eyecare professional magazine march 2011 issue

NEW FRAME RELEASES FOR SPRING / PAGE 6 MODERN KIDS’ DISPENSING / PAGE 16

March 2011 • Volume 5, Issue 39 • www.ECPmag.com

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Courtesy ofTura

SPRING FRAME RELEASESUsher in the new season with the latest and greatest in eyewear and sunwear.by ECP Staff

THE KNOWLEDGEABLE PATIENTThe internet has created product savvy patients, so ECPs must bemore informed than ever before.by Carrie Wilson, BS, LDO, ABOM, NCLE-AC

MODERN KIDS’ DISPENSINGAs children become more sophisticated, dispensing methods mustevolve as well.by Anthony Record, RDO

TORIC CONTACT LENSESEvery ECP should have the ability to fit toric contact lenses in their dispensing arsenal.by Jason Smith, OD

OPTICAL HIRINGWith the recession slowly passing, now might be the time to consider adding to your staff.by Lindsey Getz

VITAMINS AND CATARACTSThere is conflicting evidence as to the correlation between vitaminintake and a reduction in cataracts.by Elmer Friedman, OD

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EEYECAREPROFESSIONALMagazine

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Vol. 5Issue 39

Features

Departments

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On The Cover:CLARITI EYEWEAR1-800-FRAMES-2 www.claritieyewear.com

EDITOR/VIEW .....................................................................................................4

MOBILE OPTICIAN .........................................................................................20

DISPENSING OPTICIAN .................................................................................28

MOVERS AND SHAKERS.................................................................................30

21ST CENTURY OPTICIAN ...............................................................................34

ADVERTISER INDEX .......................................................................................46

INDUSTRY QUICK ACCESS ............................................................................47

LAST LOOK .......................................................................................................50

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Publisher/Editor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jeff Smith

Production/Graphics Manager. . . . . . . . . . . Bruce S. Drob

Director, Advertising Sales . . . . . . . . . . . . Lynnette Grande

Contributing Writers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Judy Canty,

Dee Carew, , Timothy Coronis, Gary Fore,

Elmer Friedman, Lindsey Getz, Ginny Johnson,

Jim Magay, Warren McDonald, Anthony Record,

Jason Smith, Carrie Wilson

Technical Editor . . . . . . . . Brian A. Thomas, P.h.D, ABOM

Internet Coordinator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Terry Adler

Opinions expressed in editorial submissions contributed to EyeCareProfessional Magazine, ECP™ are those of the individual writers exclusively and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of EyeCareProfessional Magazine, ECP™ its staff, its advertisers, or its reader-ship. EyeCare Professional Magazine, ECP™ assume no responsibilitytoward independently contributed editorial submissions or any typographical errors, mistakes, misprints, or missing informationwithin advertising copy.

ADVERTISING & SALES(215) 355-6444 • (800) [email protected]

EDITORIAL OFFICES111 E. Pennsylvania Blvd.Feasterville, PA 19053 (215) 355-6444 • Fax (215) [email protected]

EyeCare Professional Magazine, ECP™ is published monthly by OptiCourier, Ltd.Delivered by Third Class Mail Volume 5 Number 39TrademarkSM 1994 by OptiCourier, Ltd.All Rights Reserved.

No part of this magazine may be used or reproduced in anyform or by any means without prior written permission of thepublisher.

OptiCourier, Ltd. makes no warranty of any kind, eitherexpressed, or implied, with regard to the material contained herein.

OptiCourier, Ltd. is not responsible for any errors and omissions,typographical, clerical and otherwise. The possibility of errorsdoes exist with respect to anything printed herein.

It shall not be construed that OptiCourier, Ltd. endorses, pro-motes, subsidizes, advocates or is an agent or representative forany of the products, services or individuals in this publication.

Purpose: EyeCare Professional Magazine, ECP™ is a publication dedicated to providing information and resources affecting thefinancial well-being of the Optical Professional both professional-ly and personally. It is committed to introducing a wide array ofproduct and service vendors, national and regional, and the myriad cost savings and benefits they offer.

For Back Issues and Reprints contact Jeff Smith, Publisher at800-914-4322 or by Email: [email protected]

Copyright © 2011 by OptiCourier Ltd. All Rights Reserved

MagazineEditor / viewby Jeff Smith

We always hear about the need to push second pair sales to increase revenue, butanother revenue stream that is often neglected is accessories. It may be difficult to compete with the chains on price, but you can differentiate yourself with thequality and variety of your small ticket items.

If you don’t already have an accessories display area, set one up. One of the bestareas is the dispensing area, where they can be presented as the patient receivestheir new glasses, but the cashier area can work well. When presenting accessories,keep your presentation light and fun. Remember to emphasize the added benefits,and sell on value. Most importantly, don’t forget to present them in the first place!Don’t let the excitement of fitting the patient to their new eyewear make you losesight of helping them identify and fulfill their needs. Below is a list of some common accessories.

Lens cleaner: Although you might provide a free sample with purchase, now is thetime to remind the patient of the importance of wetting the lenses before wipingthem off, and the convenience of having several bottles of the lens cleaner avail-able at home. Many dispensaries will give a small bottle with the new frame, buthave larger bottles available for sale.

Lens towels, or wipes: While you might give a sample with purchase, now is thetime to mention having several in the house, car, and at work. How often is aclean, soft cloth readily available? Usually not when you need it, and most of thetowels are fashionably packaged and designed.

Sun clips: Now is an ideal time to remind the patient of the benefits of sun protection. With the new glasses in hand, it is easier to see how the clip is going to look and work. Since clips should be fitted to the frame after the prescriptionlenses have been inserted, it is a natural time to show pre-made clips, or to prepare custom made clips.

Lanyards, visor frame clips, repair kits: These inexpensive accessories can makelife a lot easier. Be sure to mention lanyards to your patients who are purchasingreading glasses or computer glasses; they’re a great way to keep from losing theglasses. Also, don’t forget the sport enthusiasts, especially those who are active onthe water.

Premium cases: There are several premium cases available that offer fun looks,added features such as mirrors, room for contacts as well as the glasses, carryinghandle, etc. And don’t forget the guys; there are oversized cases, cases that clip to ashirt pocket or the visor of the car, as well as sports cases, featuring golf, football,or any number of other sports.

Offering an array of accessories to everyone who walks into your practice is a greatway to distinguish yourself from the chains and increase your bottom line.

EEYECAREPROFESSIONAL

4 | EEYECAREPROFESSIONAL | MARCH 2011

Eyecessorize!

For Subscription Changes, email: [email protected]

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www.jeevice.com

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Spring

1

3. ArnetteThe Heavy Hitter (AN4150)

makes a bold style statementwhile offering versatilewearability. A visual stunner

loaded with rich design detail,it features oversized square 6-base polycarbonate

lenses, a flexible nylon frame, extra wide arms formaximum sun blockage, and multi-piece temple inserts.

This knock-out frame offers dynamic color blocking andpolarized lenses on select colorways. www.arnette.com

2. Viva GroupThe Catherine Deneuve Lunettes collectionpresents three new innovatively designedoptical styles for today’s elegant woman.CD-293, CD-294 and CD-295 feature a delicate rope chain detail, which adorns theframe’s metal temples. This exquisite accentblends seamlessly into an open end-piecedesign, accentuated by enamel-filled signature CD logo treatments.www.vivagroup.com

New Releases1. LINDBERGLINDBERG Sun is a collection of sunglasses based onthe highly popular and very successful LINDBERGdesigns for normal eyewear. The sunglasses featureboth super-flexible titanium strips and polyacetate, andare available in a wide range of laminated finishes andattractive colors. www.lindberg.com

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6. MarcolinSwarovski has chosen a whole new world in which

to express its creativity,completing its range

of accessories witha collection of

eyewear thatexemplify the

company’s brand and style. Light itselfis distilled in this collection, reflected,

diffracted and diffused by the cut crystals.Crystal has worked its magic on each and every

pair, with effects ranging from subtle hints tostrong sparkling statements.

www.marcolinusa.com

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4. TuraThe Lulu Guinness eyewear collection has launcheda “Don’t Forget Your Lipstick” mini collection,which features five optical and seven sunwearkissed styles in a mix of hand-made acetate, moneland light-weight stainless steel. Custom designdetails include casted metal core wire with the lippattern, casted metal endpiece and hinge in theform of Lulu’s recognizable lipstick. www.tura.com

5. A-Look OpticsThe Tony Morgan Eco-Sheek Collection featuresretro design that will appeal to many generations.The unisex frames are lightweight and durable withspring hinges, in a large round eyesize. They consistof hand-crafted acetate frame front with eco-friendly bamboo temples in a smooth texture.Shown is the MOD-A3160 in Color: C6 and Size:53-17-140. www.alookoptics.com


Silhouette

With the extravagant and powerful Studio Collection,Silhouette delivers a retro chic experience par excellence,while remaining true to its paradigms by presenting a collec-tion of rimless eyewear that is state of the art with regard toboth its technology and its materials. The black and whiteeffects and color combinations, plus wide SPX temples of theStudio Collection’s four rimless models – “Rhythm Cubes”,“Swinging Circles”, “Floating Waves” and “Beat Curves.”www.silhouette.com

Morel Eyewear

ÖGA Viträ unites wood and color – a “dual material” temple:the most beautiful woods associated with the colored depth ofsynthetic glass (PMMA). Öga, with its new Viträ concept, onceagain confirms the company’s eyewear know-how through thecreation of a unique product. Genuine technical prowess usedto create a pure and contemporary design. Viträ is available in 3 styles in a wide range of sizes (from 53 to 59) and consistsof one fully rimmed shape and 2 semi-rimless versions.www.morel-france.com

RevolutionRevolution’s new Children’s Collection from Disney –Wizards of Waverly Place – will start with 5 dazzlingstyles WWP002-WWP006. Lightweight frames com-posed of zyl and metal equipped with the bestEuropean Spring Hinges. Temples are embellished withcreative designs depicting the image of the show withadditions such as engravings, screenings, metallicepoxy and crystals from the House of DanielSwarovski. www.revolutioneyewear.com

