| Issue 13 | December 6, 2013 |
In This Edition
Issue 13
The Gazette
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Contact Vision Source® at 888-558-2020 or [email protected]
Top Story
Take Advantage of Your Vision Source® Member Savings
Plan your purchases around your member benefits
While it's true that The Exchange offers some tremendous savings for Vision Source® members—and 2014 in Boston will be no exception—there are end-of-year savings, too, that you should take advantage of right now. For example, CooperVision has announced its holiday-year-end special, a promotion just for Vision Source® practices that runs the entire month of December only.
Whether you're purchasing directly from CooperVision or through an authorized distributor, don't miss this chance to stock up and save even beyond the usual, competitive Vision Source® pricing by purchasing a 200-box bulk on AquaClear 100™ , AquaClear™ and/or Proclear® 1 day contact lenses. Not only will you receive a special rebate check in addition to your Practice Builder rebate, your patients receive a larger rebate on their purchases of these CooperVision annual supplies between now and the end of May. Only 400 member rebate checks will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis. For full details, visit the vendor book.
Take a few moments to review your year-end purchasing needs and see how Vision Source® elite vendors can help you potentially increase your rebates and save on products you'll need in 2014.
Derrick Artis, OD
Vision Source® Executive Vice President, Operations
Breaking News
Glaucoma Awareness Month Materials Available
January is Glaucoma Awareness Month. To help you educate your patients and your community on the "Silent Thief of Sight," Vision Source® has 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 "Glaucoma – VS January Newsletter."
Websystem3 Users: Click "Campaigns" on the blue menu bar and then select "Prewritten Campaigns."
Words from our Sponsors
In this section, you will find the latest offers and promotions from Vision Source® vendors. For more details, visit the vendor book at visionsource.com.
VISIONEQUIP Extends Offer to Member Practices
VISIONEQUIP offers the RETI-portscan21 by ROLAND CONSULT, delivering VEP, ERG and EOG to the office in full compliance with ISCEV standards. The RETI-portscan 21 captures reliable, objective data of the cellular function throughout the entire RNFL and visual pathway.
With a footprint nearly the size of a retinal camera, this all-in-one unit utilizes more than 300 ICD-9s describing five CPT® codes and enables the technician to code with confidence and diagnose dysfunction before irreversible damage occurs. Contact Chuck Pritchard at 888-783-7891. The RETI-portscan21 is offered to Vision Source® member practices at nearly 30 percent savings.
Marcolin Completes Viva Acquisition
Marcolin has finalized the acquisition of VIVA International, the second largest eyewear company in the Americas and the ninth largest worldwide. Marcolin will bring its historical handcrafted expertise, focused management and strong financial background to VIVA's current strong business. This acquisition establishes the ideal conditions for bringing a relevant and value added product offering with a worldwide distribution network to the market.
In addition, Marcolin offers exclusive year-end savings to Vision Source® accounts, through the end of the year. See the vendor book for details.
Missed the Demandforce Webinar? No Worries.
There's still time to Transform Your Practice with Demandforce
Demandforce is an online marketing and communications solution that will help your practice:
- Automate marketing and appointment communications
- Enhance your online reputation to attract new patients
- Track all results and ROI to drive your bottom line
Now you can review the one-hour webinar that covers how Demandforce can transform your practice as well as learn about all its new features including postcards, Bing review syndication, recurring campaigns and Intuit Local.
Around Vision Source®
Member Services
Gold Standard Moments
Gold standard moments of service, as exemplified and inspired by The Gold Standard book, occur in Vision Source® member doctors' offices regularly. You are encouraged to continue to send in your examples to [email protected]. But they occur at the Member Support Center, too. Vision Source® Vice President of Professional Services Hans Kell, OD, FAAO, shares this story.
