practice of opticianry byunskilled and incompetent practitioners presents a danger tothe public health and safety [and] that it is difficult for the pub-lic to make an informed choice about opticians and that theconsequences of a wrong choice could seriously endanger theirhealth and safety...the sole purpose of enacting this [law] is forthe protection of the public health, safety, and welfare.”

A few paragraphs later, ostensibly in order to further protectour citizenry, FS 484.002 states that eyeglasses should not betransferred or dispensed to the wearer, “...until the optician hascompleted the fitting of the optical device upon the customer.”This directive is contained in the statute’s very definition of“opticianry.” In the section on violations and penalties(484.013), “to prepare or dispense lenses, spectacles, eyeglasses,contact lenses, or other devices when such a person is notlicensed as an optician in this state” is deemed unlawful. InFlorida Administrative Code 64B12, which sets out specific disciplinary actions for people and organizations in violation ofthese rules, the penalty is up to a $10,000 fine and loss oflicensure, that is, the person’s livelihood.

So the state of Florida, in all its infinite wisdom places all theserestrictions (and more) on how its people purchase prescrip-tion eyewear. Meanwhile, anyone with a computer, Internetaccess, a credit card, and half a brain can circumvent all thoselaws and rules, and without consulting a professional licensedby the Department of Health, place an order for prescriptioneyeglasses at a myriad of websites. Due to the fact that most ofthese entities are headquartered out of the state or country, andthat most of the glasses are made overseas, they are governed bythe laws of Interstate Commerce only and fall between thecracks of the state’s authority. In plain English you can purchaseyour eyeglasses online, and from a legal standpoint probably


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nothing bad is going to happen to you. Which begs the question: Just because you can do something should you? Ithink we’d all agree that the answer to that question often timesis a resounding “no.”

There are many interesting things for sale on the Internet.During a recent surfing session I discovered dozens of sites selling in-home, do-it-yourself Pap smears. I don’t know aboutyou, but I would prefer my wife and daughter consult a licensedgynecologist when it comes to administering and interpreting aprocedure designed to detect cervical cancer. Likewise, I saw an impressive site that was selling a do-it-yourself spine manipulation and Chiropractic booklet and DVD for $99. If Iwere suffering from chronic or intense back pain to the point I would consider that, I think a trip to my local, licensed chiropractor would be in order.

But seriously, let’s consider the wisdom of purchasing prescrip-tion eyeglasses online. In case you haven’t figured it out, I thinkit is a terribly bad idea. Before I lay out my reasons why, let memake two things perfectly clear. First, I DO have a horse in thisrace. In the interest of full disclosure, I have been a Florida-licensed optician for more than 25 years. I have a private practice in Pasco County (Max Optics), and my wife is also aFlorida-licensed optician. In addition, I have been a lecturerand provider of continuing education for eye care profession-als in this and many other states.

Second, if your ONLY concern is economic – purchasingcheaper eyeglasses regardless of the risks involved – read nofurther, you will probably not be convinced. Just promise meone thing: If and when something bad happens to you physically (God forbid, you damage or lose your eyesight) goodluck finding someone to hold responsible other than yourself.It would be awfully difficult to sue some nameless, facelesssomebody operating somewhere deep within Thailand, forexample. Second, if and when the glasses you receive get loose,need repair, adjustment, break, or if you’re not seeing as well asyou hoped you would, do not consult a flesh and blood optician to assist you. Instead, wrap the glasses up with a note,and send them back to where you purchased them for assis-tance or repair. That seems like a fair enough request. After all,if you bring them to your local optician say for a screw, andwhile replacing it, the screwdriver accidentally slips and seriously scratches your lens – who is responsible? So here are afew reasons why I think you should think twice about Interneteyeglass purchases:

Impact Resistance – Safety. In the United States there are strictOSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) andANSI (American National Standards Institute) standards whenit comes to spectacle lenses. Minimum thickness guidelines toensure maximum impact resistance are strictly adhered to.

Many optical retailers and labs have applied even stricter standards (especially for kids), again, to ensure maximum protection. That’s not necessarily so in other countries. Lastyear I had a man in my shop who wished to purchase one lensto replace one that had shattered when he dropped his glasseson a linoleum floor. Upon inspection I noticed that the other,unbroken lens was incredibly thin – to the point that I couldflex it so that the edges almost touched one another. Thankgoodness the lens had broken when dropped, and not while hewas wearing them in front of his eyes. If an object such as asmall pebble had hit the lens while he was wearing them,I guarantee they would have shattered into many small pieces,some of which would have almost certainly damaged hiscornea. He had purchased them online.

Comfort and Fit. Despite the technological allure of virtually“trying on” frames via a picture on your computer screen, with-out ever actually trying them on, you can never be sure of acomfortable fit. Although they might look attractive on screen,often when they finally arrive the frames are too loose or tootight. The temples (sidepieces) are too short or way too long.Perhaps they’re too heavy - they slide down your nose. Thoseare just some of the chances you take. At that point, you have afew options: live with it, send them back, or try to adjust themyourself. Again, no self-respecting optician would want to do itfor you. Why? First, it’s not fair to the “paying” customers whoare also waiting for his or her service. Additionally, an initialconsultation and initial personalized fitting, along with anynecessary repairs and adjustments are part of the purchaseprice. Therefore, send them back to where you purchased them.

Comfort is not the only consideration when thinking about“fit.” When you order glasses from a qualified professional, partof the initial consultation is determining your pupillary distance or PD (the distance between your pupils in millime-ters) and if you wear bifocals a multi-focal height or MFH (thedistance from the deepest geometric point on the frame to yourlower lid or middle of your pupil). If the PD is “off” just a fewmillimeters, it will result in unwanted, un-prescribed horizon-tal prism. This problem could manifest itself in varying degreesof double vision, stress and strain, and general discomfort. Theamount of prism and discomfort is compounded with regardto the overall strength of your prescription and just how far offthe measurement is. I have personally seen PDs of glasses purchased online off by as much as 10 mm. To give you an ideaof how far off that is, it’s like you ordered pants with a waistmeasurement of 32, and received pants with a waist size of 37.Good luck with that fit.

