In This Edition

• Top Stories
• Breaking News
• ICD-10 Coding Challenge
• Fresh Day^™ and Fresh 30^™ Success Stories
• Words from our Sponsors
• Around Vision Source^®
• Give Us Your Feedback

Issue 21

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• View in Web Browser

The Gazette
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• Tech Update 1
• Issue 19

Contact Vision Source^® at 888-558-2020 or [email protected]

Top Stories

The Exchange Reaffirms the Positive

While in the midst of my return to Texas after an incredible time in Boston, I am reflecting on the opportunities to intersect with so many of you, and I wanted to share a couple of observations.

First and foremost, spending time with you always reaffirms that is a privilege to serve the optometrists and staff who make Vision Source^® a special organization.

I was extremely encouraged by the number of members who stopped me to express their genuine excitement and gratitude for the successful leaders of the profession who willingly and humbly share pearls of wisdom and invest in the future success of their Vision Source^® colleagues.

Vision Source^® is blessed to be comprised of a countless number of selfless clinicians who have diligently served the profession and their communities in a wide variety of ways, both visibly and quietly behind the scenes. The leaders who built the foundation for Vision Source^® are deeply committed to the vibrancy of the profession and the health of their patients.

I also find my spirit energized by the large number of future leaders whom I met this week. The enthusiasm of the next generation of leaders is fueled by their exposure to members who have been successful for decades. I am leaving Boston with a high degree of confidence that Vision Source^® has a rich supply of gifted clinicians who are also wired to serve and make a difference for decades to come.

Furthermore, as I arrived at Logan Airport after the meeting, I happened to run into a couple of our elite vendors and they shared that this event has become the best in the industry. The reason for that comment is you, the membership of Vision Source^®.

In closing, I can't wait to see how 2014 unfolds but most importantly, I am even more enthusiastic about our collective opportunity to make a long-term difference for the millions of Americans who need access to the quality of care that you are equipped to deliver. The power of this network is vast and as we continue to grow and depend on one another, our mission will be fulfilled…

"Enriching lives by enabling independent optometrists
to reach their full potential"

Serving you,
Jim Greenwood
Vision Source^® President and CEO

Highlights from Boston

Whether you missed the Exchange or want to recall some key points, here's a video of highlights.

  Breaking News

Navigation Guide Now Available Online

Review of Optometric Business has published the Navigation Guide to Health Care Reform for Independent Optometrists. This comprehensive 16-page report is sponsored by Vision Source^®. The guide identifies the major trends in health care reform and the implications for the optometric profession. In addition, the report cites strategy imperatives and provides a series of action plans for ODs to flourish in the fluid health care reform environment. The full report can be downloaded here. First-time visitors to the site are required to register as a reader. The site is free and open to all.

Vision Source^® Live on the Power Hour

Dr. Gary Gerber hosted his popular weekly podcast the Power Hour live at The Exchange. Listen here via iTunes or here directly from the Power Hour site.

  ICD-10 Coding Challenge

Will Your Income Be Reduced By 83 Percent?

With ICD-10 implementation being delayed until Oct. 1, 2015, the foolhardy may decide to procrastinate and delay training, which will of course result in yet another last-minute harried attempt at training and preparation. The wise have recognized the delay as an opportunity to begin ICD-10 training and developing their deployment plans NOW in a more complete and orderly manner.

Why does it matter? Because the accuracy with which you code ICD-10 will be directly related to the amount of income your practice receives from payers.

The average accuracy of responses to the ICD-10 Coding Challenge has so far been 17 percent.

17 percent ICD-10 coding accuracy = 83 percent decrease in income.

Case #4

8 YO WM

• CC: red, itchy eyes
• HPI: both eyes, severe, has gotten worse in the past month, thick stringy discharge, some crusting in AM, significant photophobia, blurred vision
• Medical Hx: systemic allergies, taking immunotherapy
• Ocular Hx: unremarkable
• External: bulbar conjunctiva edema and redness, limbal edema, large conjunctival papillae on the back of the superior tarsus; raised Horner-Trantas dots on the superior cornea, diffuse superficial punctate keratitis
• Internal: unremarkable

How would you code this case using the ICD-10 Code Set? Email your answer to [email protected]. You will automatically receive an acknowledgement and the correcting coding for the case.

