Dedicated to the interests of women ODs · Thank you, Dr. Miglani, for saying what I (and maybe thousands of other female ODs) have been wanting to say for years. Thank you, Women

Women In OptometryWomen In Optometry

Dedicated to the interests of women ODs

OCTOBER 2012

SUPPLEMENT TO

ODs employ uncommonpartnership arrangement

A Shareof the

Partnership

Dr. Tonia Batts

Dr. Donise Sheridan

WO4Q12:WO 2Q08-SK 9/25/12 9:36 PM Page 1

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WO0612_AMO.indd 1 5/24/12 3:04 PM

My eyes welled up whenI read the article“Define Success onYour Own Terms” byDr. Shefali Miglani

in the June 2012 Women InOptometry. Finally, someone issaying out loud what I have beenstruggling to define for years.Surrounded by practices that areowned by male ODs, I’ve oftenfound myself in doubt if I’m inthe right position to be in a private practice. Should Iincrease hours? Should I launch a specialty? Should I goto that breakfast meeting to increase practice exposure—which would make me miss dropping my son off to hisfirst day at kindergarten? These are questions that keepme up at night. It is a real struggle to run business andhave a family with small children.

Just like Dr. Miglani does, when I am in the office, Idevote my time to see scheduled patients and am willing totake any walk-ins, if time permits. I still see patients whohave been with me since day one, and most of them aremoms. They understand.

Thank you, Dr. Miglani, for saying what I (and maybethousands of other female ODs) have been wanting to sayfor years. Thank you, Women In Optometry, for includingsuch a real, inspiring article in your publication.

And to see my son’s face lit up as he joined his newfriends on the playground on his first day at school, it waspriceless.

Stacy Vo, ODRedlands, Calif.

Sharing a Good Story As reporters and editors, there’s nothing we love

more than finding a good story and bringing itto the universe of readers. So the opportunity to dothat with dozens and dozens of stories in the pagesof Women In Optometry each year is a real pleasure.

In the seven years WO has been in publication,we have met and spoken with some extraordinary women who have been enthusiasticadvocates for the profession and their patients. The depth and breadth of their expe-riences is most interesting. No matter what setting she works in, no matter whetheror not she has children, each woman’s story has some point of relevance or interestto others—even if her background or work setting is vastly different from that of hercolleagues.

It’s fun to find those stories, too, that are uncommon—like this issue’s coverstory with Dr. Tonia Batts and Dr. Donise Sheridan about an unusual partnershiparrangement. And there are inspirational stories about women who dove into anopportunity, maybe not realizing just how much it would demand of them, yetthey forged ahead. Dr. Karen Zhou spent six months in China, learning and teach-ing with only a few semesters of Chinese to carry her through, and Dr. Summy Tovolunteered her services to an agency for immigrants, only to discover that theneed was much larger than she originally realized.

The stories with Dr. Marcia Leverett and Dr. Jennifer Dotterweich reflect a com-mitment to developing a vibrant and growing practice, despite their different practicecircumstances. Dr. Carolanne Roach had an idea that may be on the verge of goingviral and may do more in terms of educating communities on children’s vision thanshe will ever know.

That sentiment echoes what so many women ODs tell WO: simply by doing theirwork well, they hope to have an impact. In telling their stories well, we aspire for thesame.

Marjolijn Bijlefeld, Director of Custom PublicationsPractice Advancement Associates

[email protected]

Comments on Women In Optometry can be sent to [email protected] or fax 540-242-3438

OCTOBER 2012

Women In Optometry is published quarterly by the Professional Publications Groupof Jobson Medical Information, publisher of Review of Optometry,Review of Cornea & Contact Lenses and Review of Ophthalmology.

Sponsors:Alcon • Allergan • AMO

Marchon • Review of OptometryAddress advertising inquiries to Scott Tobin, advertising production

manager, Jobson Professional Publications Group,11 Campus Blvd., Suite 100, Newtown Square, PA 19073, at

[email protected] or call 610-492-1011.

Naheed Ahmad, ODRoswell, Ga.

Louise Sclafani, OD,FAAOChicago, Ill.

Charlotte Tlachac,OD, FAAOAlameda, Calif.

WO Advisory Panel

Ann M. Hoscheit, ODGastonia, N.C.

Elise Brisco, OD,FAAOLos Angeles, Calif.

Kimberly K.Friedman, ODMoorestown, N.J.

Shout Out

Women In Optometry October 2012

Marjolijn Bijlefeld

Publisher:Executive Editor:

Director of Custom Publications, Practice Advancement Associates:Associate Editor:Creative Director:Graphic Designer:

Al GrecoRoger Mummert Marjolijn Bijlefeld Maggie Biunno Stephanie Kloos DonoghueBarbara W. Gallois

Appreciate the Validation

Dr. Miglani

Page 3

Emailto the Editor

WO4Q12:WO 2Q08-SK 9/25/12 9:36 PM Page 3

eople don’t know what they don’tknow. That holds true for eye care,too, so it’s important for doctorsand staff never to assume any ofthe following statements are true.

■ If children have vision problems, theparents will know about them.

■ If patients want contact lenses, they’lltell me.

■ If patients have dry eyes, they’ll com-plain.

■ If patients want to try a new kind ofcontact lens, they’ll ask for it.

You may see occasional patients who haveheard that there are new options for crisp,comfortable vision for themselves or theirchildren. But in reality, most patients willassume that how well or comfortably they are see-ing is the best there is.

Nearly every OD has had the experience of refracting achild who needs corrective eyewear. Perhaps everyone hasbeen lucky enough to see that amazing smile as a child putson a first pair of eyeglasses or contact lenses and sees theworld clearly. Up until that moment, the child didn’t knowthat people would be able to see individual leaves on trees orread the blackboard from anywhere in the room.

Throughout the year, this col-umn has been encouragingoptometrists to improve their busi-ness success by focusing on thedetails—what you say to patientsand how you say it, first and subse-quent impressions and creatingprocesses that ensure follow-through. In this final column of theyear, I want to add that it’s impor-tant to keep all of encounters fresh, as if each one could result ina change as significant as a child’s first pair of eyeglasses.

The fact is that it does not require much more time to askpatients simple questions that could reveal their needs orwants. Here’s a stunning example to illustrate that. In a recentsurvey†, Alcon asked 3,500 patients if they were suffering fromcontact lens-related dryness. What would you estimate theresponse to be? Fifty percent said they did. In other words, oneout of every two contact lens wearers had some discomfort fromcontact lens-related dryness. When those who answered posi-tively were switched to OPTI-FREE® PureMoist® MPDS, the

numbersdropped, andmore patientssaid they wereable to weartheir contactlenses withoutsymptoms ofdryness.

What happens if you don’t ask that sim-ple question? Could 50 percent of your con-tact lens patients be wearing their contactlenses every day wondering if this is as goodas it gets?

Just a few key questions can help youapproach each patient encounter as thoughit’s a first one. Even if you saw the patientlast year or if you’ve seen that patient eighttimes in the past decade, these critical ques-tions can help you engage the patient in anew discussion.

“I think you’re an excellent candidate forcontact lenses. Have you ever consideredthem? I can have you try a pair right now.”

“Are there times that your contact lensesor eyeglasses aren’t providing you with the

vision you wish you had?”“What time do you insert contact lenses in the morning?

What time do you take them out?” “Do you ever suffer from symptoms of ocular allergies?”That last question is an important one that can have an

impact on your patients’ satisfaction as well as on your prac-tice bottom line. Not all patients who suffer from symptoms ofocular allergies visit an optometrist. They might self-medicateor visit a medical professional outside of the eye care field.

Why? They may not know that pre-scribing medications is withinyour scope of practice. They’recounting on you to educatethem—even if you’re sure youmentioned it last year or the yearbefore.

