Archives de l’auteur : Envision Magazine

Making its Mark as a Premier Event in the Eyecare Industry

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By Evra Taylor

eventvewBranded by its organizers as “The complete eyecare event,” this year’s International Vision Expo West was the most inclusive ophthalmic conference and expo yet. As a testament to this, approximately 13,000 optometrists, ophthalmologists and opticians gathered at the Sands Expo & Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada from September 21-25 to participate in an impressively broad range of activities. One of the event’s themes was “expand your field of vision,” a fitting description of a forum offering everything from the latest in fashion and trends to a comprehensive education program taught by leading authorities, along with courses on business practice and networking opportunities.

Tom Loughran, vice president of Reed Exhibitions, co-owners of the event with The Vision Council, said, “Today’s eyecare professional demands educational tools and customized business solutions for a healthy practice and healthy patients. We pride ourselves on being able to offer something for everyone. Without a doubt, Vision Expo is the place to network, learn and compare new technologies and concepts that practitioners can immediately implement in their practices. Overall, show quality remained high and feedback from the show floor was excellent. Attendees were much more focused in their approach on the show floor than we have seen in the past. They did their research and came to Vision Expo West with the intent to learn, source and buy”.

A brand study was undertaken in 2010, resulting in several changes designed to refresh the Expo experience. This year, the exhibit hall was expanded by 12,000 square feet to a total of nearly 170,000 square feet. Multiple pavilions, the Galleria and The Suites housed more than 450 exhibitors on several floors. The Galleria showcased fashion-forward designs, with more than 100 booths and brands featuring some of the most fashionable eyewear collections from around the world, boasting edgy new eyewear styles at a variety of price points.

Jill Gardner, senior vice president of Signature Eyewear, expressed her enthusiasm, which was echoed by her peers. “The energy and traffic at this year’s Expo was positively buzzing. We had a great show and were excited to see so many customers in attendance. We definitely felt the excitement of the show was a positive direction for our industry, even once the show was over.”

“Vision Expo West 2011 was one of the most successful shows to date,” said Joseph Tallier, vice president of global sales for Ogi Eyewear.

Adopting a new approach this year, the continuing education program encompassed four core competencies: Business Solutions, Medical/Clinical, Optical Technology and Contact Lenses, making it easier for eyecare professionals to develop a continuing education curriculum personalized to their individual needs and allowing them to practice to the fullest extent of their license.

One of Vision Expo’s claims to fame is that with 388 hours of high-level education to select from, it educates more optometrists than any other eyecare meeting. In fact, the number of teaching hours was increased by more than 80 hours over last year’s offering. What’s more, it is the only education program with content for every level of staff. Optometry students were not left behind: they received free exhibit hall registration, along with the option to sit in on any continuing education course free of charge.

Management & Business Academy (MBA) from International Vision Expo East participated in this year’s Vision Expo West event. Created by CIBA Vision and Essilor, and endorsed by the American Optometric Association and The Vision Council, the MBA provides continuing education on topics such as staff management, practice performance measurement and practice growth strategies.

Introduced at last year’s show, “My Show Planner,” the award-winning Vision Mobile technology, offered attendees the ability to plan their show, explore exhibitor show specials, and keep track of appointments with exhibitors, via their mobile devices.

Vision Expo West proved to be an enormous success from a content point of view and the graphic design of its marketing materials was a show-stopper, as well.

The Optical Laboratories Association (OLA) celebrated its 25th anniversary at the OLA 2011 meeting, held during the Expo, during which 13 companies were presented with awards for 16 products. Winners of the OLA 2011 Awards of Excellence were announced during an evening reception in the exhibit hall. “This year’s silver anniversary is not about celebrating a single year of great products. It’s about celebrating 25 years of products that have helped to shape the optical business as we know it,” said Jonathan Jacobs, OLA immediate past president.

Tony Max: Multidisciplinary Artist Finds Healing in Self-Expression

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By Evra Taylor

Vancouver artist Tony Max is a renaissance man of the arts. He has crafted a living through a lifetime of artistic endeavours, including writing, graphic design and painting. In fact, Max is so ambitious in continually taking up new artistic pursuits that his efforts sometimes collide in terms of scheduling.

