info@optometrists.bc.ca 604.737.9907
BC Doctors of Optometry 121 –10551 Shellbridge Way, Richmond B.C, V6X 2W8
CONTENTS
Practice Management & Industry 2022 BCDO Annual Conference & OPTOFAIR ........................................................................................... 3 BCDO Strategic Plan 2022 - 2024 ...................................................................................................................4 Created to Save Sight .......................................................................................................................................... 6 Presbyopia... Fast Tips for Multifocal Contact Lens Success ................................................................ 8 Johnson & Johnson Vision Care: Acuvue Contact Lenses .................................................................. 10 Modern Digital Life: For Work & For Play......................................................................................................12 Candorvision: Hylo - Dual ................................................................................................................................. 15 Alcon: Precision 1 ................................................................................................................................................. 16 Alcon: Systane ...................................................................................................................................................... 17 The BCDO Business Helpdesk ........................................................................................................................ 18 Yeux Launches Mobile App for Reducing Eye Strain ........................................................................... 20 Scotiabank: The Scotia Professional Plan for Optometrists............................................................... 22 Creating a Change Culture .............................................................................................................................. 23 Canadian Dry Eye Summit .............................................................................................................................. 25 Re-visioning .......................................................................................................................................................... 26 VuePoint IDS: Earn COPE CE Credits .......................................................................................................... 29 Lanctot Optic - Morel Canada: Be More... Together............................................................................... 30 Member Benefits: Optomart ........................................................................................................................... 31
Spotlight on a Member Member Spotlight - Dr. Gary Jassal ............................................................................................................. 32 Meet the BCDO 2021 Award Recepients ................................................................................................... 36
Programs & Events 2022 BCDO Events ..............................................................................................................................................37 Public Education Update .................................................................................................................................. 42 Are You Interested In Locum Work? Let Us Know! ............................................................................... 46
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Created to Save Sight The story behind optomap® ultra-widefield imaging
By Optos Inc. In 1990, Optos® founder Douglas Anderson’s 5-year-old son Leif lost all vision in his left eye. Despite regular eye exams, a spontaneous retinal detachment had gone undetected because it was near the edge of his retina where the eye doctor could not see it. During follow up examinations to protect Leif’s other eye, his doctor conceded that he could see only fleeting glimpses of the boy’s peripheral retina, because, like many children, Leif could not fixate effectively. Douglas recalls, “The doctor told me that I was witnessing a state-of-the-art exam, but the process seemed intrusive, uncomfortable, and most distressing - ineffective.” To help protect his son’s remaining vision, Douglas set out to invent technology to image the entire retina quickly and easily. After three years, his design team unveiled the prototype, a confocal scanning laser ophthalmoscope which produced an “optomap” – a 200° ultra-widefield (UWF™) image documenting 82% of the retina in a single capture. To bring this innovative technology to eye doctors everywhere, Douglas founded a new company which Leif, then 9 years old, named “Optos” the Greek word for vision.
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Ten years later, when Leif suffered a second detachment, Douglas’ dedication was rewarded. This time the detachment was detected and successfully treated. Thanks to optomap, Leif can still see. Today, Optos technology offers an unrivaled combination of field-of-view and imaging speed. More than 20,000 Optos devices are in use worldwide, and millions of patients have benefited from optomap UWF imaging. optomap is used by doctors to identify and manage eye diseases, including detachments, AMD, and diabetic eye disease. Optos imaging has even helped doctors uncover early-stage ocular cancers and cardiovascular disease resulting in lifesaving treatments. Optos is dedicated to helping health care professionals save sight, to educating doctors and the public about the importance of UWF retinal imaging, and to helping ensure every patient has regular access to optomap imaging.
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Maximize your vision, embrace your passions
Modern Digital Life: For Work & For Play By Nikon Optical Canada
Take a few seconds and think about this. • What do you look at before you go to sleep? • What do you check first thing in the morning? • What did you glance at a couple of minutes ago? You may be finding yourself naming one of many different digital devices. The reality is our eyes are being put to the test as we try to manage our digital lifestyle with digital devices of varying sizes used within varying distances. In less than one year, daily screen time has increased by over 3 hours from 10:09 in Q3 2019 to 13:28 in Q1 2020*. The reality is that we depend on our digital devices for work and for play! It’s not uncommon to have 2, maybe 3 or even more digital devices surrounding us while working at our desk, while relaxing and 12 | Eye Digest Magazine
watching the latest series or even while cooking. We utilize our smartphones for various reasons even while we are taking a road trip or golfing.
