| Issue 11 | November 1, 2013 |
In This Edition
Issue 11
The Gazette
Archives
Contact Vision Source® at 888-558-2020 or [email protected]
Top Story
The Power of the Network
Were it not for the recognition of the Vision Source® brand and the reputation of its member doctors, the following story would not have happened. Aaron Werner, OD, pictured below with the doctors in his office, wrote to us to describe a recent patient encounter in his Vision Source® practice in El Cajon, Calif.
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He shared:
I just finished a new patient exam with a 34-year-old young man. When I walked into the room to introduce myself the first thing he said was, "I have to tell you the reason I'm here. We moved from Las Vegas a few years ago and I saw an eye doctor in San Diego last year. He was OK, but I really liked my doctor out in Vegas. I saw him for years and knew he was a part of the Vision Source® network, and when I saw your sign that you were part of the Vision Source® network, too, I decided to come here this year."
The Las Vegas Vision Source® group has collaborated on marketing to increase the value of the brand there. Jim Beckwith was his OD in Las Vegas, and I told this young man I knew Dr. Beckwith well. We had a great conversation throughout the exam, and he expressed his excitement about finding a new office he could call home. He bought an annual supply of DAILIES TOTAL1 contact lenses and made appointments for his wife and daughter as he left.
Marketing Vision Source® and branding work. As the network continues to grow more visible, I look forward to having even more experiences like this one.
So do we, Dr. Werner. Thanks for sharing that golden-nugget experience that illustrates how affiliating your practice with the committed, quality providers and leaders in the industry helps us individually and as a whole.
Be well,
Jim Greenwood
Vision Source® President and CEO
Breaking News
A Fond Farewell
After 13 years with Vision Source®, Rob Houdek, OD, senior vice president of business development, will retire at the end of this year.
He sat down with Randy Sones, vice president of marketing and advertising, to talk about his years here and all that Vision Source® has accomplished, as well as his plans for the future—spending time with his parents, catching fish and working on a documentary with a high school friend of his from Denton, Texas, detailing a football season of theirs in the context of desegregation. Learn more about the movie and the scholarship fund it is establishing at broncodocumentary.com.
Dr. Houdek is finishing strong—with six member meetings scheduled and a presentation on the state of the network in the works. He says he remains "bullish about the Vision Source® future. I think that the current leadership, especially Jim Greenwood, has the vision and the means to propel our network to new heights, especially with regard to managed care. We have serious discussions with dozens of innovative health care organizations that are creating new delivery models for population health management in virtually every part of the country."
Dr. Houdek says his favorite memories of his time at Vision Source® focus on the bonds he's built with members. "It seems like at every annual meeting, doctors come up to me and thank me for inviting them into the network. And I thank all of them for helping to make Vision Source® what it is today. This organization was built one relationship at a time and although we are a very large network, the sense of family stills resonates throughout the organization."
Read the whole interview here.
Prepare Now for Year-end Rush
Year-end benefits material available
The end of 2013 is almost here. For many participants in Flex Plans or Health Savings Accounts, Dec. 31 marks the deadline for use of their benefits. To encourage participants in these plans to use their available dollars for eye care and eyewear, we've prepared the following:
- 8 1/2 x 11 Flyer (.pdf file)
- 8 1/2 x 11 Flyer (.doc file) – Click just below the logo to reveal a text box where you can add your practice information.
- Facebook image (.jpg file)
- News Release (.doc file)
You can also order personalized counter cards and posters through FedEx Office or Office Depot.
Demandforce Users: This flyer is available in your portal under Templates from Partners called "Benefits – VS December Newsletter."
Websystem3 Users: Click "Campaigns" on the blue menu bar and then select "Prewritten Campaigns."
Travel Scholarship Named in Honor of Dr. John McCall
Optometry Giving Sight provided three travel scholarships for graduates from the Mzuzu University School of Optometry in Malawi to travel to the American Academy of Optometry meeting in Seattle in October. The scholarships were awarded in the names of members of the Chairman's Club, Optometry Giving Sight's highest level of giving: Vision Source® Senior Vice President, Vendor Relations, John McCall, OD. The other scholarships recognized Dr. Juan Carlos Aragon and Drs. Earl Smith and Janice Wensveen.
Words from our Sponsors
In this section, you will find the latest offers and promotions from Vision Source® vendors.
Fall Into Cash With Transitions®
Between now and the end of December, Vision Source® members who grow their Essilor Transitions jobs by 10 percent earn $10 for every incremental job above their baseline. See the promotional flyer and visit the Essilor or Transitions pages in the vendor book at visionsource.com.
Transitions Optical Road to Academy Promo Update
There's an update available for Vision Source® members who earned Road to Academy rewards. Read the message from Transitions here.
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Update Your m'eyeFit™ System
The latest enhancements to your m'eyeFit™ System software are available now. The update includes features designed to increase efficiency of use and the accuracy and precision of the measurement results.