Born and raised inLondon,ON, 54-year-old Max has had open-angle glaucoma since 1989, the unfortunate result of several cataract surgeries he underwent as a teenager in the mid-1970s. At the time, he had 10 percent vision and was considered legally blind. Following the surgery, Max had 20/40 or 20/50 visual acuity, occasionally reaching 20/30, which is his current state. In addition to glaucoma, he has a lazy eye and has had detached retinas three times.

Max underwent life-changing glaucoma surgery at age 13, an event he describes with great emotion. “The moment I got my vision back was very dramatic and I’ll always remember it. When the doctor removed the bandages, what I saw was just amazing. Everything was bright, colourful and full of detail. I innocently said to the doctor, ‘I can see all the lines in your hand!’”

Oddly enough, Max doesn’t know if he was born blind. His doctors contend that his condition was congenital, but his mother disagrees. “I was a premature baby and my mother speculates that my blindness was caused by the intense lights of the incubator.”

Like many handicapped individuals, Max faced discrimination and rejection early in life. As a student, he had to drag his desk to the front of the classroom to see the blackboards, an experience he found very humiliating. “I felt like a freak because I was the only kid in the class with a visual impairment. I was teased a lot. The other students called me ‘batty’. It was extremely traumatizing to be singled out like that.”

As often happens in children with disabilities, Max spent a lot of time on his own as a child, enjoying solitary activities such as drawing, reading and writing. “I think I wanted to be alone because I was ostracized by the other kids at school.”

Sharing an emotional nugget of self-awareness, Max stated, “The isolation of those years made me more sensitive to creative things and objects of beauty. That is what led me to becoming an artist.” Unlike many in the artistic world, who find it difficult to carve out a living, Max has become a success in his chosen field. His artwork is sold in more than 130 Canadian galleries and is collected in 21 countries around the world.

Max is nothing if not eclectic, but most of his interests lie in the artistic realm. After dropping out of fine arts school at Fanshawe College in London,ON, he obtained a degree in journalism, graduating with a BAA (Bachelor of Applied Arts) from the celebrated journalism program at Toronto’s Ryerson University. In the early 1980s, he relocated to Vancouver, where he concentrated on graphic design, founding his own communications firm in 1996.

Until 2002, Max was involved with a cornucopia of projects: writing, editing, proofreading, illustration, graphic design, and communications project management. Then he decided to devote himself to painting. Max creates acrylic paintings and archival, original prints (giclees) primarily depicting Vancouver and southwestern British Columbia, as well as botanical images. While his vision impairment doesn’t affect his work, he couldn’t be a wildlife artist, for example, because it requires fine detail.

Max misses his other pursuits, but like many of us he has had to make hard choices about where to concentrate his energies. “There is simply not enough time to do everything. I’d like to be a musician as well, but those plans are on hold for now because I’m afraid that if I pursue music, I’ll get distracted from my art.”

One theme of Max’s life seems to be moving from art to writing and back again. He claims, however, that he was neither a good artist nor a good writer when he was younger which, he says, shows that one can develop creative talent. “I tell people that the way to get good at being an artist is to devote several thousands of hours to the craft.”

Max’s diverse interests have led him to pursue far-ranging activities such as joining the Editors Association of Canada and volunteering for environmental causes like Sierra Club of Western Canada. His plan for the future is simply to continue what he’s doing. But, in typically ambitious form, he adds that he is interested in digital photography and hopes to find time to get involved in music, as well. “It’s also important to me to support the creative community by educating the public about art and the life of an artist, which I do through my web site,” he explained.

The stalwart artist advises other visually impaired people to be very conscientious about taking their medications and going for medical check-ups as required. In addition, he suggests remaining open to complementary medicines, citing glaucoma studies showing that exercise lowers intraocular pressure. He also pointed to a five-year study on vitamin B12 that demonstrated improved visual fields in glaucoma patients.

Max is equally enthusiastic about the care he has received. He extends heartfelt thanks to the doctors and other medical staff who work in the ophthalmic field. “It is because of them that I have my sight. I would probably be blind if it weren’t for the treatment I’ve received.”

To view Tony Max’s artwork, visit www.tonymax.net.