Exceptional Sight Without Compromise Every patient should experience, under all circumstances, what exceptional sight truly means. Our vision behaviors have changed over the years and there is an increasing demand to
work at a closer distance. We are all unique and have different hobbies, passions and professions that require us to optimize our capabilities to capture all of the details with our vision. There is no one-size-fits all solution that will help patients capture all of the details. Although progressive lenses can provide visual fields in all distances, when working up close in front of a computer screen patients may be finding themselves moving their heads more frequently to capture all of the details, whereas a task specific lens (also known as near/intermediate lenses) provides a wider field of vision while also providing better ergonomics for your posture. For first time progressive lens wearers, this additional movement would require an adaptation period. Wearers should not compromise when it comes to their vision; just like a runner would not wear high heels to run, a presbyope should not only depend on one pair of glasses. Presbyopia & An Opportunity for a Positive Lifestyle Today people are living longer, and aging has slowed down because they are staying healthy. Eyeglass wearers can continue to have the lifestyle they desire. They do not need to compromise on their vision with presbyopia. Ask your patients to describe their lifestyle.
• How long does each activity last and at what frequency? • How many hours are they in front of a screen? • Do they experience eye fatigue? • Would they like to have better posture and be more comfortable when performing these activities? Tips • Offer your solution by referring to what they told you like - “You know how you said…” • Provide your professional recommendation such as - “There are different options but my recommendations are…” • Explain the benefits of this recommendation and why they require more than 1 pair of glasses by referring to the information they provided you with - “What this means to your lifestyle…” • Explain any promotions that may apply that will help them make a decision. For example, Nikon offers a very attractive multi-pair program I See Without Compromise. • Use any tools that can show and help explain the benefits. Nikon offers enhanced experience tools such as the Lenswear-i, a simulation and measurement device, the I-Revealer for an interactive and enhanced simulation experience and more immersive experience tools to reveal the invisible will be available soon!
• What do they do for work? • What do they enjoy doing during their free time? Eye Digest Magazine | 13
If you get 1 yes on your next 10 attempts, remember that this is a 10% increase in your sales which is very positive!
Online Wide Pro is designed to maximize the near vision potential so each wearer can closely focus on the everyday details; with a larger near vision and up to 36% wider field of vision compared to the Online Wide Neo.
New E-Life Pro Series: Innovative and Easy to Recommend Near-Intermediate Lenses The new E-Life Pro series comes with a new algorithm powered by the Nikon Optical Design Engine, available in Home & Office Pro and Online Wide Pro. Home & Office Pro is available in two distance options, 1m and 2m around the eye-point. As an eye care professional this means you can guarantee the depth of the wearer’s vision distance regardless of the addition while recommending a product that best suits their lifestyle needs. Home & Office Pro is the lens solution to maximize each wearer’s vision and comfort while performing mid-range activities.
Nikon’s new E-Life Pro series is available in indexes 1.50 to 1.74 and a range of base curves from 2 to 8, best paired with SeeCoat Next Blue, SeeCoat Next Bright, SeeCoat Next, SeeSun Next and also available in Pure Blue UV material for enhanced aesthetics and protection. Precision is at the heart of what we do at Nikon. Now you can let your patients enjoy the latest innovations in near-intermediate lenses while you enjoy the simplicity of recommending and dispensing these lenses.
The Nikon Difference: 100 Years Creating Value in Optics For more than 100 years, we have pioneered the optical industry and for over three decades we have revolutionized prescription lenses. Our Japanese heritage influences the way we work to constantly improve precision, protection and aesthetics to benefit your patients. We strive to push boundaries and deliver a premium client experience, through continuous innovation. Our ultimate goal is to create value for our ECP partners and their patients. *Screen time averages per day per adult (18+), US population Nielsen Q3 2019 Total Audience Report and estimate from Eyesafe based on Nielsen insights projecting a 60% increase in TV Game Console media and 14% increase in mobile and work-related devices https://eyesafe.com/covid-19-screen-time-spike-to-over13-hours-per-day/ ** Nikon Customer Satisfaction Survey 2021
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The BCDO Business Helpdesk Embracing the power of integrated advice
By Financial Literacy Counsel
“The BCDO Business Helpdesk is your ONESTOP shop for financial, tax and legal advice” – Pria Sandhu Integrated financial, tax and legal advice is vital to the success of Optometrists. Integrated advice helps ensure that the decisions you make are aligned with your financial and life goals. The struggle Optometrists often have throughout their career is trying to save for the future, while needing to spend money today. There are also insurance, investment, tax and legal considerations along the way. Overtime, the lack of integrated advice leads to money stress, confusion and financial losses. The BCDO Business Helpdesk is for Optome18 | Eye Digest Magazine
trists who are looking for a trusted team of financial planners, accountants and lawyers who can provide a one stop shop for integrated financial, tax and legal advice. Here are the 3 ways the BCDO Business Helpdesk serves the needs of Optometrists: 1. Financial Planning Advice Whether you are a new grad, Associate or clinic owner, you have access to a financial planner who understands your career journey and who will help you achieve your life goals by creating a cohesive plan. They will also connect you with an Accountant and/ or Lawyer through the BCDO Business Help Desk network to ensure integration and ongoing collaboration.
