Issue 59 September 18, 2015

In This Edition

Issue 59


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


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Top Story

$1 Million is in Reach

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Since 2006, Optometry Giving Sight has been the Vision Source® charity of choice. Annual fundraising on World Sight Day has become part of the practice culture for many in the Vision Source® network.

In 2014, through our generous Vision Source® members, we contributed $440,000 to Optometry Giving Sight. Additionally, a number of our members have participated in Optometry Giving Sight-funded missionary work throughout the world. Others currently are serving or have served on the U.S. National Committee for the charity: Mary Ann Murphy, OD, is chair; and Ellen Weiss, OD; Amir Khoshnevis, OD; Moes Nasser, OD; and John McCall, OD, are current board members.

Our system-widhaitie goal for 2015 is to reach $1 million in combined contributions from Vision Source® doctors, patients and the Member Support Center. With this contribution, we would be able to fund a substantial percentage of a Haitian optometry school, the first of its kind, as well as have naming rights on certain areas of the school. By helping provide infrastructure, we are giving the Haitian people access to education, eye care and jobs for generations to come.

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We realize that $1 million may seem like pie in the sky, however, considering the size of our network, it’s actually quite realistic. If each of the 3,192 Vision Source® member practices donates $313, we have achieved the goal. Your team at the Vision Source® Member Support Center in Kingwood has raised the bar to set the 2015 fundraising goal at $100,000. I’m on the Black Team (North), and you can donate here! I strongly encourage you to participate not just for Optometry Giving Sight, but, as you see in the photo, you might just have some fun in the office. Pie-ing Bret Davis, SVP of Membership, was probably the best $5 I’ve ever spent!

For our practices and field personnel, we are going to divide and conquer. Each practice is assigned to one of three regions—West, North or South—just as practices are aligned now with their Senior Regional Director.map David Edler leads the North, Tony Collins leads the South and Patrick Higuera leads the West. Click the links to see who is in the lead and refer to the map to see which team link that you should be using. Which team will be funding the first classroom of the optometry school? Challenge your colleagues and your employees to come up with innovative ideas to raise money and meet the goal. The recommended method of donation that seems to be easiest for the donor and best for Optometry Giving Sight is to start an automated monthly donation.

The I Care & I Share program was developed by Optometry Giving Sight to encourage practices to set and attain their fundraising goals. Many enlist the help of their patients, some hold fundraising events and others do a direct donation. For more information, click here. Jeffery Krohn, OD, is an excellent example of a practice owner who has a unique way of doing a direct donation. He has created a culture of giving in his practice by simply letting his patients know that for each pair of eyewear that is purchased, the practice will donate $5. Quarterly, Dr. Krohn calculates his frame sales X 5 and writes a check to Optometry Giving Sight. Watch this video as Dr. Krohn and fellow Vision Source® members Lisa Weiss, OD, and George Hertneky, OD, explain how they've integrated giving into their practice cultures.

We believe that patients will respond generously to the message Your Contribution Is Worth a Million. Let them know that why you care and that they can be a part of helping build an optometry school in Haiti, a country of 10,000,000 people and only three optometrists.

Be sure to share your World Sight Day fundraising stories and photos so that we can share those ideas through social media with others in the network.

Together, we have the ability to provide hope. Thank you for your support.


Be well,
Jim Greenwood
President & CEO
Vision Source®



  The Optical DreamSM Powered by Vision Source®

The Optical DreamSM Winners Circle

Who’s going to Paris?

For those practices that have been playing The Optical DreamSM, you might want to take a look at the leaderboard to see which practices are the front runners for the five trips to Paris! There is still time to pick up speed as The Optical DreamSM3 has even more ways to win. Multi-focal contact lenses, Transitions and AIR OPTIX® COLORS are great ways to win extra points. View the leaderboard here.

Platinum Prizes Winners

Each month there is a bonus drawing for one winner per division who will receive a $1,000 prize. Congrats to the August winners! Watch Dr. West and Teresa Landers as they announce the winners on Facebook.

New Contest Starts October 1st

  Breaking News



Save The Date for the 2016 Exchange®

The biggest, most exciting Vision Source® Exchange® in history is less than 6 months away. We’ll celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Vision Source® March 16-19, 2016, in historic (and fun-filled) San Antonio. Click here for more information on just some of what the city has to offer, and then go to vstheexchange.com to pre-register. Watch your mail and email for exciting details still to come!

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Exclusive Vision Source® Member Reception at VEW

Join us tonight, Friday, Sept. 18 from 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. at Public House in the Venetian.