Inexplicably, most online eyeglass sellers don’t even ask for theMFH measurement. Apparently they guess, or figure that one-measurement fits all. Trust me, it doesn’t. I sold more than adozen pairs of bifocals yesterday, and every MFH was different!

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As far as the PD is concerned, some of these sites give youinstructions on how to do it yourself, or advice on how toweasel the information out of a local eye care professional.By the way, neither the PD nor the MFH are considered part ofyour eyeglass prescription. They are considered ancillary measurements and again, accurately determining them is partof the initial consultation.

Final Inspection and Adjustment. Even after all that, assumingthe measurements and frame fit are both perfect, unless theframes are personally fit to your head and ears after the lenseshave been mounted, they will not perform optimally. Thispotential problem is also compounded by the severity of yourprescription. But even with mild prescriptions, if you are wear-ing a progressive, no-line lens, this final fitting is crucial. If thefit is skewed 1 or 2 mm either way, your vision will suffer.Additionally, before wearing them, it is critical that an eye careprofessional double check to make sure the prescription in theeyeglasses exactly matches what was prescribed by your eyedoctor. If it doesn’t (and sometimes even the finest lab makesan error) they need to be remade before you begin to routinelywear them. Buying your glasses from a licensed professionalhelps to ensure that all this is done.

Quality and Service are Remembered Long after Price isForgotten. Generally, when it comes to the countless number ofonline eyeglass sellers there are two categories: First, the onesthat sell their products really, really cheap. For those websites Iwould remind you of an old cliché your mama taught you

many years ago: If it’s too good to be true, it is. In other words,saving a few bucks is one thing, but if a website is selling eye-glasses for what seems like pennies on the dollar, those are theglasses that are more likely to be dangerous. They’re the onesthat probably have many of the characteristics explained above.The second type of online seller offers products a little belowwhat you would pay in a bricks-and-mortar establishment.Now, I can’t speak for all the eye care professionals out there,but allow me to let you in on a little secret that is especially truein today’s economy: If you were to go into your local opticalshop and say something like, “I saw this Vera Bradley frameonline, and with the kind of lenses I want, when everything isconsidered, it would cost me $60 less than you’re asking ifI bought them on the Internet. Is there anything you can do?”I bet you most opticians would match the price or at least meetyou in the middle. Now you have a win-win situation. You savea little money and get all the benefits of in-person, customizedservice, and the optical establishment gets the chance to estab-lish a new-customer relationship.

In another old cliché, someone once proverbially said, “Theeyes are the window to the soul.” In many ways, I think we’d allagree on that one. And in terms of all of our precious senses,which one would you be most devastated by if it were lost? Formost of us, I think the answer would be sight. With all that inmind, think long and hard about what you allow to be the onlybarrier between your eyes and the outside world. I don’t knowabout you, but for myself and my loved ones...only the best. ■

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Walk me around the dispensary

Sell me some glasses and contacts

I don’t care if my insurance ever pays me back

Let me spend, spend, spend all I want to

If you don’t it’s a shame

For it’s one, two, three strikes

You’re out

At the (eye)ball game

It’s eyecare season, are you ready to get off the bench andplay some ball?

Our team is determined to win the MostValuable Practice (MVP) award this yearwhich requires outstanding performance from

every position.

New patient on deck! Batter up!

The first pitch of the game isthrown by our everybodyfriendly receptionist wholoves to put a positive

spin on communication. She’lltreat you like a

winner regardless of the position you play. Sheworks hard to make sure we cover all the basesduring practice and keeps up with the dailypatient roster.

The first patient up to bat is watching very closelyas his stats are entered into the computer. Heknows nothing about the game or what to expectfrom our team. He is here today because lately hecan’t see the score board without squinting. Wewill have this guy feeling like a championby the time he leaves practice today.We believe all of our patientsshould have a grand slam experi-ence. It keeps them from beingputout by playing around withthose minor league teamsonline.

Disappointing patients thatcome out to support our teamrequires us to change our strate-gy from time to time. Patientsare excellent score keepers andoften like to play by their ownrules. Every team will have curve

The Mobile OpticianGinny Johnson, LDO, ABOC

JULY2011.qxd 6/27/11 9:46 AM

balls to dodge in order to keep their rankings up and theirpatients on a winning streak.

Here are a few curve balls to watch out for:

Be careful not to over promise on the expected delivery date ofyour patient’s eyewear order. Speak in terms of business days topatients. If you don’t practice on weekends, let them know theirorder may take a short stop until Monday morning when itresumes play.

Contact lens patients may be set up for automatic home platedelivery through your practice’s website. That way yourpatients will avoid those curve balls of running out of lensesand long line drives to the practice during rush hour.

Discovering that your patient’s frame is on backorder forwhatever reason is a curve ball that can cause you to go downswinging. Most frame reps are designated hitters and will go tobat for you to find the exact frame and even do a nationwidesearch for it. Keep your patient in the know so they don’t walkand take their business elsewhere. Your last out is to look atanother line up and pick a different winner. Do whatever ittakes to keep the patient from getting choked up and backingyou into a hot corner.

Before passing the new eyewear, put it through the visual whiteglove test.

Visual White Glove Test

• Match the lab invoice to your practice’s RX order form

• Patient’s name

• RX (from OD or MD coach)

• PD (monocular, binocular)

• Lens design (SV, bifocal, trifocal, progressive, occupation-al, anti-fatigue, computer, etc)

• Seg height, fitting height, OC height, wanted or unwantedprism

• Lens material (CR39, trivex, poly, hi index, glass)

• Frame information (model number, name, color, A, DBL,B, ED, temple length)

• Lens treatments (no-glare, photochromic, polarized,mirror, etc)

• Special instructions (50/50 bevel, roll and polish, ET, CT)

• The umpire at your lab will tell you it’s safe to trust themto verify those freeform lenses that are out of the leagueof your practice’s equipment

• Make sure that the lab costs/charges/fees/bill plays wellwith your retail pricing

• Check and tighten all screws

• Inspect lenses closely for defects (scratches, gaps, crazing,waves, edged too large or too small, etc)

• Check frames for scuff marks, stress or weak points,warpage

• Make sure grooved and drilled lenses are mountedsecurely and are the correct shape and size

• Adjust frames (four point alignment, face form, retro-scopic tilt, pantoscopic angle and tilt, vertex distance)

Give patients their Certificate of Authenticity cards forTransitions, progressive lenses, branded frames and sunglasses.Make sure that the branded no-glare cleaning cloth being dis-pensed is the same brand that the patient is actually wearing.