The Boy Inside the Man: Michael Kors Started Young and Took on the World

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By Paddy Kamen

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Not very many five year olds are advising their mothers on wardrobe matters, particularly wedding attire. But then, Michael Kors was no ordinary five year old. When his mother, Joan, was choosing a dress to wear for her second marriage, Michael’s keen eye for fashion was already apparent and his opinions did not go unnoticed.

Kors has gone on to build a fashion empire, although one wouldn’t necessarily know that from the way he dresses himself (jeans, a black ‘t’, and jacket are de rigueur). But despite the fact that he eschews personal adornment, Kors is famous for adorning others.

Kors attended the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan, just over 20 miles from his hometown of Merrick, Long Island. It was during his fashion school years that he enjoyed his first, early success with his apparel designs at the then trend-setting NYC boutique, Lothar’s. The acclaim for his work prompted him to leave school and begin his career in earnest, with an emphasis on apparel that is both chic and relaxed.

Kors’ first runway show in 1984 drew the attention Women’s Wear Daily, their writer observing that his designs represented “elegant yet minimal dressing”.

Kors did double-duty from 1998 to 2004, when he served as the creative director of the famous French design house, Celine, while also building his own label. Now the president of his own design empire, New York City-based Kors sells luxury accessories, including handbags, footwear, sunglasses, ophthalmic eyewear, watches and jewelry to 74 countries. The company has more than 200 stores carrying the Michael Kors, KORS, and MICHAEL labels; fromMilantoDubai, fromIstanbultoLondon, flagship stores adorn the world’s high-end shopping districts.

Marchon works closely with Michael Kors on the Michael Kors Eyewear collections, launched in 2005. “Michael is very much involved in the design process,” says Leslie Muller, vice-president of design at the NYC headquarters. “He loves eyewear as a category and is constantly thinking of sunglass styles that will complement his collections. I think Michael says it best, ‘Eyewear is an item that should be emotion driven. Consumers must learn to think of glasses as something that shapes their moods. Eyewear can complement a mood, an outfit. One day you might feel glamorous, another day retro, later in the same day, sporty. You can have a whole wardrobe of frames.’ ”

Michael Kors eyewear design is intimately associated with his apparel and handbag design. “The signature hardware and iconic design elements that are found in Michael Kors handbags and apparel define the eyewear collection as well,” notes Muller. “For example, the « Tonne » hardware found on the handbags collection is also translated into the hardware elements of the 2012 sun and ophthalmic collections.”

Felix Sides, vice-president of sales for Marchon Canada says it is this cross-product integration that makes Michael Kors work in eyewear stand apart from other designer brands. “The eyewear, like his clothing, is sexy, sophisticated and timeless, while delivering style that is approachable. The collections are of a very high quality, craftsmanship and design. The shapes and sizes are perfect for the Canadian market. They feature recognizable logos and are priced right.”

Hot styles for the 800 stores across Canada that carry Michael Kors Eyewear include aviators, oversize plastic and straight top frames. Sides points to models M2040, M2453 and M2770 as top sellers.

The eyewear fits a variety of lifestyles and a wide range of consumers. Michael Kors customers are men and women who are college educated, appreciate quality and are value driven. Indicative of the wide appeal of the brand is the fact that both Taylor Swift and Diane Sawyer wear Michael Kors.

Kors has received many industry awards over the years including a prestigious Geoffrey Beene Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America, and ACE Designer of the Year from The Accessories Council. He also received the Fragrance Foundation’s FiFi® Hall of Fame award in 2010 and the Award of Courage from the Foundation for AIDS Research in 2011.

It appears there’s no stopping Michael Kors, a veritable force of nature in the fashion world. And Marchon will continue to work closely with him to translate the elegantly minimalist elements of his apparel and accessories into eyewear that is coveted around the world.

Relationship Counseling: Making Your Relationship with Lens Manufacturers Work for You

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By Brian P. Dunleavy

lensfocusAs a sales representative for Transitions Optical, Maryam Rahimi logs hundreds of miles a week visiting current and potential customers. Although Rahimi has been a sales representative for nine years (seven years with Nikon Optical Canada and now two with Transitions Optical), she is also a licensed optician. In her mind, her visits are more than just sales opportunities.