2. Accounting and Tax Advice Keeping more of what you earn and maximizing the benefits of being incorporated will help you reach your financial goals sooner. The BCDO Business Helpdesk gives you access to Accountants who understands your accounting and tax planning needs whether you are a new graduate, an established practitioner or exiting your practice.
financial, tax and legal decisions. We invite you to take advantage of this new BCDO member benefit by using the links below. Visit www.flci.ca/bcdo to access your benefit or email: consultation@flci.ca or use the QR code below:
3. Legal and Contract Review Throughout the various stages of your career, you will need legal advice. Whether it is signing on as an Associate, buying a practice, drafting employment contracts or even selling a practice, the BCDO Business Helpdesk gives you access to Lawyers who specialize in serving the legal needs of Optometrists. The BCDO Business Help Desk was created in collaboration with Financial Literacy Counsel and MNP LLP to elevate the Optometry profession by helping BCDO members make more informed
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Yeux Launches Mobile App for Reducing Eye Strain ms By Dr. Lili Liang, OD
Yeux, a platform designed by Canadian optometrists to guide its users on proper eye health when engaging in consistent screen-time, has launched a new app for iOS and Android. Using the 20-20-20 rule, Yeux sends gentle reminders to mobile devices and wearable technology, giving the user an opportunity to daydream briefly while providing their eyes a break from 20 | Eye Digest Magazine
screen strain. “As an optometrist, I recommend my patients daydream for 20 seconds, every 20 minutes, and gaze at something 20 feet away”, said Dr. Lili Liang, CEO and Founder of Yeux. “The app was designed to send reminders according to your work schedule, to make it easier to commit to these important breaks for our eyes.”
Yeux has been soft launched in clinics in the Greater Vancouver Area, with plans to expand throughout 2022. The app was designed and developed by Adam Geiger, CTO of Otto Optical Systems, a forwardthinking technology company focused on bringing innovative products to the eyecare space.
In addition to the core notification schedules which are customizable by the patient - Yeux also includes a feature called ‘Sessions’, which gives the user the ability to initiate a timer on their mobile phone or smart watch that will send reminders which might fall outside of a usual work schedule (like a late-night study session).
“Dr. Liang’s vision and inspiration make working on Yeux an easy choice. The app addresses a need which is growing each day. We all spend so much time with technology, but it’s important to consider how it affects our day-to-day health." Yeux is available to download in iOS and Android app stores now. Users can also visit the Yeux app website or scan the below QR Code to download.
Dr. Liang, who owns and operates Durant Sessions, says the app was born out of her exam room. “I speak with patients every day about the challenges of keeping our eyes healthy when starting at a screen for large portions of the day. How many times do we tell ourselves to take a break, and how many times do we do it?” said Dr. Liang. “The gentle reminders appearing on your phone or on your wrist make it so much easier.”
