EyeCare Professional Magazine February 2010 Issue

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ECO-FRIENDLY EYEWEAR / PAGE 6 STRATEGIC PRACTICE MANAGEMENT / PAGE 14 February 2010 • Volume 4, Issue 26 • www.ECPmag.com

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FEBRUARY 2010

EYECAREPROFESSIONAL

Vol. 4 Issue 26

Contents

Magazine

Features 6

ECO-FRIENDLY EYEWEAR Do your part for the environment and offer your patients the latest in Eco-Friendly Eyewear.

By Amy Endo, ABOM, CPOT

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STRATEGIC DISPENSARY MANAGEMENT In today’s optical environment, in-depth strategic management is more important than ever.

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By Warren McDonald, PhD

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DEALING WITH ADAPTATION ISSUES Learn how to prevent and resolve the most common adaptation problems.

By Carrie Wilson, BS, LDO, ABOAC, NCLEC

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THE MODERN PRACTICE Your dispensary should be feeding your practice over 50% of its revenue.

By Ginny Johnson, LDO, ABOC

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THE $64,000 QUESTION Patients never cease to amaze with the array of memorable questions they come up with.

by Anthony Record, ABO/NCLE, RDO

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INDEPENDENT THINKING Think for yourself and maintain some healthy skepticism regarding each new “latest and greatest” product.

By Judy Canty, ABO/NCLE

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On The Cover: US OPTICAL LLC 800-445-2773 www.USOPTICAL.com

Departments EDITOR/VIEW .....................................................................................................4 MOVERS AND SHAKERS.................................................................................36 SECOND GLANCE ............................................................................................40 ADVERTISER INDEX .......................................................................................46 INDUSTRY QUICK ACCESS............................................................................47 LAST LOOK .......................................................................................................50

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EYECAREPROFESSIONAL

Magazine

Editor / view

by Jeff Smith

Publisher/Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeff Smith Production/Graphics Manager. . . . . . . . . . . Bruce S. Drob Director, Advertising Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . Lynnette Grande Contributing Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Judy Canty, Dee Carew, Harry Chilinguerian, Timothy Coronis, Amy Endo, Bob Fesmire, Elmer Friedman, Lindsey Getz, Ginny Johnson, Jim Magay, Warren McDonald, Anthony Record, Carrie Wilson Technical Editor . . . . . . . . Brian A. Thomas, P.h.D, ABOM Internet Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry Adler Opinions expressed in editorial submissions contributed to EyeCare Professional Magazine, ECP™ are those of the individual writers exclusively and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of EyeCare Professional Magazine, ECP™ its staff, its advertisers, or its readership. EyeCare Professional Magazine, ECP™ assume no responsibility toward independently contributed editorial submissions or any typographical errors, mistakes, misprints, or missing information within advertising copy.

ADVERTISING & SALES (215) 355-6444 • (800) 914-4322 lgrande@ECPmag.com

EDITORIAL OFFICES 111 E. Pennsylvania Blvd.

Feasterville, PA 19053 (215) 355-6444 • Fax (215) 355-7618 www.ECPmag.com editor@ECPmag.com EyeCare Professional Magazine, ECP™ is published monthly

by OptiCourier, Ltd. Delivered by Third Class Mail Volume 4 Number 26 TrademarkSM 1994 by OptiCourier, Ltd. All Rights Reserved.

No part of this magazine may be used or reproduced in any form or by any means without prior written permission of the publisher.

OptiCourier, Ltd. makes no warranty of any kind, either expressed, or implied, with regard to the material contained herein.

OptiCourier, Ltd. is not responsible for any errors and omissions, typographical, clerical and otherwise. The possibility of errors does exist with respect to anything printed herein.

It shall not be construed that OptiCourier, Ltd. endorses, promotes, subsidizes, advocates or is an agent or representative for any of the products, services or individuals in this publication.

Purpose: EyeCare Professional Magazine, ECP™ is a publication dedicated to providing information and resources affecting the financial well-being of the Optical Professional both professionally and personally. It is committed to introducing a wide array of product and service vendors, national and regional, and the myriad cost savings and benefits they offer.

For Back Issues and Reprints contact Jeff Smith, Publisher at 800-914-4322 or by Email: jeff@ECPmag.com Copyright © 2010 by OptiCourier Ltd. All Rights Reserved

4 | EYECAREPROFESSIONAL | FEBRUARY 2010

Digitize your Practice The disadvantages of buying prescription eyewear online are well known to any experienced ECP. Although the benefits to buying glasses from a brick and mortar location are apparent, the fact remains that the internet presents a growth opportunity that mustn’t be ignored, especially in this current economic climate.

Overall online retail spending for the November-December holiday season rose 4 percent to $29.1 billion from a year earlier. That contrasts with a 1.1 percent gain in total retail holiday sales, according to the National Retail Federation. It is further estimated that online sales in the U.S. will expand 13 percent this year and 10 percent in 2011.

According to last October’s Vision Watch report by the Vision Council, 3.6% of those surveyed will utilize the internet for their next prescription eyeglass purchase. That number is small compared to most retail sectors, and no one would dispute the sustainability of physical optical locations, but it’s inevitable that these online numbers will continue to rise. Even if you aren’t selling anything online, the virtual termination of the Yellow Pages as a viable industry means that at least a basic online presence displaying your contact information is essential.

Setting up a website is relatively easy. Most buying groups have ready-made sites available, and even if you decide to go it alone, there is a plethora of hosting sites available, most likely including your internet provider. You can set it up yourself, using programs like Microsoft Frontpage/Expression and Adobe Dreamweaver, which are not as daunting to operate as you might think. Or you can find a company to design the site for you, including periodically updating the information. Setting up a free social networking site (like Facebook), which are of huge interest to young people, is another simple option.

Your website can be a valuable portal for new patients, as most people check the internet first when looking for local vendors. While offering complete glasses online may be impractical, you certainly can include a frame catalogue, along with lens options. List all the services you offer, highlighting any special emphasis, such as low vision, or pediatric. Use lots of photos, including your staff, and identify any special designation they might have, such as ABOC, etc. Of course mention your address and phone numbers, but also include an interactive map to make it easy for them to find you (use Google Maps or Mapquest).

One of the most effective ways to advertise online is through Google. A small ad space is provided at the search pages you specify (for example: Cleveland Ohio Optometrist) where you are charged only for click-throughs to your website (Only use Google, they handle more than 2/3 of all U.S. internet searches). If you belong to a buying group that has a website, see if they offer advertising space.

The internet has opened the doors to a world of opportunity, and the process has never been easier.

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CLEAR VISION. CLEAN LENSES. CRISP VIEWING.

The Ordinary ClearLenses Choice For Your Patients without Anti-Reflection

KODAK CleAR™ Anti-Reflective Lenses

KODAK CleAR Lenses feature breakthrough optical coating technology which makes it easier for patients to care for their lenses.

Even oily smudges and grime wash away with ease.

Available on most manufacturers’ lenses including all KODAK Lenses.

EXPERIENCE IT TODAY!

Call 800-328-7035.

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Photographic demonstration simulated. Kodak and the Kodak trade dress are trademarks of Kodak, used under license by Signet Armorlite, Inc. CleAR is a trademark of Signet Armorlite, Inc. ©2010 Signet Armorlite, Inc.

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ECO-FRIENDLY EYEWEAR

by Amy Endo ABOM, CPOT

IN TODAY’S TOUGH ECONOMY, people are more in tune with recycling and being closer to nature. They are looking for natural colors that comfort them, and lucky charms to feel the future will be brighter. We now go back to simpler times where frames can have a sleek, nature inspired look.

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1. Linkskin Linkskin frames are manufactured from recycled materials and are fully recyclable. They use no soldering in its manufacturing to avoid harmful carbon emissions and even use recycled plastic for their cases.

To manufacture the LKS Series, Linkskin had to find a way to unite two metal fronts to create the two tone effect, which they did by incorporating nylon to stitch the frame together, thus becoming not only an element of function, but design as well. www.linkskin.com 2. Kenmark Group The Redux segment in the Jhane Barnes Eyewear Collection incorporates her design aesthetic into designer frames for men that are eco-friendly. Utilizing innovative techniques, these frames feature thin sheets of recycled wood pulp laminated into an acetate temple consisting of 30 percent recycled scrap. The styles feature titanium fronts and use bio-degradable demo lenses made from corn rather than standard petroleum based demo lenses. The Redux 2 is a rectangular shaped frame which features a contemporary look with its recycled wood pulp design into the acetate temple. www.kenmarkoptical.com

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3. Urban Spectacles With over a dozen woods to select from, each spectacle frame starts as a solid block of the chosen wood and is then transformed into the desired design. Using wood for the material, each piece will always have its unique grain pattern, without the possibility of exact duplication. Some woods have been selected for the fact that they are from felled trees, meaning that zero trees were killed in the process of harvesting the wood. The use of spring hinges and the option of personalized measurements allows for a truly personalized fit. Currently made only to order, Urban Spectacles is creating an exclusive line to be available for shops within the year. www.urbanspectacles.com

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4. Gold & Wood The new NEO creation for men offers a subtle combination of seduction and energy. Together with precious woods, this material is very thin and well ventilated, giving birth to an extremely light laminated fusion of wood and cork with reinforced flexibility. Together with the pure titanium of the front, this innovation reveals its real essence to men who want to show that they have a more comfortable appearance. The Concept 116 is available in two shapes and three color tones. www.gold-and-wood.com

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5. Kayu Design Gaya sunglasses feature 100% UV gradient lenses framed elegantly in bamboo. Bamboo is one of the fastest growing materials and is grown without the use of pesticides or fertilizer. Gaya frames are 5.25� (measured temple to temple).