“I used to sit in their chairs so I have a pretty good idea of what information I can provide that will be of value to them,” Rahimi, Transitions Optical’s key account representative for Ontario, says of her client optical shops and optometry practices.

Rahimi admits she is almost always welcomed into her clients’ dispensaries because she has useful information that can help improve sales. But the relationship between opticians and optometrists and lens manufacturers isn’t always so rosy. Some optometrists and opticians refuse to meet with sales reps, believing that it is a waste of time. Others prefer to deal only with labs. However, working with reps like Rahimi and lens manufacturers in general can be a good thing for your dispensary. Like all relationships, you just have to work at it.

“They can be the best source of information on new lens technology,” Madelaine Petrin, an optician and professor in the opticianry program at Toronto’s Seneca College, says of lens manufacturers. But, she cautions, eyecare practitioners who decide to work closely with vendors must be sure to work with a diverse group to “get many points of view.”

So how can opticians and optometrists make the most of their relationships with spectacle lens manufacturers?

Good reps: sales calls from representatives of lens manufacturers are usually more education/information sessions than sales pitch. Most optical shops and optometry practices are already selling the products that reps are calling on them to discuss. Ask reps for the latest information on the newest products, and don’t be shy. Anything you learn can help in the dispensary, notes Petrin.

Collateral damage: lens manufacturers and optical laboratories are great sources of marketing or collateral materials that opticians can use to educate patients about lens options. Often, these branded materials reinforce consumer advertising (for Essilor Crizal or Transitions, for example). If they work for your dispensary and can help you better explain the benefits of premium products, use them.

“My old Nikon rep was one of the best,” explains Petrin. “He would explain how to present Nikon lenses to my clients. It was always good information, with booklets, demos, something to show my clients.”

Back to school: lens manufacturers have always supported continuing education (CE) programs for opticians and optometrists by working with eyecare professionals out in the field (those who are part of their “speaker’s bureaus”) or with those on their staff. In addition, many also offer more promotional seminars that focus primarily on their own products and service offerings. These sessions can be informative and help eyecare professionals in demonstrating and positioning their products. CE credit doesn’t hurt either.

Partner up: some lens manufacturers also offer “partnership programs” to optical shops and optometry practices that dispense their products. These programs – usually a toll-free number or web site – connect consumers to practices and shops in their local areas that dispense the manufacturer’s products. They can be a great business-building tool for shops and practices that qualify.

Even with offerings such as these, however, the relationship between lens manufacturers and opticians and optometrists is far from perfect. Pat Hobbs, optician and owner of Outtasight Opticians in Victoria, B.C., for example, says he has noticed a decline in the number of “live” CE seminars in his area, and that he often goes months without hearing from some of his local sales reps. And, as Petrin notes, some reps—and companies – are better and more helpful than others.

“What is truly lacking is training opportunities,”Hobbs explains. “I live in Victoria, a smaller urban setting. It is virtually impossible to get CE here except online. Smaller stores and offices are not as well serviced by suppliers as far as training, which perpetuates the downward knowledge spiral.”

That is exactly what lens companies who are trying to forge relationships with eyecare professionals don’t want to hear.

Your Dirty Patients: Contact Lenses Need Rescuing!

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Your Dirty Patients: Contact Lenses Need Rescuing!
ByPaddy Kamen

Sticking harmful microbes in the eye is no one’s idea of a good time. Yet it happens frequently with contact lens wearers. Why? Because they aren’t careful enough.

Two surveys by Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, published in May 2011 in Contact Lens & Anterior Eye, the journal of the British Contact Lens Association, found that astonishing numbers of users are not compliant in every major area of contact lens care.

The studies were done independently of the sponsor and participants were blind to who the sponsor was. In the first study, 645 frequent replacement contact lens wearers answered questions about lens replacement frequency. In the second survey, 787 frequent replacement wearers answered questions about lens disinfection, hygiene and storage case replacement. All respondents wore hydrogel and silicone hydrogel lenses prescribed for two-week or monthly replacement.

Survey results demonstrated that vast numbers of contact lens users simply do not take lens care instructions seriously enough to comply.

Almost half (44 per cent) of respondents never washed their hands with soap prior to lens insertion or removal. Forty-six per cent did not fill their empty cases with fresh disinfecting solution every day and 33 per cent cleaned their contact lens cases monthly or less often.

