A compendium of articles, updated weekly, from Review of Optometric Business and other Jobson publications, along with resources from industry partners, and additional information from the world beyond, to get your practice through the pandemic.
How Other Practices Are Managing the Crisis
2 Technologies that Changed How I Communicate With & Serve Patients
By Deborah C. Weston, OD
Your patients want contact with your office when they have a question or need a product and service, and you want contact with them to facilitate marketing. The question is how best to provide that contact, so both patients and practice benefit. Here is how I create touch points that keep a line of communication open with my patients, and allow them to receive products, like contact lenses, when they need them. >>READ MORE>>
Go-To Web Sites
Small Business Administration (SBA) Loans
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)
Federal Register (COVID-19 Telehealth Program)
Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO)
AOA Optometry Practice Reactivation Preparedness Guide
The “Opening Up America Again” Plan
4 Mental Health Signs the Pandemic Is Getting to Your Staff & What to Do
By Pamela Miller, OD, FAAO, JD, FNAP
As the pandemic nears the two-year mark, your staff, like yourself, may feel weary. Your staff may have stresses and frustrations, both from the pandemic and from issues beyond the pandemic. The weight of those issues can adversely affect the patient care and service they are able to deliver. Here’s how to spot potential employee mental health challenges, and how to work with employees to find solutions. >>READ MORE>>
Sponsored Content
One of My Practice’s Secrets to Maintaining Strong Cash Flow During the Pandemic
By Roxanne Achong-Coan OD, FAAO, FIAOMC, FSLS
In a practice like mine, with wide-spanning medical eyecare and an orthokeratology niche, a pandemic that crippled our economy had the potential to be especially devastating. With many of our services outside insurance coverage, patients in the best of times may be hesitant. Here are the details on the practice resource that made it easier for us to serve patients, and maintain a strong cash flow, during the pandemic. >>READ MORE>>
Sponsored Content
Specialized Care + Patient Financing = Thriving Despite a Pandemic
By Miki Lyn Zilnicki, OD, FCOVD, and Jessica Licausi, OD, FAAO, FCOVD
Surviving a pandemic while remaining financially strong takes many things. Offering services patients can’t find at most other nearby practices, such as vision therapy, helps, and so does offering patient financing. Here is how our vision therapy-focused practice provides care that serves as a practice differentiator, and how we are making that care more accessible for our patients. >>READ MORE>>
Sponsored Content
The Resource Helping My New Practice Profitably Survive a Pandemic
By Dawn Trybulski, OD
Starting a new practice is always a difficult endeavor, but perhaps never more so than now. Just a year after launching my practice, the pandemic and shutdown of routine eyecare hit. Fortunately, I had access to an industry resource that has become a lifeline for my practice and the patients we have been able to continue successfully serving. >>READ MORE>>
Sponsored Content
5 Ways We Are Boosting Eyewear Capture Rate to Ensure a Strong Post-Pandemic Practice
By Patty Casebolt, Chief Quality Officer, Medical Eye Center
The Coronavirus pandemic is testing our ability to provide continuity of care, including ensuring patients have all the products they have been prescribed. Here is how we are using patient financing, along with other approaches, to improve our eyewear capture rate, so we remain profitable while knowing our patients are getting only the best.>>READ MORE>>
7 Post-Pandemic Opportunities in My Practice–and Yours
By Jennifer L. Stewart, OD
As the pandemic (hopefully) winds down, practices will be assessing how the crisis permanently altered how they serve patients and do business, and what new opportunities are arising. Here is how I am using this time to better serve patients and grow my practice. >>READ MORE>>
Sponsored Content
The Resource Helping Us Boost Revenues $100 Per Patient & Speeding Our Pandemic Recovery
By Dave Anderson, OD
The Coronavirus pandemic caused emotional and financial distress for patients. Those challenges, by extension, were felt in our practices. Here is the resource making it easier for patients to pay for the care they need while helping my practice to recover financially. >>READ MORE>>
3 Pandemic-Inspired Changes that Continue to Bring Patients Back
By Tia Horie, OD
Changes, big and small, can make a significant impact on the patient experience and your practice’s ability to win back patients for return visits. Here are a few changes we made to our office that continue to reassure patients that our office is a safe space to come to during a pandemic that doesn’t seem to want to end. >>READ MORE>>
3 Ways to Stop Star Employees from Leaving for Post-Pandemic Job Opportunities
By Ken Krivacic, OD, MBA
The labor market has significantly opened up–for job seekers. The post-pandemic world means many more job opportunities and choices for your staff members. Here are key ways to keep your highest-performing employees. >>READ MORE>>
Sponsored Content
The Technology Empowering a 59% Per Patient Revenue Increase During COVID
By Daniel Sjolund, OD
The COVID pandemic made it clear that vision plans were an obstacle to practice success. And our practice was proof: We dropped vision plans during the pandemic and increased per patient revenue 59 percent. Here is how we did it. >>READ MORE>>
Sponsored Content
Creating a Winning Patient Experience for a Pandemic–and Well Beyond
By Justin Manning, OD, MPH, FAAO
The Coronavirus pandemic taught practice owners how important it is to make patients feel safe and secure, all the while delivering a memorably pleasant experience. Here is how to create a patient experience that can withstand even a pandemic, and the important role a tool like patient financing plays in enhancing each patient’s time in your office. >>READ MORE>>
Sponsored Content
The Flexible Financing Program Changing Our Customers’ Lives & Strengthening Our Business
By Bill Butler, Chief Operations Officer, Eyemart Express
Your patients, like most of us, have been under significant stress during the pandemic. That stress can show up when they visit your office and learn how much it will cost, after applying their insurance, to fulfill the doctor’s treatment plan. They may want the multiple pairs of eyewear you have prescribed, but are concerned about paying for all of it at one time. Here are the details on a new payment option my company has successfully implemented. >>READ MORE>>
AMD & COVID: What Has the Pandemic’s Impact Been on Those with AMD?
By ROB Editors
The pandemic had a damaging impact on numerous aspects of our lives. Eye health is no different. Here is how one sight-threatening condition went undetected and neglected due to patients who delayed care because they feared catching COVID at the doctor’s office.>>READ MORE>>
Sponsored Content
How I Am Powering Medical Eyecare Service Growth & Pandemic Survival
By Matthew Ward, OD
In a year like the one we just had, profitable medical eyecare services can make the difference between staying afloat and just scraping by. With many medical eyecare services not covered by patient insurance, the practice also is insulated from the low reimbursements of vision plans. Here is the resource helping many of my patients get the medical eyecare I prescribe while helping me to build my practice. >>READ MORE>>
Sponsored Content
The Program Helping Me Transform Lives in My Community
By Tia Horie, OD
As an optometrist, practice growth and profitability are important, but only half the picture of professional fulfillment. The other half is doing good and giving back to your community, especially during a time like the one we lived through over the last year. Here are the details on a program that is allowing me to do just that. >>READ MORE>>
5 Ways to Achieve a Fully Vaccinated Staff
By Pamela Miller, OD, FAAO, JD, FNAP
Vaccine hesitancy is common. A recent poll found that one in four Americans said they would refuse a coronavirus vaccine outright if offered. Another 5 percent are “undecided” about whether they would get the shot. Some of those people may work for your practice. Here is how to encourage employees to get vaccinated against COVID. >>READ MORE>>
Sponsored Content
A New Diagnostic Tool Redefining Patient Satisfaction & Driving 20% Per Patient Revenue Growth
By Gary Lovcik, OD
We are becoming increasingly tethered to our digital devices during the pandemic, and many patients are suffering from the telltale symptoms of digital eye fatigue. Fortunately, there is a cutting-edge spectacle lens with contoured prism technology that has changed how I treat my patients. And now there is a new, second-generation diagnostic tool that has made this lens more effective than ever. Here are the details. >>READ MORE>>
Why & How I Got Certified As an OD to Administer COVID-19 Vaccinations
By Margaret L. Gibson, OD
The COVID-19 pandemic is the most devastating international crisis most people alive today have lived through. When I learned that optometrists would have the opportunity to get certified to administer the vaccines that will eventually help end this crisis, I wanted to be a part of it. Here is why I got certified to administer vaccinations and how I am using this certification to contribute to my community. >>READ MORE>>
Sponsored Content
The Practice Buyer Keeping Us on Track–and Growing–Even During a Pandemic
By Keith S. Hilliard, OD, FAAO
When you decide to sell your practice, you have many options. If you seek to continue working after the sale, it is important to find a buyer that will facilitate a work life that you find rewarding, while helping you to maintain the high level of care that your patients have come to expect. Here is the buyer that helped me accomplish both of those goals. >>READ MORE>>
The Online CL Ordering Technology that Increased My CL Sales By 30%
By Jessica Crooker, OD
Patients have been oriented toward purchasing products online for a while. That growing preference to purchase online only deepened during the pandemic. My practice implemented a technology last year that helped us capture contact lens sales that otherwise would have gone to an online retailer. Here are the details. >>READ MORE>>
3 Low-to-No Cost Permanent Changes from COVID Making a Huge Positive Impact
By Ian G. Whipple, OD
The pandemic put stress on our practices as we rushed to accommodate the many changes needed to keep patients and staff safe. Luckily, at least a few of those changes have been so positive in their impact that we will be continuing with them permanently. Here are three low-to-no cost changes that any office could make to both increase pandemic safety and create long-term practice improvements. >>READ HERE>>
6 Permanent Practice Changes Spurred By the Pandemic–That Are Making Us Better
By Miki Lyn Zilnicki, OD, FCOVD,
and Jessica Licausi, OD, FAAO, FCOVD
COVID-19 continues to challenge us to make adjustments in how we serve patients. Fortunately, there are ways the pandemic has changed our perspective and approach as practitioners for the better. Here are the positive long-term transformations in our vision therapy-focused practice triggered by the pandemic. >>READ MORE>>
How My Practice Improved & Generated an Extra $57,000 By Making Pandemic Adaptations
By Keshav Bhat, OD
We are nearing the year mark of the pandemic in the U.S., and it has been a blow to every aspect of our lives, both personally and professionally. Our ability to provide easy access to care has been impacted, as have our practice revenues–usually not for the better. However, I was able to make adaptations that have buoyed both our patient care and profitability. Here are the details. >>READ MORE>>
4 COVID Lessons that INCREASED Our Bottom Line by $50,000 in 2020
By Kimberly K. Friedman, OD, FAAO
I have an office in New Jersey, which was hit hard early in the pandemic. During a mandatory nearly three-month shutdown, we were forced to quickly develop practice survival strategies. I adopted a few tactics for increasing revenues that were so successful that we have carried those strategies forward into 2021. Here are the details. >>READ MORE>>
The Low-Cost Practice Investments Projected to Add Up to an Extra $50,000+ This Year
By Maria Sampalis, OD
Like many of you, I am always looking for new ways to serve patients and grow revenues. With the pandemic cutting into our profitability last year, and continuing to pose challenges, finding new care and profitability opportunities has never been more important. Here are the low-cost ways I am enhancing care and practice growth. >>READ MORE>>
How I Used Slower Days (Thanks, COVID!) to Retrain Staff
By Jessica Goldman, OD
Technicians can make or break your practice. They, with the front desk staff, are your patients’ first impression. For better or worse, they set the tone for the duration of the exam. Here is how I used recent downtime to improve our staff’s ability to serve patients. >>READ MORE>>
Sponsored Content
The New Program Providing 360 Degree Support to Help Boost My Patient Care & Profitability
By Scott Lewis, OD
An OD managing a practice during an ongoing pandemic with the long-running pressures still present could use extra support. My practice recently found that support through a new program which I believe will improve our care and service to patients while enabling us to generate greater revenues. Here are the details. >>READ MORE>>
Contacts During COVID: 6 Opportunities You May Be Overlooking
By Jennifer L. Stewart, OD
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed many things. One thing it has not changed, however, is the ability of patients to safely wear contact lenses. Are are six ways to use the challenges of the pandemic to improve patients’ contact-lens wear while generating greater revenues. >>READ MORE>>
Sponsored Content
Doctor’s Choice Part III: The Premium Eyewear Lenses Taking Our Patient Care & Service to the Next Level
By Adam DePoe, OD
In a difficult time like the one we’re living through, it’s a relief when you can provide eyewear that enhances patients’ lives. In our practice, we do just that by prescribing and selling only the best. Here is the eyewear making it easier to exceed our patients’ expectations. >>READ MORE>>
Sponsored Content
The Chemical-Free Frame Disinfection System Enabling Us to Clean 8 Frames in 40 Seconds
By Matthew Vizithum, OD
Your patients and staff are under stress to avoid germs and stay safe, as are you. With so much riding on cleanliness and thorough disinfection, it’s a relief to have found a frame disinfection system that does everything we need. Here is the frame disinfection system we have implemented, and how it has vastly improved our management of disinfecting protocol. >>READ MORE>>
Sponsored Content
The Innovation that Exponentially Improved My Pandemic Exam Room
By Gregory Moore, OD
When your phoropter gets fogged as you are doing an exam, the quality of the exam is compromised, and the patient experience is impacted. Fortunately, there is a new product that solves this problem in a simple way that transforms the pandemic exam room experience. Here are the details.>>READ MORE>>
What I Did When Employees Reported COVID Symptoms & One Tested Positive
By Ian G. Whipple, OD
Everyone is at risk for catching COVID-19. Those who work in-person with members of the public, like optometrists and their staffs do, may be at heightened risk. In my practice, I have had to manage multiple cases of employees reporting symptoms of the virus, and one instance of an employee who contracted the virus. Here is how I handled it. >>READ MORE>>
I Got the COVID-19 Vaccination: What You Should Know About the Process
By Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD
As optometrists await the opportunity to be vaccinated against COVID-19, here is my first-hand experience of receiving the vaccination on the morning of Dec. 28. >>READ MORE>>
Sponsored Content
The Frame Disinfection System Safeguarding My Patients & Keeping Us Going
By Steven P. Guzik, OD
Your patients trust you to keep them safe during the pandemic. With frame try-on a key part of the eyecare visit, disinfection of all the frames on display, which have been handled by staff and other patients, is essential. Fortunately, my practice found just the disinfection system we need to feel confident that we are providing a safe environment for our patients to do their optical shopping. Here are the details. >>READ MORE>>
How To Obtain 100% PPP Loan Forgiveness
It is possible to attain 100 percent forgiveness on Paycheck Protection Program loans. And doing so puts your practice in a much stronger position than it would be carrying debt. Review of Optometric Business Professional Editor Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD, shares how she accomplished full forgiveness of her practice’s PPP loan. >>WATCH>>
Sponsored Content
Answers to 4 Key Questions on Optimizing PPE & COVID Safety in Your Practice
The pandemic continues to raise many questions, including how best to incorporate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) into your practice. Here are top tips from a recent roundtable discussion on how best to purchase and use PPE, so patients and staff are protected, and your practice keeps its investment in these essential supplies manageable. >>READ MORE>>
How to Ease Patient Anxiety During the Pandemic
The pandemic is causing great anxiety for many people, including your patients. When they visit your practice they may be distracted with fears of contracting the virus. Suzanne LaKamp Adkins, OD, FAAO, and Steven Silverstein, MD, share tips for setting patients’ minds at ease so they don’t delay care. >>WATCH>>
Sponsored Content
Doctor’s Choice Part I: Cultivating Patients for Life
By Shazeen Ali, OD
Cultivating patients who return to your practice year after year, referring friends and family, is a key to long-term success. As my practice has weathered the severe disruption that COVID-19 caused, I have noticed more than ever the difference quality products and strong professional partnerships make in helping to retain patients. Here are the details on the eyecare program that has meant so much to my patients and practice. >>READ MORE>>
Pandemic Progress: Big Lessons So Far & Where We Continue to Make Gains
By Eric Rettig, OD
When our office initially closed for a then-undetermined amount of time, it was one of the most difficult and contentious decisions we ever had to make as a group. What were we going to do about staff, unpaid bills, health insurance and other practice concerns? Here are the takeaways from our experience so far and where we are now, including our major milestones in progress. >>READ MORE>>
Sponsored Content
Adapting to a New World By Dropping Vision Plans: How to Do it Successfully
By Nicolas Gilberg, OD
People and businesses alike are being forced to adapt to unpredictable and transformative circumstances this year. One way they have been adapting is by evaluating the managed vision plans their practice accepts, and whether each (or any) of these plans makes financial sense for the practice. Here are tips for doing that. >>READ MORE>>
The 3 Best CE Courses I Took During the Lockdown
By Benjamin Kachelman, OD
The pandemic, with the accompanying lockdowns of the spring, has been trying. One of the bright spots was the added time for continuing education, and the many great programs available online. Here are three courses that helped me in my doctoring and my ability to contribute to the growth of the practice where I work. >>READ MORE>>
Sponsored Content
The Technology Supporting My Practice’s Progress Toward Recovery
By Julie Helmus, OD
The pandemic put a crimp in many practices’ plans for a strong 2020, but thanks to the right metrics-tracking technology, my practice is working its way back to where we should be, and we may be primed for strong growth next year. Here are the details on the technology providing us with such vital help. >>READ MORE>>
3 Business Lessons I Have Learned from the COVID Crisis
By Clint Taylor, OD
No one could have been completely prepared for COVID-19. It seemed to come out of nowhere, things have changed quickly, and the situation continues to evolve. Along the way, we have all learned lessons – sometimes the hard way. Here are some of the lessons I’ve learned from trying to steer my practice through a pandemic. >>READ MORE>>
7 Ways My Practice Reformulated Its Strategy to Return to Profitability
By Brian O’Donnell, OD
The practice closures of the spring continue to put stress on owners to end the year profitably. Here are the key changes that have greatly helped our progress, and allowed our office to get back on track. >>READ MORE>>
