Visions_08Winter

ALUMNI MAGAZINE

WINTER 2008

content 1 President’s Corner

2

Student Life

10

HCPE Update

RICHARD W. PHILLIPS, OD ’78, FAAO President

KRISTIN K. ANDERSON, OD Vice President for Institutional Advancement

JIM HOLLIFIELD Editor Director of Communications

SUSAN M. DOYLE Designer

ERIN JAFFE Photographer

trustees Donna Abney, MBA – Chair Germantown, Tennessee

11

Class Notes

Eugene M. Bane, Jr., OD ’65 Salem, Virginia

Larry H. Bryan

Memphis, Tennessee

12

Philanthropy Matters

Howard F. Flippin, OD ’59 Searcy, Arkansas

John A. Gazaway, OD ’67 Eagle Grove, Iowa

A. Thomas Hyde, OD ’76

14

SCO Focus

Morristown, Tennessee

James B. Jalenak, Esq. Memphis, Tennessee

Jarrett Johnson, OD ’90

New Orleans, Louisiana

16

News Briefs

18

Out and About

Christopher B. King, OD ’83 Englewood, Florida

Sharon Berger Moscow, OD ’80 Roswell, Georgia

Kenneth L. Mulholland, Jr. Germantown, Tennessee

Richard L. Powell, OD ’68 Lincoln, Nebraska

Steven Reed, OD ’95 Magee, Mississippi

Robert W. Smalling, OD ’74 Warren, Arkansas

Mary Thornley, EdD

Charleston, South Carolina

Visions Alumni Magazine is published four times yearly through the Office of Institutional Advancement. Copies are available without charge to alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends of the college. A digital version is available online at www.sco.edu/visions.

Please send comments, contributions and address changes to: Office of Institutional Advancement 1245 Madison Avenue Memphis, TN 38104-2222 800-238-0180, ext. 4 901-722-3379 FAX

J. Bart Campbell, OD ’87 Faculty Representative Memphis, Tennessee

Amanda Nadolski, ’10 Student Representative The Woodlands, TX

cover Students from each year of SCO’s program, L-R: Josh McAdams ’12, Laura Bzdafka ’09, Tiffany Griffin ’11, and Gene Wong ’10.

president ’ s corner Richard W. Phillips, OD ’78, FAAO

»

One of the most commonly asked questions

to attend SCO, I can’t help but think back over

optometry, the measure of devotion in serving

by our alumni relates to their interest in what

the early life of Fredric M. Rosemore, OD ’48.

his patients and role model that he provided to

it’s like for today’s generation of optometry

His recent passing has prompted so many

his family than the long list of those who chose

students. The optometry student experience

of us within the profession and especially

to follow his pathway.

is something that will always remain relevant

here at SCO to reflect upon the remarkable

As we approach the end of this year and

to optometrists; we are naturally interested in

accomplishments and dedication of this truly

the start of a new one, SCO is grateful for

learning what has changed since our time in

inspirational man. (See p. 11 for more on his life).

the dedication of optometric pioneers and

school. It’s always useful to learn about new

Dr. Rosemore’s time at SCO in the late 1940s

philanthropists like Dr. Fredric M. Rosemore

advances in technology, in therapeutics, and

came on the heels of his extraordinary service

and his family. We are also thankful to all of our

even the methodology used to teach our

to his country. Prior to enrolling at SCO, Dr.

alumni who will help optometric education

students.

Rosemore served his country during the darkest

continue the dream of Dr. Rosemore and

Some things remain the same, no matter

days of World War II as a B-17 navigator in the

others before him in providing scholarship

the era in which we received our education.

European Theater. After completing 22 combat

opportunities and funding for our program in

There’s the adjustment from undergraduate

missions, he was shot down, captured and

the future.

school to the rigors of the optometric

made a Prisoner of War. His military honors were

curriculum for the first-year student. The second-year experience is one of wading into deeper waters as students expand their

numerous, including two Purple Hearts.

Whether we celebrate the life of alumni who paved the way for those of us who

It was the sacrifice of Dr. Rosemore and

followed them into the profession or we

others in that Greatest Generation that ensured

support and prepare today’s students who

knowledge and prepare for the transition into their clinical exposure.

