Dr. Brandon McChesney wants patients of all ages, and especially the kids, to feel comfortable during every visit. All photos courtesy of Dr. McChesney.
By Brandon McChesney, OD
Sept. 1, 2026
Depending on where you’re located, school is either just about to start or already underway. The back-to-school season brings many children and their families into our practice for exams. For optometric practices, that makes this a valuable time not only for patient care, but also for education, retention and future growth.
Patients, especially parents, are often busy. But they are also highly motivated when they are sitting in the exam room, focused on doing what’s best for their children. That creates an important opportunity to make an impact clinically and from a business perspective.
When I joined the practice in 2019, it already had a reputation for vision therapy and working with patients with traumatic brain injury. I saw an opportunity to continue and expand our pediatric services.
Our practice was also undergoing an acquisition with AEG Vision around the same time. With our team’s established approach and AEG Vision’s support, we were able to refocus on our patients and build on the pediatric services already taking shape.
We follow these strategies for creating engaging pediatric experiences that keep families connected to our practice.
START WITH THE CHILD AND KEEP THE EXPERIENCE COMFORTABLE
One of the first things I focus on is making the experience comfortable for the child. I’m 6’5, so I try to come in with a big smile and an approachable presence. Directly talking to the child at their level is important. It helps create a relaxed environment and makes the visit feel less intimidating.
We also try to make the first experience easier whenever possible. For example, using fundus photos instead of dilation can be a big game changer. That first impression matters. Removing the “that hurts” part of the visit can improve both the patient experience and the family’s perception of care.
EDUCATE PARENTS IN PLAIN LANGUAGE
Parent education is just as important, but it should be simple. I try to avoid terminology that may be useful among peers but not meaningful to a parent who just wants to know whether their child is okay. Instead, I use plain language and analogies. I often talk about a sliding scale between hyperopia and myopia. I discuss the nature and nurture drivers that can affect where their child is on that scale.
When discussing vision development issues, l tend to make an analogy like: “Imagine your child is driving a sports car down the freeway with no steering wheel”. There is nothing wrong with the function of the precision machine (their eyes) and nothing wrong with the driver (their brain) but there is a disconnect between the two. In vision therapy, our goal is to build the steering wheel and help your child gain a better control and understanding of their visual system.
We use a few, simple key questions to uncover whether something deeper may be going on.
- Does your child have headaches at the end of the day?
- Are they having issues with reading comprehension?
- Does your child have poor coordination or inconsistencies with activities?
- Do they skip words or lines when reading or have to use their finger?
- Do they tire easily or avoid reading activity?
Those kinds of questions can help reveal underlying issues that might otherwise be missed. It opens the door to a deeper conversation about what the child or other siblings may need.
We take the same education approach with our community outreach. Last year, I visited several local preschools to talk to the kids about going to the optometrist. The goal was to show them before their kindergarten visit that the experience wouldn’t be scary. AEG Vision created a package of marketing materials to hand out for their parents. The information was easily digestible and branded to our office.
Breaking down the presentation makes it easier for parents to understand why early intervention matters, especially when it comes to myopia management.
BUILD CARE AROUND THE PATIENT’S NEEDS
Myopia management is just one of the services that keeps us connected to our pediatric patients beyond the back-to-school season. During the annual exam, we can explore the options that meet the child’s lifestyle. Hyperopic lenses to slow rates of change or reduce symptoms are often prescribed. We regularly discuss contact lenses or eyewear as a therapeutic tool helping to support or push the visual system in a direction. When used in this way patients need regular follow-up visits to check progress.
We recently participated in a test pilot with AEG Vision, reviewing myopia control protocols so that this education can be shared with more of its doctors. This connection has also helped us add more technology and instrumentation to advance our myopia control care.
We also focus on vision therapy and development. We see a surprising number of children with undiagnosed conditions such as convergence insufficiency, amblyopia, strabismus or accommodation issues that are affecting function. In many cases, the initial exam leads to a secondary assessment, and depending on what the child needs, they may move into a vision therapy program. That can bring patients back to office weekly for a designated program.
Dr. McChesney helped expand the pediatric services when he joined the practice.
EXPAND YOUR NETWORK
AEG Vision has played an important role in helping us expand this work both with patients and professionally.
They’ve supported our recalls through texts and emails. Our office then internally follows up with anyone who hasn’t returned in more than 18 months. It’s often busy parents who just need a personal reminder to bring their kids back in and to schedule an appointment for themselves, as well.
We have also benefited from AEG’s network of doctors and support structure. In our area, AEG has a variety of practices that serve as referral drivers to our office. I invite doctors to send us any cases that they don’t understand or if they are unsure if the patient should see an ophthalmologist. There is a strong sense of collaboration in our meetings with local doctors.
From a business standpoint, this relationship adds real value by strengthening both patient care and practice growth. AEG Vision supports our existing system, while allowing us to invest more time in patient education and referral relationships. That helps turn the seasonal back-to-school visit into a more consistent engine for long-term growth.
This article is sponsored by AEG Vision
Read more about how AEG Vision supports its doctors here.
Read more on patient engagement here.
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Brandon McChesney, OD, completed his undergraduate schooling at the University of Pittsburgh, pre-med with a focus on biology. He obtained his Doctor of Optometry from the Southern College of Optometry, with a focus on vision therapy and vision development. Prior to optometry school, he worked for several years as a vision therapist. Since joining Eyecare Specialties, located in Wexford, Pennsylvania, in 2019, Dr. McChesney has spearheaded modernizing the “no patch” treatment protocol for amblyopia focusing on engaging the brain to utilize both eyes with lenses and therapeutic techniques. He has recently expanded his practice to include more disease management focusing on myopia control, glaucoma, high risk medications and underlying causes of dry eye. To contact him: bmcchesney@eyecarespecialtiespa.com |