Sponsored Content
How to Leverage Increased Focus on Health with Silicone Hydrogel 1-Day Contact Lenses
By Lee Ann Hoven, OD
As practices continue to ramp up amid patient concerns about health and preventative care, I increasingly recommend the use of silicone hydrogel 1-day contact lenses. Here is the contact lens providing a safe, comfortable visual solution for patients while helping me build my practice. >>READ MORE>>
4 Common Pandemic Exam Room Questions–& How I’m Responding
By Dave Anderson, OD
The pandemic has brought with it a slew of anxieties. Some of those anxieties may be expressed to you in the exam room in the form of questions. Here are four questions that are coming up frequently in my exam room, and how I respond to the patient to provide solutions. >>READ MORE>>
Sponsored Content
The Buyer That Delivered My Dream Work Life–& Is Helping Us Withstand COVID
By Joseph Smay, OD
Your practice is precious to you both as an investment and as the product of a life’s work serving patients. When it comes time to sell–and you know you want to continue practicing–you need a buyer that understands where you’re coming from. Here is how I found a buyer who offers both a high-quality work life and strong support in a crisis.>>READ MORE>>
3 Strategies We Are Implementing to End 2020 Profitably
By Miki Lyn Zilnicki, OD, FCOVD, and Jessica Licausi, OD, FAAO, FCOVD
It’s been a hard year both emotionally and financially, but that’s no reason it can’t end profitably. Here are the strategies we are employing to make sure our practice is financially sound and growing again by the New Year. >>READ MORE>>
Marketing During a Pandemic: The Instagram Posts & Strategy That is Generating Patients
By Aaron Neufeld, OD, FAAO
A long-running pandemic can be a hard time to market any business, an optometric practice included. Here is how my practice is doing it, so our patients keep us top of mind, returning to our office for care and referring others. >>READ MORE>>
Sponsored Content
PPE: Top Questions, Concerns & Insights from Your Peers
By Sally M. Dillehay, OD, EdD: The pandemic has presented many questions to ODs, including how best to incorporate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) into our practices. I recently sat down with a group of eyecare leaders to discuss challenges and best practices to not just survive, but thrive during these uncertain times, including the best way to manage PPE. >>READ MORE>>
2021: My Practice Plans & Goals to Strengthen Care & Profitability
By Susan Resnick, OD, FAAO, FSLS
Next year the country will hopefully begin to return to normalcy following the pandemic. It could be a time that holds great opportunity for small businesses, including optometric practices. Here are the plans I am putting into place with my practice partners to provide even better care and become even more profitable.>>READ MORE>>
Sponsored Content
Secret to Thriving During a Pandemic: The Extra Help That’s Making a Huge Difference
By Bryan Heitmeyer, OD, Georgiann Jensen, OD, and Michel Maiers, OD: COVID-19 has posed the greatest challenge to optometric practices in at least a generation. Fortunately, with the right support from industry partners, many optometrists have been able to continue flourishing, despite the difficulties. Three ODs recently shared with Review of Optometric Business how they are managing to thrive, including the business relationship that has made all the difference for them. >>READ MORE>>
Cold Start Lessons: Differentiation is Everything
As practices continue to recover from the COVID-19 shutdowns, differentiation of the practice brand is becoming a way to gain an advantage over competitors. In a webinar sponsored by neurolens and Review of Optometric Business, Melissa Richard, OD, MS, and Michelle Ahumada, OD, share how they identified the qualities that make their cold-start practices unique, and how they are leveraging those distinctive traits to better serve patients with forward-thinking products like neurolens. >>WATCH WEBINAR>>
4 Ways We Encourage Appointment Bookings
By Ian G. Whipple, OD
We are inundated with frightening news about the easy transmission, and sometimes deadly consequences, of COVID-19. It’s no wonder then that some patients may put off care, including delaying annual eye exams. Here is how my practice is reassuring patients that it’s safe to visit us. >>READ MORE>>
Signs Your Staff Needs a Mid-Pandemic Morale Boost–and How to Do It
By Michael Kling, OD
We’re nearing the six-month mark of the pandemic in the U.S., and it’s no wonder many of us have hit what some have called a “pandemic wall.” With crisis fatigue setting in, your staff may need a morale boost. Here are signs morale is flagging, and some of the ways I keep my employees’ spirits up so they are primed to provide the best care possible to our patients. >>READ MORE>>
CL Fitting & Wear During COVID: Educating & Keeping Patients Safe
By Melissa Barnett, OD, FAAO, FSLS, FBCLA
During the pandemic, patients may want to wear contact lenses more than ever since face masks fog up glasses. There also is the advantage over glasses of improved peripheral vision with contact lenses. You can still safely fit patients in contacts, if you take the proper precautions in your practice, and take the time to educate patients about hygienic lens handling and cleaning. Here is how to do that. >>READ MORE>>
Sponsored Content
New Anti-Fog Lens that Solves a Huge Patient Problem
By Eli Ben-Moshe, OD
Mask-wearing is an important precaution to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but what does a person do when their glasses get so fogged up with their mask on that they can’t see? Here is the new spectacle lens that is improving my patients’ lives as they participate in the efforts to reduce the spread of the virus by wearing masks. >>READ MORE>>
3 Keys to Thriving in the New Work Environment Created by COVID-19
By Cheryl G. Murphy, OD
As eyecare professionals gradually return to fuller schedules, it would be an understatement to say our work has changed. Handshakes have been eliminated, sanitization of all surfaces patients encounter is a must and personal protective equipment is worn by doctors and patients continuously. Here are three actions to take to successfully adapt to these major changes.>>READ MORE>>
Back-to-School Marketing: Reaching Out to Families, Even In a Year Like This
By Maria Sampalis, OD
“Back to school” may mean something different than in previous years. It may mean continuing to learn from home, or it may mean young people spending half of their time at home and half in the physical classroom. Whatever the case, your young patients’ eye health and visual needs still need attention. Here is how my practice is reaching out to families to remind them of the importance of keeping their child’s annual eye exam, even in a year like this. >>READ MORE>>
Reopening Report Card: Maintaining Safety, Efficiency & Profitability
By Jennifer L. Stewart, OD
The pandemic has required our practices to implement new safety protocols, including social distancing and enhanced sterilization, that are essential, but also can negatively impact efficiency and profitability. Here is how my practice is keeping patients and staff safe while maintaining a smooth patient flow and strong per-patient revenue. >>READ MORE>>
3 Ways to Exceed Patient Expectations During a Pandemic
By Clint Taylor, OD
Exceeding patient expectations should always be our goal as practice owners, even during a pandemic. Here are a few of the ways we are continuing to do that. >>READ MORE>>
6 Strategies We Are Using to Recoup Lost Revenues
By Brian O’Donnell, OD
The shutdowns of the spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on practice finances. Many of us are far behind where we had projected our practices would be financially by this time in 2020. Here are the strategies that we have employed to increase our financial resilience and recoup what was lost. >>READ MORE>>
Video: Looking for a Job in a Pandemic: How I Found an Even Better Associate Position
Suzanne LaKamp Adkins, OD, FAAO, shares how she improved her professional trajectory after experiencing a job loss during the pandemic, including the strategy and resources that led to attaining her ideal position as an associate OD focused on medical eyecare. >>READ MORE>>
Our Office Space Expansion & How It Is Aiding Us During a Pandemic
By Nathan Bonilla-Warford, OD, FAAO, FCOVD
When our lease was up on our old space, we realized we had an opportunity to expand space and services. Here is how we enlarged our office space, and what that additional space has meant to the care we can provide and our profitability, and how it is helping us through the current challenges of social distancing. >>READ MORE>>
COVID Coping: How Making Staff Part of Your Inner Circle Can Help
By Pamela Miller, OD, FAAO, JD, FNAP
If you are like most of us, you have pretty much reached the end of your rope with the ongoing pandemic, and tied a knot just to continue hanging on. One of the elements that makes it easier is when we work with our staff as part of our inner circle. Here is how I have created an engaged staff that is working with me to manage the crisis. >>READ MORE>>
How to Track Metrics to Achieve a Strong Shutdown Recovery
By Michael Kling, OD
Practice closures due to the coronavirus wreaked havoc on all of our practices. One of the keys to a strong recovery will be careful tracking of practice metrics. Here is my practice’s approach to ensuring our most important indicators for success are trending in the right direction. >>READ MORE>>
My Pandemic Practice: 3 ODs Share Their New Normal
By Dave Anderson, OD,
Dori Carlson, OD,
and Gina Wesley, OD, MS, FAAO
Practices are much altered from the way they were at the start of 2020. Three ROB contributors share a few of the big changes in their offices, including how they are adapting to keep patients and staff safe and rebuild revenues. >>READ MORE>>
Strategic Recall: How We Are Prioritizing Who We See First to Rebuild Revenues
By Susan Resnick, OD, FAAO, FSLS
Like most practices, our revenues are lagging behind where they should be due to the impact of the COVID-19 shutdown. Our practice is implementing strategic recall in which we give priority to some patients over others to recoup some of that lost income. Here is how we are doing it. >>READ MORE>>
The New Services My Practice Is Adding to Ramp Back Up
By Melissa Richard, OD, MS
With offices up and running again, it’s time to think about how to get financially back on track. Here are a few ideas for better serving patients and recouping lost revenues that my practice is implementing. <<READ MORE>>
Making Up for Lost Time: The Key Changes Fueling Practice’s Shutdown Recovery
By Maria Sampalis, OD
After months of practice closures, your patients need you–and you need them. With patients returning to your office, you can both provide the care they need and maximize the benefit of their visits to your practice. Here is how I am doing it. <<READ MORE>>
The Buyer–and Partner–Powering Our Reopening
By Jonathan Weston, OD
When the COVID-19 closures hit this year, practices were put under enormous strain. Fortunately, we had a buffer from a lot of that strain, thanks to having sold to the right company. Here is how this partnership has helped us survive the shutdown, and now is helping us enjoy a strong recovery. <<READ MORE>>
The 2 Keys to Creating a Strong Shutdown Recovery
By Clint Taylor, OD
Before COVID-19, succeeding in eyecare wasn’t exactly easy. Vision plans had eroded profits and online glasses and contact lens sellers were competing with us for patients. COVID-19 has only made our environment more challenging. Here are the two factors that will make the greatest difference to our ability to recover from practice shutdowns. >>READ MORE>>
Recouping Lost Revenues: A Few Strategies We Are Implementing
By Ian G. Whipple, OD
The COVID-19 practice shutdowns, which typically lasted at least two months, have taken a significant toll. In our practice, we have developed a few key strategies to recoup some of those lost revenues. Here is the approach we are taking. >>READ MORE>>
Preventing Patient-Flow Bottlenecks & Other New Priorities
By Brian O’Donnell, OD
Patient-flow bottlenecks have never been desirable, and now as we attempt to recover from pandemic shutdowns, they are even less desirable. Here is how my practice is maintaining the same great service our patients have always expected while also assuring patient flow keeps moving. >>READ MORE>>
The Sterilization Technology My Practice Has Added
By Harvey Hanlen, OD
There are many choices in how to sterilize optometry offices to prevent the spread of COVID-19. In addition to effectively killing the virus, we needed a system that was completely safe for people and easily applied throughout the office. Here is the system we chose and why. >>READ MORE>>
Post-Pandemic Shopko Optical: Our Approach to Reopening
By Kirk Lauterback
It’s no secret that our lives have changed radically in the wake of COVID-19. Masks and social distancing have become the norm as we try to prevent exposure to the virus, but which new protocols are going to stick? And what does the virus mean for optometry? Here is how we are managing these challenges at Shopko Optical. >>READ MORE>>
How Well Is Your New Exam-Room Experience Working for Patients?
By Eric Rettig, OD
The exam-room experience, like the rest of the patient experience, has been altered by the COVID-19 crisis. Here are key changes we have made in doctor-patient interactions and use of medical eyecare equipment. >>READ MORE>>
Our New Patient Experience & Optical Shopping Process
By Michael Kling, OD
As we reopen our practices, our patients’ experience has changed, including their time in our optical dispensaries. Here is how I have updated my patient flow and optical shopping and cleaning processes to ensure patient and staff safety, while continuing to generate eyewear sales. >>READ MORE>>
Reopening: My Staff Communication & Safety Investment
By Christopher Berry, OD
It’s finally time to start serving our patients again for routine eyecare. The challenge is finding the balance between providing access to care and keeping staff and patients safe–all the while getting back on a strong financial footing. Here is how my practice is doing it. >>READ MORE>>
Post-Pandemic Revenue Generation: The Eyewear I Will Be Promoting
By Jennifer L. Stewart, OD
Two-month practice closures for all but emergency eyecare have taken a toll on our finances. As my practice reopens for routine care, I am planning ways to resume–and even improve–patient care while recouping some of the revenues lost during the shutdown. Here is how I am doing it. >>READ MORE>>
Scaling the Needs of Reopening to the Capabilities of a Small Practice
By Maria Sampalis, OD
Reopening comes with many requirements, from investing in the needed personal protective equipment and cleaning supplies to finding ways to enable social distancing. Smaller practices, with less manpower and financial leverage, can find this process especially challenging. Here is how I am doing it. >>READ MORE>>
COVID-19 & Beyond: Our Key Messages to Patients
By Miki Lyn Zilnicki, OD, FCOVD,
and Jessica Licausi, OD, FAAO, FCOVD
The COVID-19 crisis and practice shutdown was an anxiety-inducing time for both us and our patients. Here is the messaging, and communication platforms, that made the greatest impact in our ability to stay in touch. >>READ MORE>>
Reopening Ramp-Up: Our New Procedures & Protocols
By Clint Taylor, OD
As many of us reopen, we are finding a changed practice environment, one requiring unprecedented safety checks. Here is how my practice is approaching this challenge, and how it will change our patients’ experience. >>READ MORE>>
The Technology & Other Strategies Facilitating My Reopening
By Amanda Barker-Assell, OD
Practice reopenings come with many needs, from patient and staff communication, and new safety protocols, to revised scheduling. As my office plans how best to reopen, we are finding great support from the technology we have implemented. Here is how we are doing it. >>READ MORE>>
How We Will Market Our Reopening & Spur Post-Pandemic Sales
By Ian G. Whipple, OD
Keeping our patients and staff safe as we provide care is the top priority, but we also have to think about how we will market our reopening and generate optical sales. Here is the approach I plan to take in my practice. >>READ MORE>>
Our Post-Pandemic Patient Safety Check Process & Other Practice Enhancements
By Bradley J. Richlin, OD
Practice life after the pandemic will be anything but normal as we once knew it, but we can still deliver a great patient experience. Here is how my practice is mapping out a patient safety-check process that protects both patients and staff, while maintaining efficiency. >>READ MORE>>
COVID-19: Proactive Rescheduling & Other Ways We Plan to Restart Our Practice
By Eric Rettig, OD
When practices were mandated to stop providing routine eyecare, a key challenge was deciding what to do with existing patient appointments. Do you just cancel and ask patients to contact your office after you are able to reopen? Or do you take a more proactive approach, rescheduling patients? Here is how our office is doing it. >>READ MORE>>
COVID-19: What We Will Be Asking of Patients After Reopening
By Jennifer Stewart, OD
When our practices reopen, both we and our patients will have a changed experience to get used to. Part of that changed experience will include patient education about when to come–and not to come–to our office. Here is the guidance we will be giving our patients, along with other changes and preparations taking place for our reopening. >>READ MORE>>
COVID-19: Why Furloughing Staff Was the Right Decision For My Practice
By Christopher Berry, OD
When practices were forced to shut down for all but emergency eyecare, the difficult question of what to do with staff arose. In my case, the best decision turned out to be furloughing my employees. Here is why this is the approach I chose, and how I am managing my relationship with employees during this time. >>READ MORE>>
COVID-19: Our Approach to Staying Ahead of the Crisis
By Miki Lyn Zilnicki, OD, FCOVD,
and Jessica Licausi, OD, FAAO, FCOVD
The COVID-19 crisis forced the shutdown of routine eyecare on practice owners. Our practice, which has vision therapy as its niche, has taken the approach of trying to stay ahead of the crisis. Here is how we are doing it. >>READ MORE>>
COVID-19: Curbside Delivery, Communication & Planning for a Stronger Practice
By Mesheca C. Bunyon, OD
COVID-19 has caused doctors to feel extremely vulnerable, but this is also a time to plan new policies and procedures that will help us should something like this happen again. Here is the service my practice is continuing to provide to patients and how we are planning for a stronger, more resilient practice. >>READ MORE>>
How My Practice Is Using SBA Loan Funds & My Other Practice Survival Strategies
By Clint Taylor, OD
When the pandemic worsened, and local governments ordered shutdowns of all “non-essential” services, optometric practices stopped providing routine eyecare. Fortunately, some relief has been provided by Small Business Administration (SBA) loans. Here is how my practice is using money from the loan we obtained, and other ways we are making it through this crisis. >>READ MORE>>
COVID-19: The Dashboard Management Technology Getting Me Through It
By Justin Holt, OD
Dashboard management technology, which helps you closely track your practice performance and finances, is essential in times of crisis. Though it’s always good to know where you stand financially, when your business is threatened by circumstances out of your control, it’s even more crucial. Here is the technology helping us keep our finger on the pulse of the practice both in good and challenging times like the one we are currently in. >>READ MORE>>
How COVID-19 Has Changed My Practice Growth Projections
By Aaron Neufeld, OD, FAAO
COVID-19 has changed nearly everything about our society, including the plans most of us had for our practices. Here is how the crisis is impacting my financial and growth plans. >>READ MORE>>
Optometric Survival Webinar Series
Optometric Survival Series Part I: How to Manage a Slowdown or a Shutdown of your Practice
Mark Wright, OD, professional editor of Review of Optometric Business and CEO of the Practice Management Center, and Robert Schultz, CEO of Vision One Credit Union, share tips on how best to survive the slowdown or shutdown of your practice due to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis in a webinar brought to you by Review of Optometric Business and EDGEPro Analytics for ECPs. >>WATCH>>
Optometric Survival Series Part II: Do You Need a Loan?
Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD, professional editor of Review of Optometric Business and CEO of the Practice Management Center, and Robert Schultz, CEO of Vision One Credit Union, share insights on obtaining a the forgivable SBA loans in a webinar brought to you by Review of Optometric Business and EDGEPro Analytics for ECPs. This is part two of a three-part series. >>WATCH>>
Optometric Survival Series Part III: How to Reopen Your Practice
Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD, professional editor of Review of Optometric Business and CEO of the Practice Management Center, and Robert Schultz, CEO of Vision One Credit Union, share how to lay the groundwork for a quick ramp-up after reopening in a webinar brought to you by Review of Optometric Business and EDGEPro Analytics for ECPs. This is part three of a three-part series. >>WATCH>>
Optometric Survival Series Part IV: Demystifying PPP Forgiveness
Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD, professional editor of Review of Optometric Business and CEO of the Practice Management Center, and Robert Schultz, CEO of Vision One Credit Union, share insights on managing Paycheck Protection Program loans in a webinar brought to you Review of Optometric Business and EDGEPro Analytics for ECPs. This is part four of the Optometric Survival Series. >>WATCH>>
Optometric Survival Series Part V: PPP Loan Forgiveness Red Flags
Paycheck Protection Program loans kept many practices going during the pandemic. If you follow the rules of this loan carefully you can achieve full forgiveness of debt. Ken Ferreira, executive vice-president/chief credit officer of Vision One Credit Union, and Review of Optometric Business Professional Editor Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD, share red flags that will alert you to the possibility that you have not followed the rules carefully enough to achieve loan forgiveness. This is part five of the Optometric Survival Webinar Series. >>WATCH>>
COVID-19: Why I’m Keeping My Staff & My Other Practice Survival Strategies
By Ian G. Whipple, OD
At a time when many practices have decided to layoff employees, I have decided to retain mine. Here is why I am doing it, and how I am managing through the COVID-19 shutdown. >>READ MORE>>
COVID-19 Shutdown: How I’m Managing the Crisis
By Eric Rettig, OD
Like most of you, my practice has temporarily, but indefinitely, closed due to COVID-19. Here is how we are working through the crisis to keep the practice on track and ready to reopen as soon as we can. >>READ MORE>>
COVID-19: Tasks to Keep Doing Inside a Closed Office
By Jennifer L. Stewart, OD
Your office is closed, but that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily time to send staff home, and check yourselves out from practice management. Now is the time to catch up on tasks that will reap rewards for completion after the office reopens. >>READ MORE>>
Tele-Optometry: 7 Steps to Implement It in Your Practice
By Mike Rothschild, OD
Most eyecare practices are calling people who are on their schedules and canceling or postponing most appointments. Think about where this will lead. In a month (or two), you will need to call all those patients back and try to put them back onto that schedule, which is already full. >>READ MORE>>
How I Implemented Telehealth in Under 1 Week
By Amanda Barker-Assell, OD
Our ODs and staff are required to stay home when they can, but we have successfully implemented ways to provide patient care remotely through telehealth services. Here is how we quickly brought this technology and approach to patient care into our practice. >>READ MORE>>
Coding for Telehealth: Getting Paid During the Pandemic & Beyond
By Peter J. Cass, OD
The COVID-19 crisis has significantly impacted all of our practices. One improvement that may come from surviving the pandemic is greater use of telehealth to provide ongoing care and satisfy patients’ desire for telehealth visits with their doctor. Here are telehealth codes to use to ensure maximum reimbursement for your services. >>READ MORE>>
Recommendations from the Experts
COVID-19: A Helpful Tool To Use In The Pandemic & Beyond
By Mark Wright, OD, Professional Editor, Review of Optometric Business
Bob Schultz, CEO, Vision One Credit Union
If the pandemic has not impacted your practice yet, it’s just a matter of time until it does. One of your goals in a time of decreased revenue collected is to downsize expenses to avoid going negative on your practice cash flow. This spreadsheet is designed to help you achieve that goal. >>READ MORE>>
Keys to Improving Staff Productivity & Retention
By Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD,
and Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD
Over the last year our practices have made many changes. These changes impacted our team (including doctors). We should drill down to understand these changes. Here are the results of a recent survey of U.S. workers, so you can compare it to what you are experiencing in your own practice, and be proactive in improving business outcomes such as productivity and retention. >>READ MORE>>
Does Your Community Want to Hear You Have a Fully Vaccinated Office?
As the Delta variant wreaks havoc on the progress the country and world was making to get past the pandemic, new survey findings reveal that many feel more comfortable visiting businesses that offer fully vaccinated staffs, and may even prefer to patronize businesses that require customers to be vaccinated. Here are the details. >>READ MORE>>
New Survey Findings: How Likely Is Telemedicine Here to Stay?
What do your patients think of their expanded telemedicine options? A new consumer poll conducted by Social Sciences Research Solutions for the Bipartisan Policy Center explored how the public is receiving telemedicine, and it’s likelihood of staying with us long-term. Here are the details. >>READ MORE>>
Key Way to Improve Communication with Patients While Wearing a Mask
Masks are valuable tools in limiting the spread of COVID-19, but they come with drawbacks. Among those drawbacks is the inability to share facial expressions. A recent study shows that one particular kind of mask can make a big difference to your ability to communicate with patients while masked. Here are the details. >>READ MORE>>
Top Post-Pandemic Growth Opportunities for ODs
New consumer research commissioned by the Contact Lens Institute for its See Tomorrow initiative has revealed substantial post-pandemic clinical care and business growth opportunities for the eyecare community. >>READ MORE>>
COVID Impact: The Latest Findings On the Effect of the Pandemic on ECPs
By Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD,
and Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD
The pandemic has been with us for well over a year now. Here is how it is impacting eyecare providers, including encouraging signs of recovery, and what you should be doing now to maximize current opportunities to help patients and stimulate growth. >>READ MORE>>
New CDC Masking Guidelines: What Do I Do In My Office?
By Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD,
and Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD
The new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines on masking for fully vaccinated people may be confusing. Masking is still recommended, even for fully vaccinated people, while in healthcare settings. Review of Optometric Business and Women in Optometry collaborated on a poll. Here is what we learned about how you are approaching masking in your offices, along with guidance on doing it so your practice and patients are kept happy while being protected. >>READ MORE>>
Overcoming Vaccine Hesitancy: The 5 C’s
Some of your patients and employees may be hesitant to get vaccinated against COVID-19. Here are five ways, reported by Damian McNamara on WebMD, to overcome that hesitancy to safeguard the health of all in your office. >>READ MORE>>
Do These Things to Stay HIPAA-Compliant & Secure Your Practice in a Post-Pandemic World
By Peter J. Cass, OD
The pandemic impacted how HIPAA was enforced and many practices adapted to offer more telemedicine services. At the same time, some doctors and employees adapted by working from home. Here are important ways to ensure your practice is still HIPAA-compliant and your patient data stays secure beyond the pandemic. >>READ MORE>>
What Zocdoc’s Optometry Appointment Booking Stats Tell Us
By Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD,
and Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD
Many patients book appointments using online services such as Zocdoc. Here are the latest metrics on optometry appointment bookings from Zocdoc. We can learn from this information what happened from May 2020 to April 2021, as well as what actions we need to take in our practices. >>READ MORE>>
COVID ECP Impact Survey Results: 3 Actions to Take Now
By Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD,
and Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD
COVID-19 is still impacting ECP practices, according to Wave 22 of Jobson Optical Research’s COVID-19 ECP impact survey. Here are the major findings followed by important actions to take to better position your practice for current challenges while planning for the future. >>READ MORE>>
How to Sell Near-Task-Specific Glasses & Generate $160,000+ Annually
By Michelle J. Hoff, OD, FAAO, ABOM, FNAO, Isabel Kazemi, OD, FAAO, and Mindi Lewis, MA, ABOC, FNAO
The digital eye strain, which so many people are experiencing during the pandemic, can be helped with near-task-specific glasses. Here is how prescribing and selling these glasses can both enhance patients’ lives and create an impressive new revenue stream. >>READ MORE>>
Latest Metrics on Optical Sales: Action Plan to Seize New Opportunities
By Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD,
and Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD
Optical sales have been challenged during the pandemic. Here are the latest optical sales statistics, including how your practice can make the most of new opportunities to spur growth and profitability. >>READ MORE>>
Sponsored Content
Did COVID Silence Your Word-of-Mouth Marketing? 6 Ways to Rejoin the Conversation.
By Danny Sauerwein and Jeremy Unger
Small talk is the latest casualty of social distancing. Unfortunately, this means less word-of-mouth marketing for your practice. Here are tips for starting or ramping up marketing to spark positive conversations about your practice. >>READ MORE>>
Telemedicine Research Findings: What Do We Know About How It Has Been Implemented in Optometry?
By John Sailer, editor-in-chief, Jobson Medical Information
A new special report highlighting how telemedicine has been implemented in optometry has been produced by Jobson Optical Research. Here are the details, including how to access the full report. >>READ MORE>>
5 Big Challenges Small Business Owners–Including ODs–Face
By Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD,
and Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD
Going through the pandemic has caused us to embrace change. It had to change the way patients flow through the practice, change our disinfection techniques within the office, and even change how we work. Let’s consider five of the big challenges still ahead of us. >>READ MORE>>
American Rescue Act of 2021: How ODs Will Be Impacted & How to Optimize the New Law
By Adam Cmejla, CFP®
Congress recently passed another giant piece of legislation, the American Rescue Plan Act, to aid our country as we continue to battle the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are key sections of the legislation that optometric practice owners should understand and plan for in 2021. >>READ MORE>>
COVID’s Impact on Optical in 2020: What a Special Report Tells Us
Jobson Optical Research produced a report that looks back at the year 2020, focusing on optical revenue. Here are key takeaways from the report, along with an action plan to make sure 2021 is a much better year. >>READ MORE>>
3 Actions to Take to Maintain HIPAA Security With Employees Working Remotely
By Peter J. Cass, OD
The ability to work from home is a potential life-saver during a dangerous pandemic, and it is also becoming common in American business. There are data and HIPAA compliance-related security risks when doctors and employees log into practice computer systems remotely. Here are important steps to take to ensure you optimize the benefits of working from home while keeping practice data secure. >>READ MORE>>
Sponsored Content
Don’t Make These PPP2 Application Mistakes
By Ken Ferreira, Executive Vice President & Chief Credit Officer Vision One Credit Union: Mistakes will slow down approval of your Paycheck Protection Program 2 application, or may cost you forgiveness. These are the seven most common mistakes we have seen at Vision One Credit Union on the PPP 2 applications we have processed. >>READ MORE>>
New OSHA Guidelines for How Best to Protect Your Employees from COVID
The U.S. Department of Labor office that enforces workplace safety laws is encouraging employers to take additional steps to protect workers amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Here are the details. >>READ MORE>>
COVID-19 ECP Impact Survey Findings: Key Actions To Take Based on What’s Happening Now
By Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD,
and Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD
The COVID-19 pandemic is still a huge factor in the operations of our practices, according to the results of the latest Jobson Optical Research COVID-19 ECP impact survey. Here are key findings from the survey, including the actions you should take in response. >>READ MORE>>
5 Actions to Take to Prepare for a Post-Pandemic World
By Steve Vargo, OD, MBA
A post-pandemic world. We’re not there yet, but it’s everyone’s wish that a baseline of normalcy will resume at some point this year. Here are key areas to focus on in a post-pandemic world. It’s not that these areas were not important before the pandemic, but they carry a heightened sense of importance in the post-pandemic world. >>READ MORE>>
The Surprising Pandemic-Related Danger to Children’s Eyes: What Your Patients Need to Know
By Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD,
and Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD
The COVID-19 virus poses dangers to our health, but there are other, less obvious dangers that also may negatively impact us. There has been an uptick in injury to children’s eyes from use of a common item found in households and businesses. Here is how to educate your patients on what they need to do to keep their children’s eyes safe. >>READ MORE>>
Managing Recall to Bring Back Patients Who Missed Appointments During the Shutdown
By Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD,
and Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD
Practices are still struggling to recall patients who missed appointments in the months offices were shut down last year. Here are actions to take to ensure all patients due for care are contacted and successfully encouraged to make an appointment. >>READ MORE>>
COVID Vaccine: Can You Require Employees to Get It?
By Peter J. Cass, OD
As a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available, some employers may want to require their employees to get vaccinated. However, employers, including optometric practice owners, need to be cautious and understand what the laws say before requiring inoculation. Here are important points to consider. >>READ MORE>>
What Do I Do Next to Manage this Ongoing Crisis?
By Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD,
and Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD
Challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic keep coming. Here are the latest findings from Jobson Optical Research on how eyecare practices are managing, along with guidance from us on actions to take in response to the pandemic-related issues you continue to confront. >>READ MORE>>
COVID-19 Stimulus Bill: How it Affects ODs
The stimulus bill that was just signed into law, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, will have an impact on both individuals and business owners. Here is how Adam Cmejla, CFP®, a frequent ROB contributor, described the impact on optometrists in a recent blog post on his website. >>READ MORE>>
Preserving the Patient Experience During COVID: Top Points to Remember & Act On
By Justin L. Manning, OD, MPH, FAAO
As the COVID-19 pandemic wears on, requiring the wearing of masks and other hygiene protocols, and limiting the number of patients in the office at one time, the quality of the patient experience is threatened. Here are keys to maintaining the office experience patients are used to while continuing to protect your patients and team members. >>READ MORE>>
COVID ECP Impact Survey: What the Latest Findings Tell Us About What You Should Do Next
By Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD,
and Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD
COVID-19 is still rampaging through the country, and putting stress on businesses, including eyecare practices. Here is what the latest findings of Jobson Optical Research’s COVID-19 ECP Impact Survey reveal, and how you should respond in your practice. >>READ MORE>>
PPP Long-Term Impacts: What We Still Don’t Know
By Adam Cmejla, CFP®
The only trait about the Paycheck Protection Program that has remained constant throughout 2020 has been that it keeps changing. Here are the points of uncertainty, including what you should do in light of that uncertainty. >>READ MORE>>
Latest Survey Findings: The Biggest Current COVID Challenges
By Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD,
and Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD
Americans may be done with COVID-19, but the virus is far from done with us–and that includes eyecare practices. Here are what the latest findings from Jobson Optical Research’s COVID-19 ECP impact survey tell us about the greatest difficulties posed by the ongoing crisis, and our recommendations for managing those challenges. >>READ MORE>>
How the AOA’s Stance on Telehealth Has Changed
Responding to the rapid rise of telehealth-based care among U.S. optometrists, many of whom began using the technology to remain connected with patients during the coronavirus pandemic, the American Optometric Association (AOA) is shifting its stance toward virtual vision care. Here are the details. >>READ MORE>>
How Do I Re-Energize My Burnt-Out Employees’ Thinking?
By Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD,
and Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD
The pandemic has been a stressful time. Working in a health-care office can make it doubly difficult, with new safety protocols to implement and track. Here is how to refresh your employees for their wellbeing, and to enable them to continue delivering superior service to your patients. >>READ MORE>>
What Do I Do When My Employees Are Afraid to Work?
By Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD,
and Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD
Recent Jobson Optical Research survey findings reveal that some support staff employees are fearful about returning to work. Here is how to allay their fears, so you can bring high-performing staff into your office to serve patients. >>READ MORE>>
4 Takeaways from Zenni’s Record Eyewear Sales During the Pandemic
Online eyewear seller Zenni has had a great year, with consumers shifting more than ever to a preference for virtual shopping. Here are keys to the company’s exceptionally strong performance that ODs can apply to their own practice. >>READ MORE>>
How Well Are You Doing at Regaining Profitability?
By Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD,
and Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD
The latest survey results from Jobson Optical Research into trends and attitudes about COVID-19 show that eyecare businesses are regaining some of their footing. Here is how to measure how close to a full recovery your practice has come, and whether you will reach that point by the end of the year. >>READ MORE>>
Fill-Rate Staff Contest: What It Is & How it Can Keep Your Schedule Full
By Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD,
and Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD
Many schedule changes in practices have occurred due to the need to accommodate new safety protocols. Here’s a way to make sure your patient care schedule is always full. <<READ MORE>>
Sponsored Content
Point-of-Care Testing: The Gateway To A Successful Dry Eye Practice
By John Rumpakis, OD, MBA
The patient care and economic impact of doing consistent, sign- or symptom-driven point-of-care dry eye testing can be profound, particularly in the COVID economy. Moreover, it provides you with the starting point for a conversation with the patient about their symptoms, and the results of their test. Here is how to use point-of-care testing to transform your dry-eye services. >>READ MORE>>
How Likely Are Eyecare Patients to Voluntarily Wear a Mask?
Slowly, but steadily, eyecare patients are agreeing that masks are valuable in preventing the spread of COVID-19, and are voluntarily wearing them, according to the latest findings from The Vision Council. Here are the details. >>READ MORE>>
3 Tips for Tax Planning During COVID-19 from a Certified Financial Planner
By Adam Cmejla, CFP®
The pandemic has amplified the importance of making smart decisions about the money generated by your practice. The CARES Act created trillions of dollars in liquidity in an unprecedented amount of time, in the form of injecting liquidity into the economy, as well as through tax credits, deferments and previous tax law changes. Here are three areas of tax planning to keep in mind to optimize every advantage you can. >>READ MORE>>
What Do I Do When a Patient Won’t Wear a Mask?
By Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD,
and Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD
Mask-wearing and social distancing mandates have been getting push-back from some citizens. Here is how to handle a patient who refuses to comply with these new health and safety rules in your office. >>READ MORE>>
Questions to Determine the Health of Your Practice
By Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD,
and Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD
Most practices were strained financially during the shutdown of routine eyecare in the spring. Here are key questions to help you gauge how well primed you are for regaining, and sustaining, profitability. >>READ MORE>>
PPP Loan Forgiveness Rules Update
By Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD,
and Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD
The Small Business Administration (SBA) issued an update to its rules for applying for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan forgiveness. Here is what you need to know. >>READ MORE>>
Sponsored Content
Key Practice Metrics: Numbers to Track & Grow to Help Speed Practice Recovery
By Margery Weinstein
Editor-in-Chief, Review of Optometric Business
The pandemic significantly impacted the finances and growth trajectory of optometric practices. Forced to shut down all but emergency eyecare for two months, practice owners now must rebuild their finances. Consider tracking your key practice metrics to help optimize and grow your practice. >>READ MORE>>
How to Pay An Employee Who Reports Experiencing COVID-19 Symptoms
By Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD,
and Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD
How does the Families First Coronavirus Response Act help if an employee (or doctor) has been advised by a health-care provider to self-quarantine because of COVID-19 or is experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and seeking a medical diagnosis? Here are the details on how to use this new law in your practice. >>READ MORE>>
5 Steps to Optimize Your Practice’s Key Performance Indicators
By Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD,
and Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD
The pandemic set practices back financially. Part of getting back on track is carefully monitoring and growing key metrics. Here is a five-step action plan to help you optimize your key performance indicators. >>READ MORE>>
Strategies to Thrive Post-COVID-19, the New Norm
Gary Gerber, OD, and Bradley Richlin, OD, share how to differentiate your practice during this difficult time to set a course for profitability and growth in a webinar sponsored by neurolens and Review of Optometric Business. They share how you can improve revenue by prescribing neurolens and other cutting-edge products and services, so your practice is able, not just to cope, but to thrive. >>READ MORE>>
How to Revise Your Practice Budget to Accommodate COVID-19 Impact
By Steve Sunder
The COVID-19 crisis has caused significant financial challenges for practices. One way to begin to address those challenges is by revising your 2020 budget. Here is how to ensure your practice budget is able to accommodate the needs of the new normal. >>READ MORE>>
Telemedicine: Getting Paid
By Brett M. Paepke, OD
The ability to serve patients via telemedicine took on heightened importance during the practice shutdowns of the spring. With practices reopened, many are trying to maintain telemedicine services. The question is how to get paid for those services. Here is a brief summary of the most commonly used telemedicine codes in optometry, along with guidance current through the latest updates, to help you maximize your reimbursement. >>READ MORE>>
Risk Management: Keys to Keeping Your Patients & Practice Safe
In reopening our offices, we all have implemented significant changes to minimize risk. In fact, during the pandemic and the reopening, risk management is the rule of the day. Here is a risk assessment chart to help you and your patients determine how risky everyday activities are during the pandemic. >>READ MORE>>
3 Ways the Pandemic Changed Practice Operations
By Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD,
and Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD
The pandemic has touched all facets of our lives, including our practices. Here are a few of the major ways COVID-19 has altered how we serve our patients and run our businesses. >>READ MORE>>
Rule Changes: PPP Loan Forgiveness Update
By Mark Wright, OD, Professional Editor, Review of Optometric Business
Bob Schultz, CEO, Vision One Credit Union
The Small Business Administration updated its forgiveness guidelines for small business owners who received loans through the Paycheck Protection Program. There are great financial rewards to obtaining full forgiveness of the PPP loans that sustained your practice during the lockdown. Here are the most recent updates to the rules you need to follow to increase the likelihood of loan forgiveness. >>READ MORE>>
FAQs for Telemedicine
By Mike Rothschild,OD
Although the coronavirus pandemic required many eyecare professionals to quickly learn and implement telemedicine, many questions remain about how to best incorporate it as a routine part of your practice and how to generate revenue by doing so. Here are answers to some of those frequently asked questions regarding billing, diagnosis, treatment and regulations related to using telemedicine to practice optometry. <<READ MORE>>
An Employee Has Caught COVID-19: What Do I Do?
By Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD,
and Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD
With all states now open for business, people are circulating in your community, increasing the risk for the spread of COVID-19. Have you made a plan yet for what you will do if one of your employees tests positive? Here are key steps to take if that situation occurs in your office. >>READ MORE>>
Telemedicine Technologies for Optometry
By Robert Burke
New and effective technologies always find their place in the market eventually, but few have moved forward as quickly as telemedicine technology. Here are key technologies to help boost your telemedicine services, along with an opportunity to download the new special report, “Telemedicine: The Time for Optometry is Now.” >>READ MORE>>
5 Post COVID-19 Megatrends: Which Are Here to Stay?
By Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD,
and Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD
Many disruptive trends were accelerated by the pandemic. Years of change were turbo-charged into a matter of weeks. So, as we are coming out of the pandemic, how many of these changes will continue and perhaps even expand? Let’s look at five of these changes. >>READ MORE>>
PE Round-Up: Impact of COVID-19 on Your Practice’s Potential to Be Purchased
By Margery Weinstein
Editor-in-Chief, ROB
The COVID-19 crisis significantly impacted optometry practices, requiring most ODs to stop providing routine eyecare for at least two months. Now that we’re in the reopening and recovery phase, ROB reached out to several of the major private equity-backed companies to gauge the impact of the crisis on their operations–and potential to purchase your practice. >>READ MORE>>
Training Staff for the New Normal: Essential Points to Cover
By Steve Sunder
The new environment we find ourselves in after reopening is one that requires significant staff training. Employees must learn new protocols to keep patients, doctors, and themselves, safe. Here are key points to address with your staff to ensure everyone is well prepared. >>READ MORE>>
Recovering Revenue Lost During the Shutdown: Managing the Patient Backlog
By Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD,
and Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD
The COVID-19 shutdown resulted in significant revenue loss. Here are ways to rebuild those revenues in the remainder of the year by efficiently managing hours of operation and the scheduling of patients. >>READ MORE>>
Maximizing the Benefits of Your PPP Loan: Tips from a Certified Financial Planner
By Adam Cmejla, CFP®
The last two months have been anything but normal for practices, and conversations with my OD-clients have similarly been anything but normal. Since the passage of the CARES Act, the Paycheck Protection Program has dominated our conversations. Here are top areas of confusion–and the correct information to answer common questions. >>READ MORE>>
What Will the “New Normal” Look Like?
By Mike Rothschild, OD
There is no arguing that COVID-19 has changed the world. Whether or not the changes are permanent is yet to be seen. Here is an excerpt from the new special report, “Telemedicine: The Time for Optometry is Now,” that explores how telemedicine will figure into the “new normal.” >>READ MORE>>
More Lessons Learned In First Days After Reopening
By Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD
and Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD
The lessons continue on what patients, support staff and doctors need in the new environment we find ourselves in. Here are additional points we have discovered in recent days about how best to operate our practices during the pandemic. >>READ MORE>>
New Telemedicine Special Report Released
To maintain social distancing even as practices open up again you will want to continue building on the telemedicine techniques you suddenly had to implement when stay-at-home directives went into place. To that end, Review of Optometric Business and key industry partners have released “Telemedicine: The Time for Optometry Is Now.” >>READ MORE>>
Webinar: The Effects of COVID-19 on Vision
Dr. Ben-Moshe discusses the first big data survey cross-referencing COVID-19 with vision behavior to learn what effect COVID-19 has on consumers and what visual needs they are looking to address in our new way of life. >>WATCH>>
Practice Compliance in the COVID-19 Era: Key Actions for You to Take
By Peter J. Cass, OD
The COVID-19 crisis has changed many aspects of practice. One area that is becoming a bigger concern is compliance, as many of the changes associated with the COVID-19 crisis have increased scrutiny on practices’ adherence to laws and regulation. Here are key areas to review to ensure practice compliance as you reopen. >>READ MORE>>
Lessons Learned From the First Days After Reopening
By Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD,
and Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD
Reopening practices after the COVID-19 shutdown can come with surprises. Here is what we, and other ODs, have learned during this time. >>READ MORE>>
The Rules of PPP Loan Forgiveness
By Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD,
and Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD
Paycheck Protection Program loans come with rules that, if precisely followed, enable forgiveness of the loans. Here is how to ensure you are meeting the requirements of those rules. >>READ MORE>>
ROB Toolkit for Reopening
By Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD,
and Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD
As you reopen your office, there are myriad challenges to ensure your patients and staff are protected and your practice stays on track financially. Here are ROB articles and other resources that address each of the critical points you need to consider in the reopening process. >>READ MORE>
Telemedicine in Optometry: Reality Check on Its Limitations
By Brian Chou, OD, FAAO
Not long ago, telemedicine was widely panned by optometry. Remote refraction and online prescription renewal drew ire. Yet with COVID-19 bringing optometric practices to a standstill, telemedicine is often portrayed as a lifeline. Here are limitations of telemedicine to consider as you implement it in your practice. >>READ MORE>>
PPP Loan Forgiveness Calculator & Reopening Action Plan
By Steve Sunder
As you prepare to reopen your practice, there are actions you should take to get on the right financial footing. Here are key steps to take to ready your practice for reopening, along with a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan forgiveness calculator, sample practice action plan and COVID-19 financial impact forecast. >>READ MORE>>
Patient-Flow Plan for Social Distancing & Other Necessities of the New Normal
By Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD,
and Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD
Social distancing and the added need for disinfection will require new patient-flow systems. Here is one plan for how you can do it. >>READ MORE>>
Reopening Your Practice: Your Top Questions Answered
By Mark Wright, OD, Professional Editor, Review of Optometric Business
Bob Schultz, CEO, Vision One Credit Union
Planning carefully and efficiently to reopen your practice is essential. Here are answers to the top questions you sent us following last week’s webinar, “How to Reopen Your Practice.” >>READ MORE>>
COVID-19 Relief Package: What the SBA Rules Mean to Getting a Loan
By Mark Wright, OD, FCOVD,
and Carole Burns, OD, FCOVD
The Small Business Administration has rules impacting who will receive the funds available through the CARES Act. Here is what you need to know to access those funds. >>READ MORE>>
Private Practice Financial Tips for COVID-19 Pandemic Survival
By Robert Schultz, CEO, Vision One Credit Union
Mark Wright, OD, ROB Professional Editor & CEO, Practice Management Center
Sam Quintero, OD, Immediate Past Chair, Association of Practice Management Educators
The pandemic is here. It is impacting the practice now. These are the steps that you need to take today. >>READ MORE>>
COVID-19: Financial Management Checklist
By Steve Sunder
Office shutdowns from the pandemic are nearing the one-month mark. Effectively managing your practice’s finances is paramount. You need to both survive the current time and plan for a quick ramp-up after the office reopens. >>READ MORE>>
Telehealth Technologies to Get You Through COVID-19
By Robert Burke
Telehealth in its many forms was already a growing market before the COVID-19 pandemic erupted, but now the demand is much higher. Here is what the telehealth companies are experiencing during the COVID-19 rush to “see” patients virtually, along with information about the services they offer. >>READ MORE>>
AOA Webinar: COVID-19 and Medicare Telehealth Services
Guidance from the American Optometric Association on coding and Medicare reimbursement during the COVID-19 pandemic. >>WATCH>>
Help from Eyecare Industry Partners
ABB Optical Group
New Resources to Help Your Practice Recover from the COVID-19 Shutdown
As you reopen for routine patient care, new resources are available from a major optical industry partner. Here are the details, and how you can access these business recovery tools. >>READ MORE>>
How COVID-19 Is Affecting the Industry
As cases rise in some parts of the country while falling in others, track optical sales trends by comparing the daily national average, 45-day average, and pre-COVID average baseline, for refractions, gross production, and capture rates. >>READ MORE>>
ABB Optical Introduces Phoropter Mask PPE Solution
Designed by an eyecare professional for use in eyecare practices, the single-use VisibleBliss recyclable mask attaches directly to the phoropter to help protect doctors and their patients >>READ MORE>>
IDOC
COVID-19 Resource Center: Practice Survival Tools to Get You Through the Crisis
By Dave Brown
President and CEO,
IDOC
The COVID-19 pandemic is putting a significant strain on optometric practices. It can be hard to know where to look for guidance. Here is a new resource center available to all ODs. >>READ MORE>>
CooperVision
COVID-19 Survival Help from Major CL Company
CooperVision has taken new actions to help eyecare practices struggling through the COVID-19 shutdown. Here are the key ways the company says it is helping its customers. >>READ MORE>>
New Optometry Student Relief Program
The Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry and CooperVision have announced for help for optometry students impacted by the pandemic. Here are the details. >>READ MORE>>
Anagram
How to Access Free Financial Audits & Revenue Investigation Services for Practices Impacted By COVID-19
Anagram, a software solution enabling access to out-of-network benefits for health-care providers, is offering free financial audits and accounts receivable services to ECP customers facing uncertain revenue during the COVID-19 pandemic. >>READ MORE>>
PECAA
PECAA Web Site Features COVID-19 Resources for Optometrists
COVID-19 Optometry Resources are available at the PECAA alliance group website and include information about financing, human resources, telemedicine, PPE, and more. >>READ MORE>>
VisionWeb
‘Building an Adaptable Eyecare Practice’
This ebook from VisionWeb features actionable advice and stories from ODs with experience handling abrupt change, practice closures, lease changes, and demotivated staff. Download it here. >>READ MORE>>
Topcon
New Eyecare Telemedicine Platform Launches
The pandemic has shown doctors the value of being able to provide care at a distance, and a new product from Topcon aims to help. Called RDx, it’s a software platform that works with the company’s CV-5000S digital phoropter to allow doctors to perform remote refractions from any location without sacrificing quality of care. Here are the details. >>READ MORE>>
CECOP
CECOP Enters New Partnership to Facilitate Telemedicine
CECOP USA, a global independent optical association, has entered into an exclusive partnership with DigitalOptometrics and US Optical. The three companies are launching a solution that enables optometrists to perform remote eye exams in a contact-less manner that helps prevent the spread of COVID-19. Here are the details. >>READ MORE>>
UnitedHealthcare
New Program to Support Children’s Eye Health by Reducing Exposure to Blue Light Amid COVID-19
UnitedHealthcare has launched a vision program aimed to help children across the country reduce their exposure to blue light and support their overall eye health, addressing the unique eye-health challenges young people may face during COVID-19. Here are the details. >>READ MORE>>
Hoya Vision Care
Hoya Vision Care Supports ECPs in Need of PPE
To help practices maximize every patient engagement, Hoya Vision Care coordinated a global effort to supply “Optical Care Kits” with needed PPE along with educational support. >>READ MORE>>
EyeBridge Consulting Associates and ImageMark Business Services
New COVID-19 Business Continuity Resources Available
EyeBridge Consulting Associates and ImageMark Business Services, a printing, branding and marketing company, have teamed up to provide COVID-19 signage and other related resources specifically designed for eyecare practices. Here are the details.<<READ MORE>>>
EyeCarePro
Complimentary COVID-19 Practice Survival E-Book: “A Practice Plan for Recovery”
Practice closures due to COVID-19 are putting significant financial pressure on optometrists. Here is a complimentary e-book from EyeCarePro with tips on maintaining your practice during the crisis and putting a plan in place for reopening. >>READ MORE>>
New Complimentary Telehealth Platform
EyeCarePro has released GetSetCare, a free telehealth platform designed to help optometrists continue to provide ongoing care and maintain incoming revenue. >>READ MORE>>
Back-to-School/Back-to-Learning Guide Helps ECPs Communicate to Parents
Even with this ‘back-to-learning’ season’s uncertainty, now is still the time for kids’ yearly exams. This free downloadable guide helps ECPs spread the word about “healthy vision” among parents. >>READ MORE>>
Healthy Eyes Advantage (HEA)
New Program to Help You Optimize Your Recovery from COVID-19 Shutdown
Healthy Eyes Advantage (HEA) has developed a program to help independent eye care professionals (IECPs) optimize their recovery. HEA’s Recovery Reboot: Your Path To Powering Up Your Practice is a six-part series that serves as a guide in the weeks leading up to and following reopening. >>READ MORE>>
COVID-19 Resource Center
HEA’s repository of COVID-19 practice survival help. >>READ MORE>>
ZEISS
ZEISS Provides Resources to Keep Your Practice and Patients Safe
Educational support from webinars and videos, PPE and anti-fog solutions, new lens designs and telemedicine tools are among the offerings from ZEISS to help you rebuild and contribute to your practice’s success. >>READ MORE>>
ClearVision
E-Book Covers Planning, Preparing, Rebuilding and Restarting
ClearVision has released a downloadable digital guidebook to provide pertinent information and tactical steps to ensure a successful reopening of ECPs’ businesses across the country. >>READ MORE>>
ClearVision Releases Second Digital Guidebook
ClearVision has released a new digital guidebook designed to provide ECPs with pertinent information and strategic direction to help guide businesses toward profitability and success after COVID-19. >>READ MORE>>
American Academy of Optometry
AAO Launches COVID-19 Video Series
The American Academy of Optometry’s COVID-19 Task Force has assembled a video series of the latest information relating to COVID-19 and eyecare. >>READ MORE>>
AAO’s COVID-19 HUB Features the Latest on Coronavirus for ODs
The American Academy of Optometry’s COVID-19 HUB features the latest news and updates on the coronavirus, including webinars, videos, and podcasts by optometrists in the field, industry partner updates, a large selection of informational PDFs, and much more. >>READ MORE>>
Companies Keeping ECPs Supplied During COVID-19
Optical practice supplies have taken on a new meaning during the time of the coronavirus pandemic. Here are some manufacturers offering products particularly appropriate for these times.
In-Office Sterilization
PPE Eyewear
Anti-Fog Products
Optical Training Institute
Optical Training Institute Launches Optician Education Grant Program
To support eyecare professionals impacted by COVID-19, the Optical Training Institute has launched the Optician Education Grant to assist ECPs with ABO-NCLE continuing education. >>READ MORE>>
Parking Lot Check In
Technology Available to Help Practices Maintain Social Distancing
Technology through a new web site is available that can help practices better manage the flow of patients in their office to maintain social distancing.Here are the details on the new web site designed to make it easy for practices to track, and communicate with, patients waiting outside the office for their appointment to begin. >>READ MORE>>
COVID-19 Major Media Coverage
COVID-19 News From Other Jobson Publications
Experts’ Advice Clears Up Mask Use Confusion
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest guidance on what fully vaccinated people can do safely — including not socially distancing and not wearing a mask indoors or outdoors unless other regulations require it — have been widely misinterpreted and caused confusion. Here, two infectious disease experts help clear up the confusion. >>READ MORE>>
Why Millions of Employees Plan to Switch Jobs Post-Pandemic
A survey by career site Joblist revealed that just over 30 percent of workers said they’d give up part of their pay for a better work-life balance, with parents willing to take a 5 percent pay cut, according to career and life coach Caroline Castrillon’s Forbes.com essay. >>READ MORE>>
The Race Toward Full Vaccination
Scientists initially estimated that 60 percent to 70 percent of a population would have to acquire resistance to COVID-19 in order for herd immunity to take effect, a threshold that has been revised upward since the start of the year, with 80 percent to 85 percent quoted in some cases. The race toward full vaccination is well underway, and Israel has the highest share (59.1 percent) of its population fully vaccinated, according to Our World in Data. >>READ MORE>>
How Has COVID-19 Vaccine Availability Affected Daily Life? Join in the Conversation
Do you feel more confident in your personal life? Do you feel safer at your practice? What situations are you encountering now that vaccines are available? Participate in this WO Pop-up Poll to share your experiences and insight into vaccine confidence. >>READ MORE>>
Is America Ready for Normal?
Anxiety about returning to normal is setting in. Today, 61 percent of Americans say they’re anxious about returning to normal public activities and socialization, which is highest for Millennials (69 percent) vs. Boomers (59 percent). While bars and restaurants are opening up, less than a quarter (22 percent) of Americans tell us they would feel comfortable socializing with a stranger at a bar. Learn more from this Harris Poll COVID-19 Tracker. >>READ MORE>>
The AOA Explains Why ODs and Staff Still Require Face Masks and Eye Protection
The American Optometric Association’s Health Policy Institute has issued a comprehensive statement on updated eye protection, face mask and contingency planning for doctors of optometry and their staff in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Learn why ODs and staff should continue to wear face masks and eye protection, and read the entire document here for examples of physical distancing and other extensive information for health care professionals. >>READ MORE>>
New Guidance for Those Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19
To help alleviate some of the confusion surrounding the CDC’s recently released updated public health guidance for those who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, Medscape breaks down specifically what that guidance means for individuals and health care providers along with the pros and cons related to these changes. >>READ MORE>>
‘The Force Awakens’ on Blockbuster In-Person Meetings
In-person conferences are coming back, slowly and fitfully, but with momentum and goodwill on their side. With SECO 2020 being “the last big meeting to happen before the profession…retreated from society,” Jack Persico, Editor-in-Chief of Review of Optometry, said, “I was encouraged to see SECO’s 2021 meeting happen live in-person.” Read more to see why he feels “many post-pandemic events will be blockbusters.” >>READ MORE>>
Will Telehealth Continue After the Pandemic?
Ceci Connolly, CEO of the Alliance of Community Health Plans, joins Dr. John Whyte, Chief Medical Officer at WebMD, to answer this question. She wrote a commentary in the New England Journal of Medicine Catalyst about telehealth delivering appropriate care, but she adds “everyone recognizes there’s going to be good telehealth and not-so-great telehealth.” Learn more about what telehealth will look like after the pandemic. >>READ MORE>>
Disinfect Eyeglasses Easily with AllClean UV-C
Ear Technology Corp. has introduced AllClean UV-C, a disinfecting system for vision care professionals to be distributed by Eschenbach Optik of America for low-vision professionals and by OptiSource International for all other vision care professionals. >>READ MORE>>
Jobson’s Performance Tracker Gets a Makeover, Measuring Pre-, During and Post-Pandemic
When Jobson Optical Research launched this tracker in 2020, the goal was to monitor the optical industry through the pandemic. Today’s revamped tracker compares more than just week to week. The tracker now measures sales trends comparing pre-pandemic, during the pandemic, and post-pandemic. Track the latest optical sales statistics HERE.
COVID-19 Confinement May Have Caused Myopia in Kids
The COVID-19 pandemic may have increased the prevalence of myopia by confining young children indoors, according to Xuehan Qian, MD, PhD, of Tianjin Medical University Eye Hospital in Tianjin, China. He presented these finding at the virtual Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) 2021 annual meeting and with his colleagues published it in JAMA Ophthalmology. Learn more from Medscape HERE.