For every pair purchased, Kayu funds one sight-restoring surgery in the developing world. www.kayudesign.com

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6. Amy Sacks Eyewear All bamboo used in the production of Amy Sacks Eyewear comes from sustainably harvested bamboo farms. Bamboo stands provide wildlife habitat, decrease erosion and produce up to 35% more oxygen than a comparable stand of trees. Masa Bamboo is available in 7 colors ranging from subtle Storm to vibrant Tangerine. This frame combines richly colored acetate fronts with hand carved sustainable bamboo temples. The classic styling suits men and women while the subtle details of the natural material set it apart. www.amysackseyewear.com

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GO GREEN! Do what you can to create a better environment now and in the future. Work with your frame companies to see if they recycle and do all that you can to recycle and show your commitment to the green movement.

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7. Nouveau Eyewear For every frame purchased from the Eco-Green eyewear Global ReLeaf line, Nouveau has pledged to plant a tree through its partnership with the nation’s oldest conservation agency, American Forests. To date, Nouveau has helped plant over 30,000 trees from sales of this collection. Everglades is a uniquely-shaped semi-rimless ladies frame with open temples. www.nouveaueyewear.com

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8. ICU Eyewear ICU Eyewear is a leader in fashion reading glasses and sun readers for men and women. Bright and beautiful colors, designs and patterns paired with modern frames create a unique and stylish collection. Innovative features and fresh new materials like sustainable bamboo, reclaimed plastic and recycled metal are integrated into the signature styles. www.icueyewear.com

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9. Modo The eco collection is a radically new approach to eyewear using recycled metal and plastic – it’s the first-ever consumer brand and eyewear collection to receive an Environmental Claims Validation™ from UL Environment. Eco offers a diverse range of classically inspired shapes, styles and colors. From elegant to edgy, flat to curved, and round to square, the variety of looks is well suited to complement an array of personalities. Packaging is made of recycled paper and can be reused by consumers to send back unwanted frames which will be donated to people in need. www.modobiz.com

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Come See Us At Booth #’s: SECO Booth # 306 Vision Expo East Booth # 1251

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Essilor Announces 10 International Acquisitions and Partnerships, Including Three U.S. Labs Essilor International reported last month that it has signed 10 acquisition or partnership agreements in its five global operating regions since October 2009. These companies generate combined annual revenue of around 35 million Euros, according to Essilor.

In France, Novisia, an Essilor subsidiary and the exclusive distributor of Nikon lenses in continental Europe, has acquired a majority stake in Mont-Royal, a lens distributor with a prescription laboratory in Goeztenbruck, in the Lorraine region, and annual revenue of around 10 million Euros. In the U.K., Essilor has acquired a 95 percent equity interest in Horizon, a laboratory located in edfordshire, north of London, with annual revenue of 3.4 million Euros. Essilor said the two transactions in Europe will strengthen its multi-network strategy.

Essilor has increased its market share in the U.S. by acquiring a majority or all the interest in three prescription laboratories: Ultimate Optical in Florida, with $6.3 million in annual revenue, Optical Dimensions in Michigan, with $3.7 million in annual revenue, and Truckee Meadows Optical in Nevada, with $3 million in annual revenue. In Latin America, Essilor has acquired a 51 percent stake in

GBO, a major distributor of finished and semi-finished lenses in Sao Paolo with 2009 revenue of approximately 3 million Euros.

Essilor is expanding its coverage of the Chinese market with the acquisition of an ophthalmic lens manufacturer, Danyang ILT Optics Co. The company generates annual revenue of nearly 7 million Euros in the domestic and export markets. In India, Essilor has acquired Lens and Spects, which reports 0.45 million Euros in annual revenue. The company comprises a distributor and two prescription laboratories operating in four cities in western India.

Following its acquisition of an equity interest in Dubaibased Amico, Essilor is pursuing its development in the Middle East. Essilor Amico Middle East FZCo has acquired a majority stake in Ghanada Optical Co., a prescription laboratory with 1.7 million Euros in annual revenue located in Abu Dhabi.

Essilor also acquired Vision Optics, a prescription laboratory based in Durban, South Africa with 0.7 million Euros in annual revenue.

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Protect Patients and Diversify Revenue with Vision Protection Eye injuries are the leading cause of vision loss in one eye are the second leading cause of vision loss in two eyes. Most eye injuries can be prevented and eye care professionals have the opportunity to help protect their patients.

your patients about vision protection. The Vision Council’s Vision Protection Committee is pleased to offer continuing education on this important strategy through its course “Priceless Vision: It’s a Trust Thing” on Friday, March 19 from 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm.

Adding vision protection to your practice can protect your patients’ vision while also expanding your patient base and diversifying your revenue.

Did you know:

This course will review the prevalence of eye injuries that occur from sports, around the home and in the workplace. Home and workplace issues associated with computer usage will also be discussed. In addition, ways to educate your staff to make sure your patients are protected from the needless loss of sight that occurs from eye injury will also be outlined.

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Approximately 75 percent of computer users experience some form of computer eye strain.

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Each day 2,000 workers receive medical treatment for work related eye injuries.

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Forty-five percent of all disabling eye injuries occur at home.

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Every 13 minutes, someone visits an emergency room with a sports related eye injury.

Be sure to sign up for this exciting new seminar and provide an important service to your patients.

Priceless Vision: It’s a Trust Thing Friday, March 19, 2010 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm Course #2403

By using the “Inquire. Inform. Introduce.” strategy for each vision protection category you can educate

otection, UV, Sports Safety, Industrial Safety, Protective Eyewear, Home afety, Vision Protection, UV, Sports Safety, Industrial Safety, Protective yewear, Home Safety, Vision Protection, UV, Sports Safety, Industrial afety, Protective Eyewear, Home Safety, Vision Protection, UV, Sports afety, Industrial Safety, Protective Eyewear, Home Safety, Vision Protection, V, Sports Safety, Industrial Safety, Protective Eyewear, Home Safety, Vision otection, UV, Sports Safety, Industrial Safety, Protective Eyewear, Home afety, Vision Protection, UV, Sports Safety, Industrial Safety, Protective yewear, Home Safety, Vision Protection, UV, Sports Safety, Industrial afety, Protective Eyewear, Home Safety, Vision Protection, UV, Sports Friday, March 19 afety, Industrial Safety, Protective Eyewear, Home Safety, Vision Protection, 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm V, Sports Safety, Industrial Safety, Protective Eyewear, Home Safety, Vision >> Vision: It’s a Trust Thing otection, UV, Sports Safety, Industrial Safety, Protective Eyewear, Home Priceless Course 2403 afety, Vision Protection,

Learn About

Vision Protection

To register, visit www.visionexpoeast.com

The Vision Council’s programs help you enhance your career, your practice and your community’s vision health. For more information, visit www.thevisioncouncil.org.

NEW

YORK

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Patented Back-Surface Free-Form Technology Available from these Independent Labs* Central Optical

MH Optical Supplies

Rite-Style Optical

Youngstown, OH 800-322-6678

S. Hackensack, NJ 800-445-3090

Omaha, NE 800-373-3200

Digital Eye Lab

MJ Optical

Robertson Optical

Hawthorne, NY 888-305-3300

Omaha, NE 800-634-9461

Loganville, GA 770-554-3000 Columbia, SC 803-254-9381 Greenville, SC 864-370-2015

Integrity Optics Midland, TX 432-218-9647

New Hampshire Optical Concord, NH 800-852-3717 Lewiston, ME 800-288-7997

Rochester Optical Rochester, NY 585-254-0022

Italee Optical

Nexus Vision Group

Los Angeles, CA 213-385-8805

Central Carolina Optical 800-324-4233 National Optical 800-489-5367 New South Labs 800-849-0075 Optical Supply 877-950-2037 Western Carolina Optical 828-258-1706 Wholesale Optical Supply 800-585-2352

Laramy-K Indianola, IA 800-525-1274

Luzerne Optical Wilkes-barre, PA 800-233-9637

Pelican Optical Sarasota, FL 800-862-0966

The Lens Work Sun Valley, CA 818-771-0055

US Optical East Syracuse, NY 800-445-2773

Winchester Optical Elmira, NY 800-847-9357 Macedon, NY 800-426-9114

*Manufacturing partners listed above. View our complete list of manufacturing & distributing partner labs on our website at www.seikoeyewear.com

Seiko Epson Corporation owns the intellectual property rights (patent #6,019,470) in the United States, to produce/distribute/sell/market lenses that combine the toric and progressive powers onto the back surface (eye side) of the lens. lens • Transitions and the swirl are registered trademarks of Transitions Optical, Optical Inc., Inc Pinellas Park Park, FL 33782

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Win a Dream Vacation Plus Cash & Prizes with Seiko’s Independent Lab Free-Form Stimulus Package February, March & April 2010 • Receive a prize card with every pair of Seiko Internal Free-Form PAL or 1.67 Super MV Lenses

Receive a scratch-off card with every pair of Seiko Internal Free-Form or double-aspheric 1.67 Super MV single vision lenses that you purchase from a participating independent lab during the months of February, March & April, 2010. Scratch-off prize: $1 to $100 cash, or chances to win Seiko watches and clocks. Each card returned will be entered into a drawing for a Hawaii Dream Vacation worth up to $5,000 (grand prize), a flat screen TV (second prize), or $500 American Express Gift Card (third prize). We recommend you save and submit all entries at the end of the promotion, but no later than May 31, 2010. Cash will be paid by check on or about June 30, 2010. Grand prize drawing held June 15, 2010. Fraudulent, mutilated, incomplete, or illegible cards will not be honored. We are not responsible for lost, late or misdirected mail. For complete details, visit www.seikoeyewear.com.

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The 21st Century Optician Warren G. McDonald, PhD Professor of Health Administration Reeves School of Business / Methodist University

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT

For The Eye Care Professional, Part II LAST MONTH we introduced the concept of Strategic Management.

We described it as future-focused, and hopefully provided some ideas that proved fruitful in the management of your practices and organizations. As Covey described, we must all be proactive in our endeavors, and developing the right strategy for our organizations assure that we will remain viable long into the future.