- Selecting Lens Design—The ability to select the lens design (single vision, bifocal, progressive) and see measurement results specific to those lenses
- Visual Reference for Head Inclination—A visual indicator of the inclination of the patient's head during the recording of the second image helps ensure proper position during image capture
- Improved Tracking Marker Detection—Tracking marker detection has been improved for more accurate measurement results, especially in variable lighting conditions
- A cleaner and more streamlined image review screen
- Additional System Settings Controls—Added functionality to control the automatic system shutdown timer and other system settings
The simplest way to update m'eyeFit System is to connect to the Internet, and the upload can be downloaded automatically. There are offline instructions as well for the latest version v.2.0.0.0. The update documents may be found on EssilorUSA.com in the Learning Resources section, along with other learning information for the m'eyeFit Digital Measuring System. Read more on the Essilor vendor page at visionsource.com.
Don't Miss out on 2013 Equipment Tax Benefits
Businesses have significant reasons to acquire and install capital equipment before the end of 2013, thanks to the American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012. And, because the allowable Section 179 deduction is expected to be reduced to $25,000 in 2014 and bonus depreciation is scheduled to expire, it's important to plan now to maximize these important benefits in 2013.
Here are highlights for tax benefits:
- The allowable Section 179 deduction has been increased to $500,000 on the cost of new and used equipment purchased through on or by Dec. 31
- It allows a 50 percent bonus depreciation of the cost of new equipment [under certain conditions] on or by Dec. 31
Read more from US Bank on the vendor page at visionsource.com.
Marcolin and Viva Announcement Has No Negative Impact
Vision Source® would like to assure its members that the current Marcolin and Viva programs will remain in effect for the remainder of the year. As you are no doubt aware, Marcolin announced an agreement to acquire Viva International Group. The acquisition is subject to satisfaction of customary closing and is expected to become effective in the next few months.
Vision Source® is fortunate to have great relationships with both companies and anticipates being able to maintain its excellent programs and differentials for many years to come.
Do not hesitate to contact your member service representative for more information on how to maximize your opportunities in this important category.
Develop Your Marcolin Brand
Vision Source® members who are new to a Marcolin brand this year may be eligible for special brand-development savings. See the vendor book for more information.
New Vendor
Bruder Healthcare, the newest vendor to Vision Source®, offers revolutionary treatments for MGD, dry eye syndrome, styes, chalazions and blepharitis. Visit the Bruder Healthcare vendor page at visionsource.com for more information, including pricing specific for Vision Source® members.
Around Vision Source®
Member Services
Patients Notice Gold Standard Service
The conventional wisdom is that people complain quickly and often about poor service and they're typically quiet about adequate service. So to prompt patients to report back to your office about the high-quality service they've received is a sign that it was, in fact, stellar service.
Ochoco Vision Source® in Prineville, Ore., received one of these compliments recently. A patient wrote, "I was very pleased with my whole visit to Ochoco Vision Source®, from check in to check out. Amanda did an excellent job of helping me find a pair of glasses that I know I will love! Dr. Hudson was very professional, answered my questions and is personable."
The Gold Standard book inspires exceptional service. Do you have an example of Gold Standard service? Send your story to [email protected].
Marketing
Leverage Vision Source® Press Releases in Your Local Media
Press release templates available in the Vision Source® Marketing Tool Kit
The Vision Source® Marketing Tool Kit features prewritten, easily editable press releases into which you can plug in your own information and send to local media. They can be found via the Press Releases folder on the Vision Source® Marketing Tool Kit CD that you were sent, as well as through the member portal through Resources-Marketing-Marketing Tool Kit.
VSR Facilitator Paula Morrow, CPOA, took advantage of November's diabetes awareness press release and received coverage on the local newspaper's website for the Vision Source® practice in Hot Springs, S.D. See the article here.
"Using these predefined press releases is so easy. It tells you exactly what to put where and only takes a minute or two. Our doctor, like other Vision Source® doctors, is very thorough and loves to educate his patients on the medical side of optometry. These press releases help us do just that. I always have Dr. Dallas Wilkinson review the press release before emailing it to our newspaper office. Dr. Wilkinson always approves of these well-written press releases."
Vision Source® Magnolia Welcomes State Representative
The doctors and staff of Vision Source® Magnolia welcomed a Texas State Representative to a recent open house. See the photo published in The Potpourri – Magnolia Edition here.
New Vision Source® Websites Showing Great Results
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Vision Source® is hearing about great performance results already with the new Vision Source® member sites and continues to hear compliments from members and patients who love the new look, responsive design and ease of use. Many of the new sites are even receiving sitelinks from Google. For an example, see below. Sitelinks are indexed listings of pages within a website displayed on search engine results pages. Sitelinks are desirable because they add reputability and take up more space on the page. Competition in your area could affect sitelinks.
The remaining 1,000 practices will be contacted by the end of the year. If you are in the queue and waiting on a call from Avelient, please be patient. We've found that the conversion process goes quicker when a staff person is handling it. If your site is currently live with Avelient and you haven't added the ABB or OOGP shopping system to your site, please see the information below.
ABB OPTICAL GROUP USERS
Already using ABB OPTICAL GROUP for e-commerce on your website?
If YES, contact [email protected] with the Subject: "Request my Account URL" — Please include your account number in the email.
If NO, contact [email protected] with the Subject: "Setup my Account" — Please include your contact information in the email: Name, Address and Phone.
OOGP USERS
Already using OOGP for e-commerce on your website?
If YES,contact 800.654.3829 ext. 1168.
If NO, contact your OOGP Sales Consultant or 800.654.3829 ext. 1168.
Note: If you would like to add this later, that can be arranged.
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