Jee Vice

Introducing the Jealous frames by Jee Vice, these hand craftedItalian made shades are sure to get noticed. The roundedshape is complementary to every face shape, and the subtlefaded lens adds a stylish twist to the already smart design.Jealous is currently featured in Brown, Gold and Peacock andis made with the ultra-durable TR90 frame material. Jealousalso features BNL Melanin photochromic lenses.www.jeevice.com

L’Amy

Nina Ricci’s NR2577 ophthalmic frame features rich, layeredacetates in a feminine shape. The three colors in this NinaRicci model are enhanced by a metal bow that wraps itselfaround the temple, giving a jewelry like impression inspiredby Nina Ricci’s ready to wear and jewelry collections.www.lamyamerica.com


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Clariti Eyewear

Clariti Eyewear’s latest from their MonaLisa collection openup new choices of progressive friendly styles to suit anywoman. These elegantly designed MonaLisa frames containSwarovski Crystals that are mounted on a light-weightacetate frame. The sophistication and practicality of theseframes can fit the lifestyle and wardrobe of any woman.www.claritieyewear.com

Live Eyewear

Cocoons 3D circular polarized lenses are compatible for use with theater viewing, passive 3D televisions, laptops andcomputer monitors. Because the lenses block 100% of UVAand UVB rays, Cocoons 3D also provide maximum protec-tion when worn outdoors as conventional sunglasses. TheCocoons 3D collection will be available in six sizes with SlateSoft Touch frame finish. www.liveeyewear.com

MYKITAMYKITA’s imaginative use of glass and stainless steeland experimentation with their combination led inthis case to the TIM and TERRENCE models, fromthe metal collection. The frames are conspicuouslyslight and, encompassing oversize lenses, create asporty but elegant look. The sporty theme is fur-ther enhanced with the vivid new Neon Orangefinish for both models, which will also be availablein the colors Black, Concrete and Shiny Silver.www.mykita.com

Trevi ColiseumEyewearColiseum 82 frames are con-structed of the highest qualitymaterials and feature genuineSwarovski Crystals andMazzucchelli Zyl. It featuresspring temples for added comfort and durability backedby a two year warranty.These Italian made frames areavailable in 2 beautiful colors,Palladium (shown) andBordeaux. Sold exclusively in

North America by National Lens. www.national-lens.com

Safilo Group

Valentino’s new Flash Collection SS11 mixes danger andromance in frames for a woman with an unconventionalsoul. The retro flavor and avant-garde spirit create a star-quality look. These butterfly-shaped injected sunglasses – litup by a Swarovski pavé frame – project vintage elegance.Available in all-black with dark grey lenses or with rhinestonedetails and graduated brown lenses. www.safilo.com


Rudy Project introduces the all-new Maya – the latestin multi-use prescriptive eyewear. Designed for sportbut ideal for any occasion, the Maya serves up a fashionable, functional and flexible eyewear option forindividuals with vision correction needs.

Originally conceived for cyclists in need of prescrip-tive sport glasses, the Maya offers a seamlessly versatiledesign combination. On the one hand, the Maya servesas a sight correction sports model, with a single-lenssystem adaptable to varying light conditions. On theother hand, it is an all-purpose prescription solution foreveryday activities. The secret to this versatility lies inthe simple, yet deftly designed single-lens flip-up suninsert, easily maneuvered with patented Rudy Projecttechnology.

To further enhance the Maya's performance, the gapbetween the frame and lens is covered by a brow piecethat prevents light from filtering through. The flip-up sun filter is available with a wide variety of lenses,catering to different use occasions. The Red Multilaser,characterized by a triple mirrored layer on the surface,guarantees a stunning range of colors, extreme scratch-resistance and premium sun protection. The ImpactX™

Photochromic Clear™, the result of cutting-edge photochromatic technology, provides unprecedentedmanagement of light, darkening within a few seconds of increased light conditions. Practical and stylish, theMaya also scores comfort points with its superlightframe, 360o adjustable temple tips and the Ergo IV™

ergonomic nosepiece.

The Maya is available in frame colors Crystal/Anthracite, Frozen Ash/White, Frozen Crystal/Red,Graphite/Anthracite, Crystal Brown/Brown, CrystalPink/White and Crystal Blue/White and can be pairedwith an assortment of Rudy Project’s RP Optics™ andImpactX™ lenses. For more information go to www.e-rudy.com

Rudy Project’s MayaExpands Rx Options



There is a new movement in the eye careprofession today: the knowledgeable (or“I think I am knowledgeable”) patient.

They come into optical dispensaries with printouts from websites, photographs and articles. The internet has madetremendous amounts of information easily accessible to thegeneral public, but it is not always interpreted accurately. Manypatients now research the products they are interested in by utilizing professional sites, social networking sites and chatrooms to ask their friends, family and co-workers about currentproducts and services.

Informed consumers then come to the eye care professional,who must be prepared to answer their questions in an easy tounderstand, knowledgeable manner. It may also be necessary todispel any misinformation that the patient may have. The fol-lowing are some common questions that the patient may haveafter their internet browsing.

What are the differences in the lens materials?

In the past, there was only one option in spectacle lens materi-als: glass. Today, there is a whole new world of possibilities available.

Plastic

Also called CR-39, plastic lenses are the basic lens material usedtoday. It has a high clarity level and works well for lower prescription powers. It does not have an inherent scratch resistance or ultraviolet protection, so these coatings need to beadded to the lens to make them work well for the patient. It isheavier and less impact resistant than some lenses, so it is notthe first lens of choice for higher prescriptions, children’s orsports glasses, or drill mount frame styles.

Polycarbonate

Polycarbonate is the extremely safe, highest impact resistantlens material available and has UV protection built into thematerial itself. It is ideal for eyewear that must have safetyrequirements such as safety glasses, sport glasses and children’sglasses. It is thinner (center thickness can go as low as 1.0mmdue to its strength) than glass and plastic materials and alsolighter in weight. An extremely soft material, it is hard coated bythe manufacturer to provide excellent scratch resistance. It isnot the best material for drill mounted frames, however. Due tothe softness of the material, the screws or posts in the drillmount designs eventually wear the drill holes down, causing theframe to loosen at the lens attachments. It also has a low Abbevalue. However, if the lens is fit properly for most patients it isnot a concern.

Trivex

The newest impact lens material to enter the market is Trivex.Developed for the military in 2001 by PPG, Trivex is the only

Through the LensCarrie Wilson, BS, LDO, ABOM, NCLE-AC

Helping the Informed Patient:The New Future of Eye Care

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Continued on page 14

lens material other than polycarbonate to pass the HighVelocity Impact Test, the FDA Impact Resistance Test at 1 mmcenter thickness and meet ANSI Z87.1 standards. Also like poly-carbonate, it is inherently ultraviolet protective. It is here thatthe similarity to polycarbonate ends. This material is thickerthan polycarbonate, but it is slightly lighter in weight than polycarbonate. It is also has a higher Abbe value than polycar-bonate so it has less dispersion. One of Trivex’s most importantattributes however, is its tensile strength. Because of its highresistance to cracking from drilling and stress, it is ideal for drillmounting when you cannot use polycarbonate.

Hi-Index

Hi-index is the high demand material in the optical field.In order to truly understand the benefits of the material, it isimportant to define index. In simple terms, index is a measure-ment of how much light is slowed down by the lens material.The higher the number, the more the light is slowed down andtherefore bent by the lens. What this means to the eye care professional is, the higher the index, the less material that isneeded to bend the light to fill the doctor’s prescription. Forexample, a -7.00D lens ground on a 1.70 index material will beapproximately 50 percent thinner than a -7.00D lens ground ona 1.50 index material if all parameters are equal. When discussing lenses, hi-index lenses are those with an index of 1.58or higher. However, remember that polycarbonate can have a

thinner center thickness which leads directly to thinner edgethickness. A high index lens is not necessarily the thinnest lenswhen all matters are considered.

What is an aspheric lens?

Many think an aspheric lens is a type of lens material. Actuallyit is a lens design. A spherical lens has one large curve on thefront of the lens and then one or two curves ground onto theback surface of the lens. Aspheric lenses on the other hand, havemultiple curves on the front surface of the lens. These frontcurves are designed to have a gradual power change from thecenter of the lens to the periphery. The benefits of this lens typeare that it gives a wider field of view when one looks off to theside of the lens and the lens is flatter. The result is a lens that fitscloser to the eye, is flatter and thinner, fits better in most framesand reduces the magnification and minification of the eye aswell as the image formed on the retina.

What is AR coating and why do I need it?

AR, or anti-reflective coating, is a multilayer coating that isapplied to the surface of a lens to help ease eye fatigue and elim-inate most reflections. Now, the old AR coatings used to scratcheasily or get smudged or dirty frequently. This is not the casewith the newer, premium coatings. These newer coats have ananti-static coating which repels dust from the lens surface, as

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Progressivelenses.com

well as an anti-smudge coating that causes fingerprints andwater to virtually disappear from the surface. It is beneficial toanyone who wants the clearest vision possible, but situations inwhich AR is especially beneficial are driving, working, andtimes when minimizing the appearance of the lens is especiallyimportant.

Improved Night Driving

AR improves the flow of light through a lens, thereby increas-ing visual acuity. How this especially helps with night driving isthrough the:

• Elimination of ghost images

• Reduction of the “rearview mirror effect.” This occurswhen the light from behind the driver reflects off thepatients lens back into the eye of the driver.

