eye care

In this episode, Ayesha spoke with H. B. Pierre Simon Jr., MBA, Vice President, Global Head of Marketing, Sight Sciences, about the evolving field of eye care. Sight Sciences is focused on developing and commercializing innovative solutions for eye diseases like glaucoma and dry eye disease to transform care and improve patients’ lives.

Among some of Sight Sciences devices and technologies include the OMNI® Surgical System, a minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS) device indicated to reduce intraocular pressure in adult patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), the world’s leading cause of irreversible blindness. The company’s other notable product is the TearCare® System, which has FDA clearance for localized heat therapy in adult patients with evaporative dry eye disease due to meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD), the leading cause of dry eye disease.

Pierre has been in the eye care industry for almost two decades. Prior to Sight Sciences, he was at Alcon for 15 years in roles with increasing responsibility, including Senior Product Manager, Global Franchise. Pierre is also a life influencer and two-time best-selling author. His latest book is entitled ‘Down Thru Love,’ a story about the journey of a young man born with Down syndrome.

In the episode, Pierre discusses some important considerations in the development of innovative new treatments for eye conditions like glaucoma and dry eye, such as working with patients and doctors and having an awareness of both current and future needs. Hear more about Pierre’s work at Sight Sciences and also as an author and speaker.

For more life science and medical device content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage.

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In this first episode of the Future of Eye Care series, we sit down with the head of VSP's Global Innovation Center, Ruth Yomtoubian to discuss the future of eye care and how innovation happens.

Key Takeaways:

1. Innovation isn't just about disruption and the future. True innovation respects the past, understands the presents, and seeks to solve the problems of the future.
2. Two key trends Ruth is following outside of eyecare that likely will impact eye care:
   1. Hybrid care - the best of in person and virtual in a single experience (e.g. Forward Care, Carbon Health, Eden)
   2. Future of Benefits (e.g. upskilling, maternal care, leisure/ travel benefits, mental health)
3. Innovation often starts with solving a single problem for a small group that leads to noticeable impacts for larger populations. Don't overlook small opportunities to innovate and create large wins within your business.
4. Spatial computing will also impact eye care and the patient consumer's awareness of the importance of eye and vision care.
5. Innovation is truly about setting yourself up for the future. Generative AI is a technology that will dramatically impact health care and eye care. In many ways, small businesses have the opportunity to leverage these easier than larger corporations. Considerations for generative AI include data readiness and "human in the loop" operation. 
6. Five innovation questions to ask yourself:
   1. Can you create value in an ambiguous environment?
   2. Do you go beyond challenging the status quo?
   3. Do you get in the trenches? 
   4. Do you truly believe that ideas come from anywhere?
   5. Do you know yourself?

What Ruth is Reading:

• Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity by Peter Attia MD
• Move Fast and Fix Things by Anne Morriss, Frances Frei

Additional Resources:

• VSP Global Innovation Center LinkedIn Page
• VSP Global Innovation Center page
• Future of Benefits report
• Future of Generative AI in Healthcare report
• Futurist Reports page
• Emerging Tech Accessibility Guide
• Hybrid Care Insights Reel
• SXSW 2024 Official Panel: Future Eye: 10 Vision Trends That Will Transform Healthcare

In this episode, I sit down with PECAA's Marketing Member Business Advisor, Shelby Wade, to discuss the importance of launching a 'Use It or Lose It' campaign to drive more patient exams into your office.

Key Takeaways:

1. Overall, it's important to follow a yearly marketing calendar with each quarter focusing on a different type of campaign. The end of the year is great for a "Use It or Lose It" campaign.
2. Use It or Lose It is powerful because it reminds patients they have benefits to use and that they are likely to "lose out", which plays into human psychology. Preventing loss is an incredibly powerful driver of action.
3. Use your practice management platform to identify the patients who have not been in to see you. Selectively communicate with/ market to them for this campaign.
4. Use all avenues available to you for this type of campaign: website pop ups, email communications, social media, practice texting, online advertising/ Google Ads, PECAA Ads - even more traditional forms of advertising to those patients for which it works.
5. All content should have a call to action - a specific action item you want them to take after consuming your marketing materials. A great option is "There's No Better Time Than Now To Take Advantage of Your Vision Benefits. Schedule Your Appointment Online Today."