What Are They Thinking?

How might a consumer be thinking about the importance of proper hygiene with respect to their lenses? One imagines that they push the envelope, experience no repercussions and then assume that the instructions are too rigid.

Sheila Hickson-Curran, director of medical affairs with VISTAKON®, says the relationship between contact lens wear and care and complications is well documented. She believes that experiences of non-compliance with no ill effects do reinforce poor behaviour. “However, by not following instructions on proper wear and care, contact lens wearers are more likely to experience discomfort and may put themselves at greater risk for infection or other serious complications, such as microbial keratitis.”

The ‘rub’ or ‘no rub’ debate appears to have been put to rest. This fall, Bausch + Lomb launched a global initiative instructing consumers on a ‘rub-and-rinse’ regimen for use with their multi-purpose contact lens solution, replacing the former ‘no-rub’ instructions on all packaging for renu® fresh™ in Canada.

The Canadian Association of Optometrists applauds the move because the mechanical step of rubbing lenses helps to remove microbial organisms that may cause microbial keratitis. “Moving towards a rub-and-rinse routine is consistent with recommendations made by eye care organizations, regulatory agencies and eye care professionals,” said Glenn Campbell, executive director of the Canadian Association of Optometrists.

The new cleaning instructions include these steps:

1. Using three drops of multi-purpose solution on each side of the contact lens, gently rub for 20 seconds;

2. Thoroughly rinse each side of the lens for five seconds with multi-purpose solution;

3. Place cleaned lenses in a lens case, fill with fresh solution and soak for at least four hours.

Bausch + Lomb also advises against reusing solution and recommends replacing lens cases monthly.

Keith Harrison is an optician who specializes in contact lens fitting at Harrison Optical Services at theTorontoWesternHospital. He stresses the importance of educating patients from day one and continually reinforcing the importance of good hygiene at each opportunity. “I tell patients that their planned replacement soft lenses should feel as good on the last day of wear as it did on the first. The point is not to see how long it takes before you have a complication. In my experience problems develop as a result of people topping up solution (rather than replacing it entirely), not changing solution, not doing a rub and rinse, not changing their cases routinely, and not maintaining good case hygiene.”

The Johnson & Johnson research agrees on every point. According to their news release: “Failure to empty and replace the full volume of contact lens disinfecting solution was one of the few significant behavioral factors found in the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention investigation of the Fusarium outbreak of 2005.”

Josh Josephson, O.D., chairman of the ophthalmic devices section of the Standards Council of Canada and a founding member of the International Society for Contact Lens Research, says that case hygiene is just as important as personal hygiene when it comes to preventing eye infection in contact lens wearers.

“The internal walls of cases build up a biofilm of microorganisms that are released into the solution in planktonic form. So if patients are in the habit of ‘topping up’, rather than placing fresh solution in a new case, the antibacterial agents that remain in the partially used solution can be overwhelmed by the destructive microorganisms. This happens when the case has been used for a minimum of four weeks.”

Clearly patient compliance comes down to the patient fully realizing the importance of infection prevention. Change will take a concerted effort on the part of contact lens fitters and the industry. It’s good to see this happening. Short of having ‘contact lens police’ visiting people’s washrooms, education seems to be the only way forward.

Cataracts After Radiation Treatment

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by Karin DuBois

eyeonhealthLindsay Lenny remembers squinting through a cloudy haze as she drove her silver Volkswagen around Calgary. The 36-year-old administrative assistant had developed cataracts, a disabling eye condition commonly found in people twice her age. But unlike the majority of cataract sufferers, hers formed because of radiation treatments she had received for her leukemia.

Lenny is part of a group of cancer survivors that develops cataracts as a side effect of radiation therapy. These cataracts affect a different part of the lens and are often more disabling than the common age-related kinds.

When radiation is used in cancer treatment, the goal is to destroy abnormal cells, but often innocent tissue nearby can be killed as well. If radiation goes through the lens of the eye, the cells in the equator of the lens – the area at the edge of the lens – can get damaged and lose their ability to divide. That’s when a cloudy cataract, usually a posterior subcapsular type, starts forming.  Whether a cataract develops after radiation treatment to the eye depends on whether the lens was targeted, the dose and method of radiation and the patient’s general health.