• Improved reaction time of the eye when adjusting back tonormal after glare from an oncoming vehicle

• Improved peripheral vision

Enhanced Contrast

When light doesn’t enter the lens and through the eye clearly,the quality of the image that reaches the eye is not as sharp asone would like. The lack of contrast causes blurring, doublevision and eye fatigue. Because of this, AR coating is especiallyimportant when one is:

• Wearing advanced technology lenses such as hi-index or aspheric lens designs

• Working under artificial lighting

• Driving for long periods of time

• Working with computers

Cosmetic

Lenses have a windowpane reflective effect when not coatedwith AR. Although it does not disturb the vision of the wearer,it does cause others to not be able to see the wearer’s eyes. Thiscan be a hindrance to individuals who work in sales, presentthemselves to the public, or are in an occupation in which theyhave to do a lot of public speaking. It can also be a problem for

those who just want to look their best. AR coating helps with allthese issues.

Are prescription sunglasses really worth it?

There are two main options when it comes to sunglasses. Thereare tinted lenses and polarized lenses. Tints, although an effec-tive option in sports eyewear, are not as efficient as polarizedlenses. Tinting only makes the lens darker, thereby blocking theamount of usable light entering the eye while allowing glare topass through. Polarization on the other hand, acts as a filter.Polarization is a film that is applied in the lens and acts like aVenetian blind, blocking reflected horizontal light that causesharmful glare. Polarized lenses:

• Enhance contrast

• Eliminate dangerous glare

• Reduce eyestrain

• Increase depth perception, particularly around water

• Enhance visual clarity

• Reduce visual fatigue especially when driving

By wearing a properly fit pair of prescription sunglasses,incidences of sporting accidents and car wrecks can be reduced greatly.

Aren’t all progressives the same?

There are over 200 different progressives on the market and thatcan create some confusion for both the patient and the ECP.One way to help is to create a Good, Better, Best chart for thepatients so that an informed decision can be made. Best shouldbe presented first with the patient’s lifestyle, prescription, framestyle and material needs taken into account.

Conclusion

Dealing with an informed patient can be challenging as well asrewarding. It is the eye care professional’s opportunity toexpand his or her knowledge as well as help patients find thebest fit for their needs. The educated ECP is the most importantresource any patient can have no matter how much time theyspend on the internet. ■

With contributions from Brian A. Thomas, P.h.D, ABOM

MAR2011.qxd 2/23/11 3:13 PM

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Managing OpticianAnthony Record, ABO/NCLE, RDO

IN THE 21ST CENTURY, old ways just won’t cut it.And while many practices that truly specialize in pediatricopticianry do well in this regard, too many of us simply

interact with our younger patients and their parents the sameway we interact with the rest of our patients. This approach isat best ineffective, and in some regards may even approach malpractice. After all, the primary reason we are a licensed andmonitored profession is to protect the safety, health and welfareof our clients. Therefore, we have to do everything reasonable tosee that our clients – especially our youngest and most vulner-able ones – receive the best care and products available today.

To that end, I would say that “cutesy” is out. I physically kringe(probably with the same revulsion you felt when you read thatmisspelled word) when I see a dispensary that features a “Kid’sKorner.” First, I would question the use of the apostrophe.Second, that kind of patronizing approach is simply ineffectiveon all levels. Think about it. The kids who are young enough tonot be offended by it, don’t get it, and those who get it, are probably old enough to be offended. We don’t have a sectionnamed “Women’s World,” or “Man Cave Department,” so whynot simply have a separate section, with children’s and teensframes tastefully and respectfully displayed?

ECPs would also be wise not to alter the tone of their voice toomuch when speaking with children either. They don’t like to betalked down to, and these days they are usually sophisticatedenough to realize when that is happening. That’s not to say weshouldn’t stress different things when we are speaking to children and the guardian who makes the ultimate decision tobuy. The kid wants to know that the frame they will be wearinglooks good and will generally be perceived by his or her friendsas “cool,” and/or “popular.” In fact, I encourage you to use thosewords when speaking to them. The more you can communicatethose features to the wearer, the more they will be perceived asbenefits, and the more they will pester the parent to make the purchase.

And speaking of parents, while on some level it is comfortingfor them to know their kid will be seen as cool and popular, theyare generally motivated to purchase by different things: safetyand value. Polycarbonate or Trivex lenses are a must for all kids,except in very rare cases. The increased impact resistance isundeniable, and as ECPs we should do everything in our powerto persuade the parent to purchase them. I feel so stronglyabout this, that if a parent balks at spending the “extra” moneyfor impact-resistant lenses, I simply provide them at the CR-39

The Kids Are All Right

The kids may be all right, but opticians and other eye care professionalswould be well advised to consider treating them and their parents a little

differently than we have in the past.

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fee and absorb the additional cost of goods. I sleep better atnight knowing I provided the best for my young patient, whileenjoying slightly less profit on one transaction. Be carefuldemonstrating things like the impact-resistance of the lenses orhow a flexible titanium frame can be tied in knots. The parentneeds to see this, but not the kid. Twisting a titanium frame infront of a kid is a sure-fire way to ensure that he will make thedemonstration at school for each of his classmates!

In addition to polycarbonate and Trivex, consider UV protec-tion and sunglasses for your juvenile patients as well. Talk to theparent about what they do to protect the child from sunburn.Then ask what they do to protect their eyes from the same damaging ultraviolet rays. Amazingly, this is something fewparents consciously consider, so it’s our job to educate them.Explain that the youngster’s eye is not fully formed, and thatany damage done now is cumulative throughout their life.Talk about macular degeneration and premature formation ofcataracts. That kind of conversation is usually enough to moti-vate half of the parents to act, and purchase some form of pro-tection. If they cannot afford a separate, second pair, that’s oneof the few times I try to “sell” Transitions. While many schoolsdo not allow sunglasses on campus, most do allow Transitions,and the protection those lenses offer is better than nothing.

There are two kinds of “child encounters” I find most troubling.The first one I find particularly disturbing is a parent who isunwilling to buy a new pair of glasses or pay for a repairbecause the kid has broken the glasses for the “hundredthtime.” While admittedly rare, at least once a year I willencounter a parent who comes in for a repair or replacementfor his or her kid’s glasses, and when informed they are out ofwarranty, refuse to plunk down the money for the repair orreplacement. I’ll hear something like, “She can just go withoutthem for a few weeks. Maybe then she’ll appreciate them andtake better care of them.” Sometimes the parent puts the“blame” on the insurance company with something like, “He’snot eligible for a new frame and lenses for three months. He’llhave to wait ‘til then.” If the kid has a correction under a plus orminus one diopter, I might let it go. But inevitably, the kid is inthe 4-6 diopter range.

What I try to do then is to educate the parent or guardian to tryand give them an idea of how this youngster sees without the

glasses. While it’s a bit rudimentary, I will just place trial spectacle lenses in front of the parent’s eyes, to give them anunderstanding of how her kid perceives the world withoutglasses. For example, if the kid is a -6.00 diopter myope, I’ll holdup some +6.00 diopter lenses in front of the parent’s eyes andsay something like, “...by the way, this is how little Johnny seeswhen he doesn’t wear his glasses.” I’ve brought tears to morethan one parent’s face with that little exercise. Finally, they havean appreciation for the child’s visual problem they never hadbefore. Somehow they find the funds.

The second Close Encounter with Kids I have less patience foras I grow into a GECP (Geriatric Eye Care Professional) is theparents who are seemingly oblivious to the obnoxious, loud,disruptive behavior of their little angel(s) who doesn’t neces-sarily need glasses, they’ve just been brought along for the ride– probably because every babysitter in the county refuses towatch the kid at any price. Through over 30 years of experi-mentation, I have found you are better off speaking directly tothe demon child, for the parents are usually blissfully content toignore the situation. After all, it’s not their office that’s getting attacked, nor their patients who are getting visiblyannoyed. So I might approach a child and say, “Excuse me,would you mind [insert whatever command is appropriatehere, usually prefaced by the word “not”]. For example, I mightsay, “Excuse me, would you mind NOT throwing those framesat your sister? They are very expensive, and I wouldn’t want youto hurt her.” Believe it or not, that kind of direct approach issuccessful, at least for 10-12 seconds. Repeat as necessary.

I have also found that because kids today are so electronicallyand computer oriented from practically birth, the best things tokeep a very young child occupied in your dispensary are low-tech toys. Mr. Potato Head works wonders, as does an Etch-a-Sketch, and a Jack-in-the-Box. Once in complete frustration,I finally said to an ignoring parent who was allowing her childto run wild, “It’s too bad your kid is such an emmetrope.”For those of you who don’t remember, that’s a word that justmeans the kid doesn’t need glasses (as opposed to a myope orhyperope). She said, “I’m so sorry, he just hasn’t had his naptoday.” I then played dumb, explained what the word meant,and continued on with our conversation. Interestingly, she heldthe tot in her arms the rest of the time she was there. Missionaccomplished. ■

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THE FRAME IS ON SALE and it looks great on you,Major Payne. Now we won’t be able to sell it to you forthe sale price if you are using your vision insurancebenefits. I’m not sure what the exact cost will be for you

until we dissect your plan. I will just need to get the insuranceinformation from you that we asked you to have with you fortoday’s appointment. You forgot it? That’s okay, we have a computer and a land line for forgetful patients like you to use.We also have notes from a recent insurance webinar that thestaff was required to attend during our lunch hour. Maybe youwill be able to make some sense out of those.

No sir, I don’t know your benefits off the top of my head.Do you see them sitting up there? The last time I checked thebenefits were determined between you and your insurancecompany. Try calling your HR department or your insurancecompany’s toll free cuss-tomer care hotline and have themexplain your benefits to you.

Have a seat right here in the insurance time out chair. Makeyourself comfortable. I need to get back to my well preparedinsurance patient who is waiting and happens to love the sameframe in the window.

Insurance insanity? Is it becoming reality?

Working with patients that have vision insurance requires ECPsto practice extra patience. Just when you thought it was safe tosay that you understand a certain plan; the plan changes.

We applaud those patients that have done their homework andshow up prepared with every piece of valuable information.It’s difficult at times to get a straight answer or the same answertwice from insurance companies regarding benefits.

