| Issue 43 | February 20, 2015 |
In This Edition
- Top Story
- Optical DreamSM
- Breaking News
- ICD-10 Coding Challenge
- Fresh Day® and Fresh 30® Success Stories
- Words from our Vendors
- Around Vision Source®
- Give Us Your Feedback
Issue 43
The Gazette
Archives
Contact Vision Source® at 888-558-2020 or [email protected]
Top Story
Practices Are Waking up to the Optical DreamSM Opportunity
Now that the Optical DreamSM program has launched, Vision Source® practices are flocking toward it. Earlier this week, nearly 1,100 practices had registered and more than 3,300 staff members were enrolled in the program. More than $20,000 of prizes have been distributed. These range from Amazon or other retailers' gift cards to items of designer jewelry, kitchenware, small electronics and more. These gifts are motivating staff members to become fully involved with the program's key elements.
Alex Martin, OD, a Vision Source® administrator in North Carolina, for example, calls the Optical DreamSM program "the single best practice management program in the history of optometry. It will have a significant effect on offices, in terms of increasing gross revenues and net profits." In just the two weeks since he's begun implementing the program in his practice, Alex says it is already making a difference in the way he and his staff interact with patients and is increasing his second-pair and antireflective lens sales.
Lacy Shaw, OD, had encouraged his staff to engage in webinars, watch videos and register for the Optical DreamSM after hearing of the potential benefits of the Optical DreamSM campaign. Here's what Dawn LaCour, the optician in Vision Source® of Alexandria, in Louisiana, had to say about enrolling in the program. "The staff makes the most of every opportunity. When a patient calls, staff members make an extra effort to engage callers at this point of service to schedule an appointment," says LaCour. They also encourage the patients to bring in all eyewear for their appointment. Scripts are being used and modeled from every point of contact, and this is making a difference.
LaCour says that when patients who do bring in their old eyewear, an opportunity is created to introduce upgrades, such as antireflective treatment. "We have also noticed that while it is a lot easier to get customers to listen to the doctor, repetition helps! Repeatedly encouraging customers at every point to do something makes them more inclined to listen and respond." The staff is even beginning to feel more confident promoting sales of multiple pairs. Customers are being offered incentives on a second-pair sale made within 30 days of the appointment.
Stories like this are coming in from all over the country. The Optical DreamSM is now a reality; and I strongly encourage you to deploy this solution in your practice.
Be well,
Jim Greenwood
President and CEO
Vision Source®
Have you registered your practice for Optical DreamSM?
Click here to view the platform that is paving the way to increased patient satisfaction and optical profitability for Vision Source® practices in 2015. Click here to watch a webinar for more info or register now through the member intranet. |
Optical DreamSM
Learn How Optical DreamSM Can Help Your Office
In this installment, Dr. Walt West hears firsthand from Dr. Doofus and Electra about the benefits of being registered for the Optical Dream. They also share a few of the secrets that will help profitability. Click here to view the video.
Breaking News
The 2015 Vision Source® Exchange®: April 29 - May 2 * Phoenix, Arizona |
The 2015 Exchange®—What Are You Waiting For?
Hotels and CE courses are beginning to fill up for The Exchange® 2015, April 29 - May 2 in Phoenix. There's still availability for both, but to ensure you get your choice of hotel or CE classes, please register today.
Here are the hotels closest to the Phoenix Convention Center, where General Session and the Exhibit Hall will be located.
To see a complete list of CE courses available and to register for The Exchange®, go to vstheexchange.com. Don't forget to register for special events, such as a Sunday morning golf event by going to the Attendees tab, then follow that to travel & entertainment and then to tours and excursions.
Stay Over for Golf!
Join your Vision Source® colleagues for golf on Sunday, May 3, at the North Course at Talking Stick. This course is consistently rated as one of the best in Arizona. Sign up today where you register for The Exchange® at vstheexchange.com under Attendees>Tours & Excursions.
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Enjoy Your Vision Source® Member Benefits at Vision Expo East
Vision Source® is a proud supporter of International Vision Expo & Conference East, March 19-22, 2015, in New York City. We are pleased to present exclusive benefits for you and your staff to enjoy at Vision Expo East this year. There are savings on exhibit hall registration and discounts on CE. Click here for full details.
