Health Care Reform: How to Embrace Change & Find Opportunities

Embrace Change,
Find Opportunities

The Value of a Network,
Part I

The Value of a Network
Part II

For an optometric practices to flourish in the era of health care reform, it must develop a culture that embraces change, in the view of Amir Khoshnevis, OD, owner of Vision Source Studio 20/20 in Charlotte, N.C. “We know the landscape is changing, whether we want it to or not,” he says. “We need to look for ways to better the practice.”

That search requires an understanding of the basics behind health care reform, such as providing more care to more people, many of whom receive no vision and eye health care. “Optometry has a chance to be a bigger player in the health care conversation,” he says. In the case of Vision Source Studio 20/20, the practice has expanded its patient base by building relationships with primary care doctors in the area.

As those physicians see more patients who recently gained health care insurance, they refer more cases to Vision Source Studio 20/20 for eyecare. The practice is set up to see them in a more timely fashion than an ophthalmology group and address issues effectively.

“I’ve seen more diabetics and pre-diabetics in our practice as a result,” says Dr. Khoshnevis. In treating these patients, he also diagnoses cataracts and eye health issues that were previously undiagnosed. “It is amazing how many people need eyecare and are completely unaware,” he says.

Processing a growing numbers of new patients referred by primary care physicians presents challenges to Vision Source Studio 20/20, a full-scope optometry practice with a heavy refractive focus. The practice strives to meet that challenge, Dr. Khoshnevis says, by focusing on its optometric mission.

This requires that staff be prepared to communicate effectively with primary care physicians and their office personnel. Also, the total office must operate smoothly to maintain good patient flow. To meet that challenge, the practice has added diagnostic equipment that raises the level of care and increases capacity. “We look to provide total eyecare, and as we see more patients we try to be more engaged with them,” says Dr. Khoshnevis.

The practice also has increased patient engagement through digital media. They leverage many digital touch points when, for example, the patient can be educated on how the practice provides medical eyecare treatment. That message is clearly imparted when patients contact the practice or self-schedule an appointment through the practice web site, then reinforced often.  

“Patients often are surprised when they learn the full scope of care that we provide,” says Dr. Khoshnevis. “It’s always a good thing to wow your patients, even before they come through the door.”

The leadership of Vision Source has been invaluable in educating member doctors in how to embrace health care reform, says Dr. Khoshnevis. Belonging to a network of optometrists also has strengthened his practice’s hand in engaging with health care systems looking to provide their covered lives with high quality eyecare, cost-effectively, consistently and conveniently.

“As a group, we’re better prepared to engage with health care systems and change initial perceptions that we’re the people just trying to sell glasses,” Dr. Khoshnevis explains. “As an individual doctor, it’s very tough to approach a health care organization, but as a group it’s a very different conversation.”

Dr. Khoshnevis says the network approach has opened doors and provided patient access in great numbers. What’s more, perceptions about optometry have been greatly elevated. “Many of the health care administrators who didn’t know the full scope of what we provide now come into our office as patients,” he says.