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Creating a Change Culture By Dr. Trevor Miranda, Optometrist My dear mother (may she rest in peace) used to say “slowly, slowly catch the monkey.” While I am still uncertain how hygienic it would be to “catch” a monkey, not to mention that it may be cruel, I have bought into my mother’s axiom - although, it took years to figure out what she was talking about! Change happens slowly and then suddenly. At Cowichan Eyecare we have grown into 5 bustling clinics with nine doctors and many staff. We have changed over the years! It is one thing to be forced to change and another to embrace and seek change. The holy grail is to create a culture of change where the team looks to improve, tries new things and embraces the excitement of different technology. I am sure we all have staff that may roll their eyes when the doctors come back from a conference full of exciting new ideas to implement. The staff knowingly smile in their minds, understanding the doctor’s enthusiasm will soon wane and everyone can go back to their staid and comfortable ways in a week or so. Here are some keys to creating and maintaining a change culture: Accountability Every great organization and team has accountability. Sharing the revenue and profit picture, having a team bonus, sharing capture and dispensing rates with each doctor and staff to acknowledge the “current reality” is the first step
to embracing change. Russell Wilson, All Star Quarterback formerly of the Seattle Seahawks, said he looks forward to “Truth Mondays” after a Sunday football game where all the plays, good and bad, are dissected. How conditioned is your team to hearing the current reality and the truth? Do they view this as a personal affront or has the notion of improved patient care and business processes, profits and bonuses equated to facing the mirror of truth. Criticism, when it is meant to help the other person, should be welcomed and carefully considered while allowing freedom to disagree without defensiveness or emotion. Goals are fine but Processes are Better Creating great habits is key to ensuring new ways of doing things are adopted. It is more important to look to provide processes and require strict adherence to the processes rather than a nebulous goal. Let’s say the goal is to improve sales. One process could be that everyone gets a quote before they leave the office. After a while the habit of quoting every patient a price seeps through every employee and becomes habitual. Create Change Agents The hiring process is important to ensuring your team is flexible. Ask new hires if they embrace change or are they slow to change. Find “Champions” on your team that can drive change and be accountable to the processes and ultimately the results. Reward these team members for excellent Eye Digest Magazine | 23
accountable to the processes and ultimately the results. Reward these team members for excellent performance with compensation increases, prizes and recognition. It is important to provide positive reinforcement for good behavior. The ratio of “way to go” to “you missed this” needs to be 4:1 in order to give motivation to conform to the standards. New staff should be encouraged to make suggestions to improve processes as they “see” the office for the first time. Never say you can’t change, can’t provide a different product or service, or completely reimagine optometry and eye care. A great book "Think Again" by Adam Grant tells about why embracing an openness to changing your mind is powerful fuel to organizational greatness. Communicate Communication is a key ingredient to the “Change Cake.” It is important to continuously encourage and have a high awareness of any team member ignoring the changes. Create team buy-in by presenting it at a staff meeting and encouraging feedback. In this way the entire team “owns” the change. We use Slack to communicate with each other and a “Blue Note” channel to shout out great behaviours. Direct communication is important
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if the leadership and management team notice poor compliance. We believe in a congruence between the inside voice and the outside voice. This means that it isn’t okay to think about something and not give your team members the courtesy of your thoughts. Sometimes instant clarifications can avoid misunderstanding and provide further motivations to improve. Embrace Technology Online booking, e-commerce enabled website, dry eye clinic, myopia control, subscription contact lens services, internet intake forms and telehealth consults are just some of the new advances we have embraced at our clinics. Keep looking for ways to improve and over time your clinic will be ahead of the curve. Have Fun Dealing with the public, navigating COVID and competing in an uber competitive field can stress even the most optimistic optometric owners. “Hakuna Matata” mentality is important. The leaders need to project optimistic and fun attitudes. Never let them see you sweat. Manifest the positive and make a change for the better. Enjoy what you do and how you do it!
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Re-visioning ms By Carol Yaple The light was changing from amber to red when I turned left onto Main Street. My stepdaughter and I were on our way to a workout on a rainy Saturday morning. From the passenger seat of my trusty Subaru, she screamed — at what, I did not know. Although we made it through the intersection without hitting an oncoming car that I did not see, our hearts were racing before we hit the gym. On the way home, I wondered about the car’s fitness, but the sudden mechanical failure turned out to be mine. A few days later, my eye doctor stopped examining me, picked up his desk phone and speed-dialled the head of ophthalmology at the university. “There’s someone you must see right away,” he said. On Dec. 1, 2011, I received a diagnosis of Stargardt disease, an inherited retinal disorder that affects central vision. Genetic 26 | Eye Digest Magazine
testing showed that my mother carried the mutation, and my father contributed a common variant. One in 10 000 are afflicted with this rare condition, which often presents in childhood. I was lucky to have reached the age of 50 before I had to give up my keys. But I was in shock. Since the first day behind the wheel of my father’s Ford truck when I was 14, I knew that driving would be my portal to other worlds. He wanted me to gain skills early and comprehensively. What better way than in the old ’48, with its manual transmission and well-worn body? With an enormous shift on the column and a clutch the size of a discus, it took all my strength to wrestle the gears, and of course my timing was poor. I stalled often at first, while my father sighed and whistled “I Can’t Get Started.” On a dozen springtime Saturday mornings, I practised in the flat, empty pasture at my grandfather’s farm in rural Illinois. After finally finding the rhythm from first
