We have a first-rate lineup of speakers: Mile Brujic, OD, FAAO; Joe W. DeLoach, OD, FAAO, Dipl.ABO; Craig Thomas, OD; Michael Kling, OD; and Jared Noble. Each of them will deliver pertinent and timely information to help you improve or streamline some elements of your business.

Yet we also have another key offering that feels less tangible than earned CE hours. Still, it is just as important. In the member profile below, you’ll hear from a brand new Pearle Vision Licensed Operator (LO) and brand new SNAPP member. He’ll be attending our annual meeting, ready to absorb all he can.

Do you remember when you first started? Or maybe there was a time when you contemplated bringing on a new service? How valuable were these SNAPP meetings to you? All of your SNAPP board members recall times at these meetings when we absorbed information or shared it—or sometimes, both.

So whether it’s your first meeting or your umpteenth, we know you’ll leave Las Vegas with ideas and enthusiasm. We can’t wait to see you there.

Check the meeting page here.

Arlandis Word was an entrepreneur first and a Pearle Licensed Operator (LO) just as of lately. Word is a software engineer who co-owns a small software business and has also run a boutique consulting firm. He was in search of a great franchising opportunity—and the Pearle model appealed to him because of the medical aspect. “That made it seem a little more recession-proof,” he says.

Still, being brand new to the optical world, the process seemed daunting, until he heard about the Pearle Vision Ignite conversion program. Under that model, an LO can convert an existing optical into a Pearle Vision location. That concept appealed to Word for several reasons.

It meant he had a patient and customer base from day one.

The Ignite program also provides LOs up to three years to renovate the location to full Pearle Vision design standards.

“Pearle connected me with a broker in the area, and I saw that there was an optical for sale about 10 minutes from my house. The OD who was selling had several locations and wanted to lighten the portfolio,” Word says.

He acquired the practice on April 26, and by the middle of the summer, he was busy bringing the Acuity Logic Pearle point of sale system in and adapting to Pearle inventory guidelines. “There are so many logistical details. We needed a lab, and we had to get credentialled on insurance panels,” he says. His Pearle Vision support team was great, however. The team came out to help with layout and merchandising tips.

Word wanted to build the patient base from the start—so he kept on a part-time optometrist who had worked there before and added two others. He was also able to hire some of the existing staff. “I’ve been fortunate to be able to hire the office manager. She has schooled me in so much,” he says.

Eye care is a complex business, “and if it were not for the Ignite program, I would not have taken over an optical. Two things had to align for me to take on this initiative: the optical had to look solid as a standalone business, and I had to be able to convert it to a Pearle. I was counting on the Pearle system and processes to execute this plan,” he says.

He has come a long way in the learning curve but acknowledges there’s still a lot to learn. “I’m optimistic about the team I have, and I am understanding more about the economics of eye care and the metrics to track,” he says. He also notes that patients in his region know and trust the Pearle brand, so he’s confident about his growth opportunities.

Joining SNAPP

When Word was researching franchise options, he saw that many had an owners’ group. “I knew there had to be a Pearle equivalent, so I asked a few other operators I knew. Everyone mentioned SNAPP,” he says.

He plans to attend the SNAPP meeting in Las Vegas in September to learn what he can about the business and gain expert tips from the LOs who are there. “I am a little nervous to go into the room where everyone has so much more experience, but I’ll go in with humility and welcome all suggestions and ideas.”

Editor’s note: In the April issue, the team from Practice Compliance Solutions addressed why social media can be critical to building a business today. In June, PCS shared some guidelines for social media content. And in this article, Dr. Cass suggests some guidelines for effective ways to respond to online reviews and summarizes the legalities of patient communications via social media.

An eye care professional’s digital message is often your first point of contact with potential patients and an important component of the doctor-patient relationships. You may not think about it much—but your patients definitely do.

In 2023, 69% of U.S. adults used Facebook, and 57% and 45% respectively said they used YouTube and Instagram. The popularity of social media and its use by the practice and staff raises several issues in health care. These issues include what your practice posts on social media, how your employees use social media (even on company time), and how you communicate with patients through social media.

In this column, we’ll be looking more at the communications with patients on social media—which can include what you put on your blogs, social media and websites, as well as how you respond to patient comments and reviews.

As practices cultivate a large and engaged patient base, posts and shares by patients bring your content and awareness about your practice to a larger group of people. You and/or your designated social media staff member can create content that people like by sharing links to interesting news, updates on the office or staff, events or special sales—as long as you follow HIPAA guidelines.

Responding to reviews

Whether you are involved in it or not, your patients and potential patients are talking about you on social media. Monitoring those reviews and mentions is important. While most well-run practices receive mostly positive reviews, it’s important to monitor them all—good and bad. The way you respond can be a great practice builder.

For good reviews, consider thanking the reviewer and acknowledging the comment. Be careful to use generic language when responding and keep it brief. Something like “Thank you for the kind words. We strive to be thorough” or “So glad to see this posted. We love our optician Natalie.” If it’s appropriate, consider reaching out to ask the reviewer to post the same message on other social media sites.

For bad reviews, try to reach out to the patient by phone. The first two actions are the same: thank the person and acknowledge the comment. Ask them to give you as much information as possible about the issue and take notes. Then summarize back to them what was said. Accept responsibility for anything that you did wrong (nobody is perfect) and ask them what you can do to resolve the situation for them. Try to let them offer a solution. Patients appreciate being heard and having the opportunity to tell you what they want done. You will often be surprised how reasonable they can be when they realize you sincerely want to fix the problem for them. If appropriate, you can ask them to remove or change the review.

If you are unable to connect with them by phone or if they are still upset, you can respond online. For HIPAA compliance be careful and respond in nonspecific terms. It is usually best to just simply state policy. For example: “Our office policy is to collect co-pays at the time of service” or “Lens warranties are only for 1 year.”

Definitely don’t get into an argument with them. You won’t look good, and you might make them angry enough to file a complaint.

Communicating with patients

In general, it is not a good idea to use social media to communicate with patients other than on generic topics that are relevant to your patient base. This could include marketing or ocular health education, for example.

And while it seems obvious, it bears repeating. Do not ever post any personal health information (PHI) on your digital platforms.

If a patient posts and includes some of their PHI in their question or comment, your team needs to follow all HIPAA rules in any response. An appropriate response could be to ask them to call the office or suggest that someone from the office will call to discuss.

If your office emails patients, it should be through encrypted and secure emails. The same goes for text messaging. But patient portals are generally the best option and may be required in the future.

Q: Do we have to get permission to run a background check?

A: You certainly do! The Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) requires you to get permission from an applicant or employee before conducting a background check. It also has specific notice requirements, such as providing the applicant or employee a summary of their FCRA rights and the appropriate adverse action letters if you decide not to hire them or terminate their employment because of the background check. A number of state laws also have background check requirements.

Legal requirements aside, telling applicants what to expect as part of the selection process is considered a professional courtesy, especially if you’ll conduct background checks or any other kind of screening that digs into history that may not be directly related to the work they will be doing.

Photo credits—Palms: Palms Casino Resort via Facebook. Getty images: spotlight: bankrx; social: Urupong; hiring: filo; supplements: Images By Tang Ming Tung; get moving: nycshooter; risk: picture