Some players get a wall climbing feeling when there is a delayof game due to the whether.

Whether or not the coach will recruit more players always popsup on the list. If you are just sliding by with your current team,practicing without time outs, playing extra innings and overtime, then it’s safe to say you need to recruit.

Whether the patient will be cool or get warmed up when theydiscover their vision insurance plan has no real sweet spot. Playsoftball instead of hard ball with these patients.

Whether you should answer the office phone that is ringing orhelp a patient that walks in at the exact same time. I always rootfor helping the patient first and returning the phone call ASAP.If you can’t answer the phone by the fourth ring then let it gostraight to the press box for further review.

Sometimes the coach may lose track of time or get stuck with achatterbox patient.

Do your best to practice poised urgency when this happens.Most patients will understand and not have a problem waitingif they see their favorite team is working hard. It’s worth thewait to them and there is no where else in the World Series theywould rather be. If you have wild card or slugger that is gettingimpatient then you may need to tap on the coach’s door withyour stopwatch and call him/her out.

Game over. ■

JULY 2011 | EEYECAREPROFESSIONAL| 31

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32 | EEYECAREPROFESSIONAL |JULY 2011Continued on page 34

THE CONCEPT of a “rainmaker” has traditionallybeen associated with large law firms or corporate entities. It’s that one person who has developed theskills, persona and reputation to bring business(rain) to a firm allowing it to grow.

Many business owners, and eye care professionals are no excep-tion, believe that they can be their own rainmakers. Believingthat clients or patients will flock to their offices for the sheer joyof being seen. They are wrong. Rainmakers don’t usually stay inone place long enough to become an owner. They are there toaccomplish a mission and then move on to the next one.

John Sanders blogs at jobisms.com and has identified 5 characteristics of rainmakers.

1. They have a long “MSA” list.

MSA is an acronym for Made, Saved or Achieved. Rainmakersare proud of their accomplishments and will not hesitate tobrag about them on a resume. Don’t be fooled by a list ofaccomplishments that seem too grand for the position held.A rainmaker can do more with less in a shorter amount of timethan the average employee.

2. They have a solid pedigree.

They have all the necessary certifications or licenses and con-tinually upgrade their skills and knowledge. The rainmaker willhave a solid network of professional associates and will haveproved their skills in more than one location. Do not confusethem with “job-hoppers.”

3. Rainmakers will ask a lot of questions about the job,the future of the job and the practice during the interview.

The depth of the questions can be off-putting, but resist thetemptation to go on the defensive. The rainmaker is curious

and will bring that curiosity to the job, constantly investigatingthe why’s and how’s of the practice, constantly looking for waysto do things differently, faster, better—whatever. They not onlyknow how to ask the tough questions, they know how to deliver the answers in terms of value.

4. They look the part.

Rainmakers thrive on accomplishment. They are professionalsand will look the part. If you’ve checked their stats and verifiedtheir accomplishments, a true rainmaker will look almost toogood to be true.

5. Rainmakers change jobs, but not industry or career.

A rainmaker is an expert in their chosen profession. They takethe time to hone their skills and are constantly updating andexpanding their networks within the profession. Rainmakers

Dispensing OpticianJudy Canty, ABO/NCLE

Who’s Your Rainmaker?A person who generates income for a business or organization by brokering deals or attracting clients or funds.

—GOOGLE DICTIONARY

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bring a wealth of experience and best practices from their previous positions.

Rainmakers will join an organization and stick around as longas there are challenges and opportunities to meet. Some willbecome leaders, while others prefer to work in the background.All of them want to make it rain and then call it a day.

If this sounds like (insert name here), is (insert name here) stillworking for you?

No, why?

This is an entirely new breed of employee. They live and die bytheir accomplishments and when there are no challenges orthey are not allowed to do what they do well, they leave.Because they accomplish so much, most managers try to getmore and more from them, micro-managing until they becomefrustrated and disengage.

Smart managers give rainmakers a task and then get out ofthe way.

If (insert name here) is still on the payroll, count your blessingsand start allowing him or her to flex those creative muscles.

Meet with your management team and decide what you canchange, what you need to change and what you just have to livewith. If you’re not tracking office statistics, it’s time to begin.This could be the perfect way to get your rainmaker started. Useyour computer system to throw up as much information aspossible and allow (insert name here) to digest it. Allow him orher freedom to identify areas of improvement. Don’t take the information personally, becoming defensive will stop arainmaker cold. Is there a single project that will have a positiveimpact on the entire practice? That’s the project that a truerainmaker lives for. Decide on the goal and then move out ofthe way.

Be mindful that rainmakers are not usually long-term employees. They may stay 1 or 2 years, occasionally 3, thenleave for the next challenge, unless you can provide a steady

stream of challenges for them to meet. There is no joy in thestatus quo for a real rainmaker.

“If you give them the status quo to manage, they will quit out of some Darwinian need to survive the doldrums of repetition orignorance.”—JOHN SANDERS

You may be asking yourself why. Why do I need a rainmaker?My practice is fine, my systems are working, my staff is happyand the appointment book is pretty full.

“If you’re not moving forward toward your goals, you are moving backwards. There is no standing still.”—LLOYD IRVIN,WORLD CLASS MARTIAL ARTIST, COACH, MARKETERAND BUSINESSMAN.