I spoke to an ECP colleague today that spent 55 minutes on thephone with three different entities attempting to get an author-ization number for a patient. None of their other state and federal funded insurance patients have been authorized forsuch vision care. The patient said that “someone” from herinsurance company told her that there would be no problemgetting the services authorized. What may seem like no problemto “someone” sure doesn’t seem that way to everyone.

At the beginning of each year certain plans will require patientsto meet a deductible. The patient honor system is often used bypractices and any discrepancy is cleared up after the EOB isreceived. How much do they really owe? Do you collect whatyou believe to be the patient’s full balance upfront? Does yourpatient’s total out of pocket charge match that of the insurancecompany’s? Do you charge sales tax on the overage amount,retail amount or not at all? Some practices use countertop signsat check-in regarding insurance and the patient’s financial

The Mobile OpticianGinny Johnson, LDO, ABOC

How much is that frame in the window?

The one with the tag that says SALE

How much is that frame with my insurance?

I do hope that frame is for a male

How Much is That?How Much is That?


MAR2011_ginny_mobile.qxd 2/25/11 12:17 PM Page 2

responsibility. These small signs may go unnoticed especially ifthey are hidden behind any POP. Do you really want to get yourpatient’s attention? Think big and paint one of the receptionarea walls with black chalkboard paint so you can write anderase all sorts of appropriate messages to patients. Facebook isnot the only place that has a wall for posting messages for ourpatients to read.

How about those patients that change their mind? You alreadytook the time to get an authorization number and help themwith their best vision solution. That really bites. What can youdo? Take a deep breath and excuse yourself to stop your tonguefrom bleeding. It makes no sense for them to check aroundtown and price shop. What could possibly have gone wrong?Hopefully you didn’t use the ala carte insurance haggling overprices concept. I find that patients are much more receptive toone total amount due versus spoon feeding them little bites atthe time like $10+$25+$150+$75+$65+$32+$18. Do your bestto keep the financial transaction from turning into a mind bog-gling math game. Keeping your focus on the best vision solu-tion for the patient helps them align their benefits with theirwallet.

What do you do about the patients that disagree with youregarding their vision plan and are rather rude about it? Youknow you are correct and they keep on running their mouth. Ifyou live by the motto that the patient is always right then workon killing them with kindness while asking them for proof. Itsure would be nice to be able to do an insurance polygraph teston those types of patients.

To err is human and vision insurance can be a great reminderof that. As ECP humans we are bound to make mistakes on ourend. No need to rub your co-worker’s nose in it just worktogether to figure out how to correct it. If you find out some-thing new about a specific plan then share it with the rest of thestaff ASAP.

Take it a step further and get a group of local ECPs together fora meet and greet to share vision insurance knowledge, hintsand tips. You may not be an insurance guru but you probablywill know something that no one else does. Maybe your groupwill end up creating one insurance manual that referencesmany different vision plans.

Hopefully one day in the future when a vision insurance patientasks you “How much is that?” the answer will be simple. Youswipe their card or enter their social security number on yourvision insurance genius machine and their benefits instantlyprint out. There’s a cost to pay if your practice accepts visioninsurance. How much is that (?) is the real question ECPswould love to have the correct answer to... ■

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Nearly half of U.S. employees are not taking fulladvantage of their company’s vision benefit, accordingto the second-annual Employee Perceptions of VisionBenefits survey conducted by Transitions Optical.

Overall, 24 percent of employees do not elect toenroll in their company’s vision benefit, the survey said;in addition, 32 percent of those who do enroll do notutilize their benefit to receive a comprehensive eyeexam. The survey identified even lower utilization ofvision benefits among covered children (46 percent) versus their parents (35 percent), as well as lower enroll-ment among employees with voluntary plans (50 percent) compared to those with employer-paidplans (86 percent).

In the latest survey results, “not having vision or eyehealth problems” was the most commonly cited reasonfor not enrolling in a vision plan (36 percent), up from22 percent in the previous year’s study.

The online survey was conducted last October among2,046 full-time, adult U.S. employees whose employersoffer vision benefits.

This most recent survey indicates that “employees arestill less likely to enroll in vision than in medical anddental benefits—and those with a voluntary vision planare even less likely to enroll than those whose employersmade contributions to their plan,” said Pat Huot,Transitions director, managed vision care. “Especially inlight of health care reform changes and frequent cuts toemployees’ general health benefits, this is a serious lostopportunity to help address employees’ eye and overallhealth through their eyecare professional.”

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FITTING TORIC SOFT CONTACT LENSES should besomething that every eye careprofessional embraces for the

benefit of their patients. If you are fitting the “spherical equivalent” orspherical contact lenses when a patientneeds a toric lens due to a higher astig-matic correction, then the patient is notreceiving 100% of your experience orknowledge. Sometimes, fitting thespherical equivalent in higher astigmat-ic patients will result in less than 20/20visual acuities and a less than optimumfit on the cornea.

Occasionally, a patient is limited as totheir options simply due to cost orinsurance issues. It is our job to educateour patients and have them “see” thebenefits if the overall astigmatism warrants a toric soft contact lens.Sometimes the spherical equivalent or a spherical contact lensmay work very well – even be the optimum fit. But, there mayalso be times when that is just the easy way out and the patientshould have received a soft toric lens for optimal visual acuity.

It is our job to be certain that every contact lens placed on aneye fits properly beyond the limbus, moves adequately on thecornea, provides enough oxygen to prevent corneal complica-tions, and provides superb vision at all viewing distances.In times where managed care companies, insurance companies,and patients are trying to control and regulate costs, it is our jobto advise our patients what their best options are for their cir-cumstances. Sometimes this option may require out-of-pocketexpenses for patients. This is especially true because toric softcontact lenses are often not covered through insurance.

Toric Lens Options

There are many contact lens modali-ties available that can benefit ourpatients today. There are manyoptions available and in large ranges ofsphere and cylinder powers, variousbase curves, various diameters, andvarious Dk values. Many soft contactlenses have UV-absorbing properties,but are not necessarily a substitute for UV-absorbing eyewear such assunglasses.

Almost anyone who wants contactlenses should be able to be fit properly. I have found too often thatnew patients coming to my office havebeen told that they are not candidatesfor contact lenses due to their astigma-tism. This myth must be removedfrom public perception. Tyler’sQuarterly provides eye care

professionals with a database containing the knowledge andinformation that can help you fit virtually any patient. If you donot receive this quarterly journal, you can access their website atwww.tylersq.com. This journal is updated every 3 months andis a must for any office. Every contact lens company lists theircurrent products including their specific toric lens inventory inthe quarterly.

Most contact lens companies provide trial lenses to the ECP in order to try toric lenses on this population that so often seeksviable answers from us. With the diversity and abundance of contact lenses on the market, contact lens wear options are quite numerous. Whether your patient has 0.75D ofastigmatism or 5.75D of astigmatism there is at least one optionavailable if not more. Furthermore, with the quality of lenses on

OD PerspectiveJason Smith, OD, MS

The Art and Science of FittingTORIC SOFT CONTACT LENSES

MAR2011.qxd 2/23/11 3:18 PM

the market today, there is no reason why we should not aim for20/15 vision, as we often do with our spherical patients – assum-ing they are capable of such superb vision. Even presbyopic patients may find happiness with distance-only toriccontact lenses.

Wearing a pair of glasses for reading over the distance contactlenses can be another option for patients who do not want bifocal toric soft contact lenses or if the cost is a significant deter-rent. Bifocal toric soft contact lenses are available from Bausch +Lomb, CIBA Vision, Vistakon, CooperVision, PolyVue, Unilens,Blanchard Contact Lens Co., Gelflex, Metro Optics, Special Eyes,Unilens, and X-Cel Contacts. CIBA Vision and CooperVision arenow offering daily toric lenses as a new contact lens modality. Ofcourse, several companies are now providing silicone hydrogellenses with high oxygen permeability and high Dk values.

Monovision can be provided as another option for the presbyopic population with the understanding that binocularvision and depth perception will be affected. These monovisionpatients should always be provided with the option of having athird contact lens for distance or near. Providing a pair ofdistance, reading, or preferably, bifocal spectacles should alwaysbe offered as a back-up to the contact lenses or for use if anemergency occurs.

Toric Fitting Pearls

Every eye care professional that fits any type of contact lens hasa standard examination that provides diagnostic information.This data includes the refractive status of the eyes, and both cur-rent health information as well as health history. Sometimesthese standard examinations may vary depending upon theproblems that are encountered and the specific visual needs of apatient. It should be stressed that any contact lens examination,fitting process, follow-up care, lessons, and educational process-es should not be time-dependent. Patients expect the best thatwe can offer and we should spend the maximum time necessarywith each and every patient. It will pay off in the long run. Trialframe refractions will provide the most accurate

“It is our job to educate ourpatients and have them ‘see’

the benefits if the overall astigmatism warrants a toric soft contact lens.”


MAR2011.qxd 2/23/11 3:19 PM

representation of a patient’s refractive error and in the most realistic setting. This is especially true when the astigmatismaxis should be as accurate as possible or when there is a significant change to their prescription.

Biomicroscopy must be detailed and exact in order to properlyevaluate the quantity and quality of the tear film, cornea health,eyelids, eyelashes, and conjunctiva for a proper contact lens fit.Any abnormalities may affect a positive visual and fitting outcome. Pupil size should be evaluated in bright, dim, andnormal lighting. Pupil size can affect a good visual outcomeespecially when fitting bifocal contact lenses.

Keratometry readings will provide more information in addition to the refraction, auto-refractor, and retinoscopy tests.If your office is equipped with a corneal topographer the dataderived from this instrument will be even more detailed. Sometopographer’s come with software that will simulate the fit of alens on the patent’s eye without ever placing a lens on theircornea – at least for the initial lens selection. This software cangreatly speed up the fitting process by possibly eliminating falsestarts. All fittings must be thorough with the correct base curve,diameter, thickness, and prescription findings used to ordertrial lenses.