Should COVID Vaccination Be Mandatory for Doctors?
Of 3,035 respondents to a WebMD poll asking if COVID-19 vaccinations should be required for health care professionals, nearly two-thirds, or 66 percent, said yes, and 34 percent said no. >>READ MORE>>
Essilor Partners with First Corporate Vaccination Center
Essilor Canada will contribute to vaccination efforts by joining forces with CAE and several partnering companies for the opening of a corporate vaccination center, the first hub of its kind to open in Quebec. Learn more from
Optik Now HERE.
8 of 10 Glasses Wearers Experience Mask-Related Fogging
More than eight in 10 people reported glasses fogging when using a mask, according to a recent YouGov study. The findings match a separately conducted CooperVision-sponsored study in Europe, where 86% of respondents said they had the same challenge. See all the results HERE.
OneSight Seeks Volunteer Optometrists
As OneSight continues to grow, so does its need for optical professionals to volunteer their skills to help reach the 1.1 billion people worldwide who lack access to eye exams and glasses. In 2021, OneSight is committed to reaching tens of thousands of people in need of vision care in the U.S. through numerous charitable vision clinics that require optometrists and other optical professionals to volunteer their time and expertise. Click HERE to see the list of eight cities in particular where OneSight seeks volunteers.
Some Positive Trends, but Many Eyecare Practices Still Lag April 2019 Metrics
Even as COVID-19 cases across the U.S. decline and the number of Americans who have completed the vaccination regimen rises, the eyecare segment continues to see challenges along the pathway toward a full recovery to pre-pandemic levels, according to the findings of Wave 22 of the Coronavirus ECP Survey conducted April 26-30, 2021, by Jobson Research. Learn more from VM HERE.
The COVID Chronicles: Past, Present and Future
The pandemic has impacted every practice differently, but the changes it’s wrought may last a long time. Here, ophthalmologists share three dramatically different stories about how the pandemic affected their practices, in Review of Ophthalmology. >>READ MORE>>
Join Other Medical Professionals to Thank a Nurse During Nurses Week
During Nurses Week (May 6-12) thank nurses for their work and dedication during COVID-19. Join other medical professionals on Medscape to share your stories and gratitude for nurses everywhere. >>READ MORE>>
Travel Tops the List Upon Return to Normalcy
When asked what they are most looking forward to in the future, nearly all of the respondents (88 percent) to a recent WO Pop-Up Poll stated that they had travel plans on their wish list. See all the results HERE.
These Stores that Opened Amid the Pandemic Can Hint at Where Retail is Going
The landlords and tenants are on a more even playing field now. You’re working with them as opposed to working against each other, which, in the past, sometimes those relationships [were] a little challenging. Learn more from VM HERE.
Employees Report Increased Eyestrain from COVID
Digital eyestrain is becoming more prevalent as employees are now spending more time in front of their screens since the COVID-19 pandemic began, according to the new 2021 Transitions Optical Workplace Wellness survey. In turn, employees are looking to eyewear as a potential solution. Vision Monday covers the survey results HERE.
Do Kids Really Need to Be Vaccinated for COVID? Yes. No. Maybe.
Voiced by some leading physicians and researchers, and amplified by a drumbeat of like-minded press coverage, the notion that the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be curbed without vaccinating children has quickly become axiomatic in parts of the public health world. Get the latest pros and cons from Medscape HERE.
Pandemic Worry Keeping Americans Up at Night
The rate of insomnia in the United States has more than doubled since COVID-19 began, new research shows. A national survey conducted by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine reveals that almost 60 percent of Americans are now experiencing insomnia related to COVID-19. See the results from WebMD HERE.
Survival Guide: COVID Edition
The pandemic is still here, but it hasn’t stopped people from needing eyewear. Business has been non-stop with high demand for eye exams, contact lenses, and glasses. In a busy location like mine I learned some strategies to help me get through hectic times while managing COVID. Samantha Ramcharran shares her lessons learned with 20/20 Magazine HERE.
Need the Normal Be New?
In these musings on life, ophthalmology, and global pandemics, Review of Ophthalmology Chief Medical Editor Mark H. Blecher shares his observations on how this past year has been life and career changing, forcing some private practices to close or be sold under duress. HERE is his advice on how to make the best decisions possible.
Even COVID Can’t Convince Clinicians to Maintain Hand Hygiene
Hand hygiene is an essential part of nosocomial infection control, yet compliance remains low, historically averaging 50 percent in U.S. hospitals. A new study has found that one hospital achieved daily compliance rates of more than 90 percent during the first part of the pandemic last spring, reaching a peak of 100 percent, although it was unable to sustain that level. Staff soon went from being compliant to being complacent, and rates returned to a prepandemic baseline within a few months, despite ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks around the country. Learn more from Medscape about the study published in JAMA Internal Medicine. >>READ MORE>>
How Do You Deal with Vaccine Hesitancy Among Colleagues and Patients?
Join more than 100 other healthcare professionals and share your expectations and concerns about vaccine hesitancy in this international Medscape forum. Post your opinions HERE.
More Signs COVID Shots Are Safe for Pregnant Women
As the U.S. races to vaccinate millions of people against the coronavirus, pregnant women face the extra challenge of not knowing whether the vaccines are safe for them or their unborn babies. Despite the lack of clinical trial data, more and more smaller studies are suggesting that the vaccines are safe for both mother and child. >>READ MORE>>
Why I Chose to Get Vaccinated for COVID-19 While Pregnant
By Julianne M. Koch, OD
I’m in my third trimester of my first pregnancy. At this point, I want more than ever to protect my body and my baby, but I also wouldn’t dream of not going to work. ‘I can’t get the vaccine because I’m pregnant,’ I told everyone. A week later, I was in line to get the first round. What changed my mind? >>READ MORE>>
COVID-19 Prompts Health Care Access Fears Among the Visually Impaired
About 83 percent of individuals with moderate visual impairment worried they wouldn’t be able to see their eye doctor because of the pandemic, according to research published in the American Journal of Ophthalmology. >>READ MORE>>
Is COVID Forcing Private Equity into the Sunset?
The truth may surprise you. After a pandemic-influenced private equity slowdown, what has followed is a changed and evolving private equity environment that can still benefit doctors. >>READ MORE>>
What’s the Employers’ Role in COVID Vaccinations?
By helping to make vaccinations as convenient as possible, employers can support COVID-19 vaccine adoption, according to McKinsey, which surveyed more than 400 U.S.-based companies to determine how employers are supporting vaccination among their employees. >>READ MORE>>
Mask Innovation Could Earn You Some Serious Cash
The “Mask Innovation Challenge: Building Tomorrow’s Mask” challenges all Americans to design an innovative new face mask. Ideas are due April 21, 2021, and winners will receive $100,000. >>READ MORE>>
Zeiss UVClean Earns Two Red Dot Awards
The Zeiss UVClean UV-C disinfecting device designed primarily for eyecare professionals has earned two Red Dot Awards, one for Industrial Design and the second for Innovative Product. The Red Dot Award is recognized as one of the most prestigious international awards for design work. >>READ MORE>>
VBA and Shamir Fund Pandemic Relief for Independent Practices in Pennsylvania
Shamir and Vision Benefits of America, Inc. have created the VBA/Shamir Pandemic Assistance Program to assist in-network eyecare professionals who have “endured more complicated operations over the past year.” >>READ MORE>>
ECPs Share Their Views on COVID-19’s Impact in New Jobson Optical Research
Clearly, the pandemic’s impact is still a major factor in vision care practice operations, according to the results of the latest Jobson Optical Research COVID-19 ECP Survey. Link below to the latest takeaways from Wave 21 of the survey from Vision Monday and Women in Optometry, and download the latest results.
WO: Pandemic’s Lasting Impact »
VM: Practices Still Operating Below March 2019 Level »
Digital Eye Strain—Another Pandemic Pain Point
Ever since we went into lockdown last March, we’ve all been spending way too much time not just on phones, but on electronic devices in general. Here are some eye-opening statistics about the rise of digital eye strain and some advice from several eye doctors on how to combat the problem. >>READ MORE>>
More Screen Time Means More Digital Eye Strain; Here’s How to Combat It
COVID-19 has caused a major shift to more screen time for work, shopping, and keeping in touch. This has led to a rise in complaints of digital eye strain. Here, 20/20 Magazine shares some techniques for combating its causes and symptoms. >>READ MORE>>
Her Calm in the Chaos
The move Nicole Golding, OD, made to MyEyeDr. three years ago provided the flexibility that allowed her the work/life balance she needed during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown. >>READ MORE>>
Closing the Doors for the First Time in 45 Years
Nothing has had a greater impact on our profession than COVID-19. We had to lock our doors for the first time in 45 years. It brought eye care to a standstill. If this wasn’t a wakeup call to what can happen on a given day to change our lives, nothing else could be. Learn more about the pandemic experiences of Robert Melrose, OD, in this blog and video. >>READ MORE>>
Should Optometric Practices Require the Vaccine?
Policies and implications need to be considered to decide if doctors and staff will be required to get the COVID-19 vaccine. VSP Global partnered with the Society for Human Resource Management, who worked with the CDC to bring your practice timely information on vaccines in this on-demand webinar. Register HERE.
COVID-19 Detectable in Infected Patient’s Tears
A new study discovered SARS-CoV-2 RNA on the ocular surface of patients with COVID-19, although the infectivity of the material couldn’t be determined. The investigators also detected the virus on the ocular surface of some patients whose nasal swab results were negative. >>READ MORE>>
Multiple Reasons Behind Recent Coronavirus Surges
Are coronavirus variants behind the recent jump in COVID-19 cases in states such as Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, and New York? Does the relaxation of public health protection measures play a role as well? It depends on who you ask. WebMD provides the answers from these health care professionals. >>READ MORE>>
Vision Care Industry Minimizes Pandemic Losses, According to VisionWatch
The results of The Vision Council’s VisionWatch Q4 2020 Market Research Reports indicate that, while the industry has faced many challenges over the past year, the vision care markets continue to recover and build momentum as Americans are adjusting to COVID-19 and starting to get vaccinated. While 2020 aggregated industry revenues were down 17.4 percent, for example, sales revenues for Q4 2020 were only down 8.8 percent versus Q4 2019. Learn more from Vision Monday’s report on VisionWatch Q4 2020. >>READ MORE>>
Research Findings: COVID’s Impact on Optical in 2020
Jobson Optical Research has released COVID’s Impact on Optical: The Year of 2020 Numbers in Review. The special report features exclusive Jobson research data and surveys showing the cumulative effect of the pandemic on the optical industry in 2020. >>READ MORE & download the free report>>
Majorities Say COVID-19 Has Had Pervasive Negative Effects
A February 2021 WO Pop-up Poll asked respondents to gauge the impact of the pandemic one year after it started. With some rare exceptions—where respondents say that creativity in the workplace and newfound discoveries about themselves are silver linings—generally respondents said that the impact has been a net negative on their work environment, their mental health, and in their communities. >>READ MORE>>
5 Employee Benefits Changed by COVID-19
It would be an understatement to say that the pandemic transformed what employees want and need from their benefit programs. In honor of National Employee Benefits Day on April 6, WebMD reflects on these five benefits that have changed over the past year and why those changes are here to stay. >>READ MORE>>
Increased Screen Time During COVID-19 May Worsen Myopia Boom
The transition to online learning and calls for households to lockdown inevitably upended how children learn and play, bringing about a rise in digital screen time and near work, as well as a decline in time spent outdoors. Now, a recent perspective in the American Journal of Ophthalmology has asked whether this shift will accelerate what was already a boom in cases of myopia worldwide. >>READ MORE>>
Myopia Progression Accelerated During COVID-19 Lockdown
A new study found an acceleration of myopia progression in both Chinese children and teenagers during COVID-19 lockdown. However, the trend was reversed after lockdown, suggesting that both accommodative spasm and structural change may have been contributing factors. >>READ MORE>>
Results from Bias in Optometry Poll Show Pervasive Prejudice
The fact that nearly one-third of respondents have personally seen or heard people of Asian descent blamed for coronavirus is just one of the disturbing results from this WO Pop-up Poll. Awareness and inclusiveness are among the positives. >>READ MORE>>
WO Pop-up Poll on COVID-19 Workwear
How has the pandemic impacted your dress and style? Participate in this WO Pop-up Poll to share your thoughts about how your workwear and personal presentation have changed and to learn more about your peers’ experiences as well. >>READ MORE>>
How to Talk to Patients Who Are Reluctant to Get a Vaccine
Conversations between physicians and patients about the risks that come with getting a COVID-19 vaccine are becoming more common in general as eligibility for immunizations expands. Here’s how to encourage people to get vaccinated and dispel false information. >>READ MORE>>
AOA Hosts Emergency Summit on Children’s Eye Health
The American Optometric Association (AOA) hosted a summit on the state of children’s eye health and what ECPs can do to help their young patients, highlighting how the COVID-19 pandemic has increased digital eye strain and exploring the increasing number of childhood myopia cases. >>READ MORE>>
How Do I Get Eyecare During a Pandemic? CORE Provides the Answers
A new initiative from the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) addresses questions that may keep people from seeking proper eyecare and provides this infographic for ECPs to share with their patients. >>READ MORE>>
Does COVID-19 Alter the Optic Nerves of Recovered Patients?
Research continues to explore the lasting impacts COVID-19 may have on the body, and a new study looking into how the disease affects the eyes of recovered patients suggests the virus may alter the optic nerve and cause changes in the retinal layers even once the infection has resolved. >>READ MORE>>
Survey Answers: What is COVID’s Mental Impact Across the Globe?
A new Sapien Labs survey of the mental health impact of COVID-19 in several countries shows high rates of trauma and mood disorders related to the virus. Learn more from this survey conducted with 49,000 adults in eight English-speaking countries. >>READ MORE>>
AOA to Hold Emergency Summit on Children’s Eye Health
The American Optometric Association’s Children’s Eye Health emergency summit on March 24 will address the ways in which the COVID-19 pandemic has affected children’s eyesight and what parents and ECPs can do to improve the situation. >>READ MORE>>
Zeiss Adds AntiFOG Lens Wipes to Lens Cleaning Portfolio
Zeiss AntiFOG Wipes join the growing list of anti-fog products for eyeglasses, many of which are also listed on PECAA’s Optometry PPE Resources page, in the PPE Resource Guide from Vision Monday and 20/20, and here Navigating Through the Fog. >>READ MORE>>
Updated Regularly: Medscape Coronavirus Resource Center
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to reshape the globe, Medscape monitors the updates essential for healthcare professionals. >>READ MORE>>
Eight States Authorize ODS to Give COVID-19 Vaccinations
Eight states now explicitly grant doctors of optometry authority to administer COVID-19 vaccines, and the AOA continues to advocate that optometry stands ready, willing, and able to leverage the profession’s widespread accessibility. Click here to see which eight states have approval. >>READ MORE>>
Think of Something Awesome!
By Linda Conlin, Pro to Pro Managing Editor
That’s how Dee Pace, Executive Director of Professional Opticians of Florida (POF), provides continuing education for opticians through the challenges of COVID-19. In a recent conversation, Dee took me on their journey from the COVID-19 shutdown of POF’s live continuing education events through the innovations that brought them back with the priority of attendee safety. >>READ MORE>>
Safe Meeting Guidelines at SECO and Vision Expo East
These two major optical industry events are back in business as live events with COVID-related safety protocols in place. Here are the VisionSAFE health and safety requirements in place for VEE, and here are SECO’s COVID-19 Meet Safe guidelines.
Vision Expo East June 2-5 Orlando »
New Cloth and Spray Join Growing list of Anti-fog Products
The new “Fogetta Bout It” anti-fog lens cloth and spray from SN Optical joins the growing list of anti-fog products for eyeglasses, many of which are also listed on PECAA’s Optometry PPE Resources page and in the PPE Resource Guide from Vision Monday and 20/20. >>READ MORE>>
Safety Guidelines in Place for SECO, Registration Now Open for April 28-May 2 Meeting
“SECO was the last major event held in 2020, and we will be the first major event in 2021 to help lead the way offering face-to-face networking and learning experiences,” said SECO International President Max Raynor. Learn from VM here about the safety measures being put in place before arrival, when arriving, and inside the Congress. >>READ MORE>>
The Optical Industry is Pining for Baseball to Begin
The return of Major League Baseball may not be what we’re used to, but just having players on the field and fans in the stands marks a turning point of sorts in 2021. So, in the hopes that baseball—and America—are getting back to normal, here are the sentiments of optical industry colleagues and how they feel about the upcoming season. >>READ MORE>>
Optically Specific Personal Protective Equipment
For details about eyeglass frame sanitizers, phoropter masks, slit lamp breath shields, in-office sterilization equipment, protective eyewear, and other personal protective equipment, check out PECAA’s Optometry PPE Resources page here. If that’s not enough, click here for more optical PPE. >>READ MORE>>
COVID Encourages Digital Outreach in AMD Management
Many patients with sight-threatening conditions such as AMD and glaucoma lost vision during the COVID-19 pandemic due to missed eye care appointments, so in this new era, digital technology is likely to play a major role in patient care. >>READ MORE>>
7 Ways ODs Can Help with COVID-19 Vaccine Movement
“Join the movement in getting the vaccine and show that we are healthcare workers standing with Dr. Fauci and science,” says Sidra Qadri, OD, in this WO article filled with suggestions from optometrists about how to encourage others to get vaccinated. >>READ MORE>>
Optometrists in California Are Filling the Vaccine Gap
“Optometrists are particularly helpful in filling the vaccine gap since we care for patients that do not annually see a physician,” said California Optometric Association president, Jason Tu, OD, about the California Department of Consumer Affairs allowing doctors of optometry to administer COVID-19 vaccines. Read more about the COA’s reaction HERE.