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Trusted Colleague Shares the Evolution of Her Practice Vision
This is the 19th 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 Michelle Mumford, OD of Charlotte, North Carolina, who describe how Vision Source® has helped her re-envision her dream of what an optometric practice can be. Click here to read the story.
ICD-10 Coding Challenge
Time to Hone Your ICD-10 Knowledge
It is in every member's interest to be prepared for ICD-10, which is expected to take effect on Oct. 1, 2015. Are you ready? How would you code this case?
Case #23
40 YO BM
- CC: poor vision at night
- HPI: for several years, both eyes, getting worse slowly, missing some peripheral vision too
- Medical Hx: hypertension
- Ocular Hx: unremarkable
- External: unremarkable
- Internal: intraneural retinal pigment (bone spicules) throughout the mid periphery and periphery
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
Breaking Through the Low-acceptance Rut
Anthony "Tony" Clark, OD, of Triangle Visions Optometry, a Vision Source® practice in Cary, North Carolina, says that for years, his percentage of soft contact lens patients wearing one-day lenses hovered around 10 percent. "Like many of my colleagues, I have, for several years, tried to fit more patients into single-use daily contact lenses. I firmly believe that the profitability in one-day lenses is greater than what we see in other modalities, and that there are fewer adverse health-related issues with these lenses in general." The arrival of silicone hydrogel one-day lenses in the Fresh Day® contact lens family has had a big impact. "We have been excited to see our numbers consistently climbing! Today we are at about 20 percent of our contact lens patients in one-day lenses, and we are working to see that number grow exponentially," he says.
"The relationship between Sauflon (now CooperVision) and Vision Source® with the Fresh Day® contact lens family of lenses has been a tremendous boon to our practice. As they have expanded that product line to include multifocals and torics, I am able to truly fit the majority of patients in this lens. In fact, my own family wears the Fresh Day® lenses with great success. We are excited that CooperVision and Vision Source® are bringing us this great technology at pricing that is tremendously profitable for our bottom line and affordable for our patients. This lens, for us, is absolutely what we have been looking for," he says.
Words from our Vendors
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.
Essilor Sets Rebates for New Products
The 2015 Visioffice® 2 and Visioffice® system rebates have changed for 2015. Look in the vendor book for details on the new pricing, including rebates for the newest Varilux® products from Essilor. If you have any questions, contact the Essilor Service Group at [email protected] or 877-457-3760.
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Bausch + Lomb Becomes Elite Therapeutics Vendor
Vision Source® recognizes the importance of advanced technologies and innovations. Bausch + Lomb, now an Elite vendor in the therapeutics category and a vendor for contact lenses, provides an innovative portfolio.
- Obagi Medical Products – A comprehensive product line of over-the-counter eye care and skincare products
- Biotrue® Multi-Purpose Solution – The fastest-growing MPS on the market
- Bausch + Lomb PeroxiClear™ – The most advanced peroxide solution
- Bausch + Lomb ULTRA® Contact Lenses – New monthly wear lens with best-in-class physical properties that help deliver superior comfort and vision
- Biotrue ONEday™ lenses – A one-day lens inspired by the biology of your eyes to deliver comfortable vision throughout the day
- PureVision®2 Multifocal contact lenses for Presbyopia – Next-generation 3-Zone Progressive Design that's easier to fit
Visit the vendor book at visionsource.com for more information, and look for more details coming soon.
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Upgrade to the Cloud
OfficeMate®/ExamWRITER® customers can take advantage of an exclusive offer from Eyefinity that features no upfront fees on the purchase of its cloud-based solutions. Cloud-based solutions offer automatic updates, meaning you’ll always have the latest version without having to schedule time for downloads, as well as greater data security and 24/7 access from any tablet or computer with Internet access. Visit the vendor book at visionsource.com for more information.
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Zyloware Wants To Introduce Collections
Founded in 1923, Zyloware is now in its third generation of family management, making it extremely attentive and responsive to each customer's individual needs. This attentiveness allows representatives to work on specific challenges for your account. The company carries frames from Randy Jackson, Sophia Loren, Via Spiga, Stetson, Daisy Fuentes, Maxstudio, Gloria Vanderbilt, Leon Max, Project Runway, Off Road and Invincilites. Call 800-765-3700 to set an appointment. If you haven't seen Zyloware lately, you haven't seen Zyloware!
