From about the fourth or fifth grade, I knew I wanted to be an optometrist. Being nearsighted, I was at the optometrist’s office often, and I always loved the warm and welcoming staff. Today, replicating that experience for our patients is how we ...
School aptitude tests in the fifth grade determined I should either become an FBI agent or an optometrist when I grew up. Both sounded like cool jobs to me, but I really liked going to the optometrist and seeing all their equipment. So, I decided in ...
I fell into optometry by accident. I was a biology major wanting to be a veterinarian, and heard veterinary school was very competitive. A friend recommended optometry; I applied to school, got accepted, and it was the best decision of my life. I ...
As a private practice owner, my number-one priority is to do right by my patients and employees. When COVID-19 hit, finding ways to do that became challenging. Eight months in, I’m pleased to report that with the support of our partners, the ...
When I was a child, my family traveled to different countries as my parents sought a better life for us. During that time, I developed a fascination for the medical field and volunteered in medical groups whenever I could. I experienced firsthand the ...
Prior to the pandemic hitting, we were at the peak of our practice. We were doing very well financially, and we had more staff working for us than we had ever had before.
As a current resident and recent graduate of the Illinois College of Optometry (ICO), I often reflect on all of the people who have supported me along the way—starting with my parents, who moved our family from Jamaica to Canada to give us more opportunities, to my peers and mentors at school. I know first-hand the impact of that support, and it is my personal mission to pay it forward to others as I grow as a clinician.
Our two practices are located on Amelia Island, a small coastal paradise boasting thirteen miles of pristine beaches and spectacular views of the Atlantic. We are a tight-knit community whose residents have come not only for the beauty of the island ...
I got my first pair of glasses in third grade, and from that point on, spent a lot of time at my family eye doctor’s office. Over the years, Dr. Walter West and I had discussions about my interest in biology and saving the whales. He offered that ...
Ohana means “family” in the Hawaiian language, and it embodies our philosophy and that of our practice, Ronald R. Reynolds, OD, Inc., located in Mililani, Hawaii. My father, Ronald Reynolds, OD, started our practice more than 40 years ago, and I ...
As a partner in an eight-location practice, I was worried about the impact to our bottom line of being closed for about a month in response to COVID-19. Today, we are happy to report that revenue is higher than before the pandemic began, despite the ...
Patients rely on our expertise to provide the very best recommendations for their eye care needs, so it’s critical that we stay on top of the developments and advancements in our field, keep our staff educated, and pass information on to our patients. ...
During COVID-19, I've paid close attention to what my peers are doing in their practices. It has been very informative to hear how doctors are modifying their patient care during the pandemic, and my practice has benefited from those learnings. I’m ...
Back in the day, we used to present all our products to patients, giving them the freedom to choose the ones they liked the best. Over time, we learned that this approach overwhelmed some patients, who didn’t understand the different product lines and ...
There’s no question that COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on our practices and impacted our lives. But, as we head down the road to recovery, I must admit there are some positives that have come out of this pandemic.
Like many of you, my practice was blindsided by COVID-19. Plans we had for the year were paused as we were forced to shelter in place and shut down the practice to non-essential care. Despite the uncertain future, we knew we had to find a way to stay ...
My number one objective as a Doctor of Optometry is to make people feel comfortable going to the optometrist—you might say it’s my specialty. I knew from my first visit to get glasses in the fifth grade that I loved going to the optometrist, and my ...
Many eye care providers hadn’t considered telehealth prior to the pandemic, believing they needed a hands-on exam to adequately treat patients. With COVID-19 reducing that type of care to only essential services, and with a patient population that ...
As you may have read, VSP Global recently made an announcement regarding formulary changes effective September 1, 2020, impacting how VSP reimburses for preferred and non-preferred materials. At the same time, they announced additional plan changes ...
Many of us were anxiously awaiting the year 2020 to market the “Year of Vision” to our patients, but before we had a chance to breathe, COVID-19 came in and flipped the emphasis of 2020 to one of personal and professional survival. In my opinion, ...
To be honest, I was pretty skeptical about telehealth pre-COVID-19. I could see handling some aspects of patient care remotely, but couldn’t envision treating patients without physically seeing them, putting dye in their eyes, and examining their ...
Like most of you, we’ve had to make dramatic changes to our practice in the face of this pandemic. In addition to the significant changes to patient care, we’ve had to reevaluate how we run the business and think critically about what we need to do in ...
As restrictions on routine eye care lifted in my state, the question was no longer, “Can we reopen?”, but rather, “How do we reopen?” Like many of you, we were anxious to return to providing comprehensive care to our patients. But no matter where your ...
As restrictions on routine eye care lifted in Nevada, the idea of opening our six practices made us both excited and anxious. We were relieved and happy to see our patients again, but nervous about the safety of staff and patients in this new patient ...
By Mary Anne Murphy, OD, VSP Board Member and Stephanie Ouyoumjian, H+L Partners |
May 11, 2020
One of the prominent drivers of consumer behavior is consumer confidence, typically concerning the economy and one’s ability to spend money. With COVID-19, we’re seeing a different kind of customer confidence come into play—confidence in being around ...