Try treating your patients as ifthey were new to your office. You

can do that while continuing tobuild the relationship that you’ve developed over the years. Itsimply requires you to present information to them in a new way.

■ Ask questions you haven’t asked before. ■ Engage them in conversations about their demands for

vision in certain settings. ■ Introduce new developments, using teaching styles

that will engage them whether their learning style is auditory,visual or kinesthetic. Many doctors present their findings andrecommendations verbally, but only a small percentage of peo-ple are primarily auditory learners. Incorporate visual andhands-on information in your presentations.

Try this fresh approach, and you’ll soon experience newopportunities for practice growth.

† Results of an ongoing global survey through August 19, 2011.Patients were provided with a free sample of OPTI-FREE® PureMoist®

MPDS to use for a 14-day period and asked to compare it to their pre-vious lens care solution.

Dr. JeanMarie Davis is Global Performance DevelopmentVision Care Technical Head at Alcon.

“It’s Your Business” also appearson the web site of Women of Vision.Check it out at wovonline.org.

On www.wovonline.org

OPM12185AE

P

It’s Your BusinessApproach Each Encounter

with Fresh EyesBy JeanMarie Davis, OD, FAAO

For Eye Care Professionals

Management Business&A C A D E M Y

Sponsored byTM

Sponsored by Alcon

WO4Q12:WO 2Q08-SK 9/25/12 9:38 PM Page 4

Source: North American schools and colleges of optometry as of September 2012

School2012 # of % of total women women

TOTAL: 1813 1195 66%

Illinois College of Optometry 158 117 74%

Indiana University School of Optometry 76 43 57%

Inter American University of Puerto Rico School of Optometry 59 41 69%

Michigan College of Optometry, Ferris State University 38 25 66%

Midwestern University Arizona College of Optometry 54 21 39%

New England College of Optometry 109 79 72%

Northeastern State University College of Optometry 28 17 61%

Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry 103 69 67%

The Ohio State University College of Optometry 65 36 55%

Pacific University College of Optometry 91 54 59%

Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University 164 99 60%

Southern California College of Optometry 100 79 79%

Southern College of Optometry 130 74 57%

State University of New York State College of Optometry 88 65 74%

University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Optometry 44 31 70%

University of California, Berkeley, School of Optometry 67 56 84%

University of the Incarnate Word School of Optometry 68 39 57%

University of Houston College of Optometry 104 67 64%

University of Missouri, St. Louis, College of Optometry 46 27 59%

University of Montreal School of Optometry 43 38 88%

University of Waterloo School of Optometry 90 59 66%

Western University of Health Sciences College of Optometry 88 59 67%

Two-Thirds of Incoming Optometry School Students Are Women

The class of 2016 is two-thirds women, the same percentage of women entering as first-year students last year. Only one school in North Americahad more men than women enrolling as first-year students. Overall enrollment this year was level with last year’s enrollment. Women have been in

the majority of students enrolling in optometry school in each of the seven years that Women In Optometry has been reporting these numbers.

Page 5


WO4Q12:WO 2Q08-SK 9/25/12 9:39 PM Page 5


Page 6

When Jennifer Dotterweich, OD,purchased Livingston Eye Care inAvon, N.Y., she didn’t let its loca-tion on a small side street hinderher expectations for the business.

She repainted the sterile,white walls with neutralbrown tones and gold,creating a warm, invitingreception area that wasthen decorated withpieces from family andlocal artists. The commu-nity welcomed her—andover the past two-and-a-half years, she’s doubledthe size of its patientbase, which has boosted

the income at the business that she tookover from a retiring OD.

Now with this success, Dr. Dotterweichsees opportunity in relocating her practice toa space that can accommodate her growth,and she expects to move in November 2012.While she created a buzz in the neighborhoodabout the practice already, she hopes themove will generate even more of an interest.“If you aren’t turning into our parking lot,you wouldn’t know we were here,” she sayslaughing. When she runs the numbers, sheoften asks herself, “How many more pairs ofeyeglasses will we have to sell to legitimize amove?” It makes sense to her this way. “I canplace a value on the move by saying, ‘This ishow much more we will have to commit tosell to make this move.” Dr. Dotterweichexpects that the increased visibility on itsown will pay for increased expenses.

She’s found an ideal spot. The newLivingston Eye Care is just a half mile awayfrom Dr. Dotterweich’s first location and, at2,400 square feet, it is more than doublethe size. It’s one of three businesses in afreestanding building, on a busy state road

near severalrestaurants, agrocery storeand other shop-ping centers.

An emptyspace offereda blank can-vas for Dr.Dotterweich, anappropriate metaphor for a doctor whoscours antique shops and community artshows to find interesting pieces to displayin her two main areas: retail/reception andclinical/professional. She will use 1,800 ofthe available rental space to start, with theadditional space saved for future expansionor the addition of instrumentation she hasher eyes on, such as some retinal photogra-phy technology.

Dr. Dotterweich is turning the page onone chapter of her practice, and she is full ofenthusiasm for what lies ahead. And she willremember the many steps that have helpedher grow the business so far in working toimprove the practice. Here are a few of thebusiness-building techniques Dr. Dotterweichhas used to date.

Manage time for yourself and staff. Akey component to a successful practice is anefficient staff. Dr. Dotterweich believes in thepower of crosstraining, as well assigningenough individual responsibilities that willkeep everyone busy and office processes run-ning smoothly. She expects the move willallow her to add a fourth employee in the nextsix months. She also plans to add a day to herfour-day work week, a move that allows her tomanage the expected increase in patients.

Monitor your numbers. After attendinga practice management meeting, Dr. Dotterweichwas encouraged to increase her professionalfees. “We are still very competitive,” shesays. Dr. Dotterweich has recently integrated

Dr. Dotterweich

Practice owner since 2009

A Half-mileRelocation CanMake a World of Difference

Whether you’re a relatively new practiceowner or you’re beginning to develop an

exit strategy, creating a practice that isvibrant, efficient and growing makes

good business sense. For these twoODs, a move was a key part of

their plan toward creatinga stronger practice.

GROWTHthe OfficeMate practicemanagement software, andshe is now getting startedwith ExamWRITER, twoimportant pieces that makeit easier to track her num-bers routinely.

Connect with yourcommunity. Dr. Dotterweichoffers several open housesthroughout the year to show-

case the practice’s latest frame offerings.Back-to-school events tend to be a big hit inher area. “These events tend to give us aburst of energy, bring in new patients andalso bring our existing patients back for asecond pair,” she says.

Welcome children and their families. Apromotion for a first free eye exam for chil-dren under 7 years old is bringing in one ortwo new patients per week. These childrenseem to be a mix of completely new patientsand children of existing patients. If parentshave vision benefits or medical insurance, thepractice staff emphasizes that patients canuse any allowance toward a pair of children’seyeglasses. Dr. Dotterweich also offers aselection of frames donated by a local framecompany that are available with low-costlenses. She emphasizes the importance ofchildren’s sunwear by offering promotions inthe office, as well as donating about fivedozen plano sunglasses to a local daycare/preschool center for children to use whileoutside on the playground.

Find the right advertisement for yourarea. The success of marketing efforts can varyper market, and Dr. Dotterweich has found twothat work for her: the local PennySaver classi-fied advertising and TV commercials. She wassurprised how inexpensive it was to advertiseon Time Warner cable, and after airing her cus-tom video commercial, she has attractedpatients from as far as 45 miles away.

A work in progress: Dr. Dotterweich’s newoffice will open in November.

WO

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Marcia Leverett, OD, of VirginiaBeach, Va., knows that planning forretirement isn’t something thatshould wait until the last minute. Soshe wants to build a practice today

that will be attractive to a potential buyerdown the road. Thatmeant a move to alocation that wastwice as large. “Iwant to be set upwith enough roomwhen I find the rightperson to work withmy patients,” shesays. She moved inAugust 2011 but hadpurchased the officespace years before.