For third-years, it’s an exciting time of applying their knowledge and improving their clinical skills. Finally, the fourth year brings a multitude of choices and changes, from the

We are thankful to all of our alumni who will help optometric education continue…providing scholarship opportunities and funding for our program in the future.

externship experience to finalizing where and how one will practice, all culminating in the solemnity of graduation and the satisfaction of having successfully met the challenge of becoming a 21st century optometrist.

For this issue, we invited students from each year of the program to share their perspectives into what they’re currently experiencing as we

so many of the freedoms that we all enjoy

represent the next generation of optometrists,

today. Throughout his career, Dr. Rosemore

we can take understandable pride in the hope

continued this pattern of service and sacrifice,

and promise for the future of our profession.

believing that underserved patients in rural

Finally, on a personal note, this year marked

Alabama deserved optometric service even

the completion of my first calendar year as

when they couldn’t afford to pay.

president of this great institution. I am grateful

His love for people and the profession of

approach the mid-point of this academic year.

for your continued support as we make the

optometry was freely demonstrated through

transition into the next chapter of SCO’s future.

I think you will find it illuminating to see just

his faithful support of optometric education. He

To all who wrote or called with your words of

how demanding life can be for an optometry

and his loving wife, Marion, established the first

encouragement, thank you. To so many of you

student from start to finish.

trust at SCO to endow student scholarships. The

who visited with us at SECO, AOA, Academy,

In the case of our first-year student, you

Rosemores also generously provided gifts that

state and regional conferences, it has been a

will hear how this young man literally left

helped secure the creation of The Eye Center at

privilege to see your enthusiasm. And to those

competing in the Olympic Games in Beijing for

SCO. This support continued through our 75th

who have continued to support the college

orientation at SCO, as well as how he manages

Anniversary; this year the Low Vision Service

during these difficult financial times, we are

a busy schedule of studying and attending class

area was renamed for him.

most appreciative.

with the demands of being a young husband

Perhaps the best testament to the life of

On behalf of the entire SCO family of

Dr. Rosemore would be the fact that so many

students, faculty and staff, thank you for your

Thinking about the individual life stories

members of his family decided to follow in

continued support and we send every good

of what makes a young person interested in

his footsteps. There can be no better proof

wish for a prosperous and Happy New Year

optometry and how they make the decision

of the depth of his love for the profession of

in 2009.

and a new father.

Winter 2008

|

1

STUDENT LIFE

Josh McAdams, ’12

When Weekly Planners are Too Small – Life as an SCO First-Year Student A Day in the Life In this issue, four students – one representing each year in the four-year academic program – were invited to share their perspectives on what it’s like from day to day as an SCO student.

Here, in their own words, these students provide a glimpse of the journey toward graduation, from the new student adapting to the transition from undergraduate school to the fourth-year student thinking about graduation after she completes her externship program.

2

|

SCOVisionS

When I received my planner from SCO in the mail last winter, I thought, “Wow! What a nice gesture. I can keep things organized.” Now I am finding that this 4x7 inch planner is just too small for an SCO first-year student’s hectic life. Looking at it, you would think I am trying to write a novel on the six lines per day. The next week is already filling fast.

As a runner, I’ve learned that every second counts.

Optometry school is no different. I knew it would be a challenge. What I didn’t know was that it would be such a huge challenge. School alone would not be too bad, but throw in life on top of that, and it can be crazy in a good way, of course. Thanks to some newfound friends and family here at SCO, I and my family are making it through.

My journey to SCO has been a little longer than most…only a year longer, really. I was accepted for the fall of 2007 semester, but decided to chase a dream of running in the 2008 Olympics. I felt awkward calling up SCO to let them know I would have to decline until next year, but they were so understanding. I remember the words of support from Dr. Phillips telling me to go for my Olympic dreams, but to not forget my career dreams of being an optometrist. That meant a lot to me.

That support and sympathy from our administration and faculty is part of the reason I decided to come to SCO. Obviously SCO produces fine optometrists, as is demonstrated by our high NBEO scores, but I learned quickly that “Southern hospitality” embodies all at SCO.