This month we will attempt to provide some insight into the specific processes involved in strategic management. And it is a process...not a one-time solution. This process requires several things, the first of which is to develop an understanding of the external environment in which we operate. There are many environmental issues and influences we face and they evolve quickly. They include, but are not limited to: 1. Politics and legislative changes – The Obama Health Plan is on all our minds. How do we address the plan once/if it is implemented?

2. A rapidly changing economy – I do not need to say much about that...we all feel it, and hope to see it change this year!

3. Demographic changes – the population is clearly aging, and learning to meet the wants and needs of that population is key to our success.

4. Social issues – a continually growing population that is more diverse than ever before.

5. Technology – there is so much new technology that we can never be expected to bring everything in. It is important to be selective in purchasing the right technology for our operation, whether we are large or small.

6. Ever-increasing competitive changes – in health care, and in particular eye care, these are self-evident to us all.

Corporate providers, changing roles of the three Os, and more and more new practices opening every day!

With all of these things facing us, how can we ever expect to cope? We must continually scan the environment. Just like a captain of a ship at sea, we must keep our eye on the horizon and see what is coming. That process is called an environmental analysis. In this month’s article, we will specifically look at the external component of strategic management. What external forces have an influence on our success or failure? (Swayne, et.al (2008) indicates that there are a number of goals for environmental analysis. They include: 1. To identify and analyze current important issues and changes that will affect the organization.

2. To detect and analyze early or weak signals of emerging issues and changes that will affect the organization.

3. To speculate on the likely future issues and changes that will have significant impact on the organization.

4. To classify and order issues and changes generated by outside organizations.

5. To provide organized information for the development of the organization’s internal analysis, mission, vision, values, goals, and strategy.

6. To foster further strategic thinking throughout the organization.

There are limitations. First, we can never really tell what may happen in the future, and cannot see all the changes that may come. Often we do not fully understand the impact of changes, or misinterpret them. And often, our own stubbornness may get in the way. Those who do not change with the times are destined to fail. With that said, analyzing the external environment will allow for us to be prepared to meet future needs. It is up to us what we do with the information.

What makes up the external environment?

The external environment is made up of three components according to Swayne, et.al (2008). They are the general environment, the health care environment and the service area.

Continued on page 16

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ABB Concise Expands Ophthalmic Lens Distribution Nationally ABB Concise, the nation’s largest contact lens distributor, is expanding its range of stock ophthalmic lens products and has begun offering the lenses on a nationwide basis.

In conjunction with the expansion of its stock lens business, ABB Concise has published the Ophthalmic Lens Portfolio, a reference guide to the sizes, parameters, features and best price available for the wide variety of stock ophthalmic lenses distributed by the company.

“The Ophthalmic Lens Portfolio is designed to take the guesswork out of ordering ophthalmic lenses,” said Michael J. Abbruzzese, senior vice president, marketing.

“It helps you easily identify your lens of choice and increases your effectiveness of ordering.

You can order ophthalmic lenses with your contact lenses to increase office efficiency and to reduce shipping costs—especially when ordered online,” he added.

The Portfolio includes lenses from well-known manufacturers, including products from Essilor, KBco, Somo as well as the Trivex line from PPG Industries.

“Our product offering is based on Essilor’s brand awareness and Somo’s affordable products and was designed to increase your profits and keep you competitive in today’s changing marketplace,” Abbruzzese said.

The Ophthalmic Lens Portfolio also reports on usage and trends based on purchases by ABB Concise’s customers.

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The General Environment This segment is made up of the government, businesses, education, churches, individuals and consumers, and generally anyone or anything else that interacts with the organization outside of health care. Specific competition within the service area we will discuss separately.

The organization must be a good partner within the general environment. Consider that organizations interact with others and play a role in the success or failure of each other. You must pay your bills on time to your suppliers, and you expect those you serve to do the same. Along the same lines, do you contribute to charitable organizations? Churches and service clubs are great organizations, and through your contributions of both time and talent, you provide support to the community. These activities may not pay you monetary dividend, but do provide excellent sources of good will.

The Health Care Environment This segment includes many facets, and is specific to the health of our service area/community. A few are regulatory agencies that we all must deal with, such as our state boards, accrediting agencies, etc. Also included are primary and secondary providers, hospitals, drug companies, and any other healthrelated organizations, particularly those we interact with on a referral basis. Lastly, but most important to us, are patients. We must constantly strive to provide excellent service to the patients we serve, and recognize that we may significantly impact their lives and the lives of their families. These people come to us in time of need, and we should be focused on solving their health care issues first and foremost, which separates health care from the general business environment.

The Service Area This generally includes our competition, government services that may compete, other businesses, and individual consumers.

Most important for us to consider is the consumer (our patients), and our direct competition. In the terms most used by general business, we can look upon the service area as the “target market”. Interestingly, many small health care organizations of the past, particularly private practice physicians, simply hung out their shingle and patients found them. Today, the story demands we have a clear understanding of the service area and how we fit.

Components of Environmental Analysis • Scanning – as mentioned earlier, the captain at sea must constantly view the horizon. We must do likewise.

By keeping our eyes and ears peeled, we can often pick up information that may affect our organizations either positively or negatively. We can take that information and use it to our benefit.

16 | EYECAREPROFESSIONAL | FEBRUARY 2010

• Monitoring – Once we see something that may affect us during the scanning process, we can then monitor that data. Sometimes we may get bad information, and it will eventually be discredited, but that is fine. We were prepared either way to meet the challenge.

• Forecasting – Through scanning and monitoring, we can develop forecasts that allow us to make predications.

These predictions allow us to do a number of things, like adding additional staff, or decreasing our inventory.

Again, we can’t always accurately predict the future, but current and historical data allows us to at least make an educated assumption. I realize how to spell a s s u m e, but an educated assumption is far better than playing defense once someone else beats us to the starting line.

• Assessing – Lastly, once the scanning, monitoring and forecasting phases are complete, we can assess our situation. How significant are the issues we face? Through the assessment phase, we can identify issues that will affect our mission, vision, values, and overall strategic plan, and design a strategy to move the organization in a positive direction.

The Environmental Analysis Tool Box There are a number of tools we can use to effectively evaluate and analyze the external environment. The first of those is issue identification and classification. Is the issue significant? How heavy would it weigh upon the organization? If the issue is not significant, either positive or negative, we should not concern ourselves too much, but keep on scanning. The second would be discussing issues with stakeholders...those we do business with. Patients, suppliers, etc. are valuable sounding boards for issues. Another technique involves seeking expert advice.

Consultants and other experts can guide you. Professional associations are places that provide us with opportunities to discuss issues with experts and our peers who have similar concerns. They can be of tremendous benefit. There are others, but we will leave you with those three for purposes of brevity.

Conclusion The External Environment in which we operate is extremely important to the success of our organizations. Of specific importance to those of us in eyecare today is the aging population and how we react to their wants and needs. How do we meet the needs of this population? There are many changes that will be brought to health care providers in the coming months, and staying on top of those changes is necessary for long-term success. By continually analyzing the external environment we provide our organizations with the best opportunity for success. Next month we will evaluate our competition, and how we can maintain our competitive advantage, or gain one! ■

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Through the Lens Carrie Wilson, BS, LDO, ABOAC, NCLEC

AS AN EYE CARE PROFESSIONAL, problem solving and resolution of adaptation issues is an integral part of the job. Many patients have to go through an adaptation process when presented with a new prescription or lens design.

Unfortunately, adaptation and its process are usually not fully understood by the ECP and therefore difficult to explain to the patient. This can result in frustration by all parties involved. So, what is adaptation?

Adapting to the World

The Prism

Adaptation is a survival skill that allows us to live comfortably within our surroundings. It enables individuals to find harmony with their environment through a series of adjustments that our mind subconsciously makes. When one of the five senses is involved, the adaptation is called sensory adaptation. A prime example of a sensory adaptation is a sight sensory adaptation called light adaptation. When an individual walks from a bright room to a dark room, he or she is completely blind in the darkness.

A prism in its most basic sense is a transparent, triangular shaped object with a base (thick portion) and an apex (thin portion). When light enters a prism from air, it slows down and the light is bent or deviated towards the base. If an object is being viewed through the prism, the image is displaced toward the apex. Because the objective of a prism in regards to optics is to deviate, or refract a beam of light as well as to displace an image, it is the building block upon which visual correction is based.

However, after a couple of minutes, the brain and eye goes through a series of steps and adapts. The pupil dilates, allowing more light into the eye and stimulate the retina. The rod photoreceptors, the receptors that are sensitive to low levels of light, are activated and objects that were once shadowed in darkness becomes more visible to the individual. Although this response occurs in all individuals, regardless of their visual acuity, there is another sensory adaptation that typically only occurs in an individual who is wearing some type of visual correction. This is the hand-eye sensory adaptation.

All lenses are prisms. A plus lens is two prisms placed base to base and a minus lens is two prisms placed apex to apex. As a result, the two lenses have very different ways of passing information to the brain. A plus lens converges light and magnifies the images received by the brain and a minus lens diverges light and minifies the images received by the brain. The image changes are compounded by a spherocylinder lens that has a correction for astigmatism as well as a lens that has a multifocal addition. It is easy to see how these image changes can cause an initial feeling of imbalance and discomfort to the patient. It is when these uneasy feelings are experienced by the patient he or she undergoes the hand-eye sensory adaptation process.

Hand-eye sensory adaptation is an adaptation to a person’s ability to coordinate eye movement with hand movement. How hand-eye coordination works is a multistep process in which the eye fixates on a target. Information about the object, such as size, shape and distance, is then passed along the optic nerve to the brain. The brain processes the visual information and then passes it along the central nervous system to the hand. However, this visual process of hand-eye coordination is altered from its natural state when a prism is placed in front of the eye.