She waited until she had enough patient vol-ume to justify the expense of a move and allthe administrative details that go with that.“I knew that with more space came moreexpenses,” she says, explaining why she alsohired a practice management consultantwhen the time came. “We wanted someonewho would help us run the practice and makesure we wouldn’t get in over our heads.” Herconsultant helps fine-tune her businessmodel and works with staff so employees areconfident with billing, coding and more.

First of all, she and the consultant haveworked to strengthen the staff’s involvementand investment in the practice. Dr. Leverett’sstaff meetings were scheduled haphazardlybefore, occurring only when she managed toblock out some time on the practice’s busy

opportunity toimprove. Forexample, thepractice staffaccommodateda patient whocalled for anemergencyvisit. However,the patientcomplainedthat there wasa wait. In ret-

rospect, Dr. Leverett realizes that she and thestaff could have explained that the patientwould be seen as quickly as possible on abusy day. Staff members now know to informpatients when there may be a wait, so therewill not be a surprise. “It’s good to have thatfeedback from patients so you know you aredoing things right or if you need improve-ment.” Demandforce also allows Dr. Leverettto communicate with patients via email andtext message, which are many patients’ pre-ferred communication method.

While patients are in the office, Dr.Leverett wants to make sure the visit makes agood impression. She focuses on the details,providing leather chairs and couches in thereception area to make patients feel comfort-able. “Patients really love our Starbucks coffeedispenser, and they have a cup of coffee, teaor hot chocolate when they wait or sometimesget it on the way out,” she says. She hasalways believed in the policy that the cus-tomer is always right and does whatever shecan to make her patients happy. “If a patienthas a problem, I try to address that and makesure it’s taken care of,” Dr. Leverett says. Thatmay be troubleshooting what’s causing apatient’s dry eye symptoms, or making sureeyeglasses provide crisp, clear vision duringwork and at home. “I want patients to behappy with what they get from me.”

Dr. Leverett’s dedication to her patientsdoesn’t go unnoticed. Thanks to a patient’snomination, she received a Minerva Award inMay from Small Business Insights, which rec-ognizes leading female business owners inHampton Roads.

schedule. She now holds meetings once amonth at the same time, and the practice’sconsultant comes in for a discussion of prac-tice metrics and goals. Incentives have beenadded for staff to reach targets for number ofpatients seen and revenue goals. The employ-ees’ motivation to reach the goals helps payfor the new office and encourages staff mem-bers to brainstorm ideas.

Dr. Leverett has eased office processes,making them more efficient and impressivewith high-tech instrumentation. She hasbegun to integrate her practice managementand electronic health records software, whichcollects data throughout the exam fromdiagnostic instrumentation throughout theoffice. The technology requires some adjust-ment initially, but Dr. Leverett expects thathaving these systems in place will helppatients move smoothly through the officein future years, as her returning patients’information will have been entered andstored in the system in the first year. Dr.Leverett is also adding a Visioffice systemfrom Essilor to provide even more customizedcare in the dispensary. “We’re excited aboutit because it’s nice to do anything you canto make it easier for patients to adapt toprogressive lenses,” she says.

Her practice management consultantintroduced her to Demandforce, and Dr.Leverett is sure to read every review thatcomes in about her practice. “I pay attentionto what people are saying, and while most ofthe reviews are good, you need to hear thethings people say when they aren’t happy,too,” she says. She uses these reviews as an WO


Dr. Leverett

for All Seasons

SustainGrowth for theLong Term

Practice owner since 1994

Plant in hand © C

hristoph Weihs | Dream

stime.com

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One year into her new practice home, Dr. Leverett, her staffand her patients are settled in.

An eye-catching graphic draws attention.

WO4Q12:WO 2Q08-SK 9/25/12 9:55 PM Page 7

ithin days of uploading aposter she created on herpractice Facebook page,Carolanne Roach, OD, ofOklahoma City, could see that

more than 800 people had sharedthe poster on their own or afriend’s Facebook page. And thatmeans it was probably seen by amid-boggling 33,000 by earlySeptember, according toFacebook’s tracking.

The poster provides a graphicway of showing parents andteachers that vision screeningscannot detect a number of visualproblems. “I’m a developmentalOD, offering vision therapy andvision rehabilitation services. I often sit withparents whose children have passed visionscreenings and may even see 20/20, buttheir vision is not ‘fine.’” So Dr. Roach wantedto create some way of showing people whatit would be like to have one of these visionproblems. “I’m a visual person, and I’m also agraphic designer with a background in pho-tography, so I thought a poster would be afun demonstration.”

The poster became her way of trying toshow eye teaming problems, lack of 3D per-ception and some visual component ofdyslexia. “For some kids, words slide aroundon the page, bouncing back and forth. Thesechildren don’t understand that what they’reseeing isn’t normal. That’s why we reallycan’t wait for kids to tell us there’s some-thing wrong. They don’t know to tell youthat it’s different.”

She’s saddened by distraught parentswho wonder why they didn’t know earlier thattheir child was experiencing difficulties. “Iread one article by one person who thoughtas a kid that double vision was normal. Hejust ignored the image that he knew wasn’treal, but he never complained because hedidn’t know any better.”

The comments on the Brain and EyeConnection Facebook page—and Dr. Roach’sfrequent responses—show that she has un-covered an area that is vastly confusing tomany people. She has encouraged people, mostof them strangers to her, to seek the servicesof an optometrist who specializes in visiontherapy. She has engaged in discussions

on dyslexia and theneed for pediatric eyeexams. She has steeredreaders to the AmericanOptometric Association’s

Facebookpages to learnmore aboutthe InfantSEEprogram. Andthat’s just onher page.

The poster,which WomenIn Optometryshared on itsFacebookpage, has in

turn been shared bynearly 100 people—most of them visiontherapists or optometrists.So similar conversationsmight be occurring allover the country. Theattention the poster hasgenerated is “surprising,but cool,” she says.

Dr. Roach openedher practice three yearsago. She graduatedoptometry school andfinished a residency invision therapy in 2008at Northeastern StateUniversity College ofOptometry. In her second year in optometryschool, renowned behavioral optometristJason Clopton, OD, FAAO, spoke to stu-dents about the specialty. “I was hooked.Ever since, I’ve been doing more researchinto vision therapy. I’m a member of theCollege of Optometrists in Vision Developmentand eventually working toward Fellowship,”she says.

When Dr. Roach opened her practice asa vision therapy and developmental optome-try practice, there were six or seven similarpractices in the Oklahoma City area. Thatdidn’t dissuade her. “I say it’s always betterto have more than fewer vision therapists.The more people who are promoting visiontherapy, the better the issue becomesknown.” Dr. Roach prefers a more competi-

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Dr. Roach


“Sharing”HerCreation

W

tive market than the alternative—the sadand guilt-ridden parent who wishes he orshe had known about vision therapy a fewyears earlier.

There are plenty of patients to goaround. “Not too many doctors offer visiontherapy as part of their general practice,which is good. The more specialized andfocused you are, the better the outcomes,typically.” Because her practice is a specialtyclinic where she only offers vision therapyand rehabilitation services, other ODs feelconfident referring patients to her. “Theyknow I’m not going to take those patientsaway on an annual basis. I’m sending themback for disease management, constant careand their eyeglasses and contact lenses,”she says.

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Doctor’s poster on children’s vision makes the rounds on Facebook

WO

$The picture that sparked thousands of words: Dr. Carolanne

Roach’s poster on children’s vision problems that might goundetected with a vision screening has generated a lot of dis-cussion for her practice, as well as for others who shared theimage on their Facebook pages.

Dr. Roach's Poster

WO

WO4Q12:WO 2Q08-SK 9/25/12 9:59 PM Page 8

$Expanding the Budget

Many women ODs responded that they made greater invest-ments in areas that could lead to practice growth in 2012.