Current economic conditions require more than just cost-cut-ting and penny-pinching. It requires imagination, creativethinking and, above all, flexibility.

Think you can’t afford to hire this mystical rainmaker? Who onyour staff meets Sanders’ 5 characteristics? Who meets most ofthem? Who has singular skills in a specific area? Use the staffyou have, or begin to replace a complacent staff with new hiresthat have specific skills sets.

We are heading into the last half of the calendar year, tradi-tionally our slowest season. The opportunity is now to examineyour practice from the inside out.

Scary, right?

Of course it is.

No one wants to look too deeply, lest they discover too manymistakes or opportunities missed. However if you followEleanor Roosevelt’s advice and “Do something every day thatscares you,” soon nothing you uncover will scare you, only pushyou towards the next challenge.

Hire a rainmaker, or grow one from within your practice. Allowhim or her to flourish. Don’t be sad when the rainmaker leaves.Now you know how to find or grow another one. ■

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The Technological ECPLindsey Getz

NOWADAYS IT’S PRETTY rare to find someone who doesn’tuse email. Though some seniors may have been slow to adoptits use, over time it’s become a multi-generational form ofcommunication. And now it’s becoming a form of medicalcommunication as well. Whether it’s through email blasts ornewsletters, or even one-on-one communication, there’s nodoubt that more medical professionals are connecting withpatients via email.

For Brooklyn, NY-based Park Slope Eye, email has become themain mode of communication. In fact, it’s how the practiceeven books appointments. If you call Park Slope Eye, patientswill be directed to an online scheduler or to email the practice.Since all of the staff is accessible via email, the patient getsalmost an immediate response. Justin Bazan, OD, the practice’sowner and regional director of Vision Source, says he’s foundthat patients prefer this form of communication. “It’s all therein black and white,” he says. “There’s no more ‘What were mybenefits again? Or ‘When did you say my glasses would be in?’”

At Manhattan-based Park Avenue Laser Vision, emailallows the practice to provide timely responses. “Peoplewant things right away—not tomorrow, not next week,but now,” says King M. Harrison, Perfect Vision LASEKcoordinator at the practice. “[With email] we are able to communicate in a fashion that is ideal for our busymarket. The world is so fast-paced and everyone is sobusy. The more effective way to communicate is by email.”

Email has also allowed Park Avenue Laser Vision to keeptheir patients up to date. The practice tries to send outemail updates twice a month. It’s been a means foradvertising some of the promotions and activities takingplace at the office, such as monthly seminars where thepublic is invited to come watch a live LASEK procedure.

But the practice wants to take their email efforts even further.Currently Park Avenue Laser Vision is considering a move toConstant Contact, one of many email marketing solutions outthere. “It’s a trusted service with a history of providing timely,legitimate email correspondence to multiple industries,” saysHarrison.“By using Constant Contact, we feel we will be able toreach our patients efficiently and effectively, all the whilerespecting their space and not having them mistake us for SPAM.”

Privacy and Security

One of the considerations to keep in mind when using email is the patient’s security and privacy. It’s important thatinformation transmitted via email remain safe. Tony Sterrett,practice administrator for Price Vision Group in Indianapolis,Ind., says that the practice takes these concerns seriously—occasionally even more so than patients do. “We sometimes getgeneral questions posted to us through our Facebook page but

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because of HIPAA concerns, we do not answer their questionspublicly,” explains Sterrett. “Those people are directed to callour office.”

When it comes to email, Sterrett says the same precautions are taken. The practice uses an encrypted email service. “Werecognize that many people prefer to communicate via email,but it is imperative to follow HIPAA regulations,” he says. “Theonly acceptable way to use email is if the communication isencrypted. We use a patient portal which can be accessedthrough our website. The patient clicks an ‘Online Clinic’button on our main webpage and creates an account. Then theylogin and ask their question. Our portal also allows patients toenter their medical history, demographic information, chiefcomplaint, medication list and insurance information. Certainstaff members in our practice receive notification emails lettingus know we have a request. We login to our account to read themessage. It is a safe system but does add a step to the flow ofcommunication.”

Sterrett says there are a variety of options on the market forpractices seeking a patient portal with encrypted email. PriceVision Group utilizes a product by Sophrona. Sterrett says thatencryption essentially works by “locking” information so thatonly authorized individuals can access it. “By creating anaccount the patient uses a unique ‘key’ that only we candecode,” he explains. “That way, in the unlikely event that amessage in intercepted, it cannot be read by anyone other thanthat particular patient and our practice. If there are practiceswho are still communicating through standard email, it is only a matter of time before they have an unfortunate information leak.”

The Way of the Future

As more practices move toward emailing, there are some benefits to be discovered. For one, Bazan says that using emailas the primary mode of communication has eliminated theneed for a person dedicated to answering the phones. That’sbeen a big time savings for the practice. And it’s also helped cutdown on the practice’s “no show rate.” “We email our patientsonce they make the appointment which allows them to automatically add it to their iCal calendar [or other onlineapplication],” says Bazan.

Harrison also feels that email helps keep the practice on thecutting edge. He believes that practices that refuse to adopt newtechnologies are eventually going to become obsolete and thatit’s important to embrace the same technology that patients are using. “Society has moved into an electronic age and communication has to be quick and efficient,” he says.“Email isthe most efficient way to get information to our patients andthey appreciate being updated in real time.”

While there are certainly some important considerations tobear before using email as a primary form of communication,there isn’t much doubt that its usage will only continue to grow.Still, it won’t replace the need for human interaction and face-to-face time at the office. “I think it is inevitable that practiceswill need to adopt email as one form of communication withtheir patients—but not the only form,” says Sterrett.“Obviouslyit will never replace a face-to-face visit with a doctor. Physiciansor their representatives should be wary of dispensing medicalopinions without stating that the patient should come in for anexamination to confirm their diagnosis. There is also a customer service aspect. People will reward practices who offerencrypted communication by going into the practice andbecoming patients. In many cases it is the beginning of the doctor/patient relationship. When they eventually take action,they’ll go where they feel welcome and appreciated.” ■

Increase Your Email

Marketing Effectiveness

Here are a few techniques that email marketers can doto increase their open rates. Removing non-responsive listmembers and fine-tuning the subject line can increaseyour open rates significantly.