What Shelby is Listening To:

• How I Built This with Guy Raz

** Don't miss out on an extra $5 rebate for all commercial VSP Eye Exams extended through December 31, 2024. Earn up to an additional $15,000 in 2023 and up to $30,000 in 2024. Visit www.pecaaexamrebate.com now!**

Dr. Brianna Rhue, co-founder of Dr. Contact Lens
Dr. Joseph Allen, also known as Doctor Eye Health
Key Moments:
1:40 – Brianna Rhue’s backstory
3:39 – Her private practice journey from associate to “soul” ownership
7:58 – The genesis of Dr. Contact Lens
12:15 – The Dr. Contact Lens patient experience
14:37 – Building a technology company and driving change
20:12 – The value of investing in yourself, your team and your practice
22:55 – Learning from other industries and treating the patient also as a consumer
31:48 – The biggest fear and hope for the future of optometry

Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media.

For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/

Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media. 

In this episode, Ayesha talked about how three more US states have filed a lawsuit against Eli Lilly over its proposed $13.5 million insulin pricing settlement. The states join six others who have been fighting Eli Lilly in court since 2017, claiming that the company hiked prices of its insulin product Humalog. The states say the $13.5 million settlement offer from Eli Lilly doesn’t come close to the $1 billion worth of claims the company is facing. Hear more about the insulin pricing controversy in this episode.

Ayesha also talked about the FDA approval of Regeneron’s high dose Eylea (HD Eylea) for the treatment of patients with wet age-related macular degeneration (wAMD), diabetic macular edema (DME) and diabetic retinopathy (DR). Hear about how high dose Eylea offers less frequent dosing regiments, and how it will be facing Roche’s blockbuster eye injection Vabysmo.

Read the full articles here:

More US States Take on Eli Lilly in Court Over Proposed $13.5 Million Insulin Pricing Settlement

Regeneron’s High Dose Eylea Gets FDA Nod for Wet AMD and DME

For more life science and medical device content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage.

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Listen to today's episode,  "Creating Clear Vision for Kids: Exploring the Bate's Method and Beyond with Orit Kruglanski" as Vision Educator, Orit Kruglanski joins Dori Durbin. Orit shares:

• Can Eyesight Be Improved?
• The Bate's Method
• About "Play Your Way to Better Eyesight" Book
• How to Help Your Kids See Better
• How Stress Affects Vision
• Accidentally Failing Your Eye Exam
• A reading from "Play Your Way to Better Eyesight"
• Orit's Eye Story
• Changing Your Vision Perspective
• How to Reach Orit
  
  

Did you love this episode? Discover more here:
 https://thepowerofkidsbooks.buzzsprout.com

More about Orit:
Orit Kruglanski is a visual educator, she helps people of all ages play their way to better eyesight, reducing eyestrain and the need for glasses.

She got glasses when she was 7, and at 38 started improving her vision from -8.5 diopters to her current no-glasses life.

She is the author of "I see clearly", an illustrated Bates Method book for children (and adults who secretly buy it for themselves), and “Play your way to better eyesight, a parent's guide to natural vision”. She lives in Barcelona and works online and in person.

Find Orit's Book:
https://orit-kruglanski.aweb.page/p/2f4bd9f8-8288-4132-b750-6c6774836a11

Follow Orit:
http://www.iseeclearly.org
http://facebook.com/oritkruglanski
http://www.instragram.com/oritojos
email: orit@iseeclearly.org

More about Dori Durbin:
Dori Durbin is a Christian wife, mom, author, illustrator, and a kids’ book coach who after experiencing a life-changing illness, quickly switched gears to follow her dream. She creates kids’ books to provide a fun and safe passageway for kids and parents to dig deeper and experience empowered lives. Dori also coaches non-fiction authors and aspiring authors to “kid-size” their content into informational and engaging kids’ books!
 