Many also planned to allocate more money to certain areas in 2013.

2012 increasesNew staff 45%Diagnostic/clinical equipment purchases 44%Staff training and development 32%Social media/nontraditional marketing 30%CE/business travel 27%EMR 26%Upgrade inventory of corrective eyewear* 25%Remodeling/physical improvements 24%Traditional advertising 21%Recall activities 19%New/expanded services** 18%Equipment for practice management 15%New associate OD 14%Adding/acquiring a new practice 14%Building new office 7%

2013 planned increasesDiagnostic/clinical equipment purchases 44%Social media/nontraditional marketing 40%CE/business travel 33%New staff 27%Staff training and development 26%EMR 23%Recall activities 20%New associate OD 18%Equipment for practice management 18%Remodeling/physical improvements 17%Upgrade inventory of corrective eyewear* 17%New/expanded services** 17%Traditional advertising 16%Building new office 7%Adding/acquiring a new practice 7%

*Includes frames, ophthalmic lenses and contact lenses**Includes services such as vision therapy, CRT, AMD and dry eye

Mixed Optimism

Generally, full-time practice owners who responded to the 2012 Women InOptometry survey felt more optimistic this year than those who responded to a

similar 2011 survey. This year, 28 percent of full-time practice owners anticipated2013 business growth to be much better; last year, only 19 percent did. However,part-time practice owners and all employed ODs seem to anticipate stable growth.

$ $

$Survey Shows Slight Increase inOptimism for Business Growth

More than half of the women ODs who responded to aWomen In Optometry survey are expecting some improve-ment in business growth next year. Twenty-one percent ofthe respondents said they expected business growth in2013 to be much better compared to 2012, and 37 per-

cent anticipated somewhat better growth. Just more than one-third, 36percent, expected it to be level, and only 3 percent anticipated a decrease.

Overall, 34 percent of women ODs said they had a written businessplan in 2012, and 14 percent who did not have one for 2012 said theywere working on one for 2013. Those figures reflect an increase over 2011,when Women In Optometry asked the same question. Then, only 29 percentof respondents said they had a business plan in effect, and only 9 percentsaid they were working on one for the following year.

While election-year politics dominates much of the airwaves, just 26percent of women ODs said they expected to revisit their budget afterthey learn the results of the election. Most who answered the question inmore detail said the election outcomes are one of only several factorsthat impact decision-making.

ODs also shared what had been their best practice growth strategiesimplemented this year. One independent practice owner wrote that shecontinued an employee incentive bonus plan payable every pay period forgoals met. “Each individual has his or her own stats to keep to determineif goals were met. We have no more blanket bonuses! Staff meetings areheld weekly and each week’s stats are reviewed, and growth ideas are dis-cussed and implemented that week.”

Several others said that they moved staff to more appropriate posi-tions and trained staff in both clinical skills and improving the patientexperience. Social media and nontraditional advertising, such as Groupon-like offers, were mentioned as a source for new patients, as were the moretraditional door-to-door business introductions, trunk shows and specialoffers to area residents.

Page 9

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WO

Full-time practice owners

Part-time practice owners Part-time employedFull-time employed*


Keymuch bettersomewhat betterbetterstablesomewhat lower

28%

40%

20% 40%

2% 28%

42%

5% 10%

48%

10%

40% 50% 38%

*Does not total 100% due to rounding

WO4Q12:WO 2Q08-SK 9/25/12 10:34 PM Page 9

the understanding that they woulddiscuss partnership possibilitiesafter a year. In fact, Dr. Batts’ firstyear went so well that Dr. Sheridanasked her to buy in to the practicefollowing a partnership plan

devised by Dr. Ellis, in which part-nership candidates can buy into an

equal partnership (defined as 100shares of stock) one share at a time. It

was a buy-in agreement that Dr. Ellis devel-oped with new graduates in mind, considering

the increasing difficulty with banking agenciesand financing and increasing student debt. “Iwanted our new graduates to be able to live alittle, to be able to buy a home and invest in thecommunity,” he says, without the stress of hav-

onia Batts, OD, remembers advice she received in optometryschool: choose a practice partner just as carefully as you’d choose aspouse. She also knew that when that opportunity came, she’dhave to bring her best to the partnership. What she

didn’t realize was how quickly and how easily this would allcome together—in large part because of the truism thatwho you know can open doors for you.

For Dr. Batts, that network started early. Shewas still in high school when she decided toshadow an optometrist. She didn’t know any,but a mutual friend introduced her to JoeEllis, OD, who later served as AmericanOptometric Association president in 2010-2011. Toward the end of her studies atUniversity of Missouri, St. Louis, College ofOptometry, Dr. Batts met with DoniseSheridan, OD, whose independently ownedpractice was part of a network, Eye CareAssociates of Kentucky, that Dr. Ellis helpedfound.

Dr. Sheridan hired her as an associate, with

Dr. Tonia Batts took a giant step outside of her comfort zone when she deferred heracceptance to optometry school to follow her future husband to Washington, D.C. “I was a science kid

from a small town in Kentucky, and I was not familiar with politics,” Dr. Batts says. Despite her lack ofexperience, she scored a position as a scheduler and office manager for a congressman from Oklahoma.

The perks were great, andshe was even invited to ThePresident’s Dinner with PresidentGeorge W. Bush. But perhaps oneof the best parts of the job washer day-to-day interaction withpeople in the office and thepolitical knowledge she gained.Those experiences fueled herinvolvement with the AmericanOptometric Association’s PoliticalAction Committee as a studentand now as a doctor. “It’s a mixof both worlds,” she says. She’sproud of the students who paytheir own way, as she once did,to attend the meetings. “It’s alearning experience, and I hopeit gets them excited and thatthey will keep that excitementlike I did.”

Discovering Politics

Working for a congressman piqued Dr. Batts’ interest in politics,shown here with her husband, Jason Batts.

Young OD uses her network connections tofind ideal job and partnership opportunity

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Gaining PartnershipOne Share at a Time

Make a PersonalConnection

Dr. Tonia Batts’ mother calls her daughter such a chat-terbox that she predicted she’d be most successful as a

beautician or guidance counselor. But when Dr. Batts discov-ered optometry in high school, it was a perfect match. Themedical side appealed to her love of science, and the chairside interaction with patients provided a chance to chat

and meet with new people, as well as reconnectwith familiar faces. “It’s important for me to

know my patients, and I want them toget to know me,” she says.

Cover StoryPage 10

T

Dr. Batts

Dr. Sheridan (left) andDr. Batts learn fromeach other’s patientsand experiences.

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ing to make yet another monthly payment.The system allocates a portion of the new partner’s

salary to acquire shares of stock, allowing the individual to havea sense of ownership even with just one share. The price pershare is negotiated—and locked in for 10 years. So there’s incen-tive for a new partner to add value to the practice so that he orshe can acquire the stocks quickly and reap the benefit of thesweat equity invested. After the 10-year period, the value wouldbe redetermined as a percent of gross income. Dr. Sheridan appre-ciates Dr. Batts’ motivation to take on her partnership role. “Theaddition of Dr. Batts has not only been a boost to the practicebut it has been a real blessing to me to have her as a colleagueand a friend,” Dr. Sheridan says.

Dr. Batts agrees, since having Dr. Sheridan by her sideincreased her confidence as she tackled diagnosing condi-tions and diseases for the first time. Dr. Batts spent manya night flipping through her optometry journals for theanswers and solutions, but Dr. Sheridan eased her concerns,always willing to listen or share her opinion. “I can come toher say, ‘I really don’t know what this is,’ and we can figureit out together,” Dr. Batts says. And Dr. Sheridan gains thebenefits of Dr. Batts’ recent and medically focused educationas they care for patients with ocular disease. “I’m seeingnew things every day,” Dr. Batts says. Because they attractpatients from a wide geographic area and demographic,they’re seeing some unusual medical conditions.