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CE Opportunities for Vision Source® Members at Vision Expo West

Vision Source® is a proud supporter of International Vision Expo West, Sept. 16-19, in Las Vegas! We are pleased to present these exclusive benefits for you and your staff to enjoy at Vision Expo West 2015!
  • Complimentary Exhibit Hall Registration ($150 savings): Visit VisionExpoWest.com/visionsource or use code: VS15
  • Exclusive educational discounts: Choose from more than 320 hours of groundbreaking education and specialty tracks for every role and experience level.
  • Three (3) hours of complimentary education will be offered to the first 100 members that register for Vision Expo West education.
  • After initial 3 hours are claimed, enjoy 10 percent off education. You must register through the Vision Source® link.
  • Club Vision Lounge Access: Enjoy complimentary lunch and access to Club Vision Lounge, each day of the exhibit hall, Thursday, Sept. 17 - Saturday, Sept. 19. Members must pick up Club Vision lunch vouchers by 1 p.m. each day.

  ICD-10 Coding

ICD-10 Is Set to Go Live

We’ve reached the end of the preparation stage. ICD-10 is scheduled to go into effect before the next Gazette comes out, so this is 34th and final sample case to help Vision Source® members test their ICD-10 skills.

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Starting with our next issue, we will address real questions from practitioners that come into the ICD-10 Mailbag. Please note that this is an educational initiative, not a real-time consultation service. Peter Cass, OD, will try to answer questions but the true goal is to find interesting situations that come up in practice and we will feature highlights in this space in future issues of the Gazette. You can email [email protected] with non-urgent questions about ICD-10.

Now's a good time to review the ICD-10 webinar series presented by Dr. Cass and Dr. Walt West. Log in to the member intranet and go to Library>ICD-10 Tools and Webinars.

Now, here’s case #34. How would you code this?

Case #34

30 YO WM

  • CC: wellness eye examination
  • HPI: no problems noted, has insurance that pays for annual wellness eye exam
  • Medical Hx: unremarkable
  • Ocular Hx: unremarkable
  • External: unremarkable
  • 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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Comfort, Convenience and Affordability Combined

"It's probably the most comfortable lens I’ve ever worn."
– Matt Snyder, OD, Montgomery Vision Source®, Montgomery, Texas

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Fresh Day® and Fresh 30® silicone hydrogel lenses offer great comfort and UV protection for your patients while providing you with tremendous profit opportunity. And, because they're available only from Vision Source® doctors, they serve to position your practice as a leader in delivering the latest in eye care technology.

Click here to view a brief message from Dr. Snyder about why he’s confident in prescribing Fresh 30® lenses to his patients.

  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.

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New Rebate Available for DAILIES TOTAL1®

Alcon announced a new $100 rebate for DAILIES TOTAL1®. The mail-in rebate promotion is available through Jan. 31, 2016. Visit the vendor book for more details.

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Every Practice Needs a COLORS Advisor

If you are a contact lens technician, the AIR OPTIX® COLORS Education Salon will give you the knowledge, tools and confidence to succeed in growing your practice with AIR OPTIX® COLORS contact lenses.

On this educational resource website, you can complete an online program to become an AIR OPTIX® COLORS Advisor. You’ll earn a digital badge and printed certificate to announce, in your practice and online, your ability to help connect your patients with the power of color. Give your staff the opportunity to learn more about Alcon AIR OPTIX® COLORS through this educational and resource website. Click here to access.

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Consider Comlite for Greater Efficiency

Comlite will save you time and make your office run efficiently. It will keep you on or even ahead of your schedule by creating a better "flow" for your practice. You will be able to accept more patients due to efficiency and have happier customers from reduced patient waiting times. The doctors know where they need to go next and so does the staff. Click here to see how Comlite helps to process more patients, more quickly, with less stress. (Only $49/month)

Dr. Walt West on Comlite

The very foundation of patient satisfaction and practice profitability is making the best use of your time, every clinic hour of every day in the office. Running on schedule, reducing wait times and the overall time a patient spends in your office improves the patient experience. Increasing capacity and improving doctor and staff communication and efficiency can improve your practice profitability.

With the conversion to the ICD-10 Code set on Oct. 1, 2015, you can expect reduced capacity and efficiency in your practice as noted by other practitioners around the world. Improving communications, gaining efficiency, and increasing capacity will help you reduce the potentially negative impact of ICD-10 on your patient flow and cash flow.

The Comlite LAN4000 is a tool that can improve doctor-staff communications and efficiency. Running on your network, the LAN4000 is easy to install with either wireless or wired connection.

The LAN4000 can help:

  • Decrease patient wait times
  • Increase capacity for patient exams
  • Know how many patients are waiting to be seen
  • Sequence your time and to know which patient to see next
  • Room/Station specific text messaging

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And, the Comlite LAN4000 timing functions report productivity and performance for doctors and techs so you can constantly improve your performance.

Download a 30-day Trial

Comlite is offering Vision Source® members a 30-day evaluation of its program. Click here to access the 30-day trial.