Removing non-openers does not instantly mean moreopeners, but it does mean fewer non-openers, and theISP’s will see this as improved engagement, which in turnmay result in better inbox delivery. Better inbox delivery =more opens! Make a clean break from any list memberwho opted-in six months or more ago and who has notopened your message in the last six months. Now if thisseems a little harsh, you can always put these membersinto a special list and from time to time send them a spe-cial message inviting them back by highlighting the valueof your marketing newsletter or special email offers.Anyone who opens these special mailings can be movedback to the openers’ pool. Pruning your list of non-openersis suggested by most of the ISP’s as a way to buildengagement, which is a key to better inbox delivery.

Working on two aspects of an email’s subject line canconvert a quick glance into an open with interest. Take alook at a subject line used in 2010. Draw a line after the35th character, and ask yourself: in the first 35 charactersdid I identify the organization and did I build in someurgency? If the answer is not yes and yes, then chancesare people are skipping over your message.

Keeping the subject line short and to the point will alsohelp list members who are viewing your messages onmobile devices that sometime truncate subject lines. Agreat way to know if your new subject is effective is to giveit a test with a small segment of your list. If you see anincrease in the open percentage, then you have a winner.

JULY2011.qxd 6/27/11 1:05 PM

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JULY2011.qxd 6/29/11 9:12 AM

Roll out thoseLazy, Hazy, SLOWDays of SummerUsing “down” time to your profitable advantage

Was it another summer of just “surviving” in the frameworld? Did you see a lot of patients, but they werejust not buying anything new? Did patients cancel

due to summer vacations leaving your books less than full? Let’sface it, there are certain months in which business slows downand we need to work harder and smarter to keep our profitsrolling in or just to stay “afloat.” If this sounds like your practice, here are some suggestions and promotions to get yourbusiness from “surviving” to “thriving” during the slow times.

1. Use the Internet: If frame sales are down, start a localmarketing campaign on websites such as Groupon orLiving Social. Offer half-off frames with eye exam andlenses. When people see “half-off” of a service that they

would normally use anyway, their loyalties may flee. Thisis a fantastic way to finally beat out the competition andcreate a new patient base.

2. Sun Specials: Offer a discount on sunwear. Explain thevalue of good eye protection and have a wide variety ofsunglasses for purchase. How could your patients say noto fashionable and functional sunwear offered at amazing prices? Have plenty of 6-base frames in stock soyour patients can easily Rx them, bringing more profitsto your business. This is also a fantastic way to move yourcontact lens patients to your optical shop. Once they are there, they may see opportunities for fun and funkyback-up glasses as well.

3. Offer Packages: People like things neat and clean andtied up with a bow. Find a deal on some frames andpackage them with lenses for one great price. Be sure toinclude in writing all that is offered in the package. Oncethey are in the dispensary, offer them some “add-ons” tostimulate more profits.

4. Get your Reps Involved: Many frame companies areoffering summertime specials and promotions to helpstimulate your business. Take advantage of these. Mostframe companies have great ideas; your reps may getpaid for them. For example, if your representative is having a free gasoline promotion; take it down to yourpatients. Freebies are attractive to everyone. Have youever thought of offering a $50.00 gas card for every new order?

5. Have a Show: Ask your representatives about a trunkshow. This is usually a low-cost way for you to get yourcurrent and prospective patients in the door. Invite a fewrepresentatives from your best lines, get some drinks andlight snacks and send postcards to your patients. Havethe representatives do all the selling and get your patientsinvolved. Ask your rep if there are any incentives they cangive away such as a free pair of sunglasses and offer a

The Fashionable ECPLaura Miller


JULY2011_laura.qxd 6/24/11 1:42 PM Page 2

raffle for everyone who participates. A good trunk showcan be planned and operated in as little as one month,depending on your client base.

6. Offer Education: With Back to School sales already here,children’s vision correction may be weighing on theirparents minds. You might find many patients are askingabout sun damage or signs that their children need tohave their eyes tested. Ask questions and find some mainconcerns that your patients may be having and use thatfor the basis of your next ad campaign. Advertise in thelocal paper or send a letter to your patient base announc-ing a community service class at your office. Serve snacksand drinks and do not make it more than 1 hour. Offerspecials such as $25.00 off an eye exam after the seminarto get these patients making an appointment. If this issuccessful, you might want to make this a quarterlyevent.

7. Go Crazy with Fashion: There are so many fashions outthere in eyewear. You are cheating yourself if you don’thave some of them peppering your boards. Do you haveany clear, zyl frames? These are hot right now and itseems that every company has a couple in their lines. Areyour boards all brown, gunmetal and gold? Add somecolor. Bright reds and blues are big in the fashion worldand they will be sure to attract patients to your optical. Ifyou have more of a conservative base right now, try somematte colored-frames that will take away the shine andshimmer of bright colors for some more “wearable”looks. Don’t be afraid to try some fashion risks! Theymight pay off.

8. Redecorate: If you have some down time with fewerpatients booked, think of the future and redecorate your

office. Whether you choose to use some extra marketingtools or completely renovate your office, anything newwill attract patients. Even if your business is slow andmoney is tight, ask your reps if they have any displays,posters or marketing materials. Some of this may be freeof charge or can be added with your regular orders. Ifyou have been thinking about big time renovations, nowis the time to do it so you can recharge for the busy fallmonths.

9. Keep Patients Informed: Do all your patients know eachand every service your practice offers? Keep theminformed by using table tents, signs and banners. Printup all your services on handouts that the patients cantake home. The more information your patients have inhand and in writing, the better. Invest in some refrigera-tor magnets or pens for them to take home. Make amenu for all the services offered. If you are trying to getmore children in the practice, let your patients know thatyour office enjoys seeing kids. Your patients will neverknow unless you tell them.