In addition to her passion for ocular disease and lowvision, Dr. Batts enjoys building relationships with the fami-lies in her community. Her bubbly personality entertains thechildren, keeping them happy through their exam until theyreceive a sticker for a job well done. “My patients appreciatethat I’m not just in and out of the room, and that I spendthe time to do a comprehensive eye exam,” she says.

Dr. Batts splits her time between the Mayfield officeand a satellite location inside a hospital in Fulton, Ky.,which is closer to her hometown. “It’s an underservedplace with little primary eye care,” she says. “My family’sfriends and people I went to elementary school with cometo see us because we are so close. It’s so rewarding toreconnect with people I haven’t seen in years.” Dr. Battsleaves such a memorable impression on her patients that

it’s not unusual for her patients to stop her, say hello andstrike up a conversation on contact lenses while she’s out atthe store.

Dr. Batts looks forward to being in the position to mentor anew doctor into partnership one day, as Dr. Sheridan has done forher. “Occasionally you get a golden egg and get lucky, and I’mthankful to have someone as nice and caring,” Dr. Batts says. Fornow, she’s giving back by having students shadow her—just asshe once shadowed Dr. Ellis. “I love when people shadow me,” Dr.Batts says. “I want them to love their job like I do.”


Dr. Donise Sheridan was runningout of space in her leased

office even before Dr. Tonia Battsjoined the practice. She had alreadystarted laying out the plans for herdream practice, which opened itsdoors to see patients in mid-June.“Through the process, Dr. Batts wasthere to bounce around ideas andhelp me to create an office thatwas not only aesthetically pleasingbut also very functional,” Dr.Sheridan says. “I think we havesucceeded in doing both.” Locatedjust a half mile down the road,their office space has doubled, pro-viding ample room for them todayand to accommodate the anticipatedgrowth from two doctors contribut-ing to the practice together.

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Partnership Structure

Dr. Joe Ellis had young ODs in mind when he createdan unusual partnership structure that is now used by

some of the other ODs in the Eye Care Associates ofKentucky (ECAK) network.

This is how it works. A partnership price is negoti-ated and that is divided into 100 equal shares of stock ata price that is locked in for 10 years. As the new OD accu-mulates the money to purchase shares of stock, he or shecan do so—singly or in multiples.

A new partner willing to put in the work to grow thepractice can acquire a partnership at a great price, with-out any loans. The owner knows that the young partner doesn’t want to see his orher value of stock diminish, so there’s the added incentive to work hard. Both partieswant to keep the value high so that the young partner can afford to complete thetransaction, too. “This system works best when the optometrist and the practice areat the top of their game, and not at the end of their career,” Dr. Ellis says. There iscurrently another partner at ECAK buying in under this same structure agreement. WO

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Dr. Ellis

Dr. Sheridan

The spacious dispensary incorporates style andfunction in its design.

A New Home for a New Partnership

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Dr. Sheridan appreciated Dr. Batts’ input of ideasfor the new office.

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During the decade that Marcia Holstad, OD, ofAnkeny, Iowa, spent in a variety of practicesettings, she often realized that itwas difficult to find skilled techni-cians. While in-office training can

be effective, it wasn’t always the best option.“Training a tech on the job requires reassigninganother tech to do the teaching, sometimes for along time, and that can be a costly endeavor,” Dr.Holstad says. “That’s why hiring a person who knowsthe basics is helpful.”

That was a factor in Dr. Holstad’s decision toleave a full-time optometry career to pursue teaching.She began instructing anatomy and physiology classesin the evenings after work. In 2004, she decided toteach full time, while still filling in for colleagues on vacation oron medical leave. When Dr. Holstad discovered that the DesMoines Area CommunityCollege (DMACC) was con-structing a new health sci-ences building, she sug-gested the addition of anoptometric technician pro-gram. “I think techs aretypically underused in theprofession,” Dr. Holstadsays. “If you have good,trained technicians, youcan delegate more dutiesto them and easily seemore patients per day.” Dr.Holstad acknowledges thatdelegating responsibilities can be difficult, especially in a pro-fession where many doctors are proud of the time they canspend interacting with patients. But economically, it makes more

sense to have a techni-cian perform some testing to

free the doctor’s valuable time, and Dr. Holstad hopesthat more doctors will realize this when they see whatan educated technician can do.

Starting the program from scratch took severalyears, and this fall Dr. Holstad welcomed her fourthgroup of students who have entered the program. Asprogram chair, she developed the curriculum for theOptometric/Ophthalmic Technician Program with anadvisory board of her colleagues from optometry, oph-thalmology and opticianry. Dr. Holstad visited otherschools in the Midwest, picking up ideas from themost successful, longstanding programs. This programwould be unique though, as it would prepare a student

for a career as either an optometry tech or an ophthalmologytechnician—instead of just one or the other, as is the design of

most other programs.“Iowa is not a big place,and the ODs and MDs herehave a good working rela-tionship,” Dr. Holstadsays. “It’s nice to developa curriculum with bothparties, so students canbe employed in eithersetting.”

Dr. Holstad and onepart-time instructor,Pamela Young, OD, teachthe classes. The support

from other doctors has beenoverwhelmingly positive. Multiple ODs work several hours eachspring semester to evaluate students doing vision screenings.“They are very excited that we have a program here, and employ-ers are contacting me all the time looking for workers in and outof the state,” Dr. Holstad says. The program’s publicity is increas-ing, and the number of students has increased each year. Dr.Holstad lectures at the Iowa Optometric Assistants Associationconvention yearly, and word about the program continues tospread.

The program typically takes a year to complete, with twosemesters of classroom time focused on anatomy and optics, dis-pensing contact lenses, pretesting and specialty testing. “By thesecond semester, the students are bringing in patients and prac-ticing screenings and all the types of tests they learned,” Dr.Holstad says. Special classes also cover the optometric techni-cian board examinations, so the students can be prepared totake these tests if they choose to advance their education.

By the time summer arrives, the technician students have 12weeks of clinical work ahead. Dr. Holstad has located 15 sitesthat offer clinical rotations. Students spend four full-week ses-sions at three practices, and during this time, they refine theskills they’ve learned during the school year. These clinical rota-tions have resulted in most students being offered employmentby the time they complete the program.

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pple art © Sandra Van Der Steen | Dream

stime.com

Dr. Holstad

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Program Enters Its Fourth Year

The Optometric/Ophthalmic Technician Program at Des Moines AreaCommunity College is designed to prepare students with the skills

necessary to assist practitioners of optometry, ophthalmology and opti-cianry to provide a full scope of vision care and prepare them to passnational certification exams. Learn more at the program web site,http://go.dmacc.edu/programs/optech. WO

Margaret Placentra Johnson, OD,of

Springfield,Va., has pub-lished a book,Faith BeyondBelief.Informationabout the bookis available onfaithbeyondbelief-book.com.

TeachingTechnicians

Optometrist-turned-educator sees great potential in educated techs

Dr. Placentra Johnson

OD’s Book Arrives

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As Shannon Burgess, OD, celebratesthe one-year anniversary of herPhoenixville, Pa., practice, ValleyForge Eye Care, she reminisces onhow different her career

could have been. Following herresidency in primary care, Dr.Burgess almost became a partnerin a practice she joined. After thefirst year, the owner decided thepractice wasn’t ready for two doc-tors, so she moved on to pursueanother full-time opportunity, ajob with a group ophthalmologypractice. After six years there, sheworked part time with several ODsuntil deciding to try a subleasewith a local optician. That ended due to a dif-ference in management styles. Yet Dr. Burgesshas never been bitter about these situationsand the experiences she gained from them. “I’mglad I started at this point because with tech-nology and social media, there is so muchadvice available to me that I wouldn’t have hadif I started 10 years ago.”