Buy Dori's Kids' Books:
https://www.amazon.com/stores/Dori-Durbin/author/B087BFC2KZ

Follow Dori
http://instagram.com/dori_durbin
http://www.doridurbin.com
http://www.facebook.com/dori_durbin

Do you want to build a great referral network with providers in your area to drive greater specialty care adoption and expand your patient base? 

Key Takeaways:

1. Evaluate the current realities of your referral networks
2. Determine the referrals you want and establish your referral policies and procedures
3. Reach out yourself to the providers in your area as much as you can
4. Don't be afraid to refer and seek referrals from other optometrists
5. Leave detailed information for the providers you're working to build referrals from
6. Send detailed communication to providers you both receive referrals from and from whom you are seeking referrals
7. Host doctor education nights to showcase what how you can serve their practices and their patient

Have you registered for the PECAA Annual Meeting?

On this episode, we sit down with principal financial advisor and co-founder of Credentialed Wealth Advisors Clint Chedester to discuss the realities of today's economy and its impact on independent eye care professionals. 

Clint's Disclosure:

“We represent Credentialed Wealth Advisors, an SEC registered investment adviser.  The opinions expressed are solely our opinions and are not necessarily those of the podcast host or any advertisers or of Credentialed Wealth Advisors, LLC.  Our appearance does not constitute an offer to buy or sell securities and no investment process is free of risk.  No investment process we may discuss can be guaranteed to be profitable.  The investment opportunities discussed may not be suitable for all investors.  All data and references we cite are believed to be reliable.  Any opinions, news, research, analysis or prices discussed are general commentary and do not constitute investment advice.  Our comments cannot be construed as tax or legal advice.  Listeners are urged to contact their tax or legal advisor for any related questions.”

Key Takeaways:

1. One key economic metric to understand the health of the US consumer is the S&P Experian Consumer Credit Default Composite Index - the percentage of consumers behind or in default of consumer credit. Today it is 0.63% compared to over 5% at the height of the Great Recession in 2009.
2. Interest rates continue to rise to increase the cost of borrowing money, ultimately leading to lowered inflation. As small business owners, high interest rates indicate a much deeper need to be especially strategic about how new purchases will be used to drive growth in revenue. If cash flow is high, retaining cash in the business is valuable.
3. The US economy has been in decline for much of 2022 and a number of leading economic indicators show this. A few of these: the number of manufacturing hours worked, ISM Index of new orders, and consumer expectations. All are down and interestingly, the consumer expectation index as lower last year than at the worst part of the Great Recession. Consumer expectation is improving.
4. The US Labor Force Participation Rate indicator shows that we still have not replaced the jobs lost during the pandemic. Consumer demand is higher than it was prior to the pandemic with less workers in the labor force.

What Clint is reading:

• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen Covey

Want to recession proof your practice? Join PECAA at www.pecaamax.com!

In this episode, I sit down with PECAA's Optical Business Advisor, Kayla Groves, to discuss the biggest pitfalls that practices fall into with their optical. 

Key Takeaways

1. Pitfall #1: Overstocking of frames. Turn rate should be 3x on average in a practice. Frames that aren't turning at this rate shouldn't be stocked.
2. Pitfall #2: Capture rate isn't calculated or calculated poorly. Not having this data affects ability to make key decisions well within the optical.
3. Pitfall #3: Not maximizing reimbursement from insurance by taking wholesale and Frames Data and taking into consideration the type of optical they have: heavy managed vision care, budget, or luxury. 
4. Pitfall #4: Not actively managing the frame board and inventory, taking into consideration the practice goals, the practice business model, demographics, price assortment, and turn rate.
5. Pitfall #5: Not training all team members on the essentials of the optical.
6. Optical is still a significant opportunity for growth in private practice. The patients purchasing online and from e-commerce players are not ones who would purchase anyways from a practice. A large proportion of patients still want an in office experience.

