By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, June 27, 2024 8:30 AM
SAN RAMON, Calif.—
CooperVision announced in June that its manufacturing facility in Juana Díaz, Puerto Rico, received top honors at the 15th annual Puerto Rico Sustainability Best Practices, Health and Safety Summit. The Puerto Rico Manufacturers Association (PRMA) recognized the site with six awards for its programs and practices relating to its sustainability, and occupational health and safety commitments, according to the announcement. The company was given the Platinum Recycling Award, which is presented to an organization that exemplifies best practice standards in alternate energy and sustainability by achieving greater than 90 percent recycling rates, as
reported in
VMAIL.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Friday, June 21, 2024 8:30 AM
NEW YORK—Juneteenth, our newest federal holiday,
has its roots in Galveston, Texas, dating back to 1865. On June 19, 1865,
enslaved people in Galveston were informed of their freedom, which had been
declared two years earlier when President Lincoln issued the Emancipation
Proclamation. Fast forward to 2021, when President Biden signed legislation
that made Juneteenth a federal holiday. Now, June 19 is celebrated as
Juneteenth nationwide with parades, parties, commemoration events and community
gatherings. This week,
VMAIL Weekend takes a look at the rich history
and growing importance of the Juneteenth holiday, including celebration posts
from members of the optical community.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, June 20, 2024 8:30 AM
NEW YORK—On June 6, members of the eyecare and eyewear communities celebrated the ninth annual National Eyewear Day, a day founded by Zyloware Eyewear that is dedicated to bringing awareness to comprehensive eye exams and overall eye health. As
reported in
VMAIL, Zyloware kicked off National Eyewear Day with a number of resources to help everyone get involved, and partnered with Optical Academy to provide free eye exams and eyewear as part of a community event. In addition, many ECPs across the country took part in National Eyewear Day in their own communities, through fundraising, special events and more. Here, we’re taking a look at how some indies celebrated eyewear this June 6.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Wednesday, June 12, 2024 8:30 AM
CHARENTON-LE-PONT, France—As
reported in
VMAIL earlier this week,
EssilorLuxottica announced its plans to create a large solar farm and a green area hosting sporting facilities and natural food crops on nearly 40 hectares of industrial land near Pescara, Italy. This land surrounds the site of Barberini, a world-class optical glass lens manufacturer and part of EssilorLuxottica. This recovery and reconversion project will produce renewable energy along with natural food crops for the corporate staff restaurants, all with a sustainable and circular approach.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, June 6, 2024 8:30 AM
NEW YORK—Prevent Blindness has again declared June as Cataract Awareness Month. In recognition of the month, Prevent Blindness offers a variety of free informational resources in English and Spanish including fact sheets, social media graphics and a listing of vision care financial assistance programs. The group also offers a dedicated
web resource, and the “Understanding Cataract” episode in the “Focus on Eye Health Expert Series,” featuring Albert Cheung, MD, cataract, cornea and anterior segment specialist with Virginia Eye Consultants and assistant professor at Eastern Virginia Medical School, Department of Ophthalmology.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Friday, May 24, 2024 8:30 AM
NEW YORK—With summer on the horizon, it is officially graduation season across the country, from pre-k “Stepping Up” ceremonies to conferring doctorates. And, of course, hundreds of students in the U.S. are also graduating from optometry school this May, making the transition from student to doctor and entering the workforce. This weekend, we’re taking a look at how a few optometry schools are celebrating their 2024 graduates—and welcoming a new group of ODs into the world.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, May 23, 2024 8:30 AM
NEW YORK—Earth Day has come and gone, but the year’s environmentally focused holidays are not totally behind us. June 5 marks World Environment Day, a United Nations international day that “celebrates environmental action and the power of governments, businesses and individuals to create a more sustainable world,” according to the official
World Environment Day website. The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) leads the day; this year, Saudi Arabia hosts World Environment Day, focusing specifically on land restoration, desertification and drought resilience.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, May 16, 2024 8:30 AM
NEW YORK—This week, May 13 through 19, 2024, is Myopia Awareness Week, a global event that aims to raise awareness about juvenile-onset myopia and encourage eyecare professionals to take necessary actions. The week has been marked by a number of myopia awareness related initiatives, both big and small, as
reported in
VMAIL Weekend. In addition, ECPs have been putting in the extra work this week to educate their patients about myopia, both online and in person. Here, we’re taking a look at how some indies are approaching Myopia Awareness Week.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Sunday, May 12, 2024 12:59 AM
Eyewear is perhaps the most outward-facing aspect of our business—it’s the product that customers interact with most often, the physical representation of the work we do. With that in mind, it’s also one of the most important fronts for our industry’s sustainability efforts, almost like a billboard showcasing all the ways in which eyewear and eyecare can evolve with and support our planet and our future.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, May 2, 2024 8:30 AM
FOLSOM, Calif.—Small business owners hear it all the time: social media is a nonnegotiable item if you want to grow. But the prospect of getting started can be daunting. What platforms should you be on, and what should you be posting once you’re on there? How do you gain followers and find a community? And what value is all of this offering both to you and your patients? For Jennifer Wademan, OD, jumping into social media was a slow but steady process—and one that has ultimately grown into a career-changing and life-altering move.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Friday, April 26, 2024 8:30 AM
NEW YORK—International Guide Dog Day falls on the last Wednesday of April every year, making this past Wednesday, April 24, the 2024 edition. The day was first introduced to mark the establishment of the International Federation of Guide Dog Associations, which was founded on April 26, 1989, and offers a chance to celebrate the life-saving work guide dogs and their trainers and handlers do every day, said the
International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF). References to guide dogs date back to the 16th century, according to the IGDF. There’s no denying that man’s best friend has worked alongside us for much of human history—and that they are more than deserving of a holiday set aside just for them and the teams they create.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, April 25, 2024 8:30 AM
NEW YORK—This week, billions around the world celebrated Earth Day. There are, of course, countless ways to celebrate our planet, from heading outside for some time in nature to dedicating yourself to pushing for legislative change that will protect our home. Big or small, every little action makes an important difference in keeping the earth as healthy as possible. For ECPs, Earth Day provides a great opportunity to discuss how we can keep sustainable practices at the forefront of our minds every day, through recycling programs, eco-conscious eyewear choices and so much more. This week, we take a look at how some ECPs celebrated.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, April 18, 2024 8:30 AM
NEW YORK—Last week, millions of North Americans turned their eyes to the skies for a solar eclipse—total for some, partial for others, but special for all. Leading up to the big day, ECPs spent months educating their communities on how to
watch the eclipse safely, and when the eclipse finally arrived, they were able to enjoy watching the astronomical phenomenon with proper eye protection. Here, we’re taking a look back at how indies watched the solar eclipse.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Sunday, April 14, 2024 2:31 AM
This year, like all years, we hit the ground running. Starting in January, our industry got moving with trade shows, meetings and launches; from opti to Mido to The Vision Council’s Executive Summit to Transitions Academy to SECO to 100% Optical to Vision Expo East—the list goes on and on, and we’re only three months into 2024.
By Gwendolyn Plummer, Senior Associate Editor
Sunday, April 14, 2024 1:58 AM
NEW YORK—Following Samantha Jordan’s talk, Deborah Weinswig, founder and CEO of Coresight Research, took the Summit stage. Weinswig’s
Coresight Research, is one of the world’s leading retail observers and analysts, and she spent her time with the Summit audience sharing her views on how AI is changing the retail space, including how retailers can effectively and creatively apply AI technology in their storefronts and online.