The Internet has connected Dr. Burgesswith peers and colleagues across the country,and blogs and practice management web sitesoffer tips and guidance, often for free. And dur-ing the past decade in a variety of settings, shehas gained valuable experience. “I was able todip my toe in the water and learn what it meantto be a solo practitioner,” Dr. Burgess says.

While Dr. Burgess knew how to set up a taxID number and join the panels for insuranceplans, there were still things that she needed tolearn. “There will always be things you don’tknow because, as an associate doctor, you arenot aware of all that goes on behind thescenes,” she says. For example, in the largeophthalmology practice, she received great clin-ical advice from a glaucoma specialist. But herknowledge of the exam process ended when shehanded a patient off to a technician or frontdesk associate. What happened after that was amystery to her. But she knew that somehow,the practice was paid and charts were filed. Shebegan to examine the steps from patient sched-uling through fee collection and insurancebilling, and she studied the missing pieces ofthe patient process that occurred without herinvolvement.

Still, the biggest differences between herformer employment situations and her ownpractice have been the new media marketingoptions and the connectivity with colleaguesthat the Internet affords.

❥ Keep your practice open 24/7. No, notliterally. But an updated, current web site, such

as valleyforgeeye.com, can be a communi-cation portal for existing and potentialpatients. Dr. Burgess met an OD who offeredonline appointment scheduling, a feature she

knew she had to have. “As a busymom, I often find myself remember-ing to schedule appointments out-side of normal business hours,” shesays. “I liked the idea of choosingmy appointment from a web site at9:30 at night, and I wanted mypatients to be able to do that.” Thesame doctor recommended that sheuse Google Voice, as well. The call-forwarding service allows her to takecalls even when she’s not in theoffice. “I can be throwing a load of

laundry into the wash and take a patient’s call,”she says. “The phone always gets answered, andit’s not just ringing when no one is there.” It’sgreat for days when she needs to spend a fewhours out of the office with her children or ifshe needs to make a quick trip home, just ahalf mile away.

❥ Spend marketing dollars wisely.Colleagues advised against investing heavily intraditional advertisements or direct marketing;their experience proved that the ROI isn’t therethe way it used to be. Instead, focus on onlinemarketing and creating an office culture andpatient experience that lends itself to patientreferrals. Spend time making relationships withindividuals at local schools, churches or theChamber of Commerce. “If you meet just oneperson at an event, you can gain his or herwhole family as patients,” she says.

❥ Remember that your practice isunique. When all is said and done, your prac-tice is different from the one across town, andit’s not the same as those in other states. “Talkto other doctors, but don’t get discouraged.Some weeks it looks like things are taking off,and the next week the phone barely rings,” shesays of the ups and downs you can experienceduring your first years in practice. Your resultsmay not be exactly the same as another prac-tice’s, but that’s OK. Pick up ideas you learn forsuggestions, and carefully monitor your imple-mentation to learn what’s best for you and yourpractice.

A virtual connection helped guide Dr.Burgess through her first year, and she’s thank-ful for the advice she’s received and colleaguesshe’s met along the way. “It saved me from alot of mistakes as things fell into place.”

Even False Starts CanProvide True Experience

Dr. Burgess hadn’t planned on starting her ownpractice, but a year ago, she took the plunge.

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Doctor finds herself with an opportunity she didn’t imagine 10 years ago

Dr. Burgess


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Dr. Burgess’ ele-gant yet comfort-able dispensary

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Bringing Optometry

to China

Earlier this year, Helen Zhou, OD, completed a six-month post-doctoral international optometry program at Peking UniversityThird Hospital (PUTH) in Beijing,China. Dr. Zhou had previously grad-uated from University of California,

Berkeley, School of Optometry (UCBSO) andcompleted a residency at the VeteransAdministration hospital in Fresno, Calif.

The program is jointly sponsored byUCBSO and PUTH and was started by UCBerkeley’s Stephen Chun, OD, FAAO. Dr.Chun serves as coordinator of the school’seducational exchange programs with China,Korea and Asia-Pacific Rim countries. Dr.Chun is also a visiting professor at PekingUniversity. The purpose of the program is to exchange health careinformation between Western and Eastern cultures and to promote theprofession of optometry in China. Although there are a few optometryschools starting in China, optometry is still new to many people inChina. They mainly have ophthalmologists and opticians.

“When I explained how optometrists in the U.S. can perform ageneral ocular health exam and medically treat ocular disease, a cou-ple of the doctors seemed to be in disbelief that optometrists coulddo anything aside from refracting,” Dr. Zhou says. “Furthermore, youcan purchaseglasses andcontact lensesover thecounterwithoutever havingan eye examin your life.You can trycontactlenses onyour own,like youwouldwithover the counter readers in the U.S.”

Dr. Zhou’s schedule at PUTH was very flexible, allowing herto participate in all the different clinics throughout the 10-floor Eye Clinic, from observing surgeries in the operatingroom to working in the outpatient clinic. An example ofthe weekly schedule would include observation and casediscussions with the retinal specialist on Mondays, refrac-tion on Tuesdays and pediatric and strabismus clinics onWednesdays. Some evenings, the professors would holdlectures and case presentations. During the grandrounds, Dr. Zhou was invited to join the ophthalmologystudents into the clinic wards, where the professorswould discuss the cases right at the patient’s hospitalbed.

In the refraction clinic, Dr. Zhou worked withtwo local staff refractionists. There is normally a

Dr. Zhou

Dr. Upton McNeely,Dr. Smith Zolman &Dr. Schwebach Wood

At the South CarolinaOptometric PhysiciansAssociation (SCOPA)

2012 conference, Johndra Upton McNeely, OD, of Greenville, wasawarded the 2012 SCOPA Horizon Award. Jennifer Smith Zolman,OD, of Charleston, received the 2012 SCOPA Young Optometristof the Year award. The association’s incoming 2012-2013President is Melissa Schwebach Wood, OD, of Fort Mill.

Dr. Upton McNeely Dr. Smith Zolman

Dr. Schwebach Wood

Dr. HamadaWeslie Hamada, OD, of Wahiawa, was honored asOptometrist of the Year by the Hawaii OptometricAssociation.

Dr. NorrisJessica Norris, OD, and her colleagues from EyecareAssociates in Albany, Ore., were recognized in theAlbany Democrat-Herald for their service work withVolunteer Optometric Services to Humanity in Belize.

Dr. KomadinaThe Wichita Eagle spotlighted Dajana Komadina,OD, of Wichita, Kansas, as a featured business-person.

Dr. JohnsonJarret Johnson, OD, MPH, of Kenner, received thePublic Service Award from the OptometricAssociation of Louisiana.

Taya Patzman, OD, of Bismarck, serves as president-elect of the North Dakota Optometric Association.

Dr. Patzman

Dr. BrownGlenda Brown, OD, of Johns Creek, was recentlyselected by her peers to serve as president-elect ofthe Georgia Optometric Association.

Continued on page 15

Womenin theNEWS

The waiting room at an eye clinic where Dr.Zhou worked

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Women in the NEWSContinued from page 14

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high volume ofpatients, but dur-ing the schoolholiday, the clinicwas overwhelm-ingly busy. “Oneday, we saw 190patients between8 a.m. and 9p.m. And then,patients wouldalways come withtheir entire family, so the waiting rooms were packed with peoplestanding, and a few hallways were so crowded that you almost had topush your way through,” she says.

Along with teaching refraction, biomicroscopy and ophthal-moscopy, Dr. Zhou also lectured on refractive techniques, contactlenses, low vision and interpreting fluorescein angiography. “When Ilectured, I always gave the students the option of having the pres-entation in English or really bad Chinese. They chose the Chineseevery time,” she says.