What Kayla is reading:

• The Missing by Kiersten Modglin

Want to learn more about PECAA's Optical Management resources? Email us at info@pecaa.com.

In this week’s Xtalks Life Science podcast episode, Ayesha and the editorial team spoke with Susan Benton, Country Manager at Thea Pharma, an eye care company that focuses on developing innovative eye care treatments to help further the future of ophthalmic treatment.

Thea Pharma recently won FDA approval for its latest eye care product Iyuzeh for the reduction of elevated intraocular pressure in patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension. Iyuzeh is the first and only preservative-free formulation of the medication latanoprost in the US. 

To talk more about the new FDA approval for Iyuzeh and about the great work being done at Thea Pharma, tune in to hear this informative and insightful interview with Susan Benton, who has more than 25 years of global commercial and business development experience in ophthalmic pharmaceuticals, and has been responsible for the launch and commercialization of more than 15 products over the course of her career.

For more life science and medical device content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage.

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On this episode of the Practice Advantage podcast, I sit down with Kathy Long, PECAA's Business Operations Advisor to discuss the importance of taking time to review your standard practice operations and find ways to make them more efficient and more effective. 

Key Takeaways

1. Leverage your office manager. If your practice doesn’t have one, consider team leads to drive change.
2. It’s important to get started. Take some time away from patient care, pick one specific process to evaluate, determine your metrics, ask the right questions, involve the team, and most importantly, get started.
3. Consider the most important processes like recall, optical capture, doctor hand-off, and marketing – ones that have significant revenue impact for the practice.
4. Focus on the customer journey and map that journey. The mapping exercise helps lay out the process operations that you can focus on and improve.

What Kathy is reading:

• Stop Overthinking by Nick Trenton

In this episode, Ayesha and the editorial team spoke with Pierre Bertrand, CEO of vision care biotech Neurolens, developer of innovative new technology to address digital vision syndrome. The syndrome is caused by extended computer or digital device use that can result in eyestrain as well as neck and shoulder pain. Hear more about the company’s Neurolenses, which are designed to alleviate and even prevent symptoms of digital vision syndrome. Learn about the proprietary technology behind Neurolenses and recent results from clinical studies that show its effectiveness in improving eye function and comfort.

For more life science and medical device content, visit the Xtalks Vitals homepage.

Follow Us on Social Media

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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xtalks-webconferences
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On today's episode, I sit down with Scott Rediger, CEO of Visible Genomics, and Dr. Steve Ferrucci, well known optometrist, lecturer, and clinical expert to discuss the power of genetic testing and the business opportunity for expanding AMD care within your practice. 

Key Takeaways:

1. Always be open to input from others.
2. The opportunity for AMD in the United States is significant. 11 million are currently living with AMD and 20 million are at risk due to genetic and lifestyle risk factors. AMD is an untapped market in your practice.
3. AMD revenue opportunities include: Selling nutraceuticals, providing genetic testing, ongoing testing as part of management, at home monitoring, and dark adaptation
4. Like any additional service, success requires involving your entire team to engage the process and communicate the test and benefits appropriately to the patient. Telehealth can be a phenomenal tool for follow up, creating a better patient experience and minimizing time for both patient and doctor.
5. Don’t be afraid of the cost. Connect the value of personalized care to their long term outcome, and the cost conversation becomes much easier.

Take your practice to the next level with PECAA Max!

What Steve is Reading:

• Coach K: The Rise and Reign of Mike Krzyzewski by Ian O'Conner
• The Dynasty by Jeff Benedict
• Game: An Autobiography by Grant Hill

What Scott is Reading:

• S.C.O.R.E for Life by Jeff Fannin

In today's episode, I sit down with Doug Martin, founder of InD Eyewear, a private label frame line exclusive to PECAA members. Every day consumers purchase private label products and goods. Offering these types of products to your patients dramatically impacts your practices profitability while delivering a product your patients will love. 