Patient Education and Minimizing Liability

A thorough educational process with lessons involving insertion, removal, use of contact lens solutions, time-use of thelenses, wearing schedule, do’s and don’ts, as well as a questionand answer session should be included as a part of the fittingprocess. Patients must sign a disclosure form or informed consent form being made fully aware of the risks of contact lenswear. Parents or guardians of children must be involved withthese instructional sessions.

Many companies have CD-ROMs available for patient educa-tion presentations that simplify this procedure. The Internet isfilled with great educational information. If you view the pop-ular site “You Tube” and search for “Contact Lens Instructions”,159 videos appear for your educational information. But, besure to review these videos in advance to verify accuracy.

Written instructions should be provided once the patientreceives their trial lenses. These instructions should include thewearing schedule as well as a telephone number to contact incase of any emergency. The patient’s chart should indicate theirreceipt of these written instructions. A follow-up, final check-up should be scheduled before the patient receives theirtrial lenses. By federal law, the contact lens prescription must beprovided to the patient when the fitting is completed. ■

MAR2011.qxd 2/23/11 3:21 PM

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28 | EEYECAREPROFESSIONAL |MARCH 2011


Spring break, for the college set usually happens in Marchand involves warm, sunny locations and some other stuff wedon’t need to talk about here. However, it should trigger a discussion about contact lenses, back-up eyeglasses andextremely cool sunglasses. Depending on your demographics,extremely cool and expensive don’t have to go hand in hand.Chances are good that the contact lenses and sunglasses willfloat out to sea before the end of the week, so perhaps the back-up eyeglasses should have a pair of variable tint lenses, nowavailable in a variety of colors beyond grey and brown.

Spring break for the family usually centers on the Easter holi-days and can involve the last trip to the slopes or the first trip tothe shore. Either location involves sunlight and plenty of it.Remind your patients that visual health doesn’t have a “season”and that protective eyewear, be it sunglasses, ski goggles or swimspecs, are a must for every family member. Don’t let them makethe mistake I made 20 years ago and force the kids to wear “flip-ups” from the drug store, cut to fit with cuticle scissors andshaped with a nail file! Many of those photos from Orlandohave been, well ...lost in a great fire!

Graduations abound in May and June and so do the oppor-tunities to advertise gift certificates or gift cards. We usuallythink about those things around the winter holidays, but giftcertificates are perfect suggestions for friends or relatives whohaven’t seen the graduate since the kid was 10 and haven’t a clueabout size, interests or future plans. More importantly, it drivespotential new patients into your establishment and that’s alwaysa good thing. Oh, and please put that gift certificate or card insomething more imaginative than a business envelope. Most

party stores have wonderful ideas on how to present them withappropriate packaging. Make it memorable!

Showers are the time for fun and imagination. The bride-to-be should be the most radiant woman in the room. This is hermoment and the gift of new contacts or glasses to complimenther gown is a very thoughtful gift. In fact, it’s the one part of herentire outfit that is most overlooked, that is until the very lastminute when the bride discovers that tortoise shell really doesn’t go with everything or that her eyes will be so muchmore beautiful in the photographs with the addition of tintedcontact lenses.

Baby showers are another golden opportunity for thought-ful gift-giving. What Mom wouldn’t appreciate a pair of coolshades to cover the visible effects of sleepless nights? Even thenew baby would appreciate some infant-sized sunglasses andthere are many possibilities out there to choose from, just makesure that the lenses are good quality and that the design is comfortable and properly fitted. And don’t forget Dad either.Today’s new Dads are more involved with their new additionsthan ever before and he isn’t getting any more sleep than Mom.Dad could use a new pair of sunglasses as well!

The Wedding. Big budget or small. One attendant or 5. Thedecision on what to give the members of the wedding party is adifficult one. Jewelry of some sort is the traditional choice. Butreally, how many pair of engraved cufflinks or charms can youwear? How about suggesting matching sunglasses? One look forthe guys and one for the gals. You know that at least some of thepictures will be outside, so rather than squinty eyes and forcedsmiles, how about uber-cool sunwear and out-loud laughs!

Dispensing OpticianJudy Canty, ABO/NCLE

SPRINGTrainingNo, not THAT spring training. We’ll talk about that later. In the mean time, check yourcalendars and what’s hanging from magnets on the ‘fridge. Showers for babies andweddings, graduations, wedding invitations, vacations, spring break...need I continue?This flurry of creative paperwork should trigger a couple of ideas for your practice.

Training

MAR2011.qxd 2/23/11 3:22 PM

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30 | EEYECAREPROFESSIONAL |MARCH 2011

Movers AND ShakersTransitions Optical

Transitions Optical Inc has announced thatBrian Hauser has been promoted to the position of General Manager, U.S. and Canada,effective immediately. In this role, Hauser willbe responsible for the North American regionincluding strategic planning, business growth

and organization leadership, reporting to COO, Dave Cole.Hauser will continue to serve as Director Lens Manufacturerand Trade Channel Sales until his successor is named.

DAC InternationalDAC International has appointed PeterBrierley as president. Brierley will take overfrom Rod Keller, who has served as interimpresident following the retirement of Jim Drainin 2010. Keller will resume his role as vice pres-ident of engineering and operations. Over the

past 40 years, Brierley has held leadership positions in lensmanufacturing at companies such as Bausch + Lomb, DowCorning, Allergan Optical and CooperVision.

Shamir InsightShamir Insight announced that Matt Lytle, vicepresident of marketing, has been promoted tovice president sales and marketing. He takesover as head of Shamir’s sales force from LanceBergeron, who is retiring from the companyafter a 40-year optical industry career. Lytle

joined Shamir in 2006 as the vice president of marketing.Bergeron joined Shamir in 2007 as the vice president of salesand was recently promoted to senior vice president in October2010.

RodenstockThe Rodenstock Group announced that it isrestructuring its organization in order toincrease its effectiveness and competitiveness.CEO Oliver Kastalio will take over directresponsibility for all sales and marketing organ-izations to ensure that they are focused on

being close to their markets and customers. The position ofchief sales officer, held by Marc-Oliver Schneider, is beingeliminated, and Schneider is leaving the Rodenstock Group bymutual consent. The human resources department will also beplaced under the control of the CEO.

REM EyewearREM Eyewear has named Johnny Craig its Director of GlobalServices. Craig will manage the relationships and operations

planning for global business partners for allchannels of distribution. Craig will partnerwith country managers and key account repre-sentatives to develop and grow sales with cur-rent accounts and identify new potential mar-kets. Additionally, he will be the chief liaison

for sales and distribution through REM affiliates.

CostaCosta sunglasses recently promoted BradAbbott, former national sales manager for thewestern United States, to his new position asvice president of the company’s expanding Rxsun lens division. As a vice president, Abbottwill be responsible for overseeing Costa’s Rx

sun lens division. Prior to joining Costa, Abbott worked insales for various companies including Hydrogel Vision andBausch + Lomb.

Coburn TechnologiesCoburn Technologies, formerly Gerber Coburn, is introducing a new management team. Curt Brey is now thevice president of marketing and business development,Michael Dolen is vice president of human resources, TomSmith is vice president of finance, Steve Bedford is executivedirector of engineering, Nick Coppola is executive director ofservice, Dan Hobbs is executive director of operations, andRam Narayanan is executive director of sales, Asia, MiddleEast, and Africa.

ABB CONCISERobert B. Mandell, OD, PhD, retired inJanuary after a 37-year career as a consultant toABB CONCISE. Mandell retired from his 32-year career as a member of the University ofCalifornia, Berkeley faculty in 1998, but continued to work on research and develop-

ment by providing consultative services to ABB CONCISE. Atone time or another, he taught over half of the courses in theBerkeley Optometry program curriculum.

Co/Op OpticalBenjamin L. Edwards, Jr., was recently named president andchief executive officer of the Co/Op Optical chain. Edwardshas spent more than 25 years at Co/op Optical, starting as anapprentice optician in the laboratory and proceeding to fillmultiple management roles including director and executivevice president. He was named interim president, CEO andchief operating officer last July, following the resignation oflong-time president Jackee Smith.

Brian Hauser

Peter Brierley

Johnny Craig

Brad Abbott

Robert B. Mandell

Matt Lytle

Oliver Kastalio

MAR2011.qxd 2/23/11 11:28 AM

Briot USABriot USA has announced the appointment of AndrewBumerts and Robert Wallner as Regional Sales Managers andDan Lombardo as Regional Manager of Service Technicians.Bumerts is an optical industry veteran with over 30 years ofexperience. Wallner will be responsible for driving salesefforts in the eastern region of the U.S. He joined Briot in2008 as the Northeast Territory Sales Rep. As RegionalManager of Service Technicians, Lombardo will lead the U.S.service group consisting of all field technicians as well as thecall center in the Cumming office.

Will be Missed... Wendy Schneider of OptiSource

Services were held in PortJefferson Station, NY lastmonth for Wendy Schneider ofNew York-based OptiSourceInternational, who passedaway on Jan. 28 at age of 37.

She had been battling leukemia since June,2009. Schneider, who lived in Mt. Sinai, N.Y.,was an integral part of OptiSource for the past16 years, according to OptiSource vice presi-dent Daryl Squicciarini.

“Her role as a senior sales representative wasdefined by the incredible relationships shedeveloped with her beloved customers.The only thing grander than Wendy’s boister-ous laugh and radiant smile was the level ofservice, caring and giving to her customers,friends and co-workers. Her laugh will forever echo throughout OptiSource and herspirit will continue to touch our hearts witheverlasting love and kindness.”

Donations may be made to the Leukemia-Lymphoma Society:www.leukemia-lymphoma.org.

Will be Missed...REM Eyewear’s Kara Meyer

Services were held last month in Coppell,Texas for Kara Casey Meyer, 45,REM Eyewear’s vice presidentof corporate accounts, whodied unexpectedly on Feb. 16.Meyer, a long-time eyewear

executive, was highly regarded within the industry. Shejoined Nouveau Eyewear as marketing director in 1994,staying with the company for 8 years and eventually becom-ing vice president of marketing and working with key retailaccounts. She joined REM Eyewear in 2002, as vice presidentof corporate accounts.

