By Staff
Thursday, February 6, 2025 8:20 AM
NEW YORK—Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and love is in the air. No matter if it’s romantic, platonic, familial, or love for the work you do, February 14 is a day to celebrate love in all its forms—both in your personal life and in the office. This week, we’re taking a look at how some independent ECPs are gearing up for Valentine’s Day, from heart-themed office décor to special promotions and more. Take a look and grab some inspiration wherever you feel the love—there’s still plenty of time to get your office ready for Cupid to stop by.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, January 23, 2025 8:30 AM
PINELLAS PARK, Fla.—
Transitions Optical has announced the finalists for its annual Transitions Innovation Awards program, which recognizes individuals and organizations from North America who have shown commitment to implementing innovative programs and technologies over the past year. Drew Smith, senior director, North America channels, Transitions Optical, said, “We are proud to recognize the exceptional achievements of this year’s finalists. They have set new standards of excellence in our industry while demonstrating commitment to our core values of quality, education, service and innovation, and we look forward to celebrating their incredible work at Transitions Academy in February.”
By Staff
Thursday, January 23, 2025 8:20 AM
NEW YORK—This year, as it is every year, January is National Optician Month, a time to celebrate the opticians who make our industry go round. In addition to educating the general public about the work opticians do and their importance in a comprehensive eye exam, National Optician Month also presents other ECPs to show some love to the opticians they work alongside. With some time still left in January, we’re taking a look at how some ECPs have been celebrating opticians this month—and how you can too.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, January 16, 2025 8:30 AM
NEW YORK—January is Glaucoma Awareness Month, an initiative to provide patients, care partners and professionals with education surrounding glaucoma, and to spread awareness within the general public. As
reported in
VMAIL, Prevent Blindness is taking an active role in Glaucoma Awareness Month by providing a collection of free educational resources including fact sheets, information about financial assistance organizations, social media graphics, a dedicated webpage and more. On a grassroots scale, independent ECPs are also doing their part to raise awareness this month, and to encourage patients to get their eyes checked.
By Staff
Thursday, January 9, 2025 12:05 PM
Staffing an optometric practice is a high priority these days as a result of limited resources and scarce candidates. Whether your practice focuses on myopia management or considers this just one of your many specialties, hiring staff is among the initial steps necessary. To find out how to best initiate the process and ensure it runs smoothly,
Review of Myopia Management caught up with Brett Kestenbaum, co-founder and chief operating officer of Eyes On Eyecare, which specializes in the hiring process for optometric practices.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, December 26, 2024 8:30 AM
NEW YORK—As 2024 winds down and we head full force into the new year, many people are using this time to take stock of the days both behind and ahead so that they can craft goals, resolutions and plans for 2025. With a fresh 365 days before us, these last few days of the year provide a wonderful opportunity to really think about what we want to bring with us into the new year—which makes this the perfect time to think about environmental, sustainable resolutions. This week, let’s take a look at some commitments we can make to ourselves and the world around us moving forward.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Wednesday, December 18, 2024 8:30 AM
NEW YORK—The end of the year is upon us—but 2024 is not over yet. Before we head into the new year, there’s still some time left to make the most out of the year behind us. There’s no better time than now to remind patients and our communities about the importance of taking care of eye health—and how HSA and FSA dollars can help us do just that. Here, we’re taking a look at how some independent ECPs are reminding patients to put their HSA and FSA dollars to work before they lose them—and how you can do the same.
By Staff
Wednesday, December 18, 2024 8:20 AM
NEW YORK—The Pantone Color Institute recently announced that it has selected Mocha Mousse as its Color of the Year for 2025, setting a tone that will likely influence design trends across concentrations throughout the year. The Pantone Color Institute
describes Mocha Mousse as “a warming, brown hue imbued with richness,” echoing the flavors of coffee and chocolate and offering a feeling of comfort. Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute,
explained, “Underpinned by our desire for everyday pleasures, PANTONE 17-1230 Mocha Mousse expresses a level of thoughtful indulgence.”