For the first three months, Dr. Zhou worked with UCBSO graduateNicole Yang, OD, who was born in China and is fluent in Mandarin. Dr.Zhou says, “It was really helpful to have Nicole there to translate whenI started the program. The exchange of information with the Chinesedoctors would have been otherwise very limited.” Dr. Zhou was born inCalifornia and started learning Mandarin in college. “The two semesterswere not enough,” she says, laughing. “Toward the end, I was okayworking on my own in the clinic, but it wasn’t easy getting there.”

Aside from the challenges of language, teaching and volume ofpatients, another unforgettable aspect of the program was theextraordinary patient cases she saw. “Some patients live in ruralareas hours away from reputable health care. It would take someof them a full day by train or they would have to fly to get to thebig city hospitals,” she says. As a result of working in one of themajor eye clinics in China, Dr. Zhou saw diseases in moreadvanced stages and trauma that she would rarely expect to seepracticing optometry in the U.S. Some of these cases includedrooster bites on children’s eyes and a macular transplant forage-related macular degeneration.

There was Eastern influence on medicine at PUTH, but Dr.Zhou was surprised to find how remarkably similar the eye carewas to the U.S. in terms of management of disease, ophthalmictechnology and surgical technique. She notes that there arealso specialized traditional Chinese hospitals that use acupunc-ture to prevent myopia and other ocular conditions. However,the training for traditional Chinese medicine is a completelydifferent medical program from the one at PUTH.

Since her return to the U.S., Dr. Zhou has been workingfull time at an ophthalmology practice in Fresno. “I maynot have the chance to do another long-term internationalprogram for a while, but I would love to go on one-week volunteer trips, like the Volunteer OptometricServices to Humanity trip to Panama I did as a stu-dent.” The combination of travel and working providethe most rich and memorable experiences.

Dr. McGeeSelina McGee, OD, of Midwest City, was honored asYoung Optometrist of the Year by the OklahomaAssociation of Optometric Physicians.

Dr. GrayLori Gray, OD, of Gilbertville, was honored asYoung Optometrist of the Year by the PennsylvaniaOptometric Association.

Illinois College of Optometry honoredMillicent L. Knight, OD, of Evanston,Ill., with its Professional AchievementAward, and Casey L. Hogan, OD, FAAO,with its Humanitarian Award. Dr. Hoganserves on the board of Special OlympicsChicago.

Dr. Knight & Dr. Hogan

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Dr. Bowen & Dr. Alexander

The Colorado Optometric Associationhonored two women: Jacquie Bowen,OD, FAAO, of Greeley, was recog-nized as Optometrist of the Year,and Deanna Alexander, OD, FAAO, of

Fort Collins, received the Distinguished Service Award.

Dr. Bowen Dr. Alexander

As a profession, optometry is relatively unknown in China. Dr. Helen Zhou and others fromBerkeley are trying to change that.

Eye Clinic in background. (l-r): Dr. Zhou,Dr. Chun and Dr. Yang

Dr. MillerDawn Miller, OD, of Garden Grove, Calif., was hon-ored as Alumnus of the Year by Southern CaliforniaCollege of Optometry. She’s a 1983 graduate.

Dr. McAndrewsThe Heart of America Contact Lens Society pre-sented Ruth McAndrews, OD, of Davenport, Iowa,with its 2012 Optometrist of the Year award.

Dr. Knight Dr. Hogan

Dr. SchnellPam Schnell, OD, FAAO, is the new director of SouthernCollege of Optometry’s Continuing Education Program.She also was recently named associate editor of theJournal of Behavioral Optometry.

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At the American Optometric As-sociation’s (AOA) Optometry’sMeeting this summer, DoriCarlson, OD, ended heryear as the organization's

first woman president, handing thegavel to incoming president RonaldL. Hopping, OD, MPH, FAAO. Dur-ing the meeting, the AOA House ofDelegates passed two resolutionsreaffirming the AOA’s commitment todefend the status of optometrists asphysicians in federal law.

Next year’s Optometry’s Meetingwill be held June 26-30, 2013, inSan Diego.


When Joanna Slusky, OD, wanted toschedule an appointment for herselfwith a dermatologist, she was able todo it all from her smartphone: see openappointment times and request one, see

photos of the practice and doctors, map the loca-tion and read patientreviews on the doctor.“It was quick and easy,and I had more informa-tion than I’d ever hadbefore about a doctor,”she says. She wanted herpatients to have thatsame kind of 24/7access to Halsted EyeBoutique, the Chicagopractice she and herhusband, MichaelSlusky, OD, started three years ago.

She signed on with ZocDoc, an onlinephysician-finder. It’s as easy for her practice asit is for the patients, she says. “Our appoint-ments are scheduled on Google Calendar, andthey’re interlinked. We post whatever avail-ability we have, and when it becomes unavail-able, we block it off,” she says.

When a patient picks the appointment time,the system automatically alerts the office staffvia pop-up notification and email that theappointment slot is filled. ZocDoc follows upwith the patients, reminding them that theyhave an appointment. “At first, there was a lit-tle bit of a fear factor. What if patients don’tshow up for an appointment they confirmed?”The online system takes care of that, too. Userswho don’t show up for appointments are shutout of the system, unable to use it for futureappointments with any provider. “I like thatthey’re making patients more accountable in thecontext of all their health care appointments,”

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Practically Effortless

Dr. Slusky has used social mediaand patient reviews to bolster thereputation and draw new patients

into Halsted Eye Boutique.

Marketing

Dr. Slusky

Dr. Slusky says.Within the first two months

of signing on with ZocDoc, thepractice saw close to 30 newpatients. “We didn’t even have itlinked to our web site yet,” shesays. Now there’s a link for makingappointments from the practiceweb site that brings viewersdirectly to the ZocDoc page. “Ihave noticed that I do get more new patientsscheduling appointments, both because there’san opportunity to schedule appointments whenit’s convenient for them and because theyfound us through ZocDoc,” she says. Users cansearch by location, practice name and eveninsurance plans accepted.

Ribbon Cutting at AOA Meeting

Above (l-r): Trustee Barbara Horn, OD;incoming president Ron Hopping, OD,immediate past president Dori Carlson,OD; president Mitch Munson, OD; andtrustee Andrea Thau, OD.

“Everyone is more computer-savvy now,”she says. So having an online presence this waycomplements the other online marketing strate-gies, such as the practice web site and Facebookpages. And the patient comments—which havebeen highly supportive of the doctors—add tothe buzz. WO

Below: The current AOA board of trusteesincludes four women ODs.

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For Summy To, OD, of NorthPortland, Ore., philanthropy hasbeen part of her practice philoso-phy almost since she openedMyoptic Optometry in April 2010.

One of the formspatients complete ateach visit is a dona-tion program; fourlocal charities arelisted, and 1 percentof the exam fees willbe donated to thatprogram. “It’s been agreat way to getpeople involved,” Dr.To says. She also car-ries 141 Eyewear, acompany that gives apair of eyeglasses toa person in need forevery pair sold. While Dr. To’s motivation is tohelp others, the emphasis also helps her prac-tice. “It makes you feel good, and it does giveyour practice a little advantage when you canadd value in such a competitive market. Peopletrust us and look to us as a force for good.”

She recently took her philanthropic effortsto a new level by volunteering to perform eyeexams to Portland’s Immigrant and RefugeeCommunity Organization. The organization pro-vides health care and other services to approxi-mately 80-100 immigrants and refugees a month.Dr. To had learned about the services from a col-league, and she found that while the organiza-tion provides a basic medical screening, no eyecare providers were involved. So she stepped in.

Quickly, she discovered the void was biggerthan she thought. “I wanted to run a testscreening with slots for 25 people,” she says.Forty showed up. She has committed to offeringa monthly screening at the organization’s centerone morning per month, and will see about 40patients each time. Those who need additionalservices can come to her office for no-cost care.“About half of these patients have decreasedvision, but some have advanced cataracts andother conditions. Many have been in refugeecamps for decades. The waiting list for the orga-nization’s services is huge, but the immigrantsare so grateful. It’s an impressive organization,”she says, noting the immigrants and refugees areassigned case managers who speak their nativelanguage to help through the process.