Click here for information and ordering of the comprehensive Vision Source Optimum ICD-10 Program.

  Fresh Day^™ and Fresh 30^™ Success Stories

Fresh Day^™ Makes Immediate Impact

Dr. Bruce Lucas of Woodland Hills, Calif., shares his experience with Fresh Day^™ lenses.

"The very first patient I put in the Fresh Day^™ lens was a 71-year-old monovision wearer who had been wearing other daily disposable lenses. He was open to trying a new lens when I pointed out the advantages. After leaving my office satisfied with the lenses, he returned 10 minutes later. He sought me out in the office to let me know that his vision was 35 percent clearer. (I am not sure how he arrived at that number) with the new Fresh Day^™ lenses. He is very happy to have switched to the new lens providing more oxygen to his eyes, increased comfort, UV protection and 35 percent clearer vision.

"The multifocal Fresh Day^™ lens, too, has become an integral part of my contact lens practice. I have found that the low add has more reading correction than other lenses. I have been able to use it for patients for whom I would prescribe a 2.00D or 2.25D reading add. When more reading correction is needed (and I have pushed least minus/ full plus for distance) trying the high add on only the non-dominant eye (per the fitting guide instructions) will often provide excellent reading. This is very different than what I would do with every other bifocal lens I fit. It is the first lens I start with when fitting a daily multifocal disposable lens.

"The addition of the Sauflon Fresh Day^™ lenses has been just one more way that being a Vision Source^® practice has given me a competitive advantage and my patients access to a great lens. I had just received the toric Fresh Day^™ lenses and look forward to adding that to my options for astigmatic patients." Read Dr. Lucas's full testimonial here.

Click here for a video on the Fresh Day^™ launch.

Sauflon Offers Fresh Day^™ Webinars

The webinar, Sauflon and Vision Source^® - A Fresh Day^™ Revolution, occurs several times. Please register for the date and time that works best for you. See what you missed at The Exchange. Join us for a brief presentation on how to get started with Fresh Day^™ contact lenses.

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Register now!

  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 portal.visionsource.com.

A number of vendors extended their show specials for a limited time beyond The Exchange or are making demonstration videos available, as requested by members who stopped by their booths. Unless otherwise directed, click here (portal.visionsource.com) to view the full details in the vendor book. These are time-sensitive offers, with many expiring on or before the end of April.

  Diamond Sponsors

MacuHealth offers its show pricing until Friday, April 25, for special savings on the Macular Densitometer, BluTech lenses, MacuHealth^® with LMZ3 and more. Click here for more information.

Marco offers low pricing to Vision Source^® members year-round. Vision Source^® thanks Marco for donating a TRS automated refracting lane, which raised $81,700 for the Vision Source^® Foundation.

Optos is offering the show specials through the end of April. Take advantage of the massive savings on the Daytona with Auto-Fluorescence and 0% deal, as well as, the amazing package deal of a Daytona AF and the Spectral Domain OCT. Also only available through end of April is the "Upgrade to Daytona" program for every current customer. First time ever, Optos will upgrade any existing P200/200Dx/200c to a Daytona even if you are in a current rental contract. Contact your local Optos Account Manager or the Business Development team at [email protected].

Sauflon invites Vision Source^® members to get in on the ground floor of the Fresh Day^™ daily disposable silicone hydrogel and Fresh 30 monthly replacement silicone hydrogel lens launch. Click here or here to learn more. Click links for Fresh 30 order form and Fresh Day order form.

Zeiss is offering its show specials through April 30. Highlights include the Cirrus 500, purchase or flex lease, trade-in upgrades on any older fundus camera toward the new Zeiss Cirrus Photo 600, which is a combination unit of the Cirrus OCT and Visucam Non Myd Pro Fundus Camera. Contact your local Zeiss rep, or Brian Close the National Accounts Manager at [email protected]. When contacting a member of the Zeiss make sure they know you are a Vision Source^® practice.

  Platinum Sponsors

Eyefinity offers this 30-minute demonstration on how Eyefinity EHR can liberate your practice.

FOCUS Laboratories is proud to present the FreshKote Patient Referral Program! This program is designed to bypass the pharmacy, allowing you to provide FreshKote to your patients in a convenient and less expensive way. Using a discount code and your name, Vision Source^® doctors will save their patients money on FreshKote and also earn rebate dollars. Click here or on the image to learn more about this program or contact customer service at 972-242-6332 ext. 22.

  Gold Sponsors

Local Eye Site, the leading online recruitment platform for eye care professionals, is offering huge savings on your order at checkout—but only through Friday, April 25.

  Sponsors

Bushnell is continuing its offer on Bolle 24 pre-packs of best sellers with a significant discount, 90-day terms and a Bollé 24-piece display, shipped free of freight charges. Special pricing remains in effect until May 15.

MODO will extend its promotion through April. Learn how to earn free frames and receive free shipping.

  Exhibitors

Baby Banz will honor its show special of 15 percent off order of more than $100 or free freight on orders of more than $500 through April 30.

Bruder is extending its special pricing through April 25 on moist heat eye compresses and other ophthalmic items.

Compulink makes it easy to trade in your existing practice management software or EHR software for up to $6,000 on a new Cloud EHR program. A special Vision Source^® member discount applies, and the offer is valid through May 31. Click here for more information.

Eyes of Faith will continue to offer show-special savings on 20-piece and 30-piece purchases through the end of April.

FedEx offers its 10 percent savings on all Vision Source^® print orders through April. Place your order here and use promo code FX001.

IRISTOCRACY is extending its special offer to the first 100 members to enroll. The offer is a free HD Logitech^® webcam with enrollment in the IRISTOCRACY Ambassador Program. Email [email protected] or call 855-348-IRIS.

Klassic Design will continue the three show specials offered at The Exchange through the remainder of April.

Konan Medical is extending its show special pricing through May. Click here for more information.

Office Depot offers you the opportunity to get your personalized marketing materials for your Vision Source^® practice at a great price and be entered into the Office Depot^® $500.00 Apple^® iTunes Gift Card Give-a-way! Each unique order placed between now and April 31 earns an entry to the drawing. Click here for more information. Each unique order is an entry into the drawing. For the entire month of April, each order you place is an entry into the drawing.

Reimbursement Plus extends its significant savings for a ReimbursementPLUS.com annual subscription. Check the vendor book to learn how.

Riserva is now offering rebates of $5 as a professional doctor rebate with a $2 office bonus.

Synemed is offering its special pricing on its Auto-Fluorescence, Auto-Focus Non Mydriatic Retinal Camera with no money down through April 30.

TearScience, a system for identifying and treating MGD, is extending its Exchange show pricing until April 30 on LipiView^® Ocular Surface Interferometer, Korb Meibomian Gland Evaluator^™ (MGE) and LipiFlow^® Thermal Pulsation System. Click here for more information.

Xact Xpressions, which runs visionsourcegear.com, is extending its show specials through April 25. Visit visionsourcegear.com for more information.

  Around Vision Source^®

  Marketing

May Is UV Awareness Month

May brings longer days, more time in the sun and increased risk of damage from UV radiation. To help your patients and your community understand the need for protection from excessive UV exposure, especially for the eyes, we’ve prepared the following:

• 8 1/2 x 11 Flyer (.pdf file)
• 8 1/2 x 11 Flyer (.doc file)
• Facebook image (.jpg file)
• News Release (.doc file)

You can also order customized flyers, counter cards and posters from FedEx Office or Office Depot through links to their sites on your Member Portal.

Transitions DRTV Campaign Launched

As announced at the 2014 Exchange, Transitions is joining with Vision Source^® to drive new patients into member offices. The Direct Response TV (DRTV) campaign launched April 14 and runs nationwide through the end of the month on networks like Lifetime, Discovery, Bravo, HGTV and more. Click here to review how the program works. Click here to register for a webinar on Wednesday, April 30 to learn how you can make the most of this opportunity. Transitions expects to have 20,000 people respond and will direct them only to Vision Source^® members.