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, December 5, 2024 8:30 AM
NEW YORK—This past Tuesday marked
Giving Tuesday, a global day dedicated to charitable giving and generosity as the holiday season kicks off. There are of course countless ways to celebrate Giving Tuesday both big and small, from monetary donations to volunteer work and everything in between—and for the optical industry Giving Tuesday offers a great opportunity to remind both the public and ourselves about the importance of the gift of sight. This week, we take a look at how some indies, both ECPs and eyewear brands, took part in Giving Tuesday.
By Staff
Thursday, December 5, 2024 8:20 AM
NEW YORK—Thanksgiving is behind us, December is in full swing, and the holiday season is officially here. No matter what you celebrate—or even if you don’t—there’s something special and bright about this time of year, and bringing that joyful merriment into the office can engage your patients and your staff, and bring a spark or two of magic into these darker, colder days. Here, we take a look at how some indies around the country are decorating their practices for the holiday season, or otherwise engaging in fun, holiday-themed activities to celebrate this special time of year. Feel free to take all the inspiration you need and make this holiday season as magical as you wish.
By Staff
Friday, November 22, 2024 8:00 AM
The sixth annual
Women In Optometry (WO) Gift Guide is now available. Over the years,
WO editors saw and heard from so many women in the eyecare field who had side hustles or artistic passions that
WO decided they needed a dedicated outlet. The
WO Gift Guide was born in 2019 to showcase the passion and dedication you pour into your work—that’s often done after office hours. For the past six years,
Women In Optometry has curated an annual gift guide, featuring art, apparel, accessories, books and other gifts or decor made or developed by women in the eyecare profession.
By Staff
Tuesday, November 19, 2024 1:05 PM
New data on retail sales from the
U.S. Census Bureau shows consumers are feeling more confident about spending. Retail sales in October were up 0.4 percent seasonally, adjusted month-over-month and 2.8 percent year-over-year, compared with increases of 0.8 percent month-over-month and 2 percent year-over-year in September.
Meanwhile, core retail sales were unchanged on a seasonally adjusted monthly basis but were up 5.4 percent unadjusted year over year. According to the NRF, core sales were up 3.5 percent year over year for the first 10 months of 2024, in line with the NRF’s forecast for 2024 retail sales to grow between 2.5 percent and 3.5 percent compared with 2023.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, November 7, 2024 8:30 AM
CHICAGO—
Prevent Blindness has declared November as Diabetes-Related Eye Disease Awareness Month, dedicated to spreading awareness about the importance of early detection and treatment of diabetes due to the risk of developing significant vision loss and blindness. To further this goal of educating the public, including parents and care partners of those with diabetes and allied health professionals, Prevent Blindness is offering free resources. A full list of resources is available
here. As November continues, there’s plenty of time for ECPs to get involved and educate their communities this Diabetes-Related Eye Disease Awareness Month.
By Staff
Tuesday, November 5, 2024 12:27 AM
ALEXANDRIA, Va.—
The Vision Council has released its third quarter
Consumer inSights report, highlighting a continued trend toward more budget-friendly eyewear purchases, as consumers buying in-person increasingly opt for spending less than $100 out-of-pocket on eyewear. This movement away from higher out-of-pocket spending on luxury eyewear options has remained consistent over the past two years and became even more pronounced in the third quarter, according to the report. Online purchases, in contrast, are not following this budget-focused trend.
By Staff
Thursday, October 24, 2024 11:19 AM
In August 2024, Toral Patel, OD, opened Radiance Eye Care in Maynard, Massachusetts, marking a new chapter in her nearly 20-year career. While she’s spent much of that time in collaborative OD/MD settings and teaching at a hospital, Radiance Eye Care is uniquely her own—a blend of personal inspiration and professional dedication. The practice’s slogan, “Thank you for being a friend,” is a nod to the iconic TV show “The Golden Girls.”