Hand-Eye Sensory Adaptation The best example of hand-eye sensory adaptation occurs when a progressive wearer gets a new, stronger prescription or is fitted for a new lens design. When the patient looks down, objects seem closer to him or her than they actually are. The result is the patient may feel clumsy and disoriented when walking Continued on page 20

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down stairs or stepping off curbs or they may reach for an item such as a book and it is not where he or she thinks it is. Day by day the feelings of uneasiness decrease until it eventually disappears within a few days.

Easing the Adaptation Process One of the primary responsibilities of the eye care professional is to aid the patient in the adaptation process. In order to achieve this goal, the ECP must help the patient through all steps of the fitting process.

Share knowledge with the patient When patients receive a prescription, it is usually just a bunch of numbers. It is up to the ECP to decipher the numbers and explain it to the patient so that he or she knows what to expect when picking up their new glasses. Since lenses are governed by the laws of physics, each lens type will react in a specific way.

For example: • Plus lenses • used to correct hyperopia • cause images to appear larger and therefore closer • the farther away from the eye the lens sits, the stronger the perceived power to the patient • causes an image to be displaced when the patient looks through the bottom of a lens if there is a significant difference in the prescription of both eyes • Minus lenses • used to correct myopia • cause images to appear smaller and therefore farther away • the closer to the eye the lens sits, the stronger the perceived power • causes an image to be displaced when the patient looks through the bottom of a lens if there is a significant difference in the prescription of both eyes • Spherocylinder lenses • a compound lens that is used to correct an astigmatic error • has a power ground in two principal meridians placed 90 degrees apart on the same surface • power of the lens changes as the eye looks around the lens • may cause a “swimmy” feeling, images may appear slanted and slightly misshapen, especially if the astigmatism has an oblique axis 20 | EYECAREPROFESSIONAL | FEBRUARY 2010

• Multifocal lenses • An abrupt image jump, especially with lined bifocals and trifocals • Vertical imbalance in patient that has good visual acuity OU as well as anisometropia, or a power difference of an imbalance of at least 1 diopter between each eye • Distortion along the sides of the corridor in a progressive lens Since the ECP knows how each lens reacts before it is dispensed, he or she can better prepare the patient on what to expect if there is a change in the prescription or lens style.

Measure Properly As discussed earlier, lenses are prisms placed together. The point at which the two prisms meet is the optical center. This is the point where the light entering the lens is not refracted or deviated. In order for the patient to see properly, the optical center must be placed in the proper position. Horizontally, this placement is placed at the pupillary distance. It is usually best to take this measurement with a pupilometer and use the monocular measurements.

Vertically, this measurement is called the OC (optical center) height and should be placed along the optical axis. The optical axis is not in front of the pupil. The rule of thumb for OC height is to place the measurement 1mm below the pupil for every 2 degrees of pantoscopic tilt had by the frame. Since most frames are worn by the patient with 8 to 12 degrees of pantoscopic tilt, an average OC height would be 4 to 6mm below the pupil. When these measurements are off, the patient experiences unwanted prism.

Unwanted prism is a major reason why a patient has trouble adapting to his or her new lenses. When the pupillary distance is off the effect is excessive Base In or Base Out prism. The patient will experience a slanting feeling when wearing their glasses. An image will appear high toward the prism base and low toward the prism apex.

When the OC height is wrong the result is excessive Base Down or Base Up prism. Unwanted Base Up prism will give the wearer the feeling of walking down hill, of standing at the top of a hill, and vertical objects will seem shorter. Excessive Base Down prism wearers will feel as if he or she is at the bottom of a bowl, will experience a feeling of walking uphill and vertical objects will appear taller.

Don’t forget to Adjust It does not matter how much time was taken in measuring for the lens if the frame does not fit properly. If the frame is

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crooked, too tight or too loose, the optical center will not follow the optical axis and the patient’s vision will be off. Proper adjustment is crucial both at the time of fitting and at the time of dispensing.

Make sure that the weight is distributed properly along the fitting triangle of the bridge of the nose and the top of the ears.

Ensure that the frame front is level and is placed at good vertex distance from the eye. Adjustment to the temple and along the temple bend will keep the lenses stable in relation to the optical axis. Also, make certain that the pantoscopic tilt is proper for the OC height.

“When patients receive a prescription, it is usually just a bunch of numbers. It is up to the ECP to decipher the numbers and explain it to the patient so that he or she knows what to expect when picking up their new glasses.”

When to Refer There are certain times when the problem is not an adaptation situation and the patient needs to be referred back to the doctor. If the problem is visual, it should be done only after a thorough analysis of the glasses and troubleshooting with the patient is completed. Generally speaking, if the patient’s vision is clear and sharp and the spectacles are made correctly, then any complaints should be normal adaptive symptoms. Other situations however require an immediate referral. These situations include pain, decreased vision, light sensitivity or redness.

Conclusion Adapting to glasses is normal. Although every ECP loves the patient that puts on a new pair of glasses and can see everything perfect, this cannot happen in every instance.

In fact, it is these patients that provide the best opportunity for developing a life-long patient. By providing a thorough understanding to all parties, proper measurements, and patience, the adaptation process can run much smoother for both the patient and ECP. ■

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Managing Optician Ginny Johnson, LDO, ABOC

“Old MacDonald Had a Dispensary” AND IN THAT DISPENSARY he had no clue, e-i-e-i-o. With a new year here and trade shows coming up, there’s no better time to educate, update and repair. Old MacDonald get a clue, before you’re back on the farm listening to moo, moo, moo.

WHAT IS A DISPENSARY? According to www.thefreedictionary.com, it’s: 1. An office in a hospital, school, or other institution from which medical supplies, preparations, and treatments are dispensed.

2. A public institution that dispenses medicines or medical aid.

I’ve heard ECPs refer to their dispensary as: eyewear gallery, optical department, boutique, frame room or even the “bread and butter” of the business. I must say that bread and butter remind me of toast and your dispensary should not be taken lightly. Your dispensary should be feeding the practice over 50% of its revenue. Sounds more like “steak and lobster” to me.

Whether you are starting a new or purchasing an existing dispensary, get dispensary energized and commit to staying that way. Whiners and wimps need not apply. Unstoppable attitudes are always welcome. Set long term goals (a week is not considered long term, sorry), read and digest industry books and publications, attend trade shows, purchase from the exhibitors, sign up for CE courses, network, learn social media marketing, hand out your business card, keep their business card, and build business relationships with sales reps.

Find and gladly pay the most qualified Dispensing Opticians to be on the front lines of your dispensary. Ignoring this can lead

to serious problems. “Winging it” in the dispensary is extremely dangerous and does not fly! Think of your Dispensing Opticians as eyewear pharmacists. These skills and expertise cannot be learned overnight. Nor can they be taught overnight.

Although some of you may be attempting to operate your dispensary as if they can.

No unskilled, inexperienced decisions should be tolerated in your dispensary. A dentist would not let the new hire that has never worked a day in the dental field clean someone’s teeth.

Continuous training with close supervision should be required for the newbies. The oldbies (seasoned staff, not age related) should continue training and attending CE courses. In the end, each patient’s sight directly correlates with your dispensary decisions.

Patient dispensary boredom and daily lost sales may be taking their toll on your business. This is going to continue if you have the same ‘ole, same ‘ole, dispensary look and decor year after year. Does it make sense to let it keep happening? It might, if you want your dispensary to be toast. If not, ask yourself, staff, family, loyal patients, sales reps, even the postman, for input on what is missing or needed. Listen and take notes. Reveal your ideas and work with trustworthy dispensary professionals.

Continued on page 24

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Updating your dispensary can be tailored to your comfort level and pace. Slow, baby steps are better than all talk and no steps. The least you should be doing is rearranging your current displays every few months.

ECPs need to clue in when patients request a copy of their RX to take elsewhere, especially if they have decided that all of your frames look the same or seem outdated. Maybe it’s time to start scheduling appointments with your frame reps.

I work with reps that are genuinely passionate about helping dispensaries to grow and thrive. There should always be mutual respect between you and your reps on any business transactions. Reps should have your practice’s best interest in mind.

They can bring a wealth of information to the dispensing table. Frame reps will work with ECPs to determine if their product matches your patient demographics.

Selecting frames can be challenging as we are ordering for all walks of life, not just focusing on what we would wear. Eye catching, point of purchase material can be very effective. If you don’t have the frame in stock that is represented on the POP, the clue is to remove the POP. Find out about the manufacturer’s policy on backorders before you drool over a new frame that may never ship. Give new frames a minimum of six months before you decide that they are not worthy of your “honorable board space”. Some offices will lower the price or offer discounts to sell any slow movers.

BEWARE: If any rep ever has a tongue twisting story about how you need to sell this much to get this or this won’t happen unless they can get approval, but this can, since you are a new customer that looks like they will be a good customer and not everyone is getting this fabulous deal but to take advantage of it you have to order now but wait there’s more, it opens up into a pup tent and sleeps six... Clue in and get them out.

Who started the concept of frame returns and when did they become such a “norm”? Think of them as being a “costly courtesy”. Make sure to get a return authorization (RA) when sending frames back for credit. Include the required invoices and branded cases. Some manufacturers will return the product back to you if you fail to do so. Bummer.

If you have never attended a trade show, you should. There is no better way to stay in the optical industry loop. There are hundreds of exhibitors under one roof. Trade show attendees usually get a packet of information with their registration.

Look for special offers, no minimum orders, extended billing, and discounts. You will be surrounded with incentives to make purchases during the show. Industry experts, colleagues, competitors and education—a good time is had by all.