The last three months have been frenzied and exciting. I made the Olympic team in early July, moved from our apartment to our in-laws on July 29th, left for China on July 31st, got back on August 22nd, started the drive from Provo, Utah to Memphis, Tennessee on August 24th, arrived August 26th, and orientation started on August 28th.

I still had a contractual obligation to go to Boston in the middle of September, and the privilege of being honored by President Bush at the White House a week later. And just when you think Coach is going to call it a day, a few more hard laps. We bought our first home on October 22nd, and our first child, Millie, was born October 24th. Just imagine being my wife!

So what’s a typical day like? Right now it starts sometime early in the morning when Millie wakes up. I try to change her diapers before or after she eats or burp her so that my wife can get a little more sleep. Then I go back to sleep. Then I get up around 5:30 a.m. and go for about an hour run.

Classes start at 7:45 a.m., and we get every penny’s worth from our tuition in four hours of lecture. One or two labs follow and then there’s always some crunching for the next exam. I try to get in a second run in the evening, but sometimes you have to prioritize. Helping your wife get dinner ready, holding your new baby, going

grocery shopping, or cleaning around the house takes precedence. After dinner I put in a little more studying or get some remodeling done on the house.

Life is busy. I know that. I also know that I’m not the only one at SCO with a demanding schedule. My fellow first-years have also had to juggle the stresses of school, finances, girlfriends/boyfriends, part-time work, stress fractures, passing of family members, and every other random thing that makes life interesting.

With that said, it’s these difficulties that have tied us together. Here and now, we are there to help one another. When my wife and I had to move the day after our baby was delivered, my classmates, but more specifically, my friends, were there from start to finish. Start to finish wasn’t very long since there were so many of them.

These are the reasons I chose SCO. The three months I’ve been here have felt much longer partly because there’s just so much that has to be learned and done.

The other part is due to the feeling of “home.” It feels like home already.

Josh McAdams, ’12, with his Olympic teammates in China.

Like a photo finish, we will be fighting to the end of the semester with support from faculty. I can even picture Dr. Jim Newman with his Southern “holler,” and Dr. Daniel Taylor with his English proper, shouting words of encouragement down the homestretch. But more importantly, we first years are pulling for each other.

Being successful at anything takes sacrifice. I thought I had learned that lesson by now. But some monumental feats, and I stress the “mental,” take more than just Olympic strength alone. It takes all you’ve got, and some more. It takes help from loved ones, friends, professors, and faculty. And one more thing that would really help… a much, much bigger planner.

Dr. Phillips congratulates Josh on his first-year scholarship.

National champ in the steeplechase.

Winter 2008

|

3

STUDENT LIFE Tiffany Griffin, ’11

The Snowball Effect – Life as an SCO Second-Year Student I liken my progression into optometry school to a prayerful snowball effect. In undergrad, I majored in biology and almost all of the students in my major were on the pre-med tract. About mid-way through sophomore year, I decided that I wasn’t going to follow the pack. I wanted to find something unique for me and something that I enjoyed.

After this decision, I really relied on my faith to lead and guide me towards the path that I should take. While I didn’t hear some loud voice say “optometry…optometry” in my ear, I credit the snowball of events that I entrusted to my faith to eventually lead me to optometry.

I attended a college fair at my university and saw an optometry table set up. After discussing the profession, the curriculum, and requirements, I wanted to get first-hand experience before deciding whether I wanted to do this for the rest of my life.

I shadowed an optometrist in New Orleans each weekend, and after Hurricane Katrina she offered me a job upon my return. By working hands-on, it confirmed that optometry was something that I enjoyed and something at which I could excel.

Once I interviewed and toured SCO, I was extremely impressed. The clinic was what sold me. The experience gave me the impression that SCO was always looking to improve our education through more patient interaction. It just looked so professional and I could see myself examining patients while I was on tour. In addition, the organization of the administration and their willingness to answer any questions and do all they could for me was a huge factor in choosing SCO. In some aspects, second year is what I expected, including learning many more important skills vital to the eye examination. I really feel closer to being an optometrist and I enjoy learning different skills and techniques. I’m excited about getting more efficient at what I’m doing.