REM Eyewear is setting up a special section of its websitewith updated information at www.remeyewear.com/kara.The company is also preparing to celebrate Meyer with a gathering of friends on Thursday, March 17 in New YorkCity, on the eve of Vision Expo East, from 5:00 p.m.to 7:00 p.m.

Visit us at Vision Expo East Booth MS 1367

Wendy Schneider

Kara Meyer

MAR2011.qxd 2/23/11 11:29 AM

Take this opportunity to help the happy couple create a wedding album to remember! None of these events will requireextensive or expensive displays, just small reminders through-out your dispensary. Train and remind your staff to ask questions about upcoming events.

• How many weeks until graduation?

• When and where are you going on vacation?

• Is that an engagement ring?

You can do some cross-marketing with bridal shops, hairsalons, travel agencies and wedding planners. Draw on yourown experiences and your staffs as well. Should-a, would-a,could-a is a great jumping off place for brainstorming withyour staff.

Now, spring training. Not just baseball, but soccer, softball,swimming, tennis, golf, all the sports that require specific eye-wear considerations. This is your moment to differentiate yourpractice from the big box retailers. You and your staff have aunique opportunity to become the local experts in sport-spe-cific eyewear and eye safety. Most vendors of sports eyewearhave great information about their products and the benefits ofusing them, either online or in print. Dust off those textbooksand re-educate yourself on the effects of colors and the benefitsof certain lens and frame materials.

Do your research. Talk to the local golf pro, tennis, baseball andsoccer coaches about how you can help their athletes, youngand old, improve their games and protect their vision. Dedicatea portion of your dispensary to sports-specific eyewear anddesignate a staff member as the in-house expert. Advise yourpatients to make an appointment with this expert to discusstheir sports related visual needs. Appointments are an excellentway to emphasize the importance of that expert advice. Speakto the parents’ groups associated with the leagues in your areaor at your local schools. Advise the local media that you andyour in-house expert are available for interviews or have pre-written articles that can be easily inserted into the local papers.

I learned years ago that when the forsythia starts to bloom, it’stime to start fertilizing the grass and preparing the flower bedsand gardens. It’s also the sign that we survived winter and thatwarm weather and outdoor activities are just around the cor-ner. Runners take to sidewalks and bikers hit the road. Kidsstart daydreaming and internet posters get a little snarky. Itshould be your signal to ramp up your practice and dispensaryto answer the siren call of the soccer fields, baseball yards, golfcourses and beaches.

Ladies and gentlemen, eyecare professionals of every kind,please start your engines! ■

MAR2011.qxd 2/23/11 3:23 PM

MAY2010_Younger.qxd 4/23/10 4:17 PM Page 3

The 21st Century OpticianWarren G. McDonald, PhD

Professor of Health AdministrationReeves School of Business / Methodist University

No matter how large orsmall, an organizationmust have an appropriatevision for the future.

They need a solid understanding oftheir mission (mission statement),they must set realistic goals and objectives (their guiding principles),and most importantly, they mustreview and constantly assess each ofthose to maintain positive growth. Aswe described previously, there aremany environmental influences thatcan affect us.

We need to meet these challenges head on, and if we do notknow where we are going, or who we currently are, we are likea ship floundering on the ocean without a rudder. We also mustbe internally sound to meet the wants and needs of ourpatients/customers. That requires some re-visioning from timeto time as well, and to maintain our competitive position, wemust have all our internal pieces in place. While addressed earlier, let us use this section as a review of these importantterms that provide direction for our organizations:

Directional Strategies: Mission

How many small optical organizations have ever thought abouta mission statement? What is it? A definition can be summa-rized by the following:

• The mission of an organization indicates what the organization really is. Who and what it does. It is its “distinctiveness.”

• It is broadly defined and states the purpose of the organization.

The mission lets us and the environ-ment in which we operate know whowe are and what we do. Now, thatsounds simplistic, but it is important.Do your employees really know whatyou do? Of course, but often in theday-to-day operations we sometimesforget, and to have a well-placed state-ment of the mission on the wall for allto see reminds us. Go to any hospital,and you will see it in many places, as itlets the patients they serve know howthe organization views their role.These statements target the popula-tion they serve, and indicate the prod-ucts or services offered. They definethe philosophy of the organization,

and let those who enter know what the organizations stands for;its distinctiveness. Mission statements are generally developedby those at the top of the organization, but with input from allof the staff and stakeholders.

I am often asked the question, “does the mission statement everneed to be changed”? The answer is yes, if the organizationtakes a new and different direction. For example, ‘back in theday’ as my younger students often say, the typical optical shopdid not offer refraction services. As the times changed, theyneeded to associate with a refractionist, typically an OD, whichthen changed the overall mission of the organization. Missionstatements need to be reviewed from time to time to accuratelyreflect what is happening in the organization in its currentform.

Directional Strategies: Vision

The vision of the organization also comes from the senior leadership, and should state where the organization wishes togo in the future. What do you want to be down the road? Vision


Directional Strategies:Making Decisions for Future Success

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is something that may be difficult to teach. It requires an individual to have the ability to see the potential and then beable to communicate it to the organization. Once communi-cated, the organization must completely accept it. Withoutacceptance by all parties, it can never be effective, so the communication piece is very important. Make sure you have avision for your organization, and then communicate it effectively to the staff so that it becomes theirs. When all of thepeople involved pull in the same direction, we can then moveinto the future and achieve that goal.

Characteristics of vision include:

• Inspiring

• Clear and Challenging

• Sensible

• Stable but Challenged

• Directive

• Empowering

• Futuristic

• Detailed

How do you get the necessary input from the staff? You listen tothem, and ask for their suggestions. Group sessions in whichyou allow their input are important. In large organizations, sur-veys can play an important role, but in the typical small-busi-ness environment like the optical industry, face-to-face discus-sions will make the staff feel that they have had a voice, and bysharing your thoughts, they will actually gain ownership in thestrategies selected.

Directional Strategies: Guiding Principles: Values

What are values? They are the core beliefs of the organization.They are the fundamental principles that the organization andthose within it live by; the moral compass. Values are easy toestablish, but as people change, can prove difficult to maintain.Symbolism is important here. Think about the United StatesMarine Corps, and their television commercials. The symbol ofthe Marines in their dress blues with crossed swords provides asymbol for us all. The history that is celebrated cements thatsymbol in our minds. While your organization is probably notthe Marine Corps, think about ways you can develop somesymbolism. Do you have a well-designed logo or somethingelse that can be associated with your organization? Do you cel-ebrate the history and current activities?

Values are the collective beliefs of all those in the organization.They meld into a single set of values that all live by. It is imperative that the leaders of the organization assure in the hiring process to bring in people who can add to the overall

organizations goals and values, and are going to be comfortablein the environment.

Directional Strategies: Guiding Principles: Goals

Strategic goals allow are extremely important to the success ofthe organization. Goals:

1. Relate specifically to activities that are critical to accom-plish the mission.

2. Link the success factors to the strategic momentum (car-rying out the objectives).

3. Limited in number and achievable.

4. Come from the leadership, but should be accepted andappreciated by everyone.

Goals are not developed willy-nilly. We must carefully designour goals to make sure they follow the above guidelines. Goalsshould be measurable and obtainable. Setting goals outside ourcapabilities will do nothing more than set us up for failure, andthat sends the wrong message. I have a friend who sells frames.His company sets unrealistic goals, and then can’t figure outwhy they never achieve them. It causes significant turnover andhurts all of those involved. They are not doing well, and will notuntil they learn to set realistic goals. Make sure you providegoals that are achievable, and also develop objectives...shortterm goals, if you will, that help us reach our overall goal. Thisaids the organization’s overall workplace satisfaction and willallow us to increase our goals over time.

To conclude this month’s article, let me tell you about a newbook I have just completed with my colleague at MethodistUniversity, Professor Michael Wayland. Our new book, StrategyDevelopment for the Optical Industry and Beyond, is coming tothe market very soon. Professor Wayland has many years ofexperience in both and small organizations, and we have tailored a guide to developing and assessing strategy that canhelp you plan for the future. It will be available very soonthrough the Opticians Association of America. In future articles, I will let you know when it actually hits the market. Ifyou have an interest in strategy, and you all should, I hope youwill get a copy of the book. ■

“We need to meet these challenges head on,and if we do not know where we are going,or who we currently are, we are like a shipfloundering on the ocean without a rudder.”

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Practice ManagementLindsey Getz

With the downturn in the economyit’s been a “time to fire” for quite awhile—but things are starting to turnand you just may be in the market fornew employees once again.

After a few years of employee cutbacks because of the economy,government sources report that businesses are starting to hireonce again. The job market may finally be taking a turn for thebetter this year. In fact, Labor Department figures show thatbetween November 2009 and November 2010, job openingsincreased by 32 percent. With more businesses starting to hireagain, it’s time for companies to think about getting back intothe game. Competition for top-notch employees will only continue to grow as business—hopefully—starts getting backon track.

Looking for Applicants

Hiring isn’t what it used to be. One of the biggest changes overthe years has been the methods for finding new employees.Back in the day an eyecare practice might have just hung a signon their door and interested applicants would walk in. Today,there are so many new methods to look for applicants and the

business world is taking advantage of them. In fact, more companies than ever before are relying on social media sites toseek out new employees. A survey by The Corporate ExecutiveBoard Co. found that almost 80 percent of companies surveyedplanned to use sites like Facebook and LinkedIn to look for newhires. Using the web is a great way to reach a far wider pool of applicants.

Tony Sterrett, practice administrator with Price Vision Groupin Indianapolis, IN, says that although he has tried using thelocal paper to place job ads, he gets the biggest bang for his buckusing online job postings. “Most recently I had excellent resultsusing CareerBuilder.com. For less than $500 I received 100resumes during a 30-day posting. Fifty of the applicants weregood candidates.”