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“Your dispensary should be feeding the practice over 50% of it revenue” Here are some clues for your dispensary wish list: • Mirrors- hand held, magnified, swinging • Frames- determine the number of men’s, women’s, children’s, suns, readers • Frame Displays- eye catching, wall mount, acrylic, custom built • Lighting- specialty, bulbs • Accessories- lens care, personalized cloths and spray cleaners, holder/necklace, cases • Marketing- personalized pens, bags • Hand tools- specialty pliers, screwdrivers, wrenches, files, rimless pliers • Repair kits- nosepads, screws, temple tips • Measuring devices- pupilometer, lensometer, pd sticks, specialty lens markers • Frame warmer • Dispensary table • Dispensing chairs, stools • Video education modules Cleanliness and ambiance can set you apart from the rest.

Some dispensaries pamper their patients more than others.

Offerings such amenities as: home or work delivery, gourmet coffee, bottled water, movie tickets and chocolates are rarely turned down by patients.

Cleanliness Dispensary Clues • Make sure to clean the pupilometer with alcohol wipes after each use • Dust the displays • No fingerprints allowed on mirrors, demo or sunglass lenses • No marking pen dots on demo lenses • No makeup on frames • No bad hair days! The hair from the previous patient that gets stuck in a frame • No ECPs with stinky breath or arm pits (nor overpowering perfume/cologne) I hope Old MacDonald doesn’t have a cow after reading this! ■

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Dispensing Optician Anthony Record, ABO/NCLE, RDO

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The 64,000 Question THE PHRASE, “The $64,000 Question” is ingrained in the shared cultural literacy of American society. It has come to mean “the ultimate question” regarding a particularly difficult or puzzling problem or predicament. I have heard some young people use the phrase correctly, but I bet they have no idea of its origin.

THE $64,000 QUESTION was a television game show that aired in the United States on CBS between 1955 and 1958. Similar to today’s game shows, contestants were asked progressively more difficult questions, could leave at any point with their winnings, and if they made it past 10 questions they could leave with what they had earned up to that point ($32,000) or risk it for the $64,000 question.

Instead of writing about the latest personalized progressive lens or the next generation of contact lenses – in an effort to lighten up a bit – I thought I would share some ultimate questions I have been asked as a front-line Eye Care Professional – ultimately unbelievable that is. As you can imagine, with nearly thirty years of dispensing under my belt I have been asked quite a few off the wall questions – some funny, some crazy, some stupid, some sad; and I thought it might be fun to share a few here. I want to stress a few things first though: First, I ain’t making any of these up! Don’t have to.

Truth truly is stranger than fiction.

Second, I will also share with you my response to each of the questions. On a serious note, I believe as professionals, when asked what we might be tempted to label a stupid or crazy question, generally speaking the best response is a straightforward, non-sarcastic one. Of course sometimes it’s just too tempting.

Third and finally, I challenge you to share with me some of the memorable questions you have been asked by patients. E-mail me your contributions and we’ll consider a follow-up article to share them with the rest of the Eye Care Professional world. (anthonydrecord@gmail.com) My first experience with potentially challenging questions occurred very early on in my career when I was still an apprentice. A college-aged, potential patient was browsing our frames.

Naturally, I asked him, “How may I help you?” He responded with a question of his own, “Do you have any round frames?” At the time, in the early 1980s, the closest we had to round frames were some modified P3 shapes, which I showed him. He raised his voice Continued on page 28

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and frustratingly said, “These aren’t round! Roundness has no degree...they’re either round or they’re not! What the hell is wrong with you people?” With that he stormed out. I didn’t even get a chance to respond to the actual question, but that taught me early on two valuable lessons: Respond directly and specifically to what is being asked, and that (some) people are crazy!

I wish I had a dollar for how many times I have answered the phone during what most people would think normal business hours, only to be asked, “Are you open?” That one might not be so remarkable on a holiday or during some severe weather, but then I would hope for, “Just calling to make sure you were open.” I have always resisted the temptation to say, “No, we’re closed today. I just came in to answer the phone in case anyone called to see if we were open so I could tell them we were closed.” No, I simply reply with, “Yes ma’am, we are open ‘til six o’clock.” (Notice I don’t say, we CLOSE at six; rather, we’re OPEN ‘til six. That’s much more positive and welcoming...it’s the “Disney” answer.)

“Do you have any round frames?”

This one is more appreciated when you realize my dispensary has over 1,400 frames on display. At least a couple times a year someone will pop in the door and ask, “Do you sell glasses here?”

No sorry, we don’t. That’s what I’m thinking. What comes out of my mouth is “Yes, what kind do you need?”

“How come I can’t see out of any of these?” This is asked while trying on display frames with demo lenses. That one never fails to bring a smile to my face. I want to say, keep trying a few more on, I’m sure you’ll find the one that’s just right for you. Instead, a simple 30-second lesson about simple display lenses vs. prescription lenses is usually the appropriate response.

I’m sure those of you who practice somewhere other than the South have some good stories and questions to share, but I’m thinking no one in urban Chicago, for example, has ever been asked what a fellow Floridian asked me a few months ago: “Do y’all sell them bifokey transcribers?” Now for a split nanosecond it didn’t register, then it did. He was wearing FT28s, so (genius that I am) I deduced he meant bifocal Transitions. My erudite response: Absolutely! Which is the same thing I say when asked if I fill subscriptions.

“Are you the obstetrician?” Another personal favorite, this one does present a bit of a dilemma. On the one hand (knowing

28 | EYECAREPROFESSIONAL | FEBRUARY 2010

they are in search of an eye-guy), my own advice states I should probably just say, “Yes, that’s me.” On the other hand, I’ve always worried that if I said that, the next thing the patient says might be, “I sure do hope your stirrups aren’t as cold as the last guy’s!” Therefore, I have always opted to pretend the patient had said it right. I reply, “Yes, that’s me. I’m the optician.” By the way, while most of the time the person asking that question is female...not always.

“Do you sell glasses here?”

In a weird kind of semi-related way, I’ve been asked this one dozens of times: “How much for a screw?” In the spirit of complete honesty I must confess that one time I simply could not help myself. I said, “Oh no, it’s illegal to charge for a screw in the state of Florida.” Not quite getting it, the woman said “really?” I told her not to worry. I said I’d be glad to do it for her at no charge.

Before I share with you what I believe is the piece de resistance– the one unique question I feel no other optician has ever been asked – allow me to share a few others in my own version of The $64,000 Question Lightning Round. Here goes: Can you fix my arms? Can you tighten my legs? You’re not a real doctor are you? Do you have any frames that will make me look younger? (...or smarter...or more beautiful? I’m an optician, not a magician seems the “appropriate” answer). How much are glasses? Do you carry polybicarbonate glasses? Do you have glasses that will help the stigma in my eyes? Do you guys sell Transgression lenses?

Are eye exams free? Is that 3:00 pm? [That was in response to our receptionist phoning the patient to confirm her scheduled appointment for an eye exam the next day.] Do you have any plastic frames made out of metal? Can you order be some Bobby Holly frames?

I imagine there are many others that have slipped my mind, and I cannot wait to hear from the rest of you with your gems (remember, email them to anthonydrecord@gmail.com). Until then, I will leave you with the most absurd comment/question ever to be uttered across my dispensing table, after the prescribing doctor had re-examined and changed his prescription three or four times: They got to you, didn’t they? They don’t want me to see! You took money from them, didn’t you? How could you? That diatribe came from an elderly Jewish man, who was referring to Nazis (real or imagined) who he felt were still tormenting him 40 years after World War II. That experience was neither funny or stupid; merely unique and sad. I look forward to all of yours. ■

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Independent Dispensing Judy Canty, ABO/NCLE

Thinking Independently “The key to success is to risk thinking unconventional thoughts. Convention is the enemy of progress.

If you go down just one corridor of thought you never get to see what’s in the rooms leading off it.”

—Trevor Baylis, UK inventor

You will have to beat them off with a stick. Your practice will stand head and shoulders above any other practice in your area.

Never mind that those other practices are being told the very same thing by the very same people.

You want to believe and that is when independent thinking flies out the window.

Independent thinking, really “critical” thinking requires real work and regular practice. With the help of Roger Darlington, a communications expert from the UK, let’s find out how we can reclaim that skill set and why it will benefit every one of us every day.

Independent or critical thinking is not just criticism wearing a nice smile. It means refusing to accept information at face value. It involves questioning and analyzing information so that you gain real understanding of a product or a technology or a design.

First, check the source of the information and the relationship between that source and the product manufacturer. Who stands to gain the most from your acceptance of the product? If it’s not you and your patients, then who?

We all like to believe that we are independent thinkers.

But are we really?

Marketers spend billions every year trying to convince you that “xyz” is the best, most innovative, fastest, smartest, coolest “xyz” ever developed. Even more importantly this new and exciting “xyz” will drive patients to your practices in droves.

Check more than one source. Use your professional network to ask questions about the product or service. Be prepared to consider every opinion, not just the opinions that are similar to yours. You could be wrong or just misinformed.

Be ready and willing to change your mind. It might be uncomfortable. It might mean that you change the way you and your Continued on page 32

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staff communicate with your patients. However, in the long run, you and your practice will benefit from your attention to the facts at hand.

Mr. Darlington advises, “Don’t jump to conclusions. Although the currently available facts may suggest a particular conclusion, other conclusions may be possible. Further facts may support an alternative conclusion and even invalidate the original conclusion. Even when this is not the case, it is always helpful to have further, supporting evidence to support the original conclusion.”

“Some people take no mental exercise apart from jumping to conclusions.” —Harold Acton He also advises having a basic understanding of statistics.

Understand the context in which the information was gathered.

Know who paid for and stands to benefit from positive statistics. You need to understand the differences between mean, median and mode.

• Mean is the mathematical average of a range of numbers.

• Median is the middle number in a range of data arranged by value.

• Mode is the figure which occurs most often in a set of data.

“Sometimes”, he says, “the median or mode may be a better indicator than the mean by reducing the impact of ‘extreme’ instances.”

Translate statistics into meaningful information. A product that claims to increase patient satisfaction by 100% may only mean that now 4 people are more satisfied this year than 2 were last year. Don’t allow statistics to stop you from asking pertinent questions. “How?” and “Why?” are questions to be asked of and answered by every one and anyone who is trying to promote a new product or service.