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Suppleyes Offers Ordering Advantages

Vision Source® doctors who switch to Suppleyes will never be bothered with minimum orders, automated answering services, usernames / passwords, mistakes, credit apps or accounting paper work.

As a Vision Source® doctor, you will receive benefits from Suppleyes Inc. that no other Suppleyes customer receives, including the deepest discount in the industry. Suppleyes retail prices are 10 percent to 15 percent lower on average than our competitors’ catalog prices. Combine that with free shipping and Suppleyes is a perfect match for your practice.

Call 800-727-3725, email [email protected], visit suppleyes.net and check the vendor book for more details. A customer service representative will answer the phone on the first ring to help with any of your ordering needs.

  Around Vision Source®


  Practice Development


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The Only Difference is The Optical DreamSM

This is the 32nd 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 Rosie Flores, OD, of San Leandro, California, who describes how the Optical DreamSM has made a significant improvement to her bottom line. Click here to read the story.

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Diabetes and Vision Exam Forms Online

Here are direct links to download forms that can be used to send to referring PCPs for your patients with diabetes or those who came in for an eye exam.

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Don't Miss the Tour

If you haven't reserved a spot at this year's Practices 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. Upcoming events will be help on Sept. 25 in Greensboro, North Carolina; Oct. 1 in New Braunfels, Texas; and Oct. 2 in Macon, Georgia. Learn more and see tour dates and locations here.


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How One Doctor's Gold Standard Service Helps Another’s Visibility

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"I saw a patient a couple of weeks ago for an exam—brand new to me. Found me because he has a friend who lives in the Eagan area, who went to the Yankee Clinic, the Vision Source® practice of Russ Osnes, OD. His friend was impressed and knew enough about Vision Source® by the end of his visit to talk to his friend (my new patient) about it, saying, 'You should really see if there is a doctor in your area that is a part of this. The customer service and whole experience from these offices is so great.'

"So he proceeded to do just that, looked me up online, found that I was Vision Source® and booked an appointment. He bought Rx Blutech SV glasses, even though he walked into the exam without any glasses or contact lenses. I was delighted that he found us based solely on the Vision Source® brand because the brand isn’t as well-known in Minnesota as it is in other states. How cool."

– Amy Rudser, OD, of Advanced Eye Care Professionals in Lakeville, Minnesota

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Send Us Your Gold Standard Story

We want to share The Gold Standard stories from the Vision Source® membership in the Gazette. The Gold Standard stories describe how doctors and optical staff go above and beyond to ensure that their practices deliver the best patient experiences possible. Each Vision Source® staff member should be familiar with the concepts explained in the The Gold Standard book. The books can be part of a new hire orientation or used in an employee meeting as a guideline for patient satisfaction standards. To order The Gold Standard books, click here.

Do you have an example of how The Gold Standard book helped you raise the bar? You can share your gold standard moments with us here.


  Marketing

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Beware the ©

Snagging copyrighted photos from the internet to use in your social media is illegal and practices have paid hefty fines when those images are discovered. In this blog, Social Media and PR Manager Heather Suggitt explains how to avoid copyright infringement when posting photos on social media. Read these important tips and strategies here.

Note: This image was purchased from www.bigstockphotos.com, Stock Photo ID: 86047784


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Marketing Toolkit Is a Time-saver

“It’s such a time-saver for the marketing person in the practice.”
– Denise McCreedy, Marketing Director, Vision Source®/Professional Eye Center in Niles, Illinois

Denise McCreedy was a marketing pro, but new to optometry when she became marketing director at the practice of Pamela Lowe, OD. “I immersed myself in the member intranet looking for resources and found the Marketing Tool Kit,” McCreedy said. “It’s so easy to use. We’ve used the free social media items and all of the monthly eye health banners.”

"We recently ordered the 'Use It. Don’t Lose It.' pop-up banner to use in local health fairs," she added. "It will make our booth look very professional." More than 150 marketing items are a click away in the Marketing Tool Kit. In the Member Intranet, choose Resources>Marketing>Marketing Kit.


  Vision Source® Member News

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Member Recognition

Robert Grill, OD, of Twin Falls Eye Center, in Twin Falls, Idaho, was featured on Channel 11 KMVT “Fit and Be Well Idaho” segment on the importance of early and consistent eye checkups for kids. Read the article and watch the video here.

Lesa Dennis, OD, was recently inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame! Dr. Dennis practices in Boston, Massachusetts at Urban Eye MD Associates. Dr. Dennis earned Hall of Fame honors after dominating during her tenure at Emmanuel, in which she earned Kodak All-American and ECAC Player of the Year honors in 1988. She finished her career with 1,626 points, graduating the as the program's leading scorer. She held the record for 22 years behind only Iman Davis '10. You can read the full article here.

  Your Feedback Counts

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