“Often times when people are getting radiation, the trick is in the planning,” says Dr. Katherine Paton, an ocular oncologist at theUniversityofBritish Columbia. “If the tumour was behind the eye and you could come at it from the side without getting locked by bones you might try coming at it in a way to avoid the lens, but it might be in a location that your only option is to go straight through the lens.”

Dr. Paton says both the total dose of radiation to the lens and the dose per fraction – the amount given during each radiation treatment – can affect the likelihood of developing a cataract. In her experience, a radiation dose of 40 centigrade through the lens is more likely to produce a cataract than a patient who receives a lower dose. She says that steroids like Decadron also add to the risk.

“Even steroid medicine either given as an eye drop or as an inhaler for asthma or chronic sinusitis can contribute to cataract formation,” Dr. Paton says.

She adds that host factors – such as age and health – are also important. A diabetic elderly patient, for example, is at greater risk for cataracts than a young and otherwise healthy person, even when both patients have received the same radiation doses.

Radiation-induced cataracts can form as soon as 18 months to two years after treatment and often cause more glare and blur than the more common age-related types. Lenny, who had total body irradiation to treat her leukemia, began noticing light sensitivity and cloudy vision three years after her cancer treatment ended.

“Driving was the worst. There was a lot of glare and everything looked blurry,” Lenny remembers. She could no longer see the letters in road signs and started using landmarks to figure out where she was.

Dr. Paton says that Lenny’s experience is not uncommon, because unlike nuclear sclerosis, one of the age-related cataracts that can cause colour changes, people with posterior subcapsulars often see their surroundings as if they are obscured by an opaque bathroom window. The third type – called a cortical cataract – is commonly found in the elderly and causes distortion that is similar to looking through a glass bubble.

Radiation-induced cataracts are also physiologically different from the two age-related kinds. According to Dr. Paton, posterior subcapsulars are located deeper in the lens and closer to the center focusing point, resulting in more visual impairment than the other two types – which is exactly what Lenny experienced.

“It was like I was an old lady,” Lenny says, referring to how she felt when trying to read. “I would hold things up right up close to my nose and would be able to read them but I couldn’t read anything far away,” she says.

During cataract surgery, there is often scarring to deal with in posterior subcapsular types, a complication that is rare in age-related cataracts. According to Dr. Paton, the scarring looks like a plaque of dense material, and sometimes a laser procedure called an Yttrium aluminium garnet, or YAG, capsulotomy is required after surgery to completely remove the scarred tissue.

“The good news story is that cataracts are surgically treatable with really great results these days,” Dr. Paton says. She adds that even those requiring laser treatments after surgery can expect to have excellent visual results.

Today, after cataract surgery in both eyes, Lenny only needs reading glasses; otherwise, her vision is excellent.

“I wouldn’t hesitate now to go through it,” she says of her cataract surgery. “It will change your life back to normal where you can actually see and you don’t have to worry about your eyes ever again.”

Smart Education for Eyecare Professionals

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By Paddy Kamen

eventoptifairBuilding on 15 years of success in educating eyecare professionals, the Academy of Ophthalmic Education (AOE) holds two continuing education seminars this autumn: October 29 and 30 in Toronto, and December 11 in Vancouver. Top speakers from leading schools across North America provide interactive seminars for continuing education credits in two streams, one for opticians and one for optometrists, as well as ophthalmic and optometric assistants.

The Khan Group, led by Yavar Ali Khan of Toronto, owns the AOE brand, in addition to Optifair, the trade show that accompanies the educational seminars. Khan is a licensed optician with an extensive background in optical education and regulation. He has revised and developed curriculum for ophthalmic dispensers at Toronto’s Ryerson University and extended that expertise into programs at Seneca College in Toronto and Georgian College in Barrie, ON. In addition to serving as chair and president of the Board of Ophthalmic Dispensers (now the College of Opticians of Ontario), and as a board member of the Association of Ontario Opticians, Khan has also taught applied optics to ophthalmology residents at the University of Toronto.