Around Vision Source®
Practice Development
ACO Negotiations Spreading Beyond Urban Areas
While much of the contracting with accountable care organizations and other health care delivery systems is taking place in more urban areas, it's important to see that the trend is moving into more rural parts of the county, as well. Kurt T. Steele, OD, a Vision Source® administrator in East Tennessee, is in full swing presenting the benefits that his group of Vision Source® practices can bring to several key people in managed care companies in the area. He is encouraging every member of his group to use the glaucoma and diabetes reporting form that illustrates how Vision Source® members can help primary care physicians and organizations meet their HEDIS requirements. He is also encouraging his members to use the customized awareness baskets to introduce themselves or solidify their relationships with primary care physicians in their areas.
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Gold Standard Service
Here is an example of gold standard service delivered in Vision Source® practices. How has The Gold Standard book helped you raise the bar? You can share your gold standard moments with us here.
Compassion Provides Relief for Troubled Patients
We had a patient who had a balance on her account, as well as on her two daughter's accounts. I called her to inform her that we needed payment on the accounts, and she kept putting us off. I finally told her we would send to collections if no payment was made.
She broke down and started to cry because it was too much to handle. She had been dealing with a very nasty divorce, and her ex wasn't paying bills and her daughters were not being seen because of the unpaid bills at various offices. I just listened and when she was done, I offered to call her ex (normally we would not get involved in personal matters) and speak to him to get him to pay his half of the balance.
She called back the next day and was so grateful that we not only listened to her but also helped her in a way no one else would. She said everyone else was insensitive to her hardship and very rude. This was the small light that she knew would be the way to everything eventually being okay.
– Syal Patel of Norman Vision Source®, Norman, Okla.
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Register Now for Practices of Distinction Tour
If you haven't reserved a spot at this year's Practice's of Distinction Tour, save your space today! Vision Source® members April Jasper, OD, FAAO; Katie Gilbert-Spear, OD, MPH; and Carl Spear, OD, MBA, FAAO; are the three principle speakers at the 2015 practice management series. The day-long program provides more in-depth details and scenarios, building on the Vision Source® Practice of Distinction tour from 2014.
Vision Source® is a Diamond level sponsor of the program this year, and Vision Source® members can sign up (meals included) for just $49 per person, a savings of $250 per person over doctors or staff members who are not Vision Source® members. The next few dates are Feb. 25 in Indianapolis, March 27 in Nashville and April 1 in Denver. Learn more and see tour dates and locations here.
Marketing
Digital Media Update
Vision Source® now has a Facebook group for member-to-member sharing and support. Heather Suggitt, Vision Source® social media and public relations manager, leads the online discussion on best social media practices to build sales and interest for your Facebook pages. More than 225 members joined in the first 10 days since the group formed. Topics have included how to advertise on Facebook, Vision Source® graphics, sharing of best posts and ideas for contesting to build engagement. You may have to log into your Facebook account to view this page. To join the group, login into your Facebook personal identity and click here.
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FAQs on Avelient Websites
Here are some questions that are commonly asked about Avelient websites.
- Can I keep my custom domain name? Absolutely. While Vision Source® offers a complimentary domain name, you are more that welcome to keep yours. We simply build a new site and take care of all of the domain details. A domain name can be compared to owning land on the Internet. Your website is your house we can build you a new "house" and place it on your domain.
- Can I keep my branding colors? The free ($0) and Plus Plan ($195/year) have three Vision Source® branded templates to choose from. If you are not branded and would like to have a custom site built, ask for the Pro Plan, and this will be roughly $750 a year, depending on how many features you would like.
- How do I change/update/upgrade/troubleshoot my site? Simply e-mail [email protected] for changes or [email protected] for upgrades and marketing. Click here to view Avelient's services.
For more questions about social media and digital marketing contact Heather Suggitt at [email protected].
Vision Source® Member News
Recognitions
Michael J. Siegel, OD, of Vision Source® of Mount Olive, New Jersey, was named in the "Favorite Kids Docs" list in 2014 by readers of N.J. Family Magazine. This is the second year he's been voted onto the list.
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Here's hoping that the Eastern U.S. can dig out soon. But the doctors and staff at Vision Source® of Worcester and Spencer had some fun showcasing the brand in Massachusetts.
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