However, the lectures are quite different

4

|

SCOVisionS

than last semester. First year, I felt as though professors challenged you, but second year really whips you into shape quickly. There is a heavy lecture load to make you quickly develop time management skills and the ability to balance a trillion different things that need to be done while still excelling at them all. I believe this is good training for becoming a doctor because you will have to juggle patients, staff, distributors, finances, and equipment management…and still be able to do it all well.

I think that by second year you grow somewhat comfortable with your classmates and you find your niche within SCO. In addition, you develop your own routine. I have really learned more about myself, my likes and dislikes, what I will tolerate and traits in individuals that I will gravitate to or avoid.

Knowing myself better has helped me dodge avoidable stress. For example, I hate discussing grades after a test. Either I did worse than the other person and it makes me feel bad, or I did better and no benefit comes from discussing it. I just learned that I am very critical of myself, and comparing me to others never helps. I’m my own worst critic, so I’m enough!

I go to class until 4 p.m. or 5 p.m., depending on the day, and many times I’m practicing right after class until around 6:30 or 7 p.m.

Afterwards I go home, cook a quick meal and maybe watch about an hour of TV before studying until I’m too sleepy to comprehend anymore. Then I know that it’s time for bed and time to do it all over again tomorrow.

The course that I find most interesting is Optometric Theory and Methods, lecture and lab. I feel like the lecture gives us insight on upcoming skills that we’ll learn in the lab. Once we are in the lab, I am very excited to get to work. Admittedly, it does take a lot of practice to learn these techniques. However, I know that

I feel that the profession of optometry is limitless and at the rate that technology is expanding the scope of practice, there should never be a dull moment.

I’m in the right profession because no matter how many times I mess up, I’m still excited and working towards that day when I am proficient.

Even during frustrating days, that excitement still lingers. I can’t wait to be able to do all the skills excellently. I tell my family that all the time!

The Eye Center will give me a great deal of patient exposure that will be extremely beneficial in my development into a competent optometric physician. Also, I like the helpfulness of so many professors. I am the type of student who always has tons of questions and need to know WHY for everything we are learning.

I am a frequent visitor of office hours and the fact that they always have an open door policy contributes to my liking SCO. What I like best about optometry is that you are able to become an entrepreneur (your own boss) while still functioning with a medical background. How many MDs can say that they own and operate the facilities in which they practice?

Throughout my life I have witnessed relatives and friends going to work depressed

and unhappy. My goal was to find a profession that would make me excited to go to each day, because I know how much my skills will benefit my patients. I will be happy to be at work throughout the day, because I am a witness to when patients put on their glasses, excited and amazed at the detail that they were previously unable to detect. I will be happy to leave knowing I put in an honest day’s work that was challenging, gratifying, and rewarding to myself and my patients.

I currently do not know where I want to practice. However, I will definitely take advantage of externship opportunities to explore different areas besides Tennessee or Louisiana and see how the scopes of practice differ in the different locations.

There are so many options that you can choose from: general practice, academia, research, military…which make the profession have unlimited options, especially when it comes to a person like me who hates the idea of being complacent with life the way it is.

If I have excelled at something, I’m ready to improve it even more or build on that by exploring new ideas for the field. I feel that the profession of optometry is limitless and at the rate that technology is expanding the scope of practice, there should never be a dull moment.

Tiffany Griffin, ’11, is active in SCO’s NOSA Chapter, seen here during a volunteer project at a local soup kitchen.

Winter 2008

|

5

STUDENT LIFE Gene Wong, ’10

Time of Transition – Life as an SCO Third-Year Student

Gene Wong, ’10, collaborates in the Vision Therapy Service in The Eye Center.

Current Vice-President of SCO’s Student Government Association, Gene met AOA Past President Kevin Alexander at SECO 2008.

SCO was one of my top choices for optometry school. It wasn’t hard to choose SCO after my interview. Aside from its outstanding reputation, the admissions office was the friendliest and had sent me a holiday card.