“I See You”: Musings After Moderna Dose Two
Excited to have received her second dose of the Moderna vaccine, Amy Boyer, OD, of New Albany, Ohio, shares her thoughts on what “we need currently as providers” with her patients who are also healthcare practitioners. >>READ MORE>>
The Pandemic Takes Its Toll on Our Mental Health
After living with COVID-19 for nearly a year now, most of us are pretty burned out. Recent surveys from Women in Optometry and HR software company Paycor reveal that ECPs and other business leaders are concerned about mental health in the workplace. See the survey results here and learn what to do about this very real issue. >>READ MORE>>
Reusable Tags Indicate Which Frames Have Been Sanitized
Another new concept for sanitization protocols in the era of COVID, these new tags from Hilco Vision make it known to patients that the frame they are trying on has been sanitized. >>READ MORE>>
Anti-Fog Cloth Safe for Use on All Lens Types and Coatings
In the ongoing rollout of products that prevent glasses from fogging up while wearing a facemask, the latest from Amcon Laboratories is this reusable anti-fog cloth that helps eliminate fogging on eyeglass lenses, sport goggles, helmets, safety glasses and face shields. >>READ MORE>>
ODs in Four States Get Green Light to Administer COVID Vaccine
Optometrists in a handful of states have been granted the right to administer shots, while professional groups on the state and federal level continue to push for more to follow suit. Find out here which states received approval and which states are pending. >>READ MORE>>
ECPs Adapt and Prosper Through a Year of Pandemic
Showing their resilience and willingness over the past year, ECPs have adapted and managed to continue growing their practices and make the changes necessary to succeed going forward, according to HEA’s Justin Manning, OD, MPH, FAAO, in VM’s “Conversations with . . .” video series. >>READ MORE>>
New Interest in Virtual Eyecare, Versant Study Finds
With COVID-19 as the backdrop, Americans (in particular young adults under 40) are showing a new interest in the use of virtual technology and telemedicine for eyecare, according to Versant Health’s second annual Vision Wellness Study. >>READ MORE>>
Eyemart Express to Pay Associates for Receiving COVID-19 Vaccinations
All Eyemart Express employees in the optical retailer’s 228 stores, including store associates, lab technicians, and distribution center associates, will get a one-time payment equivalent to four hours of pay after being vaccinated against COVID-19. >>READ MORE>>
COVID-19 Vaccines: Get the Latest Updates Here
As vaccines to prevent COVID-19 roll out, get the latest news, updates, and the information you need about how the vaccines work, how they’re getting distributed, safety, and side effects from WebMD’s COVID-19 Vaccine Health Center HERE.
Embracing the Opportunities That Will Persevere Beyond COVID-19
Mary Anne Murphy, OD, shares the opportunities she embraced in 2020 as a result of COVID-19 that will persevere in 2021, including revisiting and enhancing the practice culture, maximizing the technology in place, and reconnecting with patients and family. Learn more in this latest episode of The Empowered OD podcast series. >>READ MORE>>
COVID-19 Home Confinement of School-Aged Children Associated with Myopic Shift
Because young children are in a critical period for the development of myopia, home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic was associated with a significant myopic shift among Chinese children aged 6 to 8, according to this new research published in JAMA Ophthalmology. >>READ MORE>>
Anti-Fog Formula Eliminates Harmful Chemicals
Progear’s new and improved anti-fogging formula, available in wipe and gel form, is manufactured completely free from PFAS (PFOA and PFOS, chemicals harmful to the human body and environment), and it has been tested and confirmed by Bureau Veritas. >>READ MORE>>
Now More Anti-Reflective Lenses Can Apply This Anti-Fog Technology
Schneider’s Anti-Fog technology has been on the market for more than three years, but now almost anyone with an anti-reflective coating machine can use it. Learn more and check out the video here. >>READ MORE>>
COVID-19 Vaccines: Get the Latest Updates Here
As vaccines to prevent COVID-19 roll out, get the latest news, updates, and the information you need about how the vaccines work, how they’re getting distributed, safety, and side effects from WebMD’s COVID-19 Vaccine Health Center HERE.
COVID-19 ECP Impact Survey Findings from Jobson Optical Research
The COVID-19 pandemic is still a huge factor in practice operations, according to the results of the latest Jobson Optical Research COVID-19 ECP impact survey. Here are the latest takeaways from Wave 19 of the survey from Vision Monday, Review of Optometric Business, and Women in Optometry.
VM: Lower Weekly Revenue Remains a Constant for Most ECPs »
WO: Majority of Respondents Say Someone in Office Has Had COVID-19»
Keep in Touch (Virtually) with Your Patients
The new normal demands new solutions. Many practices have started reaching for technological solutions such as patient relationship management platforms to accommodate the new care paradigm brought on by the pandemic. Here’s an overview of some tools that can help practices communicate more effectively with patients, minimize cancellations, and recoup lost revenue. >>READ MORE>>
How to Combat COVID-19 Misinformation
In this Coronavirus in Context video, John Whyte, MD, MPH, chief medical officer of WebMD, interviews Steven Brill, award-winning author, journalist, and co-CEO of NewsGuard, a website that rates the reliability of more than 6,000 websites responsible for about 95 percent of the news online, to provide some insight and even some tools to address misinformation about COVID-19. >>READ MORE>>
COVID-19 Vaccines: Get the Latest Updates Here
As vaccines to prevent COVID-19 roll out, get the latest news, updates, and the information you need about how the vaccines work, how they’re getting distributed, safety and side effects from WebMD HERE.
Home Confinement Induces Myopic Shift in Children
Spending less time outdoors and more time looking at screens during prolonged school closures brought on by the pandemic, school-aged children are at risk of experiencing a substantial myopic shift, according to a new study published in JAMA Ophthahlmology. >>READ MORE>>
New Study Analyzes Compatibility of Eco-Friendly Cleaners with Frame Materials
With sanitization a top priority during the pandemic, Hilco Vision has commissioned and released a COLTS Laboratories study to determine the compatibility of environmentally friendly surface cleaners with 30 common frame materials. Learn more about and download the study HERE.
OptiSource’s New Briotech Sanitizer is Registered with the EPA
Briotech is an environmentally friendly formula that is alcohol, ammonia, and bleach free. It is EPA List N registered and kills 99.99 percent of viruses and bacteria, including SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). >>READ MORE>>
CDC Panel: No Safety Surprises for COVID-19 Vaccine
The United States is nearly six weeks into its historic campaign to vaccinate Americans against the virus that causes COVID-19, and so far, the two vaccines in use look remarkably low-risk, according to new data presented at a meeting of vaccine experts that advise the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). >>READ MORE>>
Hundreds of ODs Weigh In on COVID-19 Vaccine Experience
Based on the responses of more than 600 ODs, more than 88 percent have received at least one of their two injections of the COVID-19 vaccine. See their reactions here and the side effects they experienced. >>READ MORE>>
Post-Pandemic: 2021, The Year of Recovery
With the New Year, we find ourselves again facing lost business with fearful patients cancelling appointments to avoid close contact, in both medical and retail environments. However, with all of the doom and gloom, it is a new and hope-filled year, time to stand together to again enjoy the freedom of movement to conduct business, socialize, attend trade shows and shop. >>READ MORE>>
As Vaccines Roll Out, ECPs Get in Line and Share ‘Vaxxies’
The COVID-19 vaccine rollout has kicked off, including healthcare workers in the early phases. In many states, those healthcare workers include ECPs. Many in the optical community are sharing their Vaccination Selfie or “Vaxxie.” Check them out here. >>READ MORE>>
Pop-up Poll Results: COVID-19 Has Us Stressed
Feeling like COVID-19’s got you down? A recent Women In Optometry Pop-up Poll shows you’re not alone. The majority of respondents said that their mental health and stress level have been negatively impacted by months of this COVID-19 environment. See the results here. >>READ MORE>>
Pop-up Poll Participate: Share Your Personal Vaccine Experience
With ECPs among the first in line to get vaccinated against COVID-19, WO is conducting a poll to find out how everyone’s experience has been and to answer questions about the occurrence of side effects and their duration. Participate here. >>READ MORE>>
AAO Shares Why Ophthalmologists Are Positioned to Combat Vaccine Hesitancy
The American Academy of Ophthalmology recently posted a podcast with Bobeck Modjtahedi, MD, explaining why ophthalmologists are well positioned to make a difference in combating vaccine hesitancy, as well as how to get the conversation started. >>READ MORE>>
Sore Eyes Are the Most Significant COVID-19 Ocular Symptom
The most significant ocular symptom experienced by people suffering from COVID-19 was sore eyes, according to a new study comparing pre-COVID-19 and during COVID-19 states. >>READ MORE>>
Plunging Into the Icy Waters of a Pandemic-Era Cold Start
After Casey Smith, OD, decided to cold start a practice, everything moved quickly. She made the decision in January of 2020 and by the end of that July, Sight Vision Care in Springfield, Ohio, was open for business. >>READ MORE>>
Jewelry for Your Eyes: Reframing Frame Sales
With people’s faces covered by masks, we’re left with only eyes to pick up on social cues. Moving into a post-COVID world, reframing your patients’ perception about their eyewear is a fantastic way to encourage them to buy multiple pairs, and it’s a way of thinking that’ll be applicable with or without face coverings. >>READ MORE>>
Missed Visits During COVID Increase Risk of Vision Loss
Pandemic lockdowns caused patients to delay routine medical care, and about 40 percent of people who were scheduled to see a retina specialist for intravitreal injections during this time either cancelled or were no-shows. The delay in care of about five weeks caused vision loss in many of these individuals. >>READ MORE>>
Ophthalmologists Weigh In on Face Masks and Foggy Eyeglasses
WebMD checked in with a group of ophthalmologists and their patients to find out what their experiences have been with eyeglasses fogging up due to wearing masks during the pandemic and how they are addressing this COVID consequence. This is what they found. >>READ MORE>>
ECPs Assess COVID’s Impact in 18th Jobson COVID-19 Survey
ECPs corroborated a sharp uptick in COVID-19 cases across the country while noting its impact on staffing, examined their end-of year sales and underscored their belief that the availability of vaccines will be key to a recovery. Link here for these and more results from the 18th wave of Jobson Optical Research’s COVID-19 ECP Impact Survey. >>READ MORE>>
COVID-Influenced Ups and Downs in Q3 2020 VisionWatch Market Research
The retail vision care market declined 14.2 percent in 2020 compared with 2019, but frame unit sales increased by 3.5 percent in Q3 2020. Independent eyecare providers have experienced a 13.2 percent decline in sales since September 2019, but the number of consumers making purchases after receiving an eye exam has increased by 5 percent since March 2020. >>READ MORE>>
Ecommerce Stats Show Fast Growth in Eyewear Interest
Online searches for eye doctors saw a 5,000 percent increase in 2020, according to statistics recently shared by Ocuco, and eyewear is among the fastest projected growth product categories online, expected to grow 13 percent by 2023. >>READ MORE>>
Most ECPs Are Interested in Getting the COVID-19 Vaccine
A majority of eye care professionals responding to a WO Pop-up Poll are planning to (or have already gotten) a COVID-19 vaccine. However, some are still unsure or are not planning to get it. >>READ MORE>>
State-By-State Guide to COVID Vaccine Information
Each state has set priorities about who gets the vaccine first based on recommendations from the federal government. Currently, the states are rolling out the vaccine in categories based on need. Link here for a list of the public health department website of every state to learn how each one is prioritizing the vaccine. >>READ MORE>>
Editors Reflect on a Year Like No Other
As we wind down 2020 and look forward to a better 2021, the following Jobson Optical Group editors share their thoughts on this unexpected year’s impact on eye care and its takeaways, both positive and negative.
Patience, Perserverance and Optimism
By Christine Yeh, Executive Editor, 20/20
Hindsight’s 2020
By Deborah Kotob, Pro to Pro Director
Subject to Change
By Jack Persico, Editor-in-Chief, Review of Optometry
In Memoriam: Healthcare Workers Who Have Died of COVID-19
Updated December 21, 2020, this list of thousands of healthcare workers who have already died, from dozens of countries, professions and specialties, serves to honor them all. >>READ MORE>>
How is the COVID-19 Pandemic Affecting You?
Reserved for medical professionals, add your comments about how you and your colleagues are dealing with the ongoing pandemic. Write your experiences, messages of gratitude for your peers, concerns, predictions for lasting effects on healthcare, or anything else, and read what others have to say. >>READ MORE>>
COVID Weighs on Eyecare Community
Family time, exercise and outdoor activities have helped practitioners, staff and students improve stress levels, according to a recent survey of optometrists by optometrists. >>READ MORE>>
Mobile Clinic ‘2020 On-site’ Certified for COVID-19 Protocols and Air Quality
This mobile vision care services provider is the first mobile clinic in the industry to receive certifications from Emmes Optym and STERIS for excellent air quality, COVID-19 protocols and professional standards. >>READ MORE>>
Dogs Can Sniff Out COVID-19
Trained dogs can identify people with COVID-19, even those with no symptoms, according to researchers in a preliminary study published in PLoS One. >>READ MORE>>
Technology Allows Optometrist to Keep a Distance
When Paula Koch, OD, reopened her practice in May, her patients were thankful that her Marco technology allowed them to keep a distance with its touchless experience. >>READ MORE>>
Doctors’ Funniest Zoom Mishaps
As Zoom meetings have become the norm over the past year, these virtual calls have fueled countless mishaps, laughs and embarrassing moments for practitioners. While the number one mistake may be thinking you are muted when you are not, read on for some other funny video faux pas. >>READ MORE>>
The Promise of the Vaccine
Take an in-depth look at the science behind the COVID-19 vaccines in this Vision Monday article that answers the questions: Is the Vaccine Safe? What Does It Feel Like to Get the Vaccine? and When Can I Get the Vaccine? >>READ MORE>>
Where Are You Standing in the Vaccine Line?
The New York Times published an interactive feature that shows where you might be in line for the vaccine. Simply enter some information about your age, where you live, your profession, and if you have any COVID-related health risks, and voila, your place in line will be revealed to you. >>READ MORE>>
California ODs Push to Administer COVID Vaccines
Along with dentists in the state, optometrists suggest the “all hands on deck” approach will help take the burden off primary care doctors. They cite the fact that most ODs already have the necessary training to do so. >>READ MORE>>
CDC Urges Universal Mask Wearing for the First Time
As the United States faces a worsening surge of SARS-CoV-2 infections, hospitalizations, and deaths, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has, for the first time during the almost year-long pandemic, urged Americans to wear face masks universally. >>READ MORE>>
COVID-19 Patients Face Retinal Complications
People who recovered from COVID displayed alterations in their retinal microvasculature, including a significantly lower vessel density in the superficial and deep retinal capillary plexus, researchers recently reported, according to this article in Review of Optometry. >>READ MORE>>
Research Confirms Presence of SARS-CoV-2 in Ocular Tissue
Non-profit organization Eversight, which facilitates the donation of eye tissue for transplantation, announced research findings showing a small but noteworthy prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 in ocular tissues from individuals who died from COVID-19. Learn more from this Vision Monday article, and join director of research Onkar B. Sawant, PhD, by signing up for a live interactive webinar on Dec. 14 to dive into the background, methods, findings, and interpretations of this ongoing, collaborative investigation. >>READ MORE>>
More New Fog Fighters
For those who understand that wearing a mask is one of the best ways to protect yourself and others from the coronavirus, one of the top complaints is that doing so can cause eyeglass wearers’ lenses to fog up. Joining 20/20 Magazine’s already comprehensive list of anti-fog products are these new solutions to prevent that distracting side effect. >>READ MORE>>
Learn and Earn CE Credits for Fighting Fog on Eyeglass Lenses
Learning how to “Keep It Clean and Fog Free” from this Product Spotlight about the ZEISS Wipes and Fog Defender System by COLTS Laboratories will not only teach you the advantages of single-use wipes over microfiber cloths and how they can increase average sales and reorders, but you will also get one hour of Ophthalmic Level I ABO CE. >>READ MORE>>
Optometry Giving Sight Awards $50,000 in COVID Relief
In an effort to support North American organizations and to further enhance their national presence, Optometry Giving Sight awarded 12 organizations with grants up to $5,000 each. >>READ MORE>>
Rolling with the Punches: The 2020 Edition
By Johnna Dukes, ABOC
Our much touted “Year of Vision” turned out to be a giant dumpster fire. I’ve heard it said that going through something hard without learning lessons along the way is the true meaning of suffering, so I do try to look at hard times with my “perspective glasses” on. Here are a few nuggets I’ve picked up about business, people, and emerging from tough times. >>READ MORE>>
Scientists Find Tissue in Human Eye that Seems to Resist Coronavirus
A new study from researchers at Washington University suggests at least some of the eye may be resistant to SARS-CoV-2. While the findings are preliminary, researchers found that every cornea tested was resistant to the coronavirus. >>READ MORE>>
Melatonin Could Potentially Treat COVID-19
Melatonin could be a possible treatment for those who contract the coronavirus, according to a new study from the Cleveland Clinic, published in the journal PLOS Biology. The hormone was associated with a 30 percent reduced likelihood of testing positive for COVID-19. >>READ MORE>>
COVID-19 Takeaways from the VM Summit
Presented on a virtual platform due to the pandemic, Vision Monday’s Global Leadership Summit, “AFTERSHOCKS: Remaking Healthcare’s Future, Vision Beyond 2020” took “attendees” on a quest for answers to the many business challenges and urgent questions facing ECPs and vision care decision makers in light of the virus. Here are some of the key takeaways from the noted experts who addressed big trends and practical tactics in the face of COVID-19. >>READ MORE>>
4 Key Insights As We Face the Months Ahead
As we enter the ninth month of COVID-19, we are learning from our experience with the virus and seeing some best practices start to emerge. Here are some key findings on how it affects generations differently, the impact on flexibility at work, how to cope with pandemic fatigue, and how to support employees.>>READ MORE>>
Free Guide Uncovers Hidden Sources of Revenue to Recover from 2020
The year 2020 has negatively affected us in many ways, including the bottom line. Download this free guide, “Win Back 2020: Leveraging Hidden Revenue Opportunities” to recover lost revenue and finish the year strong. >>READ MORE>>
Mykita Launches GUARD ONE Protective Shield
Mykita has introduced GUARD ONE, medical protective eyewear – a multipurpose protective shield with anti-fog technology. Developed with medical practitioners, it can be worn alongside other personal protective equipment (PPE) to reduce the risk of viral infections. >>READ MORE>>
Telehealth: Friend or Foe?