Sterrett, who handles the hiring for Price Vision, says the practice expects to be adding to their workforce in 2011. “Infact, I hired an additional Certified Surgery Tech two weeksago,” he says. “As soon as any department reaches and sustains25 hours of overtime in a pay period, it’s time to start lookingfor help. But we’ll still be cautious not to over-hire.”

That seems to be the outlook that many practices currentlyhave. While things seem to be improving, there’s a long way togo and remaining cautiously optimistic appears to be the wisemove. Eyecare practices are hiring, but they’re doing it slowlyand surely.

Interviewing your Candidates

Most eyecare businesses have done plenty of hiring in theirpractice, but with at least a few rough years, practice managersand administrators may be more used to firing than hiring.

The interview is really the key component to hiring. Of coursewith a huge pile of applications, it isn’t feasible to intervieweveryone. Sterrett says that he narrows down the applicant poolby first requiring that job seekers meet minimum criteria thathe sets. “Once they make it over that hurdle, then it’s time forthe interviewing process to begin,” he adds.

Applicants to Price Vision Group must undergo not one, but aseries of interviews to be considered for any given position.Sterrett says that this is not only ensures that the practice finds

A TIME TO HIRE

MAR2011.qxd 2/23/11 3:24 PM

Each year, amateur musicians from across theoptical industry converge on New York City dur-ing Vision Expo East to participate in EyeRock —a rock concert to benefit OneSight. The event isa perfect fit for companies that are looking toshowcase their support of OneSight while providing great add-on entertainment.

The show is once again presented byConverse and John Varvatos by REM Eyewear.

It will take place Saturday, March 19 from9:00pm – 1:00am at The Hard Rock CaféTimes Square (1501 Broadway)

the candidate to be a good fit, but also vice versa. The candidateneeds to embrace the position as well. It brings up an important point that hiring is not only about finding a new employee that is qualified for the job, but one that will reallyenjoy their new position. A happy employee tends to be a goodemployee. “Job applicants have to meet a few of our currentstaff members and follow them during part of the day,” saysSterrett. “It’s important that they see what is expected of thembefore we move forward. It’s a waste of time for both parties ifeither one doesn’t feel comfortable and excited.”

Sterrett also believes that a little bit of stress during the inter-view process can be a good thing. If the applicant perceives theinterview as being too easy, then they won’t value the positionas much. “The interview should be a little stressful so we canhave the opportunity to see how they handle pressure,” he adds.

Once Sterrett feels confident the applicant has the necessarytechnical skills for the position he’s hiring for, he’ll focus on thepersonality. “I can train a new hire on techniques and testingequipment, but I can’t give them a new personality so this is animportant step,” he says. “I look for eye contact, a smile, andcomfortable body language.”

For any given position Sterrett tries to narrow it down to about10 initial phone interviews, and then invites the top four candidates for face-to-face interviewing. “I stay away from thetypical questions during interviewing,” he says. “I prefer

behavioral interviewing. I’ll ask them to describe a time whenthey have to work with a difficult patient or coworker and howthey resolved the situation. I’m looking for them to describe theissue, the options they considered to fix the problem, the actionthey took, and the results. If I am interviewing an applicant fora managerial position, they need to describe how they’d handlevarious situations.”

Of course Sterrett also believes strongly in requiring potentialemployees to supply references and he does call applicants’previous employers. “I do this with the final three applicants,”he says. “This way I have backups in case I have to eliminatesomebody.”

While most people tend to look at the interview process as thepotential employee selling themselves to the person doing thehiring—convincing them that they’re right for the job—it goesthe other way as well. Certainly that’s the key part of interview-ing, but selling the job to the employee is also part of it as well.As more jobs become available, eyecare practices are going tostart thinking about getting competitive again. Job applicantsare going to start having more choices. “Once I’m interested ina candidate, I sell them on the benefits,” says Sterrett. “We payfor 100 percent of our employees’ health insurance premiums,which is a big investment. But our turnover is only around 5 percent. I’d rather invest in happy employees than to have tohire replacements on a regular basis.” ■

MARCH 2011 | EEYECAREPROFESSIONAL| 37

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38 | EEYECAREPROFESSIONAL | MARCH 2011 Continued on page 40

VITAMINS:Do They or Don’t They

PREVENTCATARACTS?CATARACTS ARE A HUGE PROBLEM. Almost one half ofpersons over 75 years of age will lose some vision because ofcataracts. Cataract surgery is the single greatest surgical cost inMedicare. At present there is still no dietary prescription thatwill predictably reduce the likelihood of developing any type of cataract.

There are different types of cataracts, depending on their location in the lens of the eye. The outermost layer is called theposterior subcapsular cataract. Cataracts in the next layer arecalled cortical cataracts and the most central location of the lensis called the nuclear cataract. The type that occurs the least isthe posterior subcapsular type.

This type and the cortical type cataracts were analyzed as totheir relation to vitamin supplements and were covered in a2002 report from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Agroup of 492 nurses were studied, aged 53 to 73 years, who hadbeen followed for at least seventeen years. Foodstuffs and vita-min uses were investigated many times during the study period.

This report stated that the number of posterior subcapsularcataracts came to 86 and 248 cortical types of cataracts weredetermined. The investigators announced that their resultsfound no connection between any antioxidants or vitamins.Furthermore they performed a sub analysis and found thatVitamin C, if taken in dosages of 360 milligrams or more (farover the recommended 70 milligrams daily) reduced the risk ofcortical cataracts by almost 60 percent in women under the ageof 60.

However, among women taking 240 to 360 milligrams, the riskactually appeared to increase to more than double the number.Women under the age of 60 years who were taking Vitamin Ccontaining supplements for at least five years showed a 67 percent reduction in cortical cataracts. But women over the ageof 60 years, taking vitamin C supplements for 5 to 9 years, hada doubled risk of cortical cataracts.

Another finding was that for those who never smoked cigarettesand increased their total carotenoid intake (alpha and betacarotenes, lycopenes, lutein) – the result was a reduction in pos-terior subcapsular cataract risk by 66 percent. The reductionwas even greater with those with increased folic acid intake(more than 70 percent). The authors concluded that “Ourresults support a role for Vitamin C in thwarting the risk ofcortical cataracts in women less than 60 years of age and forcarotenoids which diminished the risk of posterior subcapsularcataracts in women who have never smoked.”

Reviewers have commented that many inconsistencies exist. Itmakes sense that antioxidants could reduce the risk of cataractsbecause the lens of the eye is exposed to oxidant changes. Thisis the same chemical process that rusts iron and makes cookingoil turn rancid. In the eye, the oxidative process can occur aspart of normal metabolism as well as in the presence of light,which creates harmful unstable molecules called free radicals.

These free radicals grasp electrons from your body’s healthymolecules to balance themselves, causing an ever escalatingmolecular free for all that ends up hurting perfectly innocentcells. The lens can partially protect itself from this free radicaldamage. It relies on certain nutrients to keep its defense strong.It has been established that vitamins C and E and beta caroteneare helpful. The evidence shows that when these nutrients aretaken together they work best.

In addition to the vitamins mentioned above it is recommend-ed that minerals such as selenium, zinc and copper may all play

Elmer Friedman, OD

Second Glance

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roles in the protection goals for the lens of the eye. Even B Vitamins such as riboflavin and B12 as well as an amino acidcalled cysteine may help. But evidence for the benefits of thesesubstances is very slim. Some show no benefits at all fromantioxidants and among the studies that show positive resultsthere is little consistency concerning which antioxidants areproviding the benefits. Vitamin C, Vitamin E, folic acid, betacarotene and other carotenoids previously mentioned all havebeen found to protect against cataracts in some studies, but donothing in other research results.

For instance, why did Vitamin C reduce risk only in womenunder the age of 60 years of age? Why in women over 60 yearsof age using Vitamin C supplements for 5 to 9 years shouldthere be an increased risk? It also appears that that the authorsanalyzed cataracts by eyes, not person. Before, if a woman hada cataract in both eyes or two types of cataracts in one eye theywere considered separately. This could have markedly biasedthe results.

There was no noticeable beneficial or harmful effect on the riskof cataract, according to William Christen, ScD, OD of Brighamand Women’s Hospital in Boston, and his colleagues. Theirfindings come from a randomized placebo-controlled trial, thelongest yet to test antioxidant supplements as a potential preventative measure for cataracts as reported in the Archivesof Ophthalmology. While the outcome showed no effect, thestudy doesn’t put to bed the notion that antioxidants may helpprevent cataracts.

The researchers noted that cataracts develop slowly and prevention may require even longer periods of treatment andperhaps at earlier ages. The analysis was based on thePhysician’s Health Study II which looked at the effects ofVitamin E, Vitamin C and a multivitamin on the prevention ofcancer and cardiovascular disease in some 14,641 male doctors.As a secondary endpoint, the researchers also studied cataractincidence among the doctors, all ages of 50 or greater.

The cataract data, they added, “represent the longest treatmentduration for Vitamin E in men and the first trial data forVitamin C alone.” Half of the participants were randomlyassigned to get Vitamin E or placebo every other day. Withineach arm the doctors were assigned to get either daily VitaminC or placebo. During an average follow up of eight years theresearchers reported, 1,174 cataract extractions were confirmed. There were 579 cataracts in the Vitamin E groupand 595 in the placebo group, for a hazard ratio of 0.99 whichwas not significant.

There were also no significant effects of Vitamin E on the incidence of nuclear, cortical or posterior subcapsular cataracts.In the Vitamin C group, there were 593 cataracts, compared

with 581 in the placebo group, for an non-significant hazardratio of 1.02. As with Vitamin E there were no significant effectsbased on subtype.

Some studies agree that Vitamin E may play a role in preventing cataracts. In a large, long term study of more than3,000 adults (ages 43 to 86) in Wisconsin, risk for cataracts was60 percent lower among people who reported using multivita-mins or any supplement containing Vitamin E or Vitamin Cfor more than 10 years, compared with non users. In a 2008study that evaluated the dietary intake of more than 35,000female health professionals, women whose diets (includingsupplements) had the highest levels of lutein and Vitamin Ehad a lower relative risk of cataracts than women whose dietswere in the lowest 20 percent for levels of these nutrients.However, other studies provide conflicting findings and someeye doctors say more research is required before a clear conclusion can be reached.