Resist the temptation to rely on past history. Just because a company has served you well in the past, doesn’t mean that it has your best interests at heart today. Economic times change, industries change and not always in ways that are beneficial to you or your practice.

Beware of “groupthink” and anecdotal information.

Groupthink is defined as the tendency of a group to yield to the desire for consensus at the expense of considering alternative courses of action. According to BusinessDictionary.com, “Group-think is said to be the reason why intelligent and knowledgeable people make disastrous decisions.” It is the very antithesis of independent thinking.

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Anecdotes are little more than one person’s experience with a product, service or company or even worse, an unsubstantiated rumor. If a bell starts to ring or a little voice in your head starts to say “seriously?”, it’s time to start asking questions like “Why?” and “How?” and keep asking them until you’re satisfied with the answers.

In years past, we’ve been asked to ‘think outside the box’ or ‘push the envelope’. But what does that really mean? It means to be creative, not limiting yourself to standard solutions or conventional ideas. Often the craziest ideas generate unprecedented results, like putting a full-service lab in a retail optical shop and thereby creating the game-changing force of Precision LensCrafters as it was originally known.

Think like the competition. Professional sports teams use scouts to track talented players and to gain as much information about opposing teams and strategies as possible. You, or someone tasked by you, should be following the trends in your local markets. What are your demographics? Age, income levels, education levels, spending habits, leisure activities are all key components in knowing how to compete and excel in your particular area.

Don’t become a ‘me too’ practice; use the information to differentiate how your practice addresses these key components. Brainstorm these ideas with your staff and with colleagues in non-competing markets with similar demographics.

In the iconic “The Book of Five Rings”, Miyamoto Musashi writes, “Of two ways of perception, observing and seeing, the observing eye is stronger, perceiving the heart and mind of the adversary, seeing the state of the situation, focusing the eyes broadly, perceiving the conditions for battle, perceiving the strength and weakness of the occasion, concentrating on seizing victory with precision...there is no narrow focus of the vision...by finicky narrowness of focus, you forget about bigger things and get confused, thus letting certain victory escape you. This principle demands careful reflection and thorough practice.”

Welcome, entertain and encourage critical thinking. It may be very uncomfortable at first, even down-right scary, but the more you practice it, the better and more comfortable you’ll become with it.

Never, ever stop asking “Why?” ■

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CR-39 Uncoated super extended range: + or -6.00 sph, -4.25 to -6.00 cyl POLYCARBONATE: $ 65/70 mm Single Vision Hard Coated (Tintable) (-4.00 cyl) 7.95 $ 65/70 mm Single Vision Anti-Reflective (-4.00 cyl) 14.50 $ 65/70 mm Single Vision Polycarbonate Photochromatic (Grey) (-4.00 cyl) 26.00 65/70 mm Single Vision Polycarbonate Photochromatic (Grey) A/R (-4.00 cyl) $32.00 HIGH INDEX: $ 65/70 mm Single Vision 1.56 Index (-4.00 cyl) 6.95 $ 65/70 mm Single Vision 1.56 Index Anti-Reflective (-4.00 cyl) 9.95 $ 70/75 mm Single Vision 1.67 Super High Index Anti-Reflective (-4.00 cyl) 21.50

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VSP Global Launches Loyalty Program New Program reinvests back into practices who utilize the VSP Global companies.

In the first such coordinated initiative among all of its business divisions, VSP Global has launched a program rewarding practice owners who choose to use the products and services of VSP Global companies.

These companies include VSP Vision Care, Marchon/ Altair, Eyefinity/OfficeMate, and the VSP Optics Group.

The program’s name is VSP Global Loyalty.

“The VSP Global Loyalty program is designed to reward our practices that are committed to strengthening private practice,” stated Rob Lynch, CEO of VSP Global.

“As a not-for-profit, VSP Global is able to reinvest in growing and strengthening private practice and, in particular, those practices that choose to do business with VSP Global companies.”

VSP Global Loyalty recognizes practices that are doing business with VSP Global, and acknowledges their support by returning up to 4 percent of annual net Marchon and Altair eyewear purchases. The more business a practice does with VSP Global companies, the greater the potential for benefits.

The program works by awarding dollar credits, based on activities with the VSP Global lines of business, which can be used toward future Marchon and Altair eyewear purchases. Practices of any size can earn credits, the company said, adding that VSP Global will handle the administration.

More information and enrollment is posted for VSP practice owners at www.vspglobal.com.

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Page 36

AND

Shakers

Prevent Blindness America

Nassau Lens Group

Prevent Blindness America (PBA) has elected James E. Anderson as chair to its board of directors. J. David Pierson, president and CEO of Refac Optical Group, and George Neal, division vice president, global sales at Abbott James E. Anderson Medical Optics (AMO) were also elected to the board of directors at the Prevent Blindness America 2009 Annual Meeting.

Essilor has appointed Maureen Cavanagh president of the Nassau Lens Group, a stock lens supplier and optical laboratory operator, based in Northvale, NJ. She joined Essilor in October 2005 with the acquisition of the Maureen Cavanagh Definity progressive lens product line from Johnson & Johnson. In October 2007, she assumed the role of vice president, integrated retail. Prior to Essilor, Cavanagh held various sales and operations positions at The Spectacle Lens Group (J&J), Marine Optical Group, Cohen’s Fashion Optical and Vistakon.

Anderson, a principal at Howe, Anderson & Steyer, P.C., in Washington, D.C., succeeds John D. O’Neill, who served as chair since 2006. At his law firm, Anderson specializes in representing trade associations and non-profit J. David Pierson groups in corporate, non-profit tax, employment and antitrust matters and has served as counsel to non-profit organizations representing the vision industry for over 30 years.

Pierson has served Prevent Blindness America for a number of years. He helped establish the Cleveland chapter of Prevent Blindness Ohio, served as the chair of the Chapter Executive Council and as a member of the Prevent George Neal Blindness Ohio state board of directors. At AMO, Neal brings 25 years of experience in the ophthalmic industry where he has held sales, marketing, and general management positions of increasing responsibility.

CooperVision CooperVision named Richard Clompus, OD, FAAO as vice president, global professional relations within the company’s Global Commercial Strategy team. Clompus will support clinical studies, education, and profesRichard Clompus sional affairs on a worldwide basis in order to further establish CooperVision’s position in the global contact lens industry. Clompus most recently served as director of The Vision Care Institute, LLC, supporting student and doctor education in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Prior to that, he was part of Johnson & Johnson Vision Care.

1-800 CONTACTS Joan Blackwood has joined 1-800 CONTACTS as senior vice president and chief marketing officer. Blackwood’s career includes work with Monster.com, Computer Associates, FleetBoston Financial and Morgan Stanley. She has led global marketing strategies, brand positioning, major advertising campaigns, and product re-positioning for Fortune 500 brands.

36 | EYECAREPROFESSIONAL |FEBRUARY 2010

Optometry’s Charity–The AOA Foundation Optometry’s Charity-The AOA Foundation has elected Martha Rosemore Greenberg, OD to serve as board president. Greenberg joined the AOA Foundation board in 2008. Her list of optometric affiliations and accomplishments Martha Rosemore are extensive. Greenberg is the 2006 recipient of Greenberg the SCO Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2008, she was named the Alabama Optometrist of the year and in 2009, was the recipient of the SECO Optometrist of the South, the first female to receive this distinction.

Marcolin Marcolin USA has named Paul Cartwright to the position of U.S. marketing director.

He replaces Justin Kroop who has resigned from the company. Cartwright was previously marketing director for Signature Eyewear Paul Cartwright overseeing brands like Bebe, Carmen Marc Valvo, Cutter & Buck, Hummer, Laura Ashley, Michael Stars and Nicole Miller. He has also held marketing management positions in American Eagle Outfitters and Tommy Hilfiger.

UAB School of Optometry Rod Nowakowski, OD, PhD, has been named interim dean of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) School of Optometry.

Nowakowski, who joined the UAB Department of Optometry faculty in 1975, served as chief of Rod Nowakowski staff for UAB Eye Care and its affiliated clinics from 2000 to 2009. His appointment comes after the previously-reported announcement of John Amos, OD, that he is stepping down as dean of the school and returning to the faculty, with plans to retire in a few months.

Movers & Shakers continued on page 38

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Shakers

Mondottica International Mondottica International has announced that it will welcome a new investor and chief executive officer, Bernhard Nuesser. Nuesser, a resident of Switzerland, will assume the newly created role at the eyewear company and report to the company’s chairman, Michael Jardine. Nuesser, most recently the CEO of the Bata Shoe Group in Europe, is no stranger to the optical industry, having previously spent five years as CEO of Vision Express, the major optical retailer in the U.K.

I/Optics I/Optics, a division of New Millennium Eyewear, has named Marshall Post, as president of the division. Prior to joining I/Optics, Post took a hiatus from the eyewear industry to serve as vice president of marketing at Twinlab, a worldwide nutritional supplement company, and also held a position as executive director at Nature’s Bounty.

SUNY College of Optometry David Heath, OD, president of the SUNY College of Optometry has announced the largest gift to the College’s foundation since the founding of the College in 1971. Dr. William C. Folsom, Jr., a trustee of the College’s foundation, the Optometric Center of New York, and longtime supporter of the institution, has made an irrevocable pledge of his estate, currently valued at $2 million. A graduate of

Columbia University, Dr. Folsom is a former Associate Clinical Professor at SUNY Optometry.

Will Be Missed...

Herman Zimmer, sales representative for LBI for more than 50 years, has died at 97.