Key Takeaways:

1. 4/10 consumers embrace private label AND 9/10 consumers will purchase private label products and goods.
2. Private label reduces cost by lowering the amount companies need to invest in marketing, merchandising, and branding. This means lower costs and higher margins to your patients.
3. Private label no longer means low cost and low quality. Most patients are not brand conscious especially when it comes to eyewear.
4. Private label is a proven success in other industries, it will work in optometry. It dramatically works to improve margins with managed vision care.
5. The primary avenues for private label:
   1. Patients only want what their insurance covers
   2. Long margin play
   3. Saving walking Rx's by creating packages

What Doug is Reading:

• The First Major by John Feinstein

Learn more about InD Eyewear and how to leverage the power of Private Label in your own practice!

Show Summary: “The best thing you can do for your mitochondria is to lessen the consumption of blue light sources, and utilize devices that decrease blue light. Watch the sunrise and sunset as it boosts your mitochondrial function.”

As we progressed in the dominance of the digital age, our gadgets such as smartphones, laptops, smart TVs, and many more had been prevalent in our lifestyle. It’s safe to say that they make our lives easier and it would be a lot harder to live without them. 

But, are you protecting yourself from the harmful effects of blue and artificial lights that come from these devices? Not everyone knows why and how they affect our brain health. 

And in this episode, we dive deep into the whys and hows of the relationship between blue light and our overall health - from the brain to skin, to our mental and physical health.

We are joined by Dhruvin Patel, an eye expert and founder and CEO of Ocushield, to discuss the ins and outs of blue lights, how to maintain eye health, and prevent blue light from harming our health.

Becoming the captain of your well-being doesn’t have to be complicated. We’re here to guide you throughout your self-healing journey. Join us and listen to Episode 34 of the Gutsy Health Podcast to learn more!

Get 20% discount when you buy Ocushield products using  the code GUTSYHEALTH20

Exceptional Highlights:

• Blue light from screens affects the eyes; causing eye strain and fatigue, leading to headaches.
• Artificial blue lights suppress the melatonin hormone, which affects the quality of sleep.

Show Highlights:

What does blue light do biologically to our bodies?

Dhruvin Patel 8:30

• Our eyes are very smart; they can see lots of light sources so you want to reduce the flicker in lighting. Flicker rate is something called Hertz. Aim to use devices with a lesser flicker rate. 

Why should the younger generation lessen their screen time?

Dhruvin Patel 11:56

• Children’s eye lenses don’t develop until they are teenagers, and the lens is an important natural filter for UV and blue light. Long-term exposure to blue light can eventually cause macular degeneration, which affects your central vision. 

Get 20% discount when you buy Ocushield products using  the code GUTSYHEALTH20

Two recommended steps to lessen the impact of blue light:

Dhruvin Patel 13:15

• The proximity of the device. Position your device or light source farther away from the eyes. 
• Turn down the brightness.

Frequent usage of devices

Dhruvin Patel 14:13

• Try not to use your devices the first hour when you wake up and the last hour before you sleep. Especially when you wake up and your body is in an alpha state, which means you’re more susceptible to what you’re taking in.

Get 20% discount when you buy Ocushield products using  the code GUTSYHEALTH20

Important Links:

• Dhruvin Patel Instagram 
• Ocushield Instagram 
• EMFs and Environmental Stressors Podcast Episode
• Digestion Restoration Course

Many practices do not effectively employ an office manager and do not delegate to or emplower them well enough to fully lead within the practice. Valerie Manso shares key strategies for employing an effective office manager. 