  Practice Development

VSR Awards its Honorees

Congratulations to the VSR Facilitators who were recognized at the VSR Facilitator Awards Luncheon, sponsored by Alcon, at the Exchange:

• Jennifer Winland, River Region of Ohio: 2014 VSR Facilitator of the Year
• Barbara Hakes, representing both the Finger Lakes and Syracuse regions of New York: Special Recognition for Golden Service
• Jennifer Hampton, Asheville region of North Carolina: Rising Star

Vision Source^® CEO and President Jim Greenwood and founder and Executive Chairman Dr. Glenn Ellisor also spoke. The VSR program continues to gain momentum. In the exhibit hall, more than 30 people (mostly VSR Facilitators), including one of this year's Golden Spur recipients, Dr. Bret Hagan, volunteered at the VSR booth to promote the program. Dr. Lee Rigel and past Golden Spur recipient Dr. David Caban joined Dr. Hagan at the booth on Thursday.  The 2nd VSR Golden Spur Award was presented to District Manager Tim Maulding for his efforts to further VSR in Southern California.

Is Continued Use of Windows XP a HIPAA Violation?

In response to a member's question about continued use of Windows XP on an office computer now that Microsoft has announced it will no longer support that operating system, Dr. Walt West, Vision Source^® vice president of practice development, said the following:

The HIPAA Security Rule does not specifically require the use of operating systems that are manufacturer-supported so continuing to use Windows XP after April 8 is not in itself a HIPAA violation. What our members need to know is when and under what circumstances operating on Windows XP can become a HIPAA violation.

If our members need to continue using Windows XP beyond April 8, the minimum requirement for HIPAA compliance is that they address the risks associated with doing so in their risk analysis (which is part of their HIPAA manual). Addressing the risks means that members know what can happen and that they have a plan to minimize the risk (they have to describe the plan in the risk analysis). That plan also can include a timeline for making the switch away from Windows XP because our members can't continue to use that old operating system indefinitely.

Here’s an example: If the computer running on Windows XP is not connected to the Internet, or doesn't have the capability to connect to the Internet, the risk would be very low.  A risk-assessment entry in that portion of their HIPAA manual may read something like this:

Potential Risk: Dell computer SN#12345678 in Diagnostic testing room (shown on copy of floor plan) uses Windows XP operating system.

Risk Assessment: Dell computer SN#12345678 in Diagnostic testing room (shown on copy of floor plan) using Windows XP operating system does not connect to Internet and there is no Internet browser program installed.

Risk Management Plan: Minimal risk managed through staff education, not connecting to Internet, and locked screen saver when not attended by authorized doctors or staff.

  Member Services

Comments from a New Member

Dr. Mark Anderson of Houston, and a new Vision Source^® member told Randy Sones, Vision Source^® vice president, marketing and advertisting, what brought him to Vision Source^®.

"In 1988, Rhonda and I began our optometric careers in Kingwood, Atascocita, and the Galleria in Houston. At that time, Glenn was in the Humble Mall practicing under the Today's Vision name. Today's vision was one of the biggest franchises in Houston. I knew who Glenn was, but I really didn't know Glenn.

"A couple of years later, he made a gutsy call to go out on his own and start Vision Source^®. Vision Source thrived, while Today's Vision withered on the vine, becoming a shell of what it once was. I still did not know Glenn.

"Over the years, practices changed around and Glenn and I both found ourselves in Kingwood. Vision Source^® grew; I stayed small. When Vision Source^® announced new member after new member, I thought, 'Wow, Glenn has got a real good thing going on.' But I still did not know Glenn.

"In January 1995, I began to know Glenn. See, after the death of my first born son, Eric, who was born with Trisomy 18, without pause, Glenn sent his new associate, Dr. Gregg Simpson, to cover my office. I don't know if I would have done the same. From that point on, I never thought of Glenn as my competitor, only as my colleague. I still only barely knew Glenn.

"In 2005 or 2006, I was asked by my church to go on a faith-based mission to Africa sponsored by Sight Ministries, founded by Glenn Ellisor. I found out that Glenn had gone on 29 faith-based mission trips (in 2006) around the world giving vision care to thousands and thousands of people in third-world countries who had none. At that time, I think I finally knew Glenn.

"Over the years I really never had the chance (because of location) to join Vision Source^®. When my wife Rhonda purchased her father's very successful Texas State Optical this year in Baytown, it became obvious that we would not be able to work the company. I made one cell phone call to Glenn and he welcomed us in. Now saying that, I did not know Vision Source^® .

"After this week at The Exchange, I am beginning to know Vision Source. All I can say is wow!"

  Your Feedback Counts

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