Zimmer led a colorful life and experienced his first near-death experience as a young man in the 1950’s after time spent running a casino Herman Zimmer in Havana, Cuba, when in the middle of the night, amidst chaos and the nationalization of his gambling club, friends from Chicago helped smuggle Zimmer out of the country in a casket. “The optical business is a piece of cake,” Zimmer once stated in comparison. Zimmer got his start covering the West Coast for Imperial Optical and after several years, left to work for LBI. “Herman covered the Southern California territory for the LBI family for over 50 years” said Keith Lehrer, president of LBI. “As we say good-bye to Herman, LBI pays tribute to every sales rep past and present in eyecare. Our industry has had its share of colorful people,” continued Lehrer.

“I personally had the chance to work alongside such legends as Herman, Al Wolfe, and many others. The old-timers were quick with a joke and had a delightful warm way.”

Signet Armorlite Introduces KODAK Sun Lenses with NXT Technology ®

The new line of KODAK Sun Lenses with NXT technology includes photochromic polarized, photochromic, polarized, mirror and fixed tint lenses available in both KODAK Unique Progressives and Signetek™ Processed Single Vision. These lenses fit a wide assortment of frames and are durable for rimless. They are all made using Trivex® material and have many benefits in terms of durability, fatigue, and resistance to U.V.

Signet Armorlite announces the availability of KODAK Sun Lenses with NXT Technology. The addition of this line, according to the company, is to accommodate active patients with an even wider variety of prescription sunwear solutions since recent studies show that protection against the damaging effects of the sun is more important than ever.

38 | EYECAREPROFESSIONAL |FEBRUARY 2010

The material used to make NXT lenses was first developed for the military as an advancement over polycarbonate. It has now found its way to key industry leaders and sophisticated consumers that recognize the features and benefits of this extraordinary product.

With the addition of KODAK Sun Lenses with NXT technology, the KODAK Unique Progressive, a digitallycreated backside design, is now available in 50 lens materials.

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Second Glance Elmer Friedman, OD

Dissatisfaction reported by some patients who underwent LASIK procedures has attracted the attention of U.S officials.

Advocates have warned surgeons to improve their follow up routines so that complications may be reduced. A study by the FDA has been initiated to address the unfulfilled expectations of patients. The Food and Drug Administration announced in Oct. 2009, that seventeen LASIK centers were discovered to have inadequate systems to reveal complications following the surgery. Most centers stated that the process to enhance and improve existing procedures will start immediately.

The study will involve participation with the National Eye Institute and the Department of Defense to gather the necessary material for the study. The agency’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health maintains that it will continue its inspections and insists that LASIK centers should maintain excellent records as mandated by law. Negative results will be studied by the FDA to better understand and subsequently to take the necessary action to ensure safety and efficiency requirements.

Many facilities had no system for collecting and transmitting adverse results to the FDA. The first segment of the investigation started in July 2009 wherein online questionnaires were presented. The second portion will pursue reports from military treated at the Navy Refractive Surgery Center. The final portion of the study will concern the general population and should be completed in 2012.

It has been estimated that more than 14 million people in the U.S. have availed themselves of the LASIK procedure, hoping to improve their vision. Eye centers were amassing over a million surgeries each year, before the economic decline last year.

Aggressive marketing has made it a $2 billion dollar industry.

Doctors weigh the success of millions against several hundred unhappy patients and feel that there is a plus value there.

Doctors have been criticized for overselling the benefits and underplaying the risks.

Continued on page 42

40 | EYECAREPROFESSIONAL |FEBRUARY 2010

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However, a California ophthalmologist said that he considered LASIK to be safe and effective for the large majority of patients but recognized that it carries risks just like any medical procedure. The most frequent complication, he revealed, lies with infection, but equipment related problems are rare. Another common complaint is from halos, glare and reflections during night time driving. The doctor said that LASIK is probably one of the most common elective procedures ever pursued. The procedure was approved in 1995 to correct normal refractive errors correctible through corneal alterations. However, presbyopia requires the use of an additional reading prescription to fulfill near vision tasks. Those patients who thought that they could discard their glasses forever will be severely disappointed.

Barbara Berney is the president of the Vision Surgery Rehab Network. This organization serves patients who wish to find other doctors who can rectify procedures that have gone wrong. In 2001 Ms. Berney had LASIK surgery performed, which was unsuccessful and left her with vision which prevents her from night driving and reasonable comfort in the presence of fluorescent lighting. She is a patient representative to the FDA panel that will investigate the facts concerning the planned quality of life study. Another pressure group was organized by Ron Link and Margaret Dolan as a result of negative consequence following their LASIK surgery. Their website is www.surgicaleyes.org.

Announcement of the FDA study was first made during an agency hearing in April, 2009 since many patients reported their ill after effects resulting from LASIK surgery. Briefly, the surgeons slice a very thin flap from the cornea and then alter its shape and consistency in a procedure that takes about 15 minutes for each eye. Flattening the cornea using computerized measurements neutralizes myopia, while changing the corneal stroma to steepen the cornea counteracts hyperopia. The surgeon can change refractive errors due to astigmatism by affecting areas corresponding to the axis of the cylinder created by the uneven curvatures of the cornea.

According to Barbara Berney and Ron Link, major risks associated with unsuccessful LASIK treatment might include partial loss of vision, monocular double vision, dry eye syndrome, glare, halos, difficulty in night driving and occasional fluctuation of vision. Severe side issues have been reported, such as: lost jobs, broken marriages, people relying on antidepressants and even attempted suicides.

LASIK has not been approved for the correction of presbyopia, the natural aging process that limits the conventional use of refractive corneal surgery. This aging process cannot be reversed by LASIK surgery. Bifocals, multifocal contact lenses and reading glasses are the methods that are commonly used to Continued on page 44

42 | EYECAREPROFESSIONAL |FEBRUARY 2010

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handle presbyopia. Patients question the practicality of the surgery when they understood that there will be a need for near vision correction in the future.

The American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery feels that perhaps as many as 5 percent of the patients are not happy with the results. Some dissatisfied consumers have felt that the figure is too low and, as we have noted, set up websites to espouse their cause. It has been discovered by investigators that high myopia may not be accurately corrected at first and “adjustment” surgery may follow to better the results of the original surgery. There is no guarantee that the follow up surgery will produce the goal of 20/20 vision.

While thick corrective spectacle lenses will be drastically reduced, the condition may still require spectacles to reach the desired vision expected. A certain percentage of patients will achieve 20/20 vision immediately following the surgery.

Those who report sensitivity to light or glare will seek anti-glare tints and sunglasses, day or night as needed, to alleviate their symptoms. It may take three to six months for the vision to stabilize following the surgery. A temporary prescription may be useful during this period of time. Common sense demands that contact sports should be avoided for a couple of months.

The surgeons recognize their responsibility to offer full

disclosure as to the adverse effects as well as the benefits of the LASIK procedure.

For example, a thorough initial assessment visit is suggested to eliminate pre-existing conditions that would contra indicate the surgery. The procedure is not recommended for patients under 18 years of age, in cases of pregnancy, history of corneal problems, pupil size larger than 7 mm, and very thin corneas.

Also, ophthalmologists lament that the long term results are not yet known. A significant number of eye care professionals profess that since the surgery is not guaranteed, and the expense is great, perhaps affordable spectacles may be more of a certainty and an easier path to pursue. Just follow that old saw, “Look before you leap.”

Here are a few tips to help you select a good doctor: 1 – Don’t choose a doctor whose nick-name is “Chug a Lug”.

(Jeff Foxworthy) 2 – Never go to a doctor whose office plants have died.

(Erma Bombeck) 3 – Be careful when you go into the optometrist’s office. When you open the door and say to the receptionist, “I think I need my eyes checked.” She may say, “You’re not kidding.

This is the ladies room.” ■

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WHEN A S N E L R O D I R R O C T R O H S IT F T S E B E IS TH

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Advertiser Index ADVERTISER

PAGE #

PHONE #

WEB SITE

21st Century Optics

27

800-221-4170

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ABS Smart Mirror

9

888-989-4227

www.smart-mirror.com/us

Nellerk Contact Lens Cases

46

877-274-9300

www.framesdisplays.com

CNS Frame Displays Enni Marco

INSIDE FRONT COVER 866-648-2661

ADVERTISER National Lens

PAGE #

PHONE #

WEB SITE

25, 43

866-923-5600

www.national-lens.com

49

607-748-2166

—

Nupolar

17

800-366-5367

www.nupolar.com

www.newlineoptics.us

Optical Women’s Association

51

972-233-9107

www.opticalwomen.com

Eyevertise

34

847-202-1411

www.EyeVertise.com

Opticom

42

800-678-4266

www.opticom-inc.com

FreeForm Optical Lab

21

212-431-2919

www.freeformopticallab.com

OptiSource

23

800-678-4768

www.1-800-optisource.com

FEA Industries

19, 45

800-327-2002

www.feaind.com

Optogenics

24

800-678-4225

www.optogenics.com

Grimes Optical

47

800-749-8427

www.grimesoptical.com

OptoWest 2010

10

800-877-5738

www.optowest.com

HB Optical

37

877-272-5367

www.hboptical.com

Prevent Blindness America

44

312-363-6022

www.preventblindness.org

12, 13

800-235-LENS

www.seikoeyewear.com

Index 53

5

800-328-7035

—

K-Mars Optical

35

800-296-1551

www.kmarsoptical.com

LBI Luzerne Optical

33

800-423-5175

www.lbieyewear.com

29, 39

800-233-9637

www.luzerneoptical.com

Marlin Industries

49

805-473-2743

—

Midland Optical

BACK COVER

800-325-3176

www.midlandoptical.com

47

877-882-7456

www.myvisionexpress.com

My Vision Express

SEIKO Eyewear Tech-Optics Three Rivers Optical US Optical Vision Council

47

800-678-4277 www.techopticsinternational.com

41

800-756-2020

www.3riversoptical.com

FRONT COVER

800-445-2773

www.usoptical.com

11

866-826-0290

www.thevisioncouncil.org

Vision Expo East

31

800-811-7151

www.visionexpoeast.com

Vision Systems Inc.