The student body was also very friendly. As I was gearing up for my interview, a second-year student entered the elevator with me. She smiled, introduced herself, and gave me a few pointers for my interview.

I did not encounter the same type of interaction at my other interviews, so it was a really easy decision where I wanted to spend my next four years.

During undergrad, my mentors were both SCO alumni from the Class of 2000, Drs. Daniel Beshoar and Elizabeth Wells. They shared their SCO experiences with me, and I was convinced I would attend SCO given the opportunity.

Third year is a transition from being in labs and classes to actually performing what we’ve been practicing and learning the previous two years. I still have writing assignments and exams but not as many compared to my first two years. We do have national board examinations to study for in the spring, so it will get stressful soon.

For my transition to being in the clinic, the first week was rough. I had 11-12 hour days in clinic for three days in a row. After getting home at 7 p.m., all I wanted to do was eat dinner and sleep, and knowing I would repeat it all over again the next day. But as the semester continued on, I got used to it and was more confident about examining a patient.

On a typical day, I wake up at 6:30 a.m. and end up getting to my 7:30 a.m. class around 7:20 a.m. I usually have class until 9:35 a.m. and head to clinic before my first assignment at 10 a.m. My assignments could be in primary care, ocular disease, pediatrics, optical, or central testing. I could see patients up until noon, where I get an hour lunch.

During lunch, I go to the 20/20 Diner for a quick bite, or sometimes I like to drop by Highpoint Coffee to study a little. Then I head back to clinic and perform the rest of my clinic duties. After clinic, I head home to read and catch up on my emails and assignments.

My interest in optometry began with my first pair of eyeglasses in the third grade. I was amazed how well

I saw instantly with my new glasses. I want to replicate that euphoric feeling for my future patients.

I love optometry because it is a dynamic profession that allows me to interact with people on a more personal level. I had shadowed MDs and knew it wasn’t for me because I didn’t want to be rushed in my interactions with patients. As a future optometrist, I have the ability to make a huge impact on people’s lives.

The people of SCO represent what I like best about SCO. Every time I walk into an elevator or down the hall, someone will say ‘Hi’ and ask how you are, and people hold doors for you. I have made some really good friends here, and the faculty members are very approachable.

SCO has a lot of student organizations and plenty of activities to keep you busy during the weekends and any off time I may have. I enjoy the fact SCO is not just about academics, but we focus on community involvement as well. We are not only making a difference in the exam room helping people see better, but we are also serving the community, whether it be soup kitchens, tutoring elementary kids, or raising money to help buy eyeglasses for those in need.

During my first year, I was told that each year, more and more new graduates were entering other forms of practice besides private practice optometry. I wanted to help reignite the passion for private practice optometry and to help educate my fellow classmates on the business aspects of optometry.

I asked our Vision Service Plan university liaison for advice and he thought it was a great idea to form a club committed to promoting the principles of private practice. He submitted a proposal to his supervisor and got us a grant and an annual pledge to start the club.

The administration was very supportive and we got a lot of positive response with 178 members to start the first Optometric Private Practice Club at SCO. I am excited to be doing my externships at the Salem V.A. Hospital in Salem, Virginia and the private practice office of James Cornetta, OD ’85, in Portsmouth, Virginia.

I was born and raised in Virginia, so I will be returning to the Old Dominion to practice. Memphis and Tennessee have been a great adventure. Orange is my favorite color and I’m glad I’ve seen so much of it!

Gene confers with faculty member Scott Ensor, OD ’01.

6

|

SCOVisionS

Winter 2008

|

7

STUDENT LIFE

Laura Bzdafka, ’09

Patient Care, Externships and the Future – Life as an SCO Fourth-Year Student

Laura Bzdafka, ’09, enjoys her work in the Technology Suite at The Eye Center.

8

|

SCOVisionS

My interest in optometry began when a college roommate began talking to me about applying to optometry school. I began researching the profession, learning that optometrists prescribed medications, treated a wide variety of diseases, as well as eyeglasses and contact lenses.

My childhood optometrists had been women, and I saw that they all truly loved their profession. I believed it was a career I would enjoy 5, 10, 30 years down the road. