Issue 29 August 8, 2014

In This Edition

Issue 29


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


Top Story

Your Input Helps Our Planning

I am thrilled to report that the feedback from Vision Source® members to the 2014 survey was phenomenal. In the three weeks that the window was open, we received 50 percent more completed surveys than in prior years, and the responses included rich content and valuable feedback. That feedback will help drive the organization's business plan as we establish our priorities for 2015.

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The data is now being reviewed and tabulated, and I will provide a summary of our findings in this space as it becomes available. The effort is absolutely worthwhile, as it provides us the opportunity to gauge how well we're doing with respect to our desire to serve you well and see how we can move forward to meet the evolving needs of the nation's most influential network of independent eye care providers.

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The past few years have brought a lot of changes to Vision Source® as an organization and to your individual practices. (See the story below as one example of the fast-moving change.) The organization continues to support its member practices to grow and prosper in this changing climate—and that's why your feedback is so critically important. I want to thank you personally for taking the time to participate.

Be well,
Jim Greenwood
President and CEO
Vision Source®

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Market Research Firm Predicts Quick Escalation for ACOs

A Dallas-based market research firm, Parks Associates, reports that recent business and regulatory changes in health care will drive the number of patients receiving care from an accountable care organization (ACO) from an estimated 40 million in 2015 to more than 130 million by 2017.

"Reforms to the healthcare financial model tie compensation to care outcomes, and ACOs, built on the coordinated care model, align well with this new emphasis," says Harry Wang, a Parks Associates director. ACOs are identified broadly to include Medicare ACOs, private-sector patient-centered medical home practices and health care providers that accept a pay-for-performance arrangement with private and public payers. ACOs are expected to generate nearly $1 billion in care management revenues this year, according to Parks. Read the press release here.

  Breaking News

Act Fast: Free CE FOR Vision Source® Members

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CEiB, optometry's virtual COPE conference and exhibition, has CE on demand for Vision Source® offices that respond quickly. For those of you who took advantage—and those who did not—of the free CE offered by CEiB on July 22, here's some great news: you can take additional hours "on demand" for a limited time.

Click here to register. On the registration page, choose Solo Pass, then choose Vision Source® as your group to receive free admission.

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Secure Your Online Presence

How digital marketing has evolved and what you need to do now

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Join the Vision Source® marketing team and approved SEO/PPC vendor Yodle Brand Networks for an informative webinar on what's happening in the digital landscape and how you can enhance your online presence.

Add the webinar to your schedule on Wednesday, Aug. 27 8 p.m. CDT. Click here to register.

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Trusted Colleague Finds Value in VSR

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This is the eighth installment in our Trusted Colleagues series—profiles of high-performing offices that exemplify the best practices of Vision Source® membership—networking with colleagues at local meetings and The Exchange, engaging with elite vendors and delivering the gold standard of patient care.

In the Vision Source® spirit of collegiality, these members have also agreed to answer any questions you may have about their experience and included their email addresses.

Our Trusted Colleague for this edition is Brandon Cornish, OD, of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., who explains how his staff members’ involvement in the VSR program has added enthusiasm and great ideas. Click here to read his story.

  ICD-10 Coding Challenge

How Would You Code This Case?

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Take advantage of these regular ICD-10 challenges to bolster your understanding of the new coding system to take effect in 2015. Your financial future depends on understanding how to use these new codes.

Case #12

35 YO WM

  • CC: something in his eye
  • HPI: left eye, happened yesterday, was welding and using a metal grinder, getting more painful, watering moderately
  • Medical Hx: unremarkable
  • Ocular Hx: unremarkable
  • External: small rust colored metallic foreign body embedded in cornea at inferior temporal edge of pupil, mild diffuse conjunctival redness
  • 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.


  Fresh Day™ and Fresh 30™ Success Stories

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Quality Material at Lower Cost

Silicone hydrogel daily disposable lenses in all designs available at hydrogel prices

We have been using Fresh Day™ daily disposable lenses since they were first introduced. Personally, I have found the lenses to be comfortable, and they handle well and offer good vision.  Obviously, they are more profitable—an additional $60 in profit on an annual supply.

I tell patients that I am super excited about a new lens. I tell them that daily disposable lenses have been proven to have the lowest incidence of "adverse events" like infections and red eyes. In the past, the problem has been that the lenses were made with an older material that did not allow as much oxygen through.  Then new daily disposable lenses were introduced with higher oxygen transmissibility, but they cost more.  Now I have a daily disposable lens that is the same cost and has the better material with the higher oxygen transmissibility.

– Dr. Laurie Sorrenson of Austin, Texas

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Update on the CooperVision Acquisition of Sauflon

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Earlier this week, CooperVision announced that its acquisition of Sauflon is now complete. For the time being, however, there are no immediate changes in ordering your products from either company. CooperVision stated, "We are working quickly and effectively to combine both companies' entrepreneurial and passionate teams to build an even stronger partnership for you. And for the near term, it's business as usual for both companies. Please continue to contact your CooperVision representative for all CooperVision business and your Sauflon representative for all Sauflon business. We are committed to keeping you informed as we move forward and so updates will be shared via email, phone and on our professional website. Our goal is to make the transition as seamless as possible for you."

Read the full letter from CooperVision's Ron Domingo here.

  Words from our Vendors

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In this section, you will find the latest offers and promotions from Vision Source® vendors. For more details, log in at visionsource.com and view the vendor book.

Sauflon Announces Optometry Giving Sight Sponsorship

Fresh Day™ and Fresh 30™ annual supply rebate forms will now have the option for patients to donate a portion of their rebate to Optometry Giving Sight (OGS). On the Fresh Day daily disposable $50 rebate form, the patient will have the option to donate $5, $25, or $50 to OGS. For the Fresh 30™ $25 rebate form, the patient will have the option to donate $5, $15, or $25.

The new Fresh Day™ and Fresh 30™ rebate forms can be accessed on the Vision Source® and Sauflon USA websites.

Vision Source® has been a long-time supporter and a top giver of Optometry Giving Sight and Sauflon wants to continue to support Vision Source® and members' contributions to OGS with this effort.

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Marcolin/Viva Revises Program for Vision Source® Members

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In addition to offering its 2014 brand discounts and a special rebate program for growth over 2013 levels, Marcolin/Viva offers Vision Source® members dedicated, professional and local representation to assist with trunk shows and frame board management. Marcolin/Viva emphasizes that it does not compete with Vision Source® practices, is not an insurance carrier and is not a retailer. Visit the vendor book for details and qualifications for the current program.

  Around Vision Source®


  Marketing

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Gear Up For Sports Eye Safety

Sports are the leading cause of eye injuries to children under 16. September is Sports Eye Safety month and to help inform your patients and your community of the need for protective eyewear in sports, Vision Source® has prepared the following.

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

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Website Conversion Process is Quick and Easy

There are still some Vision Source® websites that have not yet been converted from Eye Hub websites to Avelient sites. While you may certainly keep your Eye Hub managed site, beginning in September, Vision Source® will no longer pay for the site. To take advantage of the updated look and continue with free website services, begin the conversion today by simply clicking here, signup and filling out this quick online form. You will be surprised at how easy and quick this process is. The Avelient websites are optimized for SEO and provide a contemporary Vision Source® branded image. The web conversion process is free. If you have e- needs beyond the standard package, ask about the $10/month Plus package. Click here for more details or e-mail Heather Suggitt, Vision Source® social media and public relations manager.

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Beware of False Invoices

Several members have reached out about domain name companies sending invoices. In many cases, if you read the fine print, you will see that it says "This is a notice not a bill." Please do not pay this.  Please note that Vision Source® pays for most of the domain names through Go Daddy from the corporate office. If you have a visionsource-xpractice.com domain name, it is very likely that Vision Source® is paying for it from Kingwood. If you have another domain name that you registered on your own that perhaps redirects to the Vision Source® domain name, you would need to continue to pay for this, and it is highly likely that you have an online payment set up. The invoice shown is just one example of a known domain name scamming company. Be advised!

