Photo courtesy of Dr. Thanh Mai. Dr. Hawkin Lui, Dr. Mai’s practice partner, is seen here with the in-office staff meeting with their virtual colleagues. Dr. Mai shares tips for optimizing the power of virtual team members.
The power of virtual team members
By Thanh Mai, OD
Sept. 17, 2025
Let’s get real—virtual team members (VAs) aren’t futuristic fantasies. In today’s optometry world, they’re more essential than your autorefractor and less likely to break down halfway through the day.
We have more than 10 full-time virtual assistants on deck every week. And no, they aren’t just sipping piña coladas while forwarding phone calls.
They manage HR, marketing, billing, contact lens orders, accounts payable, phones and even design custom Ortho-K lenses. Some even run parts of the business like mini optometric bosses. But turning VAs into MVPs didn’t happen by accident. It took a total operational overhaul.
Step One: Establish Your Digital Headquarters
Before you hire remote help, commit to a single digital headquarters. Don’t try “a little Google here, a little Dropbox there, and let’s just WhatsApp about it.” That’s a recipe for disaster.
We chose Google Workspace, and here’s why it’s our favorite:
- Google Calendar keeps everyone on schedule and a little less confused.
- Google Meet makes recurring meetings easy.
- Gmail is professional and secure.
- Slack keeps the chaos organized in a good way.
- Shared Drives work like a giant digital filing cabinet, minus the paper cuts.
If you don’t select a central platform, your office will devolve into “I thought you saw the message I sent somewhere, maybe” territory.
Slack: Our Digital Water Cooler
Slack is where most of our communication happens. We use channels like:
- #marketing, where our content plans come to life
- #hr-ops, for onboarding, offboarding and troubleshooting issues like Steve’s WiFi
- #celebrations, because birthdays and wins deserve GIFs and emojis
Slack Huddles function like virtual walkie-talkies. Slack Polls let us vote—memes included. It’s not just communication, it’s culture made of pixels.
Making Virtual Team Members Part of the Team
We don’t just hire virtual assistants—we onboard, train and integrate them so well that half the time we forget they aren’t in the building.
Here’s how we help remote rock stars feel like true team members:
- Trainual.com holds every SOP and every screen-recorded walkthrough for onboarding.
- EHR access, via TeamViewer or Splashtop, is safe and HIPAA compliant.
- Shared Google Calendars keep everyone in sync and productive.
- 1Password gives us one password to rule them all—and revoke when needed.
- Ethernet only. No WiFi warriors here. Cables mean stability.
- Weekly KPIs keep everyone focused on shared goals, not micromanaging.
Honestly, some of our VAs outpace our in-office team. No offense—we love them too.
The Truth: This Is Integration, Not Just Virtual Work
The goal isn’t just to have virtual assistants—it’s to build a strong team, digital or otherwise. The secret is clear systems, clarity, consistency and, yes, GIFs.
Whether you’re a solo OD with a big vision or running a multi-location practice, virtual team members give you one thing optometrists are always short on: leverage.
The Virtual Optometry Manifesto:
- Pick one platform. Live in it. Love it.
- Build clear workflows, and use them.
- Train with intention.
- Communicate as if everyone’s in the room—because, in all the ways that count, they are.
Read another column by Dr. Mai
Thanh Mai, OD, is an owner of Insight Vision Center Optometry, a Vision Source practice in Costa Mesa, California, Optometry Corner, a Vision Source practice in Irvine, California and Eyecon Optometry, a Vision Source practice in in Reseda, California. In addition, Dr. Mai owns Project Eyecare, a Vision Source practice, in Mission Viejo, California. To contact him: tmai@visionsource.com