10. Get Out on the Town: Is your office involved in the localcommunity? If not, get out there and get involved.Service work is a great way to get your name out thereand to show you care about the community. Offer freevision screenings for the elderly or get into some schoolsfor children. Sponsor a local team and get your name onthe t-shirts. Whether in a small town or a large city, themore people see your name, the more likely they will callyou.

Don’t let the summer heat get you! If the business does not come toyou, it may be time to go out there and find it! ■

JULY 2011 | EEYECAREPROFESSIONAL |41

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Among one of the newer ideas for glaucoma control is the concept of stem cell injections into the eye to halt or reverse thisinsidious disease. Researchers have already reported success inrat experimentation and hope to start trials in humans withinthe next five years. The method involves harvesting stem cellsfrom the patient’s own bone marrow and creating a solutionthat enables the substance to be injected into the back of theireye. This prevents further degeneration of the optic nerve andretina. This method can also transform the tissues into newoptic nerve cells, reversing damage and improving eyesight.

Professor Keith Martin, a neuroscientist at CambridgeUniversity, U.K., said, “Finding treatments to reverse blindnessis no longer in the realm of science fiction. We have concentrat-ed on glaucoma because it is so common, but there are quite afew diseases that affect the optic nerve such as inflammatorydiseases, so it can be used in those cases as well.” The team hashad success in halting glaucoma in rats and reversing it to someextent. They are still working on the ultimate objective; how tocure blindness.

There are 300,000 people in England diagnosed with glaucoma.However, the total number of sufferers is said to be double thatsize and the majority of victims are over 40 years of age.The condition is described as the cause of damage to the opticnerve fibers and retinal tissue preventing normal transmissionof signals to the brain. Loss of sight from the narrowing of thevisual fields due to the increased intraocular pressure are theexpected complications.

Professor Martin feels that this new technique would be of spe-cial benefit to two groups of glaucoma patients: those diag-nosed with advanced glaucoma and those who developed itearly in life. Existing treatment that lowers the ocular pressureworks well for most people, but as a preventative measure was

ineffective with advanced glaucoma. Dr.Martin also added that lowering ocularpressure alone could not stave off theeffects of glaucoma over years or decades.Dr. Dolores Conroy, research officer forFight For Sight says, “Advances in stem celltechnology are likely to revolutionizetreatments of diseases like glaucoma.

We must invest in this research field now so that treatments tosave and restore the sight of millions of people are available inthe future.”

To add to glaucoma treatment concerns, the 2010 issue of TheJournal of Ophthalmology reported a study that states glaucomapatients who have lost some or most of their sight are not usingtheir glaucoma medication eye drops properly. This leads to awaste of costly eye drops and possible bottle contamination. Ina study of 204 glaucoma patients, all of whom were visuallyimpaired and had already used eye drops for more than sixmonths, the participants were videotaped while trying toadminister a single drop into their worst seeing eye.

A survey was completed about their use of the eye drops. It wasfound that only 71 percent were able to get a drop into the eye.Only 39 percent did so without touching the bottle to the sur-face of the eye. Of the 142 patients who said they did not touchthe eye with the bottle, 24 percent actually did, according to thevideotape evidence. Some were getting multiple drops in theeye instead of the one drop they were instructed to instill. Also,people over the age of 70 not surprisingly experienced moretrouble than the younger participants. The authors recommended that more thought be given to the ability of aperson to self administer eye drops before glaucoma eye dropsare prescribed. They also recommended that better ways ofinstilling eye drops be found.

Taiwanese researchers have discovered yet another dilemma forglaucoma victims. They found that people with glaucoma aremore likely to have additional serious health problems. Theconclusion is based on a nationwide study in Taiwan that com-pared the medical records of 76,673 people with open angleglaucoma (OAG) with the records of 230,019 people without

Elmer Friedman, OD

Second Glance

How Do You Solve a ProblemLike Glaucoma?

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OAG, matched for age, gender and other factors. Resultsshowed that more than half of the people with glaucoma hadelevated blood pressure and more than 30% had either diabetesor high levels of unhealthy fats in the blood.

Overall, the glaucoma patients had at least a 3% higher prevalence of these diseases plus strokes, liver disease andulcers. One of the causes of glaucoma is thought to be as aresult from abnormalities in the blood vessels and circulationthat nourishes the optic nerve, the eyes and the brain as well asthe remainder of the body parts. These abnormalities can alsobe linked to the other diseases found in the glaucoma patients.The result of the Taiwan study appears on the AmericanAcademy of Ophthalmology website.

An advance in the attempt to control intraocular pressure wasannounced by Allergan inSeptember of 2010 as the FDAapproved Lumigan 0.01% treatment for OAG or ocularhypertension. Compared to theexisting Lumigan 0.03%, thechange is a reformulation that, in athree month patient study, loweredintraocular pressure (IOP) up to7mm of mercury from a baseline(quite a significant drop in pressure), and this with only onethird the exposures to the activedrug, bimatoprost. A lower drug exposure often results in fewer complications from the drug. However, Allergan’s press releasedid not mention such reductions for the new formula. It ismentioned that the side effects from bimatoprost may includeconjunctival hyperemia, eyelash growth and increased pigmen-tation of the iris, the eyelids and eyelashes.

Results of a different sort were reported in the July 2010 issueof The Journal of Ophthalmology, authored by researchers fromthe University of Toronto. They state that a “head up” sleepingposition may keep IOP from spiking at night. For those whohave high pressure it is suggested that they try sleeping with anextra pillow under the head. In a small study of 17 glaucomapatients with controlled IOP and new disc hemorrhage,researchers compared their IOP at regular intervals whileasleep and lying flat and while asleep and lying in a 30 degreehead up position. They discovered a reduction in the IOP of20 percent or more in 35 percent of the subjects, with 16 of the 17 patients having lower IOP in this position than in the lying-flat position.