One of the most significant headline items in health care this year has been COVID-19 and the rapid growth of telehealth it has caused. Here, Review of Optometry’s Clinical Coding Editor, John Rumpakis, OD, MBA, examines its impact. >>READ MORE>>
COVID-19 Brings Optometry Into Uncharted Telehealth Territory
Telemedicine gained tremendous traction during the recent practice shutdowns, in which only emergency eyecare was permitted in person. Now, many patients, who had never experienced this new way of visiting the doctor, may be open to continuing to do so. Here, PECAA’s Clinical Director, Paul Karpecki, OD, FAAO, reviews how optometric practices can respond to COVID-19 and how telemedicine fits in. >>READ MORE>>
Telemedicine in the Time of COVID-19
Telemedicine experts offer tips for navigating distance doctoring during the pandemic in this Review of Ophthalmology article, which also features codes, platforms, and helpful ways users say telemedicine can help your practice amidst COVID-19. >>READ MORE>>
E-Learning: How to Help Students and Parents
By Nathan Bonilla-Warford, OD, FAAO, FCOVD, FIAOMC
Family life has been turned upside down by COVID-19, so if your practice is anything like mine, you have seen an increase in patients coming to the office with complaints of visual discomfort, blurry vision and irritated eyes in the past few months. Here are the actions you can take to help these patients. >>READ MORE>>
Communication and Creativity Keep Patients Coming During a Pandemic
When Jaclyn Garlich, OD, FAAO, purchased her practice, Envision, in Boston on Jan. 1, 2020, this was definitely not the year she was expecting. Now, as practice owner and optometrist, she and her team are working their way through a pandemic both in-store and online. >>READ MORE>>
Frame Sanitizing Tips from 20/20 Magazine
Patients touch multiple pairs of frames when trying them on in the optical dispensary, so how do you ensure they stay clean and safe in the age of COVID-19? Here, 20/20 magazine’s Ms. Specs in the City shares some tips to do just that! >>READ MORE>>
Ambitions Not Sidelined By COVID-19
When COVID-19 hit, Talin Amadian, OD, was furloughed from the practice on April 1, but she didn’t let that stop her. From blogging to entrepreneurship to medical writing and developing continuing education, she does it all. >>READ MORE>>
While COVID Case Concerns Are Up So Are Capture Rates and Profits
As increasing COVID-19 cases concern the ECP respondents of Wave 16 of Jobson’s Coronavirus Survey, over half reported optical sales and profitability were either equal to or higher this month when compared with the same time last year. >>READ MORE>>
What We Know to Date About Masks and Coronavirus
It’s been a half year since we started wearing masks and other face coverings to guard against the new coronavirus. Yet confusion and controversy still surround masks. The good news is that experts are learning more every day about how and how much facial coverings safeguard you and those around you. Here’s what we know so far. >>READ MORE>>
Musings Behind the Mask
For some comic relief during these tough times, Review of Optometry’s Montgomery Vickers, OD, shares why he should accept the fact the he won’t attend a live CE meeting in 2020 and watch “my colleagues fall asleep next to me” but that he is ultimately “helping people with the gift of vision.” >>READ MORE>>
Navigating Through the Fog of Mask Wearing During COVID-19
To overcome the foggy lenses eyeglass wearers sometimes endure due to mask wearing as a means of coronavirus protection, 20/20 magazine has compiled this list of anti-fog products. >>READ MORE>>
ClearVision Debuts Fabric Masks with Optical Designs
Make your first impression be about eyecare with these fun optical prints on ClearVision Optical’s double-layered, adjustable masks made with environmentally friendly 100 percent OEKO-TEX cotton in five opti-themed designs. >>READ MORE>>
Sponsored Content
Responsible and Safe Myopia Management During a Pandemic
To reduce the risk of infection in a practice, a strategy that addresses modifiable factors can help promote patient and staff safety. Here, Richard Hom, OD, shares four approaches to managing risk in a myopia management practice. >>READ MORE>>
COVID-19 Can Infect Your Eyes
“SARS-CoV-2 can infect ocular tissues in addition to the respiratory system,” according to JAMA Ophthalmology, based on the experience of a patient in China who developed an acute glaucoma attack after recovering from COVID-19. >>READ MORE>>
How COVID-19 is Reshaping Optometry
COVID-19 is not an extinction event for optometry, but that does not diminish its stressful and humbling effects. The post-COVID-19 landscape is bound to change many facets of eye care, including consumer behavior, business strategy and practice operation. >>READ MORE>>
The Post COVID-19 Game Plan
There’s no playbook for the pandemic but these three considerations will help: (1) protect your practice from both a health and liability perspective; (2) adapt with hybrid strategies for medical eye care; and (3) focus on patient-pay procedures. >>READ MORE>>
Eager to Return to Providing Access to Eye Care
Jessica Du, OD, brainstormed with her America’s Best team members to provide care for the first patient who called who had been directly in contact with a COVID-19 positive individual. Here’s how they prioritized her eye care. >>READ MORE>>
Myopia Progression During COVID-19
By Thomas Aller, OD, FBCLA
Shortly after instituting remote schooling due to the pandemic, concerns grew that increased screen time and decreased outdoor time could affect myopia incidence and progression in children. Here’s what I determined studying the patients in my extensive myopia practice. >>READ MORE>>
PPE Resource Guide Showcases Products to Keep Everyone Safe
With the need for personal protective equipment (PPE) in high demand, download this special digital resource guide featuring product offerings to help you, your staff and your patients stay safe. >>READ MORE>>
Satisloh NA to Debut Onsite Studio for Safe Customer Meetings
To stay close to its customers but worried about “Zoom fatigue” while keeping customers and staff safe, Satisloh North America added “Satisloh Studio” to its Germantown, Wisconsin, headquarters. The studio has four showrooms where customers can see any Safilo product live. The Studio’s premiere live sessions will be broadcast October 19. >>READ MORE>>
Pediatric Ophthalmology Hit Hard By the Pandemic
The American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus says that the effects of the pandemic on their practices “portend access-of-care issues for children with blinding, if not life-threatening, diseases. As pediatric specialists struggle to keep their practices viable, children in America may suffer medical outcomes not anticipated in first-world countries.” >>READ MORE>>
Iowa-based Klauer Optical Meets Business Challenges of COVID-19
Jeff Klauer of this two-location optometric practice in Dubuque and Cedar Rapids, Iowa, pivoted during the lockdown and again once his business reopened on the bumpy road back to “normal.” Here’s how he did it. >>READ MORE>>
“Teach Me, I Am Willing to Learn”. . . A Success Story Amid a Pandemic
Imagine starting a business during a global pandemic. Carmen Once, an immigrant from Ecuador turned Connecticut businesswoman, opened Waterbury Vision Center in early 2020. This is the story behind her success. >>READ MORE>>
Jobson Adds Five New Honorees to Its Online Eyecare Heroes Gallery
Dr. Mark Keyes and Dr. Kaitlin Keyes, Accomac Optometric, Accomac, Va.; Dr. Terry Null, VisionQuest EyeCare, McCordsville, Ind.; Dr. Trent McKinney, Oasis Eye Care, Venice Fla.; and Shawne Gillies, director of Facilities & Campus Planning, New England College of Optometry, Boston, Mass, join the Eyecare Heroes online gallery as Jobson continues to salute the industry’s healthcare workers, especially ECPs, for providing essential eyecare during the COVID-19 pandemic. >>READ MORE>>
3 Steps to Keep Your Eyes Healthy While Working Remotely
If increased screen time during the COVID-19 pandemic is creating discomfort, here is what you should know about digital eye strain and how to combat it. <<READ MORE>>
Myopia and Screen Time Might Not Be Linked
With all the uproar about how staying at home and spending more time on our electronic devices because of the COVID-19 pandemic may be fueling the other pandemic of myopia, consistent evidence of an association between screen time and myopia development is lacking. >>READ MORE>>
Mask Safety Update: Which Options are Less Effective?
“Face shields and valved masks — two options many people find more comfortable than cloth face coverings — appear to be less effective at blocking viral particles than regular masks,” research shows, according to The New York Times. >>READ MORE>>
POP-UP POLL: Quarantine-O-Ween
Participate in WO’s POP-UP-POLL about how COVID-19 will affect your office’s Halloween traditions. Will you be dressing up and hosting events this year or doing things differently during the pandemic? >>READ MORE>>
Plan for Low-Risk Holidays During COVID-19
As autumn begins and the holidays are upon us, WebMD has specific recommendations for Halloween and Thanksgiving as well as overall suggestions for holiday gatherings in general. >>READ MORE>>
Many Metrics to Measure COVID-19. Which Are the Best?
In this pandemic, there are many different metrics used (daily cases, hospitalizations, deaths), and each has its own usefulness and limits. Learn which metrics measure up in this WebMD article. >>READ MORE>>
The CDC COVID Data Tracker is Not Your Only Option
While traditionally the go-to source for leading expertise on health (including tracking cases of COVID-19), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recent missteps, despair, and even misrepresentation have led to a crumbling reputation. Now, news sources often reference Johns Hopkins COVID-19 tracking information instead of the CDC’s. Here are some alternative COVID-19 tracking sources to compare for yourself.
Johns Hopkins University & Medicine’s Coronavirus Resource Center »
World Health Organization Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) Dashboard »
The COVID Tracking Project at The Atlantic »
Report: States Need to Track COVID-19 Data Better
Unlike countries such as Germany, Senegal, South Korea, and Uganda, the United States lacks a national strategy for reporting COVID-19 data. While all 50 states and the District of Columbia have COVID-19 data dashboards, the data reported is inconsistent, incomplete, and inaccessible in most locations, a report from Resolve to Save Lives concludes. >>READ MORE>>
ECPs Express Optimism as Business Returns
Among the findings of Wave 15 of Jobson Optical Research’s ECP Coronavirus Survey were that a large majority (72 percent) of practices are returning to “normal” operating hours, and an even larger number of respondents (87 percent) would only close again if mandated by the government. Still, 51 percent are seeing fewer patients than during the same period in 2019. >>READ MORE>>
CORE’s Mask-Associated Dry Eye (MADE) Infographics in 22 Languages
Efforts by the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE) to educate eyecare professionals and the general public about mask-associated dry eye (MADE) have attracted widespread attention, so CORE has released its downloadable MADE infographic in 22 languages. >>READ MORE>>
2020 Fatigue, Are You Feeling It?
By Johnna Dukes, ABOC
In thinking about the fatigue I’m currently feeling and wanting to go away, I started to consider a few things that made me breathe a bit easier. If you’re in the same boat, maybe these things can give you a tiny bit of relief, too. >>READ MORE>>
Washington Post: Finland to Deploy COVID-Sniffing Dogs
A pilot program in Finland uses coronavirus-sniffing dogs at Helsinki Airport. The voluntary tests take less than a minute of travelers’ time and deliver results within ten seconds. The U.S. and UAE are studying similar tests, but the Finnish trial is among the largest and furthest along. >>READ MORE>>
Do Eyeglasses Offer Protection Against COVID-19?
People who wear glasses every day might be less susceptible to COVID-19 infection, a Chinese study reports, because they prevent or discourage wearers from touching their eyes. Eye protection also could potentially reduce the risk of virus-laden airborne droplets contacting the eyes, the study authors said in the report published online Sept. 16 in JAMA Ophthalmology. >>READ MORE>>
Internet Search Trends Could Predict COVID-19 Hotspots, Study Says
Search data could help public health officials identify where the next U.S. hotspots may be, researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston found, because weeks after online searches for gut symptoms increase in an area, coronavirus cases tend to increase as well. >>READ MORE>>
Especially in a Pandemic, Your Myopic Patients Need Increased Communication
In-person visits being fewer than they used to be is a problem for parents of newly diagnosed myopes, because a myopia management program lasts years and needs frequent contact between parents, the patient and their eye care professional. Here’s how to overcome that. >>READ MORE>>
Jobson Adds Three New Honorees to Its Online Eyecare Heroes Gallery
Gary Chu, OD, MPH, New England College of Optometry, Boston, Mass.; Michael McGovern, OD, SUNY College of Optometry, New York, N.Y.; and Eva Yan, OD, Metro Optics, Bronx, N.Y. join the Eyecare Heroes online gallery as Jobson continues to salute the industry’s healthcare workers, especially ECPs, for providing essential eyecare during the COVID-19 pandemic. >>READ MORE>>
Telemedicine to Make Up 20% of All 2020 Medical Visits
A survey from Doximity on the state of telemedicine estimated that 20 percent of all medical visits would be virtual in 2020, according to this report in Medical Marketing and Media. >>READ MORE>>
Pre-COVID Life May Not Return Until 2022, WHO Scientist Says
Before we can return to “normal,” first a vaccine needs to be deployed, and then people need to develop immunity across the world, says the World Health Organization’s Chief Science Officer Soumya Swaminathan, who predicted that this may not happen until 2022. >>READ MORE>>
Silver Linings! ECPs Share Their Upbeat Experiences During the Pandemic
During the dark storm of the pandemic’s past six months, an array of people in the optical sector found some silver linings in their own personal lives and shared them with VM. >>READ MORE>>
Artificial Intelligence Can Pinpoint COVID-19 from Chest X-Rays
Conventional chest x-rays combined with artificial intelligence can identify lung damage from COVID-19 and differentiate coronavirus patients from other patients, improving triage efforts, new research suggests. >>READ MORE>>
Pandemic Accelerates Pace of B2B Ecommerce
While many traditional purchasing channels are shutting down as a result of the pandemic, a new Digital Commerce 360 B2B survey found that organizations of all sizes are expanding the pace and diversity of their B2B digital commerce activity. >>READ MORE>>
Review of Ophthalmology Finds Doctors Addressing New Challenges
Checking in with doctors following elective surgery reopening protocols, Review of Ophthalmology found COVID-19 cases as well as other eye-related and systemic issues increasing among patients along with uncontrolled chronic conditions and even face mask issues. >>READ MORE>>
Amid a Global Pandemic, Designers Aim to Reimagine PPE
Lack of supply and other issues have spurred innovation as inventors strive to make PPE cheaper, safer, more comfortable and more accessible. Many even see opportunities to turn a profit while doing so. >>READ MORE>>
Plexiglass Barriers: How Well Do They Protect Against COVID-19?
Seemingly everywhere these days, plexiglass partitions are recommended by the CDC and OSHA, among others, but experts say research on how well they work to slow the spread of COVID-19 is lacking. >>READ MORE>>
Luxottica Starts National Production of Masks
Using its recently built sustainable site in the Italian province of Belluno, Luxottica will operate a temporary production center night and day to produce up to approximately three million masks per day. >>READ MORE>>
Essilor Embraces the ‘New Normal’ Through Digital Technologies
To adapt to the “new normal,” Essilor is leveraging new digital technologies in order to connect with nearly 600,000 people, including customers and employees in more than 45 countries via webinars, virtual summits, online training and more. >>READ MORE>>
CORE Alerts Practitioners to Mask-Associated Dry Eye (MADE)
Masks combat COVID-19’s spread but have led to dry, uncomfortable eyes, according to the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE), which advises ECPs on how to recognize and mitigate the condition. >>READ MORE>>
What Changing Death Rates Tell Us About COVID-19
COVID-19’s fatality rate has ranged from less than 1 percent to as much as 25 percent in some countries since the pandemic started. Learn here from a group of healthcare professionals what the various contributing factors are to who is most likely to die from getting this disease. >>READ MORE>>
Jobson Adds Six New Honorees to Its Online Eyecare Heroes Gallery
Nishan Pressley, OD; Razmig Knajian, OD; Kenneth Sakazaki, OD; Renee Wheelock; Brett Donaldson, OD; and Jeff Klauer join the Eyecare Heroes online gallery as Jobson continues to salute the industry’s healthcare workers, especially ECPs, for providing essential eyecare during the COVID-19 pandemic. >>READ MORE>>
Zeiss Launches Eyeglass-Disinfecting Technology
Designed especially for eyecare professionals, Zeiss UVClean Technology from Zeiss Vision Care US is an optometry-specific UV-C disinfecting device that can thoroughly disinfect six to 10 pairs of eyeglasses of all sizes and shapes in as little as 40 seconds. >>READ MORE>>
Simple Solution for Defogging Eyewear
Cabeau Tape not only prevents eyeglasses from fogging when wearing a face mask, but it also increases mask filtration efficacy and helps keep masks on children. >>READ MORE>>
COVID-19 Survey: Purchases & Revenues Rise, But Concerns Remain
The average number of patients seen per day is nearing pre-COVID levels, according to the 14th Wave of Jobson Optical Research’s ECP Coronavirus Survey, but health care experts continue to eye the high number of COVID-19 cases in certain states with concern. >>READ MORE>>
Maintaining Healthy Vision Through COVID-19
Health care workers, patients, everyone should develop a mindset of consistent self-care, especially during this pandemic, so here are some tips to care for your eyes, from getting more sleep to keeping your eyeglasses clean, and much more. >>READ MORE>>
Micro School Concept Relieves the Stress for One OD’s Employees
As a parent and a practice owner, Lena Walker, OD, of Family Vision of Oregon, sympathized with her staff stressing over both reopening with new protocols and schooling their kids at home, so she created the “EyePod,” where employees’ kids can learn together. Here’s how she did it. >>READ MORE>>
Change Your Pandemic Perception to Something Less Heavy
Rather than dwelling on all the obvious negatives the year 2020 has faced us with, the Opticians Association of America suggests that we channel our inner five-year-old and focus on even the smallest good things. Here are some suggestions and an invitation to find your own. >>READ MORE>>
Lessons Lost: How ‘Outbreak Culture’ Is Shaping the COVID Response
Harvard School of Public Health evolutionary geneticist, Pardis Sabeti, MD, and journalist Lara Salahi found a pattern in responses to major global outbreaks. Sometimes outbreak culture propagates pandemics rather than mitigates them. Here’s how this relates to COVID-19. >>READ MORE>>
“The Women Are Finally Home Again!”
Julianne M. Koch, OD, shares her views upon hearing this comment while watching an ophthalmology/optometry-led videocast from her perspective during the quarantine shutdown. >>READ MORE>>
Keep Kids Safe with New Visor Face Shield
Just in time for back-to-school, Safilo debuts its Polaroid STAY SAFE 2 KID face shield for children ages 6 to 12. The PPE-certified polycarbonate visor shield protects the eyes, nose and mouth. >>READ MORE>>
Mask Hack ‘Works Great!’ To Alleviate Foggy Eyeglasses
A physical therapist who works with disabled children put the mask-wearing remedies shared by 20/20 Magazine’s Ms. Specs in the City to the test and found that this one “works great!” >>READ MORE>>
Virtual Grand Opening is the Way to Go During COVID-19
Most grand openings involve ribbon cuttings, balloons and appetizers. Since that’s not an option now, Hannah Cho, OD, held a Facebook Live event this week featuring meet the team, giveaways and FAQs. >>READ MORE>>
Online NORA Conference Adds COVID-19 Burnout Prevention Course
The Neuro Optometric Rehabilitation Association conference will feature “Self-Care and Burnout Prevention in the COVID-19 Era” presented by Mana K. Ali, PhD, member of American Psychological Association Division 22, Rehabilitation Psychology. >>READ MORE>>
Jobson Names Three Honorees to Its Eyecare Heroes Gallery
Neena James, OD; Robert Weinreb, MD; and Jennifer Tsai, OD, join the Eyecare Heroes online gallery as Jobson continues to salute the industry’s health care workers, especially ECPs, for providing essential eyecare during the COVID-19 pandemic. >>READ MORE>>
Remembering Thousands of Global Healthcare Workers Lost to COVID-19
With information from friends, colleagues and families, Medscape has been compiling a list of fallen healthcare workers and asks for your help to keep the list up to date. >>READ MORE>>
5 Questions to Ask Before You Decide to Socialize
There are very few black-and-white answers. It all comes down to how much risk you are willing to take for yourself and others. Here are some questions to ask yourself to assess that risk. >>READ MORE>>
Frames and Lenses in the Time of COVID-19
With over half the face obscured by PPE, glasses are now more important than ever as a means of personal expression, and the frames around them need to be perfect. >>READ MORE>>
Teamwork Creates Best Practices To Be Rolled Out on a Large Scale
One MyEyeDr. member planning around COVID-19, Kirsten Albrecht, OD, expanded the use of telemedicine, systematically shut down locations then phased their reopenings, all while ensuring open communications and preparing for the future. >>READ MORE>>
How is COVID-19 Affecting Myopia Management?