  Practice Development

Promotions and Introductions: Vision Source® Infrastructure Grows Stronger

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Bret Davis is now the senior vice president of membership for Vision Source®.In this role, he'll be overseeing both the Vision Source® Member Services and Business Development departments. "I'm ecstatic about this new role. At Vision Source® our mission is to help independent optometrists reach their full potential and this new role and the synergies between the two departments will allow me and our Member Support Center team to best serve our current and future members."donna

Donna Mikulecky joins Vision Source® next week as our new vice president of professional development. She is a talented health care executive who brings more than 20 years of experience leading health care organizations and physician groups.

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Sonya Reed now fills the newly create role as finance liaison for the Vision Source® Member Support Center. She will serve as the first point of contact for finance inquiries from members, administrators, vendors and employees. Reed, who has been in the finance department for more than two years, has been removed from any other deadline-driven duties so that her entire focus can be answering or directing finance related calls. The Vision Source® commitment is to be responsive to phone calls (281-318-7847) within four business hours and emails sent to [email protected] within eight business hours.

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Thinking of Having a Fall Fashion Trunk Show?

The latest addition to the Practice Success in a Box series, Trunk Show Success, is now available. It includes a 21-page manual covering all aspects of a trunk show—from planning through post-event evaluation—and an accompanying video from Walt West, OD, vice president of practice development. Click here to download the manual and here to view the video. The manual and video are also archived in the Practice Management section of the member intranet.

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Appreciation for Doctor's Leadership

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Kelly Poyner, a VSR Facilitator from Galesburg, Ill., realizes that the Vision Source® doctor for whom she works, Peter Kehoe, OD, is a standout optometrist and community leader. When staff understand how special the doctors and practice is, they can share their enthusiasm with the patients and the community. Poyner wrote

"Dr. Kehoe is a forward-thinker and a true visionary. We are working on establishing a new charity foundation for children's vision therapy called, Sight for Success. Sixty percent of the local school-age children take part in the free-lunch program. Often, these children and their parents don't have choices. Many have educational or behavioral issues. In conjunction with the Lion’s Club in our area, these children will now be able to have vision therapy. The success stories that are resulting from this program are heartwarming. The gift of better vision has allowed children to be able to do things like ride their bikes and read, things that most children take for granted."

How has The Gold Standard book helped you raise the bar? Email [email protected].

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Register Now for West Coast Practices of Distinction

There's still time to register for the West Coast stops of the Vision Source® Practices of Distinction tour. This six-hour program (luncheon included) features tips and tactics to help transform your office into a practice of distinction and includes 3 hours of COPE-approved CE. Here's a look at the featured presentations:

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  • Health Care Reform, "The Good News for Your Practice"
  • Profit, Patients, and Free Time, "How You Can Get More"
  • Proven Strategies to Increase Contact Lens and Optical Profit

Upcoming dates and locations for the Practices of Distinction tour are:

  • Aug. 13 – San Diego
  • Aug. 14 – Los Angeles
  • Sept. 12 – Seattle
  • Sept. 19 – Las Vegas (at Vision Expo West)

The Practices of Distinction program is winning raves from attendees. Here’s what a few had to say:

Dr. April Jasper is a fabulous speaker and an inspiration for those of us who struggle with the constant life/work balance and our attempt to excel doing it all! I would highly recommend spending time with her!

It's wonderful to have a colleague like Dr. Jasper who can get you to think about how you can still raise the bar—even when you think your office runs very well and you have nothing more to learn. I enjoyed the program today and would definitely recommend it.

I love to hear another doctor say "This is what we do in my practice, and this is what works." I loved Dr. Jasper's presentation.

For complete information on all cities, venues, agenda and to register, click here or go to practicesofdistinction.com.

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Practices of Distinction Featured Speaker

April Jasper, OD, FAAO, has been a member of Vision Source® since 2003 and an administrator since 2007. She graduated with the highest honors from Nova Southeastern University in 1995.

She completed her residency in hospital-based optometry, ocular disease and contact lenses. Dr. Jasper currently lives and practices in West Palm Beach, Fla.

  Your Feedback Counts

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©Vision Source L.P. 2014. All Rights Reserved.