"On the afternoon of Nov. 21, I was copied on an email from Stuart Bark, OD, FAAO, a Vision Source® administrator in Scottsdale, Ariz., to his members letting them know that Dignity Health has approved the Vision Source® network to join the Arizona Health Network ACO. That's big and exciting news. But the challenge was that for individual members to be included, they needed to send their completed W-9 to the health care organization that day.
Realizing that some of these members could miss an important opportunity if they didn't happen to check their emails, I asked the Member Support Center team if they could swing into action and make calls to these doctors letting them know about this urgent action item. Cheryl Jones pulled the list together and divided it by five, dividing the work by four team members and me. William Acevedo even took the extra step of not only making his own calls, but recognizing that I was juggling several tasks, made mine as well.
The team dropped everything it was doing to help Dr. Bark and the Arizona Vision Source® doctors take this important step. It was a true gold standard moment."
A Purl of a Service Pearl
Here's a gold standard moment from Jeff Hilovsky, OD, of Sussex Eye Center, a four-location Vision Source® member practice.
"During the course of an exam, I asked my elderly patient I she has any hobbies. She told me she knits little hats for premature babies and gives them to the local hospitals to distribute. She also knits hats for the local elementary schools also. Needless to say, she is quite a kind and giving person. After she left the office, my technician Hollie noticed that she left her bag of knitting supplies. Hollie called her, and during her lunch break, she delivered the lost bag of knitting supplies back to our 80-something year-old patient at her home."
Professional Development
Great Game of Business Has Impressive Impact
Ryan Hill, OD, of Union Eye Associates, a Vision Source® practice in Union, Mo., implemented the Great Game of Business mini games in the office several months ago months ago. In the first two months, no-glare lens sales went from about 40 percent to 93 percent. 
"It works," he says.
Dr. Hill said that if the staff met the no-glare sales goals, the staff could direct how he and his associate, Justin Crowe, OD, would dress up for Halloween. The practice met the goal and Dr. Hill and Dr. Crowe donned their Batman and Robin costumes.
Marketing
Name Change
Connect FKM Is Now The Company of Others
Connect FKM, the company that handles print & online Yellow Pages for many of our members, has change its name to The Company of Others. Read the announcement by clicking here.
Website Covers All the Bases
Brett Hagen, OD, of Spokane, Wash., and a Vision Source® administrator says he was intrigued by the offer from a local broadcasting group that had formed a health initiative to tie local health care providers together in a multi-platform strategy that includes website, mobile and television presence for one monthly fee. He and a new associate OD met with the local TV representative to see if the strategy made sense for his practice or even for the Vision Source® regional group. Frequently, they heard the representative, who had done her homework researching Dr. Hagen's current web presence, was, "As you know, you already have that covered."
- Website design, implementation and maintenance? "As you know, you already have that covered."
- Mobile web platform? "As you know, you already have that covered."
- Patient reach for digital communication? "As you know, you already have that covered."
- Patient communication via online communication? "As you know, you already have that covered."
Dr. Hagen says, "With the implementation of our new website and mobile platform in addition to our work with DemandForce, I felt I could more thoroughly understand all that the representative was presenting and feel confident that we were well on our way to a media presence for our practice.
While we may still decide to pursue this group for television marketing in the future, I left very confident that you and the rest of the Member Support Center marketing team have slingshotted our practices into the future with our partnerships with Avelient and DemandForce."
Smart Branding
In addition, don't tell Brett Hagen, OD, that you can't brand a construction sign. He did exactly that during some construction at his Garland Vision Source® practice in Spokane, Wash.
New Signage Screens Sun Glare
"We were able to kill two birds with one stone, as the saying goes, with some new Vision Source® signage. The staff had been complaining of the blinding sunlight that comes in through a window above our door in the afternoons. So we created this Vision Source® logo sign in a permanent vinyl that attached to the glass. At about 6' x 4', the cost was about $500. But it serves two purposes. The staff can see their way clearly through the afternoon—and we can reinforce our Vision Source® brand."
Michael J. Siegel, OD, of Budd Lake, N.J.
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