“Through our marketing efforts, including social media and SEO, most new patients have already read about our office before walking in the door, and we tend to attract high quality, compliant, health conscious patients who are not looking for an optometrist who simply ‘takes their vision plan.’” - Andrew J. Neukirch, OD

“We consistently adopt new technology that improves the patient experience or the care we provide earlier than most of our counterparts. - Timothy Haupert, OD

“[We have a] practice of multiple specialists who provide a full range of vision and eye health services. This allows the practice to refer patients ‘internally,’ rather than lose business to outside specialists.” - Gwen Gnadt, OD, MPH, FAAO

“Commit to doing what only you can do. Be yourself; everyone else is taken.”
- Aaron Lech, OD, FAAO

These are just a sampling of the wise words and leadership approaches explained by this year’s roster of Optometric Business Innovators, the special report that Vision Monday does in partnership with our colleagues at Review of Optometric Business.

Perhaps by reading all the headlines in your national news and your VMail in the past few years, it might seem that the optical industry is changing “too much,” that health care reform and managed vision care are “killing” independents, that online e-commerce is permanently eroding eyewear’s image. Certainly, all those things pose challenge and change. But not everyone is running from it.

Take a few moments to read the 25 profiles in this year’s special report. And, refresh your memory by perusing the dozens of Optometric Business Innovators who have been singled out in prior years. (You’ll find them all on VisionMonday.com in VM Special Reports). There’s lots of great inspiration here.

Speaking of innovation: spend some time with Andrew Karp’s important Special Report in this issue, Refraction Reboot. Think you know what an “eye exam” is? Read this story to learn how such game changers as virtual refraction, smartphone-based systems and online refractive approaches are redefining “refraction” even as super sophisticated systems provide more comprehensive exam options than ever.

Complicated? Maybe. Important for all optical retailers and ECPs to know? Absolutely.
■
■


maxelrad@jobson.com