to second and then to third gear, it was time to advance to reverse. “If you need to back up, it’s hard to see where you’re going,” my father — who had been a soldier and a prisoner of war — said with unusual gravity. “You need to feel it.” My father was resilient in this gear. This trait was my genetic inheritance from him, and a defining one, as I would come to appreciate after my diagnosis. Once I mastered reverse in the hulking Ford, I drove my own car with confidence and what I might call desire. In the Midwest, roads are long and straight, with great distances between things. I wanted to feel the pedal under my foot, getting me to a new place under my own power. That feeling persisted throughout my life. Working as a classical music agent, I once sped 200 km/ hr in a Mercedes sedan through the night in the Swiss Alps to deliver a cargo of artists to a gig on time. The independence I felt whenever I turned on the ignition filled my whole body with energy and a taste of freedom. “Seeing is believing,” the saying goes. What could “not seeing” mean for someone who loved driving as much as I did? Blindness is a simple, unemotional word for most people — either a descriptor, as in “blind audition,” or, more often, a metaphor, as in “love is blind.” When sight loss actually happens to you, “blindness” becomes a full-body garment, custom made to conform with every contour of your inner and outer frame. It inflects you in a way that is incomprehensible to the sighted world as it influences your movements and interactions. How do you respond to your beloved if you cannot see his face? How do you, as an English major, cope with no longer being able to read? And how do you make sense of your changing self? No other sensory deprivation is so personal and laden with mystery. No one says “hearing is believing” or “smelling is
believing.” No, only seeing is believing. Not seeing must be believing something else. Getting to that something else now occupies the second half of my life in a way that, like the other car at the Main Street intersection, I couldn’t see coming. Like becoming aware of unconscious beliefs, it is a matter of bringing to light that which is not visible. This takes courage and imagination, but after the initial shock I have become aware of hidden resources to be tapped. Over time I have found that the sense of loss and vulnerability independence can lead to a heightened appreciation for new ways of connecting to others and the world. John M. Hull, a university professor of religious education who was blind, put it this way: “Should I begin to think of myself as a person disabled by a defect but empowered by a capacity?”1 Hull spoke the question into a cassette tape recorder, his only means of writing in 1986. His book, On Sight and Insight, is a transformational account of vision loss. It helped me reframe the experience and develop creative and resourceful strategies to maintain relationships and work. The concept of a new-found capacity requires both inner and outer efforts. For me, this has involved everything from analyzing startling dream imagery, to memorizing regularly travelled routes and landmarks, to attuning my musical ear to pick up nuances in people’s voices and modulating my own in response. Above all, acquiring skills in assistive technology has been like taking that pasture-driving course all over again. It is a matter of putting fear aside and practising a new transmission. Today there is a virtual showroom of “vehicles” used by people who are blind or partially sighted. Smartphone technology and screen readers now allow for a dazzling variety of applications, in which auditory information is activated by touch and thus provides access to written material at a terrific Eye Digest Magazine | 27
pace. I can shift through these gears at speed, and if I wander into a blind alley, there are keystrokes for reverse. Reading is well within reach. Everything speaks now — Alexa, ovens, doorbells. It is no longer stigmatizing to walk around talking to yourself on the street or having your phone talk to you. This is now normal. The game-changing remedy for being blind or partially sighted — “accessibility” — is an accepted gear for the general population. This being the case, never again shall the words “nothing can be done” be used by any eye-care professional when surgical procedures or drug therapies may not be available. Much can be done, and the delivery system — already preloaded in “Settings”— is likely right there in the pockets of both the patient and the practitioner. It takes only a willingness and curiosity on the side of both parties to engage in this exploration of vision rehabilitation. This is the best time in human history to lose sight because patients now have another way to be independent. I feel fortunate to have received guidance at a vision rehabilitation clinic, as well as services from the CNIB Foundation and a support group established by the Foundation Fighting Blindness. Every patient should be so lucky, but many suffer silently when this life-changing transition is not fully appreciated or addressed by physicians. Early guidance and referrals can create a road map to vision loss that is not a dead end but instead offers promising pathways. Professor Hull coined a phrase that speaks to
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me and may resonate with other patients who experience sight loss: “whole-body seer.” As reliance on other senses increases, awareness of the whole body is enhanced. Hull writes, “A wholebody seer is someone in whom the specialist function of sight is now delivered upon the whole body and no longer specialized in a particular organ.”1 Such a concentrated state of being may offer as heightened a sensation as driving. Indeed, I have noticed increased awareness and pleasure in all kinds of weather, and a deep desire for nature. With support, I have been able to accept and explore the complexities and the progression of my low-vision condition. I have not been tempted to get behind the wheel again. The day I unwittingly risked my stepdaughter’s life — and my own — shut that door for good. But I’m no longer experiencing the situation as demanding a shift into reverse. I’ve picked up a new set of keys to unlock this new life of mine and am finding my way to somewhere else.