It was no surprise that 600 opticians and 250 optometrists showed up for AOE and Optifair: attendance has been growing year over year. Clearly Khan is meeting a need in the continuing education market. The secret to his success? “I have always felt there is a desire for people to learn, but you have to give them something relevant,” explains Khan. “We have an advisory committee that brings suggestions to the table about what speakers they want to hear from and what they need to learn to stay current. Our objective is to keep the standard of education high by delivering top-quality education that really makes a difference to our attendees. We’re bringing in top educators, researchers and clinicians from across the spectrum.”

By directly serving both the opticianry and optometric communities, the AOE conferences bring the professions together in a positive learning environment. “By respecting each group’s knowledge and expertise we help to establish common ground,” explains Khan. “And exhibitors on the trade show floor value Optifair for the opportunity to visit with participants from both professions at the same show.”

Khan understands, on a very personal level, the benefits of mixing ‘the Os.’ One of his sons is, like him, a licensed optician, and another son (and daughter-in-law), along with Khan’s daughter (and her husband), are all optometrists. Which must make for some very lively discussions around the family dinner table!

Opticianry School Goes Gorgeous and High-Tech

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By Paddy Kamen

educationOpticianry education entered a whole new stratosphere when the new Georgian College Optical store opened this past September. Housed within the Sadlon Centre for Health and Wellness, the teaching store combines state-of-the-art equipment with superb design, displays and fixtures.

“It is a beautiful building with lots of natural light,” says Program Coordinator Janice Schmidt. “The optical store location is prime real estate, just inside the main doors. We have 1,000 square feet, with plenty of space for students, staff and instructors alike.”

The store is open to the public, as are several clinics for other health care practitioners which are housed in the $62.5 million dollar centre. These include a nurse-practitioner-led clinic, a clinic offering basic dental care, and clinics for massage therapy, speech, language and hearing services. In January, a spa and esthetics clinic will be added.

Brian Wolcovitch and Frank Fumagalliof Modular Design Systems created the optical centre. “The building is great and the location is amazing, with the windows of the optical store starting just as one walks in the huge entrance,” explains Wolcovitch. “We were able to take advantage of this with window cases that focus on sunwear. Experience with other clients has shown that people will cross over a busy pedestrian pathway just to get a closer look at sunglasses. They really draw people in to a store.”

Modular Design System’s display units make it easy for those entering the store to quickly see what is available. “The entire surface can be easily modified with display posters and other brand identification. Branding creates a welcoming and visually stimulating environment and makes a strong impact,” explains Wolcovitch.

The store is mainly white, with red accents on the furniture and walls.

Schmidt loves the store. “Brian has created a minimalistic, less-is-more environment that is user-friendly for patients and students alike. It is bright, modern, versatile and pleasing to the eye.”

The college’s opticianry program, located above the store, features a large contact lens lab (Schmidt’s bailiwick, as the head instructor in contact lens fitting) that supports the learning of students who then use the store to work with clients. “We have 10 new slit lamps connected to 10 large flat screen monitors, which are mounted on the wall,” notes Schmidt. “This is a wonderful teaching tool as I can walk behind the students and see what they are doing.”

The program location also features the largest lens-surfacing lab of any technical institute in North America. Schmidt explains:  “While eyeglass fabrication is not part of the scope of practice for opticians we believe that in order to understand optics it is important for students to practice surfacing lenses. They’ll be using very sophisticated equipment.”

The store must serve a wide range of demographics, from students on a shoestring budget to staff and members of the community at large. The dispensary is full-size with five display units, each of which holds from 90 to 100 frames along with posters and brand ID. “They can carry as many as 300 individual frames on full display and an additional 250 frames in other colours and sizes in frame presentation trays,” explains Wolcovitch. “In addition they have two stunning showcases that feature about 60 pairs of sunglasses along the corridor.”

The sense of pride that both Schmidt and Wolcovitch feel about the store will no doubt be passed along to opticianry students. “Some of our grads have come to see it and said they wish they were in school again,” notes Schmidt.

The Modular Design team has created a classy and upbeat environment where students will enjoy learning and in which the public will feel the quality. “I want the students to know how good it can be to both work in and hopefully own a beautiful retail environment once they graduate,” says Wolcovitch. “And the Georgian College optical store is most definitely second to none.”

Building an Optical Powerhouse – Visionary Leadership

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By Dana Sacco

managingyourbusiness

 

Recently I was challenged by a friend to revisit the vision statement for my retail optical location. I have spent the last 15 years building an optical practice alongside an independent doctor of optometry. In the time that I developed this practice I also earned what I like to call my street MBA. Basically I made every mistake in the book and reinvented myself many times. How’s that for credibility?

During those 15 years, I took advantage of opportunities to develop my professional interests. I took on leadership opportunities (associations and colleges), training and development opportunities (working with manufacturers and educators), a degree in Health Science Management and a career in management consulting (developing and revitalizing dispensaries and medical practices).

Today I find myself in a curious dichotomy. I have a full-fledged, mature eyecare practice and a management consulting career and it is time to revisit my vision for the retail business.

So let’s get to more specific terms and discuss the three phases of a business.

1. Build phase: business resources will suggest it takes three years to establish yourself in business. This is a time for rapid growth strategies. The first three years will define the winners of the emerging business battle, but it takes longer to grow a business. In eyecare, our clients typically purchase in two-year cycles. How many cycles must an eye care practice sustain before there is just as much repeat business as there is new business? Let’s assume that five to seven years constitutes a sustainable business cycle.

2. Maintain phase: when a business has reached the maintenance phase a delicate formula of growing at a rate just greater than the rate of loss of clients due to death, geographical changes, loss to the competition and drop out from the industry. This is the time in the business when existing relationships must be nurtured and maintained.

Now you increase your per-customer purchases by dollar value and volume instead of hunting for new business. It’s an issue in an economic sense because you have probably reached a large percentage of your immediate community. Depending on the community’s growth trend, you are now drawing from a smaller pool of new clients. It’s time to get the existing client working for you.

The business must always have a sustainability plan to deal with environmental factors, such as natural disasters, pandemics, economic downturns and a talent gap. Does your plan include the addition of an associate? How can you reliably and scientifically determine the best fit for an associate without introducing additional risk to the business? The maintain phase means the identity of the practice should be solid. Your clients should easily identify what you do and what your offerings are.

3. Divest phase: is it time to find a successor? An exit strategy is the springboard that will take you to retirement or another venture. This plan should be formulated at least three years in advance of the actual event. If you are planning to sell the business, finding the right buyer can take time. Having a strong cash position at the time of the sale gives you more time and greater options. Do you want to sell? Do you have to sell? Have you reached the pinnacle of your career and now want to wind down? Do you have health concerns or a change in family circumstances (eg. caring for an older parent)? Has the business been a burden and it’s time to cut your losses? Is it time to pass the business on to a family member and, if so, how do you manage this transition?

As an organizational behaviour analyst, I can tell you that when your business has its best “mojo” it’s because your people strategy is in alignment with your business strategy.

In order to build a “powerhouse” team you need to step back and reflect on the phase your business is in and whether your vision for it embodies your goals. It is absolutely acceptable to dream “big” in your vision statement. Your mission statement will then outline how you plan to achieve your goal or goals. However, the vision sets the tone for the business and gives each employee a “go to” place when faced with making decisions during daily operations.

Every day your staff are forced to make independent decisions on your behalf. If your vision statement resonates with them, they can ask themselves, “Does this decision advance the vision of the practice?” This question reflects the mindset of an engaged employee who is, “in it to WIN it for the business.” If your vision statement does not resonate with your staff, you may ask yourself, “Why are they on my team?”

To summarize, a practice in the Build Phase would benefit from an assertive workforce, people who are naturally self-starters and comfortable “hunting” for new business. A business that is in the Maintain Phase needs relationship builders who will leverage connections with people. A business that is getting ready to Divest needs cautious, calculating, detail-oriented and by-the-book people. It is the combination of behavioral science and organizational planning that takes a business to the next level.

Subtle Shades

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Designed in France and distributed in Canada by Optika Eyewar, the collection Nat and Coco presents 15 new models for men and women.

This vintage styling line features wild colour combinations, such as in model NC 1062, mixed with laser etched design patterns on temples and front to give a modern twist.

While keeping the vintage inspiration on the fronts, Nat and Coco frames present wood style temple in acetate. All models are made of light weight stainless steel for more comfort and durability. The fall colour tones feature rich browns, mixed lush violets and black combined with light blue.