Key Takeaways:

1. A great office manager has have leadership and management skills and have the ability to make key decisions within the practice.
2. The role of an office manager really should encompass - leading and managing - everything outside the four walls of the exam room.
   1. Control costs and expenses
   2. Buying right
   3. Inventorying well
   4. Managing the day to day operations
   5. Hiring individuals and onboarding them well
   6. Making each team member feel valued and a part of the practice
3. The best office manager is an extension of you, the owner, not someone to whom you give up control. 
4. If you cannot spend the time to hire a good office manager, outsource it. One they're hired, slow down patient care to onboard them EXACTLY how you want to them to be. Train them the way you want them to be trained and teach them to make decisions they way you would. 

What Valerie is reading:

• Terminal List by Jack Carr
• Emotional Intelligence 2.0 by Joseph Griffith
• Nightwork by Nora Roberts

Subscriber-only episode

Fuck The Rules Podcast
Season 1 Episode 7

Dr. Cramer discusses how her career, her life, and her health benefited by saying "F*ck the rules!" to Evil Bastards, Inc. (EBI, trademark pending!) And providing quality eye care in the 21st century.

More info on Dr. Cramer:
Dr. Karen Cramer is originally from Pennsylvania and now resides in the Peoria area. She achieved her Bachelor of Arts at Indiana University in Bloomington, IN and Doctor of Optometry at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry in Philadelphia. After completion of a residency at The Eye Institute in Philadelphia, she returned to the Midwest and joined a large multi-specialty group. She has extensive experience in medical management and co-management of glaucoma, cataracts, diabetic eye disease, macular degeneration, and dry eyes. Other areas of expertise include contact lens fitting of patients with astigmatism, dry eyes, and corneal disease.

Website:
https://www.2020ecs.com/

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Want more sweary goodness? There's now the availability of Premium Subscription for $3 a month! Click the "Support The Show" link and find out more info.

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F*ck The Rules Podcast is produced by Evil Bambina Productions, LLC.

You can find our podcast on Amazon Music/Podcasts, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and many more!
***
Social media/podcast episodes are not intended to replace therapy with a qualified mental health professional. All posts/episodes are for educational purposes only. If you are in need of assistance for mental health services, please check with your PCP, your insurance provider or an online therapist directory for the nearest mental health professional.
*****
Susan Roggendorf is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor in Illinois and a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Iowa. In addition to hosting and producing her podcast, she's running a private practice as an independent provider full-time. Susan is a National Certified Counselor through the NBCC as well as an Emergency Responder & Public Safety Certified Clinician through NERPSC. When she's not busy with all those things, Susan is usually busy annoying her adult children or gardening.

My first guest is Professor Richard Gale, Consultant Medical Ophthalmologist, and the Clinical Director at the York Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, UK. In this episode, we discuss the latest publications and strategies that are employed to support patients in continuing to attend appointments and receive treatment. I have included below the links to the publications that we discuss during this podcast.

 Okada M, et al. Ophthalmology. 2021;128(2):234-47

Okada M, et al. JAMA Ophthalmol. 2021;139(7):769-76

This is not intended for UK audiences.

Speaker disclosures:
Professor Anat Loewenstein
Consultancy, Research grants: Allergan, Bayer, Beyeonics Surgical, KHB, Novartis, Notal Vision, Oculis, Oxurion, Pres-By, Roche, Sensor, WebMD, Xbrane
 
Professor Richard Gale:
Consultancy, Research Grants: Alimera, Allergan, Bayer, Novartis, Roche

The Barometer Program is managed by clinical leaders in ophthalmology as well as representatives from the IFA, IAPB and Bayer. The activities of the Barometer Program are funded and facilitated by Bayer where the scientists and representatives from IFA and IAPB retain decision authority to the research scope, methods, analysis of findings, and dissemination of the outputs of the Barometer Program.

The Vision Academy is a group of over 100 international experts who, through their collective expertise, provide consensus guidance for managing clinically challenging situations, especially in areas of controversy or with insufficient conclusive evidence. The Vision Academy is funded and facilitated by Bayer. The opinions and guidance of the Vision Academy outputs are those of its members and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Bayer.