References 1. Hull JM. On sight and insight: A journey into the world of blindness. London: Oneworld Publications; 1997. This article has been peer reviewed. This is a true story. Content licence: This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0) licence, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided that the original publication is properly cited, the use is noncommercial (i.e., research or educational use), and no modifications or adaptations are made. See: https://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
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Dr. Gary Jassal Member Spotlight
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Dr. Gary Jassal Optometrist BC Doctors of Optometry member
About Dr. Gary Jassal My name is Gary Jassal and I am a first generation Optometrist in my family. I come from a blue collar family, with parents who immigrated to Canada in their early adulthood. I was born and raised in Surrey, BC and at the age of 20, left home for the United Kingdom to study Optometry at Aston University. There, I completed my Masters in Optometry and bridged back to Canada through the bridging course offered at The University of Waterloo. Then, I decided to call Vancouver Island, BC home; where I opened my private practice, Eye Plus Optometry and subsequently, my mobile practice, Outreach Optometry. Career Path and BCDO Who inspires you? My parents. They’ve shown me the importance of hardwork and the importance of investing into people and ideas. I keep these ideologies close to me, as they’ve helped me grow in both my personal and professional life.
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Why is being a member of BCDO important to you? BCDO has helped me by ensuring I have a way to connect me with my peers. A lot of practitioners work in single clinics and don’t get a chance to converse with other Optometrists regularly. A lot of the connections I have made within our peer circle has come from CE evenings offered through the association and from BCDO’s annual conference.
As a practicing Optometrist in BC, how does BCDO help you? Most importantly, BCDO’s recent Rural Access Initiative has been vital to my practice. Outreach Optometry services several indigenous and non-indigenous communities; with the funding in place now to assist with travel and accommodaiion, I can now reach out to more remote communities in BC, with funding supporting my travel and accommodation. More recently, BCDO has equipped a Tele-Optometry lane in Ucluelet, BC. which enables me to provide care year round to a community of roughly 5,000 people.
The Profession of Optometry Do you have a specialty? If so, what made you choose it? Mobile Optometry has become my specialty. I started my journey providing mobile care to patients who were unable to leave their homes, and have since then, grown my practice into providing eye care to remote and rural communities. What's made me stick to mobile optometry is the gratitude I receive from my patients in these communities. For most of my patients, I am their only route to eye care, and for that reason alone, they are extremely grateful for the service I can provide them. I truly believe in investing in services that add value to peoples’ lives,and Mobile Optometry is that for me.
What kind of person do you need to succeed as an optometrist? That’s an excellent question. Being an effective communicator goes a long way in succeeding as an Optometrist. During my Pre-Registration year, my supervisor always reiterated to me that a good bedside manner goes a long way with patients; I hold that dear to me. It helps with building a loyal patient base and creates a safe environment for your patients to share information that ultimately helps you provide tailored care for them. What new direction would you like to see happen in Optometry? I would like to see the evolution of Tele-Optometry and how it can co-exist with traditional brick and mortar practices. Currently, I see it to be advantageous in rural settings because it provides the community with accessible care year-round. Advice for New Grads What are three pieces of advice you have for New Grads entering the workforce? Firstly- I would suggest you invest your time in different modes of practice. Private practice, Corporate practices, optical subleases to name a few. They all have their pros and cons; figuring that out early in your career will set you up for success later into your career. Secondly, find a good financial planner and/or accountant; with your new increased earning potential, it’s important to have guidance on where to allocate your funds. Lastly, pace yourself. Burn-out happens, but understanding when you’re getting to that point and how to avoid it, is a fine art you want to learn and conquer.
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MEET THE BCDO 2021 AWARD RECIPIENTS
President's Award The President’s Awards is BCDO’s top award for our profession and has been developed to recognize the exemplary and outstanding professional, and community contributions made by a member of the British Columbia Doctors of Optometry.