Measuring and monitoring changes in eye pressure has a newtwist via a European contact lens called Triggerfish. A Swisscompany called Sensimed uses sensors that measure changes in

corneal curvature. A similar procedure was covered in anEyeCare Professional article which appeared in our September,2008 issue titled “Electronic Contact Lenses.” The articledescribed a contact lens with circuit sensors that responded topressure changes. The new concept utilizes sensors thatrespond to corneal curvature changes due to IOP increases.This is accomplished by means of a chip that transmits thegauges readings wirelessly to an external receiver that is wornaround the patient’s neck.

However, researchers believe that improvement is necessary todevelop a contact lens chip circuitry that should be completelytransparent. This technology does hold significant promisehowever. Normally, an eye doctor would take intraocular pres-sure measurements during a daytime appointment. Pressuretends to be at its lowest then, so that the overall picture of the

patient’s condition is incompleteand doesn’t reflect the pressurespikes that may be occurring atother times during the day or night.The contact lens chip transmits thereadings throughout the day whichwould give the doctor much moredetailed information on the patient.The device may be able to monitorhigh risk people who do not as yethave glaucoma. This would possiblycatch the disease in the early stagesso treatment can commence

promptly to minimize vision loss. Currently, the new device isavailable only in Europe.

Green tea lovers will be pleased to learn that recent documen-tation reports how the eye’s lens, retina and other tissues absorbantioxidants which are found in green tea. Until now, it wasunclear whether green tea elements really did make their wayfrom the digestive system to the eye tissues. A study was conducted in which laboratory rats drank green teas and werefound to have significant amounts of individual antioxidantscalled catechins in their eyes. Researchers stated that the oxidative stress reduction that resulted from the antioxidantabsorption lasted for up to 20 hours. The study was publishedin the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Agricultural andFood Chemistry in April, 2010.

It is easy to see that we have made great progress in the area ofglaucoma detection and treatment. The road has not been aneasy one and many bumps and barriers lie ahead of us. Manyresearchers have seen their efforts battered and bruised as thestruggle ensues. It was Will Rogers who said, “Good judgmentcomes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.” But in the end, the struggle of a few researchers willlikely benefit us all. ■

Dr. Dolores Conroy, researchofficer for Fight For Sightsays, “Advances in stem

cell technology are likely torevolutionize treatments

of diseases like glaucoma.

JULY2011.qxd 6/28/11 1:32 PM

Anti-Reflective and Mirror CoatingInformation Sheet

Anti-Reflective and Mirror CoatingInformation Sheet

*Blue coming May 1st, 2011

Hydrophobic is water repellent coating. (Easy Clean)

Oleophobic is oil repellent coating. (resists finger prints and smudges)

Anti-Static is dust repellent – eliminates stat charges in the lens that attract dust.

Reflex color is the residual reflective color of the coated lenses. All coated lenses reflect some color. Depending on how it was done, the residual color is controlled (usually in the green or blue wave length of light)

Definitions

Basic AR None

One Year

One Year

One Year

Lifetime

Lifetime Proprietary ProprietaryProprietary Proprietary

Green

Green

Green

Variable

Variable

Green*BlueGold

Basic Plus

Independence

Mirror

Flash

Kodak Clear

WarrantyUltra Tough

ScratchResistance

Hydrophobic Oleophobic Anti-StaticApplied tocustomer

Own LensesReflex Color Tintable

$13.95

$17.95

$39.95

$44.95

$44.95

$54.95

Priceper Pair

CustomerCare Kit

Basic A/R Basic Plus Independence A/R

Mirror Flash Kodak CleAR

• General purpose A/R

• No Warranty

• Lens may be tinted prior to A/R

• Strip and Recoat

• Premium A/R

• One Year A/R guarantee

• One year lens replacement guarantee for scratches and A/R

• Lifetime guarantee for scratching and A/R Lens replacement if a failure occurs

• Super tough scratch resistance

• Super oil and water repellent top coat

• Anti-Static dust repellent layer





• Lifetime guarantee for scratching and A/R

• Lens replacement if a failure occurs

• Lens may be tinted

• Proprietary process

FEA Industries, Inc.(800) 327-2002www.feaind.com

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CNS Frame Displays 16 877-274-9300 www.framesdisplays.com

Corning 37 800-821-2020 www.corning.com/ophthalmic

Exact Eyes 48 888-807-4950 www.exacteyes.com

Eyevertise 39 847-202-1411 www.EyeVertise.com

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Grimes Optical 48 800-749-8427 www.grimesoptical.com

Illusion Optical Displays BACK COVER 888-798-4988 www.iodisplay.com

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Luzerne Optical 33 800-233-9637 www.luzerneoptical.com

Marco 5 800-874-5274 www.marco.com

My Vision Express 47 877-882-7456 www.myvisionexpress.com

National Lens 11, 21, 39 866-923-5600 www.national-lens.com

Nellerk Contact Lens Cases 49 607-748-2166 —

Nova Optical Laboratory 19 800-668-2411 —

Opticom 24 800-678-4266 www.opticom-inc.com

OptiSource 17 800-678-4768 www.1-800-optisource.com

Optogenics 29 800-678-4225 www.optogenics.com

PPG Industries 9 800-358-8258 www.nxt-vision.com/zeiss

Rudy Project USA FRONT COVER 888-860-7597 www.rudyprojectusa.com

Safigel 25 877-723-4435 www.safigel.com

SEIKO Eyewear 23 800-235-LENS www.seikoeyewear.com

Tabco Optical 41 800-394-9285 www.tabcooptical.com

Tech-Optics 47 800-678-4277 www.techopticsinternational.com

US Optical 11 800-445-2773 www.usoptical.com

X-Cel Optical 15 800-747-9235 www.x-celoptical.com

Vision Council 13 800-811-7151 www.thevisioncouncil.org

Vision Expo West 51 800-811-7151 www.visionexpowest.com

Vision Systems 47 866-934-1030 www.Patternless.com

Younger Optics INSIDE FRONT COVER 310-783-1533 www.youngeroptics.com


Essilor to Build New Technology and Innovation Center

Essilor of America has broken ground on a new 43,000 sq.-ftInnovation and Technology Center in Farmer’s Branch, TX.Scheduled to open in April 2012, the facility will enableEssilor to combine its research and development and engineer-ing resources under one roof, the company said. “By relocatingthe current R&D center with 50 employees in St. Petersburg,FL to Farmer’s Brand, Essilor will create a center that representsthe company’s commitment to R&D,” a statement said.