The majority of researchers suggest additional food tips: Dailyalcohol imbibers up their odds for cataracts by about a thirdwith people who rarely drink. A Harvard University studyfound that women who ate spinach more than five times a weekhad a 47 percent decrease in the risk of cataract surgery com-pared with those who ate spinach less than once per month. Infact, it is a good idea to eat a variety of fruits and vegetables.

Doctors agree that the following nutrients may help to delay the development of cataracts:

Beta Carotene: 25,000 international units.

Copper: 1 milligram for every 10 milligrams of zinc, but nomore than 2 milligrams.

Selenium: 50-200 micrograms.

Vitamin C: 500-3000 milligrams.

Vitamin E: 400 international units.

Zinc: 15-50 milligrams.

Users are alerted not to take 100 micrograms of selenium dailywithout medical supervision. If a person is taking anticoagu-lant drugs, then Vitamin E supplement should be avoided.It would require bowls and bowls of wheat germ ingestion toequal the capsules that offer the daily requirements. Also,more than 15 milligrams of zinc may need medical supervision. The case for zinc indicates that it helps to preventretinal deterioration as we age. The body needs zinc to makeseveral antioxidant enzymes found in the eye.

The results of these various studies confirm the need of furtherresearch to guide us towards the goal of cataract risk control. ■

MAR2011.qxd 2/23/11 3:26 PM

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patented “Round Seg” technology, your patients will experience the best

in bifocal lenses.

Get in the “O” Zone Today

800.756.2020www.threeriversoptical.com

Green Bay, WI 54308800-678-4266/Fax 920-965-3203

email: [email protected]

Click, click, click, your lens order is done.

Use one website to order all of your stock lenses electronically. With no usage or ordering fees!

WHEN SKILLED HANDS usingstate of the art technology come

together the result is precision bench work. We pride

ourselves in producing edge workthat is light years ahead of our

competition.

(800) 221-4170www.21stcenturyoptics.com

The Premier Laboratory for

In House DigitalFreeForm Lenses

HELP WANTED FRAME SALES

SALES REPSWANTEDSALES REPSWANTED

If you call on OD’s or MD’s directly,

we can do business. Great, profitable optical

solution for ECPs. Email Steve at:

[email protected]

Independent sales representativesneeded for a High Fashion Italian FrameLine — TreviColiseum distributed byNational Lens offers three distinct

collections at moderate prices. If you’rehighly motivated, experienced and have

a following we would like to talk to you. We have several territories

currently available.

Preview our Collections at national-lens.com

Please email your letter of interest to [email protected]

or Call 954.730.9244 x221

ATTENTION:West Coast and Midwest sales reps

looking for outstanding products to sell–Independent sales reps interested in

selling MLB, NFL, and Collegiate Readers,Cases, and Accessories please contact

Ed McGinn at (201) 303-9420 or email [email protected]

HOW OFTENDO YOU GET A LINETHAT’S PERFECT

FOR ALMOST EVERY ECP OFFICE?

OPTOGENICSOvernight Service

on AR & Digital JobsAR’s In House:

Crizal, AR24, AR15, Zeiss

Contact Information:

See page 15

NOW AVAILABLE:

Shamir Digitals

OPTOGENICSis a Full Service Surfacing

and Digital Lab

UPS Shipping Overnight

Saturday Delivery = NO Extra Charge

Orders Received &

Shipped Overnight

VSP & VCP & VBA Approved

MAR2011.qxd 2/25/11 12:50 PM


Framedisplays.comis the leading provider of opticalframe displays for ophthalmic

dispensing professionals. Productsinclude optical eyewear and

sunglass displays in addition tolockable, rotating, standing, wall

mount and slatwall frame displays.Call 877.274.9300

for info and catalog.

Balester Optical is a full service independent family-owned wholesaleoptical laboratory. We maintain an in-house Digital Processing center

and 3 anti-reflective coating systems.

Balester Optical provides expert objective advice & consultation

regarding the best lens for each Rx.

We pride ourselves on using the mostup-to-date technologies in the industry!

Toll Free: 1-800-233-8373Fax: 1-800-548-3487

www.balester.com

INDUSTRY QUICK ACCESS EEYECAREPROFESSIONALTo advertise please call 8

00

.91

4.4

32

2, or visit w

ww

.ecpmag.com

Drivewear lensesuniquely combine two of themost advanced technologiesfound in the industry today:Transitions™ PhotochromicTechnology and NuPolar®

polarization. Drivewear is thefirst polarized photochromiclens to darken behind the

windshield of a car.

www.drivewearlens.com

NELLERKCONTACT LENS CASESNELLERKCONTACT LENS CASES

9¢ONLYEACH

12¢ per unit Printed!

607-748-2166 Fax: 607-748-2273

A case with a double lock & your name imprinted on it!

CEABO/NCLE APPROVEDCONTINUING EDUCATION

Dry Eyes and Its Effects on Contact Lens Wear$12.99 for 1 NCLE Credit Hour

Available at: www.ecpmag.com/CETake the course online and receive your certificate within 5 days!

RECONDITIONED SPECIALS!!EdgersBriot Accura CX RC . . . . . . . $13,950Essilor Gamma RC . . . . . . . $12,950Essilor Kappa RC . . . . . . . . . $17,950

Safety bevels and Grooves!

InstrumentsReichert Keratometer . . . . . . . . $595Chart Projectors starting at . . . . . $395Marco Radiuscope . . . . . . . . . . $695

Optical Finish Equipment and SuppliesGrimes Optical Equipment Co.800-749-8427 www.grimesoptical.com

F E A Industries, Inc.FULL SERVICE LABORATORY

A/R AND MIRROR COATINGS

Tel: 800-327-2002

Fax: 800-955-7770

WEBSITE www.feaind.com

• Videos

• Invoice Lookup

• On-line Ordering

• Real time job tracking

• Account Statements and balances

• Technical & Processing Information

And more.......Print too small? We sell PALs.

Soothe with

the bio-lens that brings

request info & sample

www.safigel.com

promo code EFIA

ECP Guarantee: sold through

your office, NOT online.

SALES HELP WANTED• Experienced Sales Reps• Top commissions• Many Territories Available

If you are tired of working for a company who doesn’t appreciate what

you do then give us a shot.

Fax a Resume to 800-756-0034Attn. Steve Seibert

Rudy is Sport RX. Rudy Project is Italian for cutting

edge technology and innovations inplano & RX eyewear/sunwear.Increase your sales to athletes!

Contact us.www.rudyprojectusa.com or

888-860-7597

FEB2011.qxd 1/27/11 2:22 PM


3D3DI envision HDTV 3D TVs in Americain the near future being sold withwarning labels as they do inAustralia: “Caution, using this setmay cause motion sickness, perceptual after-effects, disorienta-tion, eye strain, and decreased postural stability.” (This last one simply means you may fall down thestairs after watching Avatar 3D forthe 5th time in a row!)

The American Optometric Association– on the basis of nothing more than anunofficial online survey – estimates25% of Americans have experiencedheadaches, blurred vision, nausea, orsimilar problems when watching 3Dmovies. (Or, conversely, it could have been the three slurpeesand 2 giant buckets of popcorn!) Quick, rush to your OD for acomprehensive eye exam if you feel queasy after paying around$40 at the local IMAX!

Just as some manufacturers thought the market for 3D glasseswas going to take off, the unanswered questions about 3D –passive versus active, no glasses required 3D, circular polariza-tion versus powered shutter type glasses – mean they may havejumped the gun with all their new product offerings.

I must admit that I leaped on the 3D bandwagon myself.My new Samsung is an active 3D – no it doesn’t get up and walkaround - it emits an infrared signal to battery-powered glassesthat you wear over your Rx eyewear. We’ve had it a month andother than showing it off to friends and family we haven’t really used the 3D component (you can switch it on or off and

also make 2D sources simulate 3D,meh!) By the way, most of the currentlyavailable 3D glasses from the TV manu-facturers resemble post-op cataractthingies.

At the moment the problem is lack ofcontent, but I am pretty sure more willcome in the future.

Another issue for the guys making theseglasses is that most 3D schemes are proprietary and no standard has yetbeen set. I’m betting on Samsung since I have one in my living room and theyare one of the industry leaders. This isjust like the good old days when yourVHS tapes wouldn’t play on a buddy’s

Sony Beta-Max. If you own a pair of 3D glasses, there is noguarantee they will work on someone else’s set, bummer if hedoesn’t have an extra pair for you when you go over to watchCloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.

One big problem will be warnings that, “We do not recommendwatching 3D if you are in bad physical condition, need sleep, orhave been drinking alcohol.” (Again from Australia – what is itwith the Aussies?) That warning would preclude most averageAmericans from ever watching 3D! If they broadcast the SuperBowl in 3D only about 5 people in the US would qualify!

This will be giving researchers and scientists all over the worlda whole new field to play on and when they settle what formatwe will be using, the manufacturers can then take over and we’llall be watching 3D in a happy, healthy environment.Remember, no drinking, don’t be tired, and do a few sit-upsbefore watching Shrek in 3D. ■

Last LookJim Magay, RDO

—The Coming Thingy3D

MAR2011.qxd 2/23/11 3:30 PM

Distributed exclusively in North America by National Lens. Tel: 866.923.5600 • www.national-lens.com

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5 c.

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by trevi coliseum made in Italy

Come See Usat

Vision Expo East Booth

#3281

MAR2011_Coliseum.qxd 2/23/11 2:19 PM Page 1

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WWW.MARCOLINUSA.COM

2011 Debut Collection from MarcolinComing March, 1st 2011

facebook.com/marcolinusaeyewear

MAR2011_Marcolin.qxd 2/25/11 10:37 AM Page 2

eyecare professional magazine march 2011 issue

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