48

866-934-1030

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Don’t Forget to Tell Our Advertisers You Saw it in EYECARE PROFESSIONAL Magazine

46 | EYECAREPROFESSIONAL |FEBRUARY 2010

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Step into Three Rivers Optical’s “O” Zone.

Our “Free” Lens Series offers one-of-a-kind bifocal designs that fill a void in the optical industry. With our unique, patented “Round Seg” technology, your patients will experience the best in bifocal lenses.

WHEN SKILLED HANDS using state of the art technology come together the result is precision bench work. We pride ourselves in producing edge work that is light years ahead of our competition.

Get in the “O” Zone Today

(800) 221-4170

800.756.2020 www.threeriversoptical.com

www.21stcenturyoptics.com

Click, click, click, your lens order is done.

Use one website to order all of your stock lenses electronically. With no usage or ordering fees!

Green Bay, WI 54308 800-678-4266/Fax 920-965-3203

email: info@opticom-inc.com www.opticom-inc.com

48 | EYECAREPROFESSIONAL | FEBRUARY 2010

SALES REPS WANTED NATIONWIDE (Except for Southern California)

K-Mars Optical is seeking regional sales representatives for a rapidly growing product line – Our Frame and Lenses Packages.

Contact: Dan, 1-800-296-1551 x121

Balester Optical is a full-service, independent wholesale optical laboratory. We are committed to providing you with quality products and excellent customer service.

We maintain a state-of-the-art laboratory, including two in-house anti-reflective coating systems.

Toll Free: 1-800-233-8373 Fax: 1-800-548-3487 www.balester.com

National Lens America’s Leading Discount Contact Lens Distributor Phone 1-866-923-5600 Fax 1-866-923-5601 www.national-lens.com

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EYECAREPROFESSIONAL

INDUSTRY QUICK ACCESS

ACCESSORIES • CASES • CONTACT LENSES • DISPLAYS • DISTRIBUTORS • EDGING SERVICES • FRAMES / CLIP-ON SETS EQUIPMENT (NEW / USED) • HELP WANTED / BUSINESS SALES • INSTRUMENTS • PACKAGING • MANUFACTURERS

RECONDITIONED SPECIALS!!

INC.

LOW PRICE LEADER SINCE 1949 Factory Direct Savings on Fully Stitched Slip-in Cases

Op-Tags™, Labels & Bar Code Systems...

Clamshell Cases Lowest Prices in the Industry

Your most cost effective merchandising tools!

Arch Crown, Inc. 460 Hillside Avenue Hillside, NJ 07205 Toll Free: 1-800-526-8353 Fax: 973-731-2228 e-mail: orders@ArchCrown.com www.ArchCrown.com

Molded Plastic & Children’s Cases Huge Saving on Microfiber Cleaning Cloths and Spray Cleaner

Call: 800 249-1058

www.feaind.com • Videos • Invoice Lookup • On-line Ordering • Real time job tracking • Account Statements and balances • Technical & Processing Information And more.......

Safety bevels and Grooves!

Instruments Reichert Keratometer . . . . . . . . $595 Chart Projectors starting at . . . . . $395 Marco Radiuscope . . . . . . . . . . $695 Optical Finish Equipment and Supplies

Grimes Optical Equipment Co. 800-749-8427

Print too small?

We sell PALs.

F E A Industries, Inc. FULL SERVICE LABORATORY A/R AND MIRROR COATINGS

Tel: 800-327-2002 Fax: 800-955-7770

www.grimesoptical.com

Experienced Multi-line Sales Reps Wanted!

Framedisplays.com is the leading provider of optical frame displays for ophthalmic dispensing professionals. Products include optical eyewear and sunglass displays in addition to lockable, rotating, standing, wall mount and slatwall frame displays.

Call 877.274.9300 for info and catalog.

New Line Optics Inc. is seeking multi-line independent sales reps to carry its Enni Marco eyewear collection.

www.drivewearlens.com

Exquisite design with distinct Italian flair, wide range of styles, exceptional quality– all this with prices set to please.

Clearance and discontinued styles also available.

uniquely combine two of the most advanced technologies found in the industry today: Transitions™ Photochromic Technology and NuPolar® polarization. Drivewear is the first polarized photochromic lens to darken behind the windshield of a car.

Drivewear lenses

If you would like to distinguish yourself from all other competitors, then our product is the best for you.

Exceptional commissions, many territories available Please send resume to: jobs@newlineoptics.us or fax: 1 (866) 648-2661

FIXATION STATION / BREATH SHIELD by

CE

ABO/NCLE APPROVED CONTINUING EDUCATION Dry Eyes and Its Effects on Contact Lens Wear $ 12.99 for 1 NCLE Credit Hour

Available at: www.ecpmag.com/CE Take the course online and receive your certificate within 5 days!

SALES HELP WANTED Experienced Sales Reps • Top commissions • Many Territories Available

•

Two blinking LED’s provide excellent fixation points, assisting in various slit-lamp procedures.

•

No more pointing, touching or directing patient to look at the tip each ear.

•

Clear shield protects patient and examiner from breath odor and moisture.

•

If you are tired of working for a company who doesn’t appreciate what you do then give us a shot.

Contact your Preferred Distributor or Marlin.

Only $ 79.99

Fax a Resume to 800-756-0034 Attn. Steve Seibert

Email: marlinind@hotmail.com or 805-473-2743

A case with a double lock & your name imprinted on it!

ONLY

9¢

EACH

12¢ per unit Printed!

NELLERK CONTACT CONTACT LENS LENS CASES CASES 607-748-2166

Fax: 607-748-2273 FEBRUARY 2010 | EYECAREPROFESSIONAL | 49

To advertise please call 800.914.4322, or visit www.ecpmag.com

See our complete case catalog at: http://www.LBI.biz

WEBSITE

Edgers Briot Accura CX RC . . . . . . . $13,950 Essilor Gamma RC . . . . . . . $12,950 Essilor Kappa RC . . . . . . . . . $17,950

TM

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Last Look Jim Magay, RDO

Multilingual Dispensing “One fact says it all,” Mr. Francese writes. “In the two largest states (California and Texas), as well as New Mexico and Hawaii, the nation’s traditional majority group — white nonHispanics — is in the minority.” And in the nation’s 10 largest cities, he says, “no racial or ethnic category describes a majority of the population.”

Consider these 2010 projections: 80% of people age 65-plus will be white non-Hispanics. Only 54% of children under age 18 will be white non-Hispanics. Mr. Francese observes: “White non-Hispanics will surely account for fewer than half of births by 2015.”

R

EMEMBER WHEN our view of the typical American family was defined by Norman Rockwell paintings and Saturday Evening Post covers; a vision of a grandmotherly woman carrying a perfect roasted turkey to the table, as her offspring looking admiringly on, husband beaming at the head of the table, cutlery at the ready for carving duties?

An idealized America to be sure, an image that persists today only in our collective psyche.

The reality tends to be much different. The 2010 Census will probably find that we number around 309 million souls.

The concept of an average, white, mother, father, and 2.2 child family is as obsolete as a first generation iPod, or an eight track tape deck.

A new report, “Ad Age White Paper” by Peter Francese, claims that the “Iconic American family – married couple with kids” will only account for 22% of households in the near future.

What this means for us ECPs as marketers of our products is that it’s “all change” in our previous thinking.

50 | EYECAREPROFESSIONAL | FEBRUARY 2010

In 2010, Hispanics will be both the nation’s fastest-growing and largest minority (50 million people).

Over the past decade, Mr. Francese says, 85% of the nation’s population growth occurred in the South and West. “During the still-nameless decade from 2000 to 2010,” he writes, “a total of about 3 million people have moved out of the Northeast, and another 2 million have left the Midwest for the South and West.”

Mr. Francese’s report offers his “20/20 vision,” analyzing how things will change over the next decade. “Our nation will be older and more diverse, and consumer markets more complex,” he writes. The white paper pinpoints age and income groups where marketers could find the biggest opportunities (you’ll need to buy it!).

As we get ready to trek to the Big Apple for Vision Expo we should think about these numbers and trends. We need to start educating ourselves about how this new reality will affect buying habits. We’ll be rethinking product mix, personnel requirements (can you say second language?), and our observation skills. We will be tested as we try to take the pulse of our clientele to tailor our offerings to clients with changing tastes. ■ Jim “stay flexible” Magay

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Please join the Optical Women’s Association in recognizing two shining stars in the optical industry at an exciting new venue!

11th ANNUAL PLEIADES AWARD 1st ANNUAL PYXIS AWARD #/#+4!), 2%#%04)/. s !7!2$ 02%3%.4!4)/.3 OWA MEMBERS AND NON-MEMBERS ARE WELCOME TO CELEBRATE THIS EVENT!

2010 PLEIADES HONOREE

2010 PYXIS HONOREE

$ANNE 6ENTURA & . ! / & ! ! /

,ORINDA &RABONI

Director, Professional Relations, Essilor of America

I.S. Manager, Lab Operations and Data Warehouse, Walman Optical Company

&2)$!9 -!2#( s 6 PM – 8 PM Diane Von Furstenburg Studio, New York City 440 West 14th Street (S.W. corner of 14th Street and Washington Street) PM n PM #OCKTAIL 2ECEPTION s 0ROGRAM BEGINS AT PM RSVP required. Transportation available from the Javits Center

RSVP online by March 5, 2010 at www.opticalwomen.com

ADVANCING AND PROMOTING THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE OPTICAL INDUSTRY OWA would like to thank its 2010 Professional Development Fund sponsors for their belief in, and generous support of our mission to advance and promote the leadership role of women in the optical industry.

PLATINUM SPONSORS

SILVER SPONSORS

FRIENDS OF OWA

For more information on the OWA and/or to become a member please visit our website at www.opticalwomen.com Our thanks to EyeCare Professional Magazine for providing this space for OWA’s message.

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