Farmer’s Brand Mayor Bill Glancy and Chamber ofCommerce president Fred Ferguson joined Essilor senior executives Essilor of America president and CEO, John Carrier,and Essilor International corporate senior vice president ofResearch and Development, Jean-Luc Schuppiser, among others, at the ceremonial groundbreaking of the new centerlast month.

The Vision Care Technology department seeks a full-time faculty member. Thisprogram, the only one of its kind in the CUNY system, prepares students for acareer in eyeglass dispensing, ophthalmic fabrication and contact lens fitting. Thecurriculum includes a balance of theory and clinical practice in all aspects of theeye care profession. A graduate of the program may become a proprietor of anoptical dispensing business or may secure a position as an ophthalmic dispenser,contact lens fitter, manager, ophthalmic assistant, ophthalmic sales representativeor optical research technician. Our faculty is made up of licensed opticians who areactive in the field.Responsible for teaching a range of vision care technology courses, academicadvisement, curriculum development, and research leading to publication and pro-fessional presentations. Committee and departmental participation is required, aswell as professional development activities.The candidate must have a Master’s Degree, be ABO and NCLE certified andlicensed in New York State in Ophthalmic Dispensing. Substantial experience in aresponsible position in the field is a must. The ideal candidate will b e well quali-fied to teach Ophthalmic Dispensing, Business Management and RetailOrganization, Ophthalmic Fabrication, Anatomy and Physiology of the Eye, andOptics. Prior teaching experience at a college level in opticianry is preferred, aswell as excellent communication and computer skills. Experience in curriculumdevelopment, instructional technology and innovative pedagogy desirable. .HOW TO APPLY E-mail cover letter and curriculum vitae to:[email protected] Subject line must read: Vision Care TechnologyEQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITYThe City University of New York is an Equal Opportunity Employer which complieswith all applicable laws and regulations, and encourages inclusive excellence in itsemployment practices.

NYC College of Technology/City University of New York

Assistant Professor –Vision Care Technology

JULY2011.qxd 6/29/11 9:51 AM

JULY 2011| EEYECAREPROFESSIONAL | 47

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SO LIFE HAS BEEN GOOD TO YOU.You’re middle aged and in good health –nothing that lightening up on cheese-burgers and beer wouldn’t take care of in a few weeks.

You have full mobility, you can drive, get yourself to work, andeven have enough manual dexterity to straighten a pair ofglasses that were stomped on by a very heavy foot. Imagine thealternative. Debilitating injuries, wasting diseases, the inabilityto walk, use your limbs, or communicate with the world.

For us ECPs that would be a near impossible thing to overcomeand for Tony Quan – an LA based graffiti artist (also known asTempt One), he thought the end of his career was signaledwhen he contracted ALS or as it is more commonly known –Lou Gehrig’s disease. All would be lost but for a group ofdedicated software developers and an invention named theEyeWriter.

In 2003 Quan was diagnosed with the disease, leaving virtuallyevery muscle in his body paralyzed except for his eyes. So ZachLieberman of the Graffiti Research Lab and other developersstarted working on the EyeWriter (www.eyewriter.org) in anattempt to create low-cost, open-source hardware and softwarefor eye tracking to help Quan draw again.

As Lieberman tells NPR’s Liane Hansen, eye tracking devicesusually have hefty price tags. “Commercial eye-trackers, to get a device is $10,000-$15,000,” he says. The EyeWriter is esti-mated to cost about $50. He and his hacker colleagues have ado-it-yourself kit for building an EyeWriter that starts with apair of sunglasses. For Lieberman’s prototype, he bought a pairfrom a vendor at Venice Beach.

“Then we assembled a kindof wire frame that holds aWebcam, a small camera thatwe’ve mounted close to the eye,” Lieberman explains. “We’vewritten software that tracks the eye, and then we calibrate with[Quan’s] eye movements and the computer screen.”

So for the cost of an iPod the artist can plot points and from thatcreate letters, color them, extrude and shade them in many ways.

“EyeWriter is an ongoing research project from GraffitiResearch Lab, a collective of artists, urban pranksters and hackers who stage multimedia interventions around theworld,” says Maria Popova of Brain Pickings Newsletter. “Manyof them were among Tempt’s closest friends, which made hisdiagnosis as much a devastation as it did an inspiration tointervene through innovation. To select a tool or color, he‘clicks’ by holding his gaze over it for four seconds.”

“He also ‘clicks’ by pausing his gaze for four seconds over thedesired tool, then draws by moving his gaze around the canvasscreen,” adds Maria. “Rather than saving the artwork in traditional JPG or GIF image formats, which have a number oflimitations, output is saved in a GML format – Graffiti MarkupLanguage, a new open-source format developed specifically forEyeWriter. Tempt then uploads his work to a server, fromwhich his supporters have pulled it wirelessly to digitally proj-ect Tempt One ‘eyetags’ onto everything from high rises in LosAngeles to Tokyo’s city halls to the riverbanks of Vienna.” ■

Last LookJim Magay, RDO

Empowering People with

EyeWriter

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EXPAND YOUR FIELD OF

THE COMPLETE EYECARE EVENT

EDUCATION: SEPTEMBER 21–25, 2011 | EXHIBITION: SEPTEMBER 22–24, 2011Las Vegas, NV | Sands Expo & Convention Center | www.visionexpowest.com

LENSES & PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY

MEDICAL &SCIENTIFIC

EYEWEAR & ACCESSORIES

CONTINUINGEDUCATION

BUSINESSSOLUTIONS

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EyeCare Professional Magazine July 2011 Issue

Documents

Transcript of EyeCare Professional Magazine July 2011 Issue