Dr. Sally Donaldson
Optometrist of the Year The Optometrist of the Year award honours a member who has contributed to the advancement of optometry in a meaningful way over the past year or cumulatively over many years.
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Dr. Cindy Ho
Young Optometrist of the Year This Young Optometrist of the Year Award recognizes a member with less than 5 years in the field and has demonstrated outstanding leadership skills both within their profession and in their community.
Dr. Kevin Hua
Optometrist Assistant of the Year This Optometrist Assistant of the Year Award honours a person who has provided exceptional service.
Ms. Melina Malekzadeh
OptometryIndustryRepresentative of the Year The Optometry Industry Representative of the Year Award honors a person who has provided exceptional services to our doctors.
Ms. Paula Simonsen
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COMING SOON
STUDENT Q&A WEBINAR Join us for an informal session where you will have the chance to hear from two esteemed BCDO Board members, Dr. Errin Bligh, Past President and Dr. Ivan Prpic, Chair of the BCDO Membership Committee with the opportunity to ask them specific questions on their topics. This will be followed by a question and answer period on any other topic you wish to ask about. Please feel free to email your questions to info@optometrists.bc.ca beforehand for the panel to address the day of the event. Date: Thursday, June 16, 2022 Time: 5:00 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada) Location: Virtual Click here to register for this webinar:
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COMING SOON
NEW GRAD BOOTCAMP Attention all New Graduates Practicing in British Columbia New Grad Bootcamp provides recent graduates with a better understanding of optometric profession in British Columbia. The one-day seminar provides practical tools, information, and advice to ensure new ODs get the most out of their profesion for years to come. This event is geared towards New Grads within their first 3 years of practice after graduation, but all are welcome to attend! Date: Sunday, September 25, 2022 Location: Virtual Please stay tuned for more details!
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COMING SOON
Fall Virtual Symposium: Emerging Trends in Optometry This year's Fall Symposium conference will be held virtually, so be sure to take this opportunity to engage with speakers and colleagues over presentations on engaging topics in Optometry. The conference will be FREE for BCDO members, and attendees will be able to gain COPE-accredited CE credits. An in-person evening social will also be held on Sunday, September 24 as part of the Fall Symposium weekend- be sure to mark your calendars! Fall Virtual Symposium Date: Sunday, September 25, 2022 Location: Virtual Fall Symposium Evening Social Date: Saturday, September 24, 2022 Location: To be announced Please stay tuned for more details!
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COMING SOON
2023 BCDO ANNUAL CONFERENCE & OPTOFAIR BC Doctors of Optometry’s 2023 Annual Conference & OPTOFAIR is a three-day continuing education, networking and professional development event for doctors of optometry and optometric staff. This is your opportunity to gain valuable and relevant insight and education into the optometric field. Date: Friday, May 12 – Sunday, May 14, 2023 Location: Hyatt Regency Vancouver, 655 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC Please stay tuned for more details!
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Public Education Update By BC Doctors of Optometry and Edelman Since spring of 2020, BCDO has helped British Columbians navigate their eye health against the backdrop of a worldwide pandemic. Our PR and communications campaigns continued to deliver the message that eye health is a crucial component of overall health especially during a pandemic and available to British Columbians safely in person and through Telehealth. As British Columbia moves to remove almost all restrictions, BCDO’s 2022 public education campaign is shifting from the pandemic focus to a “reset” and will refocus on the role of Doctors of Optometry. 44 | Eye Digest Magazine
Doctors of Optometry are health professionals trained to examine, diagnose, treat and prevent diseases and disorders of the eyes and visual system. A Doctor of Optometry specializes in managing every aspect of your eye health. However, British Columbians are not necessarily aware of, or think about, Doctors of Optometry as their first-stop for urgent issues associated with eye health. BCDO’s public awareness strategy for 2022 will focus on increasing awareness of Doctors of
Optometry as primary health care providers for eye health and position them as a core part of British Columbians’ personal, primary healthcare teams. Goals: • Establish optometrists as the authoritative voice and as the primary care provider of choice in British Columbia for eye health. • Continue to drive awareness of routine eye health and the importance of comprehensive eye exams. Campaign theme: “You’ve only got one pair of eyes” As British Columbians continue to face down challenges, whether they are the ongoing impacts of the pandemic or world events, we decided to take a personable, sensible and sensitive approach to create the 2022 concept, which features the faces of people from diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, ages, genders, etc. This campaign is intensely focused on the eyes, reminding us we only have one pair of eyes and when we need urgent eye care our Doctor of Optometry must be our first call. By including “call-to action” language, we don’t just raise awareness, but also lead our audience to take action.