“We started in July, and seeing the need hasbeen so validating, but it’s overwhelming at thesame time,” Dr. To says. She is hoping some ofher colleagues will join in with the effort, donat-ing either their time or their services.

Dr. To says the progressive Portland com-munity is an ideal location for her practice. “Imoved here six years ago, knowing that it was

saturated with ODs. But I loved it,” shesays. She worked where she could tomake ends meet, all the while looking fora location where she might one day opena practice. She found the North Portland

locationwhere therewas no otherOD in theneighbor-hood. “Sincethen, twoother optome-try practices haveopened, but I striveto be better,” shesays, laughing.

The practicedraws patients withits vibrant colorsand unique frame

offerings. “We don’t carry big box eyewear,” herweb site announces. “We want patients to feelas though they’re our guests. The experience isfun and enjoyable—because eyeglasses arefun. They reflect the person’s personality,” shesays, and her optical team takes the time toget to know patients and help the selectionprocess.

“Portland is very pro small business, so wemake the effort to stand out as more than anoptometric practice. The staff and I are veryinvolved and give as much as we can.”

That’s true of their daily work, just as it’strue of the practice philosophy. “People findhappiness when they give,” Dr. To says. “I thinkit’s a good business practice, and it brings outthe best in me. For a short time, I was focused

So Much Need

just on making my practice bigger and bigger.Things suffered. I needed to focus on what Iwas giving patients as an overall experience.”She found her answer by cultivating a practicethat gives back to the community. “When youfeel that your purpose is larger than makingmoney, it elevates your business. People will likeyou and want to hear what you have to say—and then the money comes in.” WO

Southern College ofOptometry recentlyhosted Women inOptometry, a programsponsored by Allergan,

in conjunction with OPP andThe Hayes Center for PracticeExcellence. The October pro-gram drew more than 70women optometry students(and several men, too), whotalked about the challengesfaced by women in the opto-metric profession. Studentsasked questions of a panel ofSCO alumna, who shared adviceand their experiences.

SCO Hosts Women in Optometry

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Doctor finds new opportunity for providing eye care to needy

Dr. To says phi-lanthropy is agood pillar onwhich to build apractice.

Dr. To brings eye care to an immigrant center.

On her first outing, she had slots for 25people. Forty came.


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Participants (l-r): Jill Pitts, OD; Kelly Kerksick, OD;Whitney Hauser, OD; Karen Fallon, eye care businessadvisor at Allergan; and Christina Vranich, OD.

WO4Q12:WO 2Q08-SK 9/25/12 10:09 PM Page 17

Sponsors of Women In Optometry

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PinkInkPinkInkPearls from the TrenchesBy Crystal Brimer, OD

Soon after graduating from Southern College of Optometry, Ifound myself building a solo private practice. I had no kids,and my husband served as office manager for some of theyears. So, as you can imagine, most of mythoughts revolved around the practice. However,

it gave me opportunities that many practice owners don’thave: a chance to dissect the practice and the systemsthat were in place. And as time went on, I incorporatednew systems that improved functionality, efficiency andprofitability. This is what sparked my interest in consult-ing others and helping them overcome the daily grind.

Filter everything. Look at everything around youwith a new filter. Be on the lookout for little finds thatyou can tweak and bring back to the office or examroom. There are resources all around you: conversationswith other ODs; trips to a well-run hotel, restaurant orboutique; or even a closer look at the operations of aFortune 500 company. You’ll be amazed at how much youcan pick up and at the cascading effect it can have on every aspectof your practice, from patient satisfaction to profitability. There aresuccessful breakfast clubs throughout the country, made of ODs oreven mixed professionals who are willing to share ideas. Or considergathering some fellow female ODs for Women, Wine, and Wisdom!

Align yourself with companies that value your relationship.The travel industry has perfected this; it has convinced me to usethe same airline, hotel and credit card every time by rewarding myloyalty. Associate yourself with contact lens, frame and lens compa-nies that truly support you and your loyalty. Many can offer valuablestaff training, advertising dollars, patient education materials andlunch on the house. And be sure to continue this theme with yournonoptical suppliers. Buy office supplies from a company that hasgood prices and delivers daily; meet with the manager to negotiate abetter rate for your copying needs. When possible, work with small,local companies because your business means more to them, andoften you can negotiate with the person in charge, leading to betterdiscounts.

Indulge yourself and your patients. Create a decadent environ-ment. If your office is dated and you can’t afford a remodel, at least

budget some cash for a new coat of paint and updated décor to giveyour frame displays a modern and luxurious feel. Research the bestproducts on the market and sell what you believe in: products that

will result in excellent word-of-mouth advertisement andreferrals. Build your reputation for offering premier eyecare and premium products.

Fit specialty lenses. There is huge potential in fit-ting multifocal lenses. The presbyopic market is enor-mous, but the percentage of patients in contacts dwin-dles significantly after the age of 40. Daily disposablelenses are another avenue to increased profitability, rep-utation and referrals. Implement a plan utilizing theentire staff to convert your routine exams into contactlens exams. Preappoint patients for next year, but takemeasures to ensure no wasted slots.

Surround yourself with compassionate, capablepeople. Never hire out of desperation; it’s better to beshort-staffed than poorly staffed. Evaluate the ideal skill

and personality for each position long before it becomes available.Then wait until you’ve found that skill level and personality beforefilling the position. Don’t be afraid to look outside the profession;you can add knowledge through training, but rarely can you add tal-ent. Create job descriptions and an extensive training manual toensure that everyone learns the same way and has a resource to referto, other than you. For best performance, hold weekly staff meetingsto instill accountability. For best patient care, incorporate patientstories to cultivate sincerity.

Fight the burn. If you feel like you’re burning out, realize thereare many avenues within optometry to help hold your interest andoffer a change of pace. As a frequent lecturer, I run into very fewfemale speakers. And we have several trade magazines that must befilled every month. We need to hear from you. There are also manyopportunities within your local society district, community outreach,research studies, academia and industry. So go ahead…jump in!

Crystal Brimer, OD, of Wilmington, N.C., is a practicing OD andowner of Crystal Vision Services, an ophthalmic equipment andpractice management consulting company.

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Dr. Brimer

WO4Q12:WO 2Q08-SK 9/25/12 10:11 PM Page 18

SAVE THE DATE: NOV 30 - DEC 2, 2012

15 CE Credits (COPE approval pending)

LOEWS HOTEL PHILADELPHIA

4 WAYS to RegisterOnline: www.revoptom.com/NewTechEast2012Call: 866.658.1772 Fax: 610.492.1039Mail: Review of Optometry Conferences

11 Campus Blvd, Ste. 100Newtown Square, PA 19073

CONFERENCE TOPICS• New Therapeutics• Anterior Segment New Technology• Posterior Segment New Technology• Glaucoma• Ocular Surface Disease• Anterior Segment Disease • Posterior Segment Disease• Contact Lenses• Refractive Surgery/ Co-Management

HOTEL INFORMATIONLoews Hotel PhiladelphiaDiscounted Room Rate $179/nightHotel Reservations: 888.575.6397

DISCOUNTED ROOM RATESIdentify yourself as a participant of “Review of Optometry” for group rate.Discounted room rates also available 3 days pre- and post-conference, based on hotel availability.

FACULTYMeeting Chair:> Paul Karpecki, ODSpeakers:> Ben Gaddie, OD> Kelly Kerksick, OD > Ron Melton, OD> Randall Thomas, OD

www.revoptom.com/NewTechEast2012

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Documents

Dedicated to the interests of women ODs · Thank you, Dr. Miglani, for saying what I (and maybe thousands of other female ODs) have been wanting to say for years. Thank you, Women