During this pandemic, how ODs are adjusting to treat myopia patients and the dangers of too much screen time are among the topics discussed here by Review of Myopia Management’s Chief Medical Editor Dwight Akerman, OD, MBA, FAAO. >>READ MORE>>
Lights, Camera, Action: Our Journey to Reopening
By Rebecca Lee, OD
My practice has benefited from hearing how doctors are modifying patient care during the pandemic, so I’m sharing my experiences to help those embarking on this journey. >>READ MORE>>
How Is International Eyewear Company Maui Jim Coping With COVID-19?
20/20europe asked Maui Jim’s international management team about the changes and protocols in place as they returned to business amidst COVID-19’s unchartered economic scenarios. >>READ MORE>>
What Downturn?
A slump in refractive surgery from COVID-19 is not materializing, at least not yet. Find out why and how to position your practice. >>READ MORE>>
Studies Track Infections to Measure Mask Effectiveness
Universal masking is associated with a significantly lower rate of COVID-19 transmission, according to three studies analyzed here by Medscape. >>READ MORE>>
Lessons Learned from Five Million Confirmed Cases
“My best hope is for a vaccine,” William Schaffner, MD, tells WebMD’s John Whyte, MD, in the continuing Coronavirus in Context video series. But “we have to keep up with the social distancing and the mask wearing for a while yet while we get ready for the vaccine.” >>READ MORE>>
About 8 in 10 Support National Mask Mandate
An overwhelming majority (82 percent) of registered voters support the idea of a national face covering or mask mandate, according to a Hill-HarrisX poll late last month. >>READ MORE>>
Any Tips for Preventing Foggy Lenses from Masks?
20/20 Magazine’s ‘Ms. Specs in the City’ answers this question from a reader: “Last month you wrote about sanitizing frames. Do you have any tips for preventing lenses from fogging up while wearing masks?” >>READ MORE>>
Sios Releases Anti-Fog Microfiber Cloth
Sios (Santinelli International Optical Supplies) has introduced a microfiber cloth with anti-fog properties designed to meet the challenges eyeglass wearers encounter when wearing face masks. >>READ MORE>>
Indie ODs Prepare for a Very Different Back-to-School
Despite this year’s differences, ECPs are doing what they can to protect children’s eye health ahead of the school year. Here’s a look at how a handful are tackling the 2020 Back-to-School season. >>READ MORE>>
Is Digital Screen Time During COVID-19 a Myopia Risk?
The American Journal of Ophthalmology reviews the impact of increased digital usage arising from lockdown measures on myopia and makes recommendations for mitigating detrimental effects on myopia management. >>READ MORE>>
A New Use for Eyewear Retainers
Check out the newest mask fashion trend: Repurposing an eyewear chain might just be the perfect way to keep your mask with you at all times, according to Fashionista. >>READ MORE>>
Fight the Fog with Two Solutions, One Specifically for Face Masks
Essilor offers two anti-fog solutions: Essilor Anti-Fog AR and Optifog. Essilor Anti-Fog AR is a new product best suited for patients bothered by fog on their lenses due to wearing face masks. >>READ MORE>>
Jobson Adds Three Honorees to Its Eyecare Heroes Gallery
Jobson continues to salute the industry’s health care workers, especially ECPs, for providing essential eyecare during the COVID-19 pandemic. Three more Eyecare Heroes join the online gallery. >>READ MORE>>
Most Would Wait on COVID Vaccine, WebMD Poll Says
Fewer than half of people plan to get a coronavirus vaccine in the first year its available, and fewer than a third would get it in the first 90 days, a new WebMD reader poll finds. >>READ MORE>>
Crisis Fatigue: Are We Emotionally Overwhelmed?
Half a year into the coronavirus pandemic, mental health experts worry that many Americans have reached a point of becoming emotionally overwhelmed. >>READ MORE>>
How to Sanitize Eyeglass Frames
To protect your customers as well as your frames, follow this advice from 20/20 magazine’s Ms. Specs in the City about how to clean and sanitize frames in the store after they have been sampled by customers. >>READ MORE>>
High-Tech Exam at a Personable but Appropriate Distance
Physical distancing was not even a thought when Patricia Haller, OD, added Marco technology to her Chillicothe, Ohio, practice in 2015, but during stay-at-home orders she realized how this same technology allowed her to maintain some distance. >>READ MORE>>
Survey: COVID a Concern as Patients Return
ECPs’ business performance is strong while COVID-19 cases increase across the country, but there is concern about potential slowdowns, according to the latest Jobson ECP Coronavirus Survey. >>READ MORE>>
So Long to the Salad Bar, WO Pop-Up Poll Analysis
Analyzing the results of WO Pop-Up Polls from the past few months shows how COVID-19 is causing us to look differently at everything. >>READ MORE>>
Digital Exclusive PPE Resource Guide
The need for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is in high demand. Check out 20/20’s and Vision Monday’s special digital resource showcasing product offerings to help you, your staff and your patients stay safe. >>READ MORE>>
LensCrafters Cares Launched to Help Those In Need
LensCrafters and OneSight have partnered on the launch of LensCrafters Cares, an eight-week initiative started July 13 to provide comprehensive eye exams and glasses to communities affected by COVID-19. >>READ MORE>>
Help Wanted: Volunteers for COVID-19 Vaccine Trials
To find COVID-19 vaccine trial participants, the NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases merged four clinical trial networks to launch the COVID-19 Prevention Trials Network. >>READ MORE>>
Face Masks Reduce COVID-19 Infection Risk By 65 Percent
A standard rectangular mask will decrease infection to the wearer by about 65 percent. Homemade masks also work. N95 masks are the most effective but should be reserved for medical personnel. >>READ MORE>>
Study: Sterilize N95 Masks with a Microwave
N95 masks are in short supply, requiring their sterilization and re-use. The American Society for Microbiology suggests a microwave for accessible and affordable decontamination. >>READ MORE>>
Air Conditioning May Be Spreading COVID-19
As COVID-19 cases rise rapidly throughout the South, some scientists believe there could be an important but overlooked factor in the spread of the virus in the region—air conditioning. >>READ MORE>>
How COVID-19 Will Change Healthcare for the Better
Which aspects of healthcare delivery may have been permanently altered by the sudden shutdown in mid-March, and what types of healthcare benefits will consumers now demand? >>READ MORE>>
Ocular Conditions in the Age of COVID-19
We can now take stock of the essential information related to coronavirus to navigate how best to continue serving patients while preventing future transmission of COVID-19. >>READ MORE>>
National Mask Mandate Could Save Economy
A new report from Goldman Sachs indicates that a nationwide face mask mandate could lower COVID-19 infections and help economic recovery. >>READ MORE>>
Do You Know an Eyecare Hero? Nominate Them Today
Jobson is highlighting the work of ECPs for continuing to provide essential eyecare during the COVID-19 pandemic with the #EyecareHeroes initiative. >>READ MORE>>
Lakeline Vision Source’s Faster, Safer Frame Selection Process
Laurie Sorrenson, OD, FAAO, of Lakeline Vision Source in Austin, TX, is using My Frame Gallery during COVID-19 to make frame selection cleaner, safer and faster. >>READ MORE>>
Air Travel a Puzzle in Age of Coronavirus
Even as coronavirus cases have ramped back up, planes are expected to get more crowded, and whether the planes are full or not, passengers will be required to follow safety protocols. >>READ MORE>>
Student Online Case Education Program Offers Clinical Experience
To help optometry students finish their clinical education requirements, the AAO, ASCO and Johnson & Johnson Vision Care formed the Student Online Case Education Program. >>READ MORE>>
VSP Offers New Telemedicine Support Guide for ECPs
“Keys to Implementing Telemedicine in Your Practice” is available from VSP Global, which has launched a virtual clearinghouse of information and support around telemedicine on its Provider Hub. >>READ MORE>>
The Latest COVID-19 News from Medscape
The COVID-19 pandemic caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) continues to reshape the globe. Stay current with the latest updates essential for healthcare professionals. >>READ MORE>>
What PPE To Wear in Primary Care
The Infectious Diseases Society of America and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued guidelines to help clinicians protect staff and patients. >>READ MORE>>
What Are ECPs’ Travel Plans?
According to a recent WO Pop-Up Poll, 81 percent have no plans to travel to a summer/fall industry meeting, and they are either skipping personal summer travel (39 percent) or not sure (20 percent). >>READ MORE>>
Employees Get Sick: Is It COVID-19?
Participate in this WO Pop-up Poll to help determine how eye care practices are monitoring employees and enforcing safety policies. >>READ MORE>>
Vision Council Survey Determines Business Impact of COVID-19
To determine COVID-19’s effect on the eyecare sector, a recent Vision Council survey reveals the “ongoing financial strain that the COVID-19 crisis has inflicted on the optical industry.” >>READ MORE>>
Virtual Video Visit Helps Patients Feel Comfortable
Summy To, OD, wanted to reassure patients and let them know what to expect when returning to one of three Myoptic Optometry offices in Portland, OR, so this video walks them through a virtual visit. >>READ MORE>>
Ready to Adapt from Shutting Down to Reopening
Follow the steps Melissa McCulley, OD, of McCulley Optix Gallery in Fargo, ND, took from shutting down while on vacation in March, to managing staff and patients during shutdown, through reopening in mid-May. >>READ MORE>>
How to Manage Anxiety About the Country Reopening
Reopening is sure to bring anxiety as so much uncertainty remains about COVID-19. Now is a good time to prepare yourself to manage anxiety about reopening. >>READ MORE>>
Protect Your Shoes from COVID-19
The Shoe Cover Dispenser from US Opthalmic can help protect you, your staff, and your patients from coronavirus, which studies have shown can live on surfaces up to nine days or more. >>READ MORE>>
ECPs’ Business Improved, Per 11th Wave of Jobson ECP Coronavirus Survey
With 90 percent of ECPs reopened as of the June 5-9 period, sales are slowly improving overall. Here is analysis and the complete results of the survey. >>READ MORE>>
Adjusting to the New Pace
A new WO Pop-Up Poll confirmed that most eyecare professionals are back in practice and uncovered some other insights related to how ECPs are managing as they reopen. >>READ MORE>>
Opticians Provide Answers on Managing Staff, Patients, and Products
Owner/optician Roberta McLaughlin shares how 20/20 Vision Care in Saint John, New Brunswick, is engaging with staff, customers, and frame vendors to ensure safety. >>READ MORE>>
‘Patients Are Ready to Be Seen’
Tommasina Sideris, OD, owner/optometrist at Eyes on Litchfield in Litchfield, Conn., chats with 20/20 on reopening, supporting independent eyewear, and celebrating life with her patients via TikTok. >>READ MORE>>
How To Calm Patient’s Nerves About COVID
With most practices now open again for routine care, here’s how to prepare your patients for the new safety protocols. >>READ MORE>>
Doctor’s Orders: Patience and Grace
After writing an office-closing manual as a way to organize herself, Samantha Hornberger, OD, followed it up with an office-reopening manual. >>READ MORE>>
‘Roadmap to Reopening’ Updated on Reopeneyecare.com
New content in Reopeneyecare.com’s “Roadmap to Reopening” section includes operating guidelines, best practices for communicating with patients and staffs, and PPE and dispensary protocols. >>READ MORE>>
Hydroxychloroquine Poses Eye Health Risk
Still being used experimentally for COVID-19, hydroxychloroquine can cause vision problems. Of greatest concern are the effects on the retina, which are irreversible. >>READ MORE>>
Reopenings Increase Eyewear-Related Purchases
Reopened practices report fewer patients but more eyewear-related purchases, according to the latest ECP Coronavirus Survey by Jobson Optical Research. >>READ MORE>>
COVID-19 and the Retina
Researchers note hyper-reflective lesions at the level of ganglion cell and inner plexiform layers, more prominently at the papillo-macular bundle in both eyes. >>READ MORE>>
Myopia Management in the Era of COVID-19
It is vital to communicate effectively with current patients outside the office about the importance of their specific myopia management plan. >>READ MORE>>
Survey Finds Hesitancy to Travel
When will we be ready to travel again? According to this Harris Poll survey, the general population does not think that it will be traveling any time soon. >>READ MORE>>
Preparing for a Retail Reset
Executives from Vision Monday’s Top 2020 U.S. Optical Retailers share their experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic and their plans for going forward. >>READ MORE>>
One-year Business Plan Didn’t Include This
Meghan Riegel, OD, celebrated the one-year anniversary of her Good Looks Optometry practice in Stewart Manor, NY, under stay-at-home orders. >>READ MORE>>
Preparing for the Unknown
By Johnna Dukes, ABOC
In these uncertain times, making the right decisions will determine how we proceed to do business and care for people’s vision. >>READ MORE>>
What to Wear in Optometry Practices These Days
Scrubs, scrubs plus a white coat, business casual clothing and more layers of protection were all selected by respondents to a WO survey about what ECPs will be wearing to keep germs at bay. >>READ MORE>>
Research Findings Reach Multiple Conclusions
Data reported by various studies covered in Review of Optometry offer varying results.
Ocular Surface Susceptible
Low Risk from Tears
Ocular Surface Interaction
The States Most and Least Likely to Wear Face Masks
There is still a considerable difference in usage rates of face masks across states, with some significantly more likely to wear face masks than others. A YouGov poll has the answers. >>READ MORE>>
6 Essentials for an Effective Face Mask
The face mask market is increasing exponentially, but it is difficult to know what qualities to prioritize when searching for a face mask. Here, WebMD shares what makes a good cloth face mask. >>READ MORE>>
Eyecare Professionals Begin to Reopen
Optometry is back in business but with reduced hours, lower volume and an abundance of precaution, according to the 9th wave of Jobson’s Coronavirus ECP Survey. Here are the latest results. >>READ MORE>>
Doctors’ Offices Turn to GoFundMe To Stay Afloat
COVID-19 is putting small medical practices in a precarious position. Here, Medscape reports on why small practices are particularly at risk. >>READ MORE>>
Lessons from a Survivor: SAFE
Putting the finishing touches on my third startup in 2007, I didn’t anticipate the impending financial crisis. Here are some lessons I learned. >>READ MORE>>
Anticipate Patient Loyalty in the COVID-19 Environment
Overcoming the challenges of myopia management during the COVID-19 pandemic. >>READ MORE>>
Sanitization Guide for Reopening from The Vision Council
For the best sanitization methods for products and packages, check out The Vision Council’s new summary, which includes cleaning solutions, steps for cleaning, and links to various frame manufacturers’ sanitization and disinfection guides. >>READ MORE>>
HelpLine Offers COVID-19 Guidance for Optometric Industry
The Ask Walman COVID-19 information helpline offers a phone number (855-868-1076) and website (below) for the optometric industry, covering all things reopening, telehealth guidance, SBA resources, and much more. >>READ MORE>>
Maintaining Myopia Management with ‘Kindness and Understanding’ During this Pandemic
In this pandemic environment, myopia management is a challenge. Here’s how Sheila Morrison, OD, MS, FSLS, is managing myopia now. >>READ MORE>>
Helping Children Cope with Crisis
It’s a scary time for all of us, but it poses a particular kind of terror to young children who cannot fully understand what is happening, or why, especially now as some parents and caregivers return to work after being present 24/7. >>READ MORE>>
You Received Your PPP Check. Now What?
To make effective use of its Paycheck Protection Program loan, Vision Optique owners are leading the team through a 2.5-week preparation period in advance of anticipated reopening. Here’s how. >>READ MORE>>
20 Tips For Reopening Amid COVID-19
From sanitizing to staffing, here’s advice on how you can hit the ground running and thrive in a world with coronavirus. >>READ MORE>>
Most ODs Plan to Mask Patients
COVID-19’s continued threat is changing how optometrists and their staff use personal protective equipment—and may have many asking the same of their patients. >>READ MORE>>
Post Shutdown, a Pediatric Practice Prepares to Reopen
Carlee Young, OD, FAAO, hopes soon to be doing what many ODs around the country are still not able to do, which is to see patients again, the way things used to be. Here’s how she plans to manage her primarily pediatric patients. >>READ MORE>>
OD/Public Health Doctor Worries About Long-term Impact
In this Women in Optometry podcast, Kelechi Mezu-Nnabue, OD, MS, MPH, DrPH, worries about the patients she serves in her Pikeville, Maryland, practice, as well as those who would normally be served by her family foundation in Baltimore and in Nigeria. >>READ MORE>>
Lessons From a Survivor: CALM
Brian Boddy, ABOM, survived the financial crisis of 2008 and shares some of the valuable lessons he learned that can help you survive the current crisis. >>READ MORE>>
Safely Seeing Patients in the Face of COVID-19
After first closing a busy two-location practice in Pennsylvania due to COVID-19, James Deom, OD, MPH, FAAO, re-opened with longer hours, strict safety protocols, and telehealth services. >>READ MORE>>
Coronavirus: Proceed Cautiously
The opposite of panic isn’t calm—it’s preparedness. Here’s how to navigate clinical exams in uncertain times. >>READ MORE>>
How the COVID-19 Pandemic Will Affect Our Careers
It goes without saying that COVID-19 that started as a pandemic is going to have a ripple effect on our lives, careers, and the global economy. What will be the long-term effects of coronavirus, and what will the future hold for us? >>READ MORE>>
OneSight Launches Free Online Vision Check Tool
Designed for parents to use with their children, the OneSight Online Vision Check tool can be used to determine refractive errors and assess color vision. It can be taken in minutes on a desktop, laptop or tablet. >>READ MORE>>
‘Funny You Should Mask’ Raises Funds for Frontline Medical Workers
WebMD and Medscape joined forces with Daily Show alumnus and star of The Unicorn, Rob Corddry, to host “Funny You Should Mask,” a “fun-raiser” to help get PPE to frontline medical workers across the country. >>READ MORE>>
Contact Lens Institute Shares New CDC Guidance for Contact Lens Wear and COVID-19
New guidance issued last week by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention supports continued contact lens wear for people who are healthy and practice safe hygiene habits. >>READ MORE>>
Many ODs Are Feeling Emotionally Spent and More Stressed Than Normal
The results from the most recent Women in Optometry Pop-up Poll show that ODs are feeling the stress from COVID-19 concerns for their businesses and their personal safety. >>READ MORE>>
Patient Care Morphs Amid COVID-19
From telemed to ER visits, doctors and hospitals are finding creative ways to take care of those in need. >>READ MORE>>
A Practice Works to Outlast COVID
Professional Eye Care Center’s 28 years of growth in Niles, IL, changed with the COVID-19 pandemic. Now Pamela A. Lowe, OD, FAAO, Dipl. ABO, sees only urgent-care patients in person, uses telehealth technology, provides curbside pick-up, and relies on low-dose atropine for her myopia management patients until the practice can reopen. >>READ MORE>>