Audience From the 2021 campaign, we found that British Columbians between 25-54 were most engaged in our campaign and we found the strongest engagement among users from Vancouver and Surrey. To maximize the efficiency of the campaign and our budget, we decided to target this demographic, which is broken into two sub-categories: Adults 25-54 and Parents with children aged 4-18, in 2022. We will continue targeting at a provincial level so as to not exclude users based on their location. Campaign Overview
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Campaign Tactics Paid Media & Search We will continue to use Facebook, Instagram and Google search as our campaign channels. In addition to the static creative, we will use video/ reels and amplify influencer content to further engage our audiences through real-time authentic storytelling. Our storytelling will encompass evergreen messaging around eye health, with a focus on urgent care. Reminder Messaging: Eye Health Capitalizing on the success of previous paid campaigns, we will continue to drive awareness of general eye health messaging. Eye Health content will be targeted towards parents with children aged 4-18, reminding parents to book eye exams for themselves and their children. The creative will include a mix of imagery featuring adults and children. New Messaging: Urgent Care As an addition to the 2022 campaign, we will promote urgent care messaging against broader targeting of Adults 25-54 who are interested in health and personal care. Similar to the eye health messaging, we will amplify influencer content. Paid Destination: Find a Doctor tool All paid traffic will drive our audience to the Find A Doctor tool landing page, where they will be encouraged to use the tool to book an appointment with a Doctor of Optometry in their community. We will continue to track how often the FAD tool is being used, however our main objective will be to drive website visits, measured through link clicks. There will be three phases for the 2022 paid media campaigns and the Google search campaign will be “always on” from May to December. Paid Media | Phases
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Influencers BCDO will leverage influential, diverse, BC-based voices who have built trust with their audiences when it comes to wellness and navigating a busy life as a parent and urgent eye health. They will remind British Columbians of the importance of eye care – calling out increased screen time during the pandemic as a proof point. Influencers will develop concepts rooted in “You've only got one pair of eyes” by showing a highlight reel of all of the beautiful moments they see in their day. They will utilize Instagram captions and Instagram stories’ link stickers to drive traffic to CTA for the Find a Doctor tool. Survey This year’s survey will go beyond understanding how British Columbians’ awareness and perceptions of eye health has shifted over the past two years, to looking at specific social issues related to eye health in the province and positioning BCDO as part of the solution. We recommend diving deeper into various audience groups looking at the inequality gap in eye care in the province and the barriers to access among various groups (low-income families, rural communities, etc.).
In addition, we will identify the unhealthy eye care habits of British Columbians and assess levels of awareness about visiting an optometrist for urgent eye issues. The most impactful findings will be leveraged to develop earned media communications that can be released throughout the course of the campaign and the survey results will provide insights that will help guide digital campaigns.
Content we share on social media will be informative, engaging with a strong call to action that aims to educate consumers in BC and build close connections between the industry and local communities. Three to four posts will be scheduled per month, including one specifically focused on Children’s Eye Health.
Earned Media We will work with Edelman and consult BCDO’s subject matter experts and leverage information from the 2022 research survey to help develop story angles and a media relations approach to strengthen the narrative: “You’ve only got one pair of eyes”. Subject to the 2022 survey findings, this year’s earned media campaign will focus on one or both of the following topics and will position BCDO as part of the solution:
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The eye health inequality gap in B.C. Unhealthy eye habits of British Columbians.
Organic Social Channels We will share our message on social media to provide value and comfort. Facebook and Instagram remain our high-priority channels to reach consumers and share educational content.
Website Refresh A few key areas on the BCDO website were identified for review this year to audit content and ensure updated and relevant information is displayed for our audience. The content will also be updated to reflect urgent eye care issues with key messages of the campaign in market. A new search bar on top of each page will allow users to take shortcuts to information they need. The website will also display the path that site visitors have taken so they can trace their steps and navigate quickly to pages they wish to go back to.
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Are you interested in Locum work? Let us know! BCDO has a “Locum List” of members interested in locum opportunities to assist members looking for short term work coverage. If you are interested in locum opportunities, please provide us with your contact information: name, email, and phone number. When an opportunity becomes available, we will email our list of locum doctors with the details and those interested can connect directly with the member who posted the ad. Please email info@optometrists.bc.ca if you would like to be added to the Locum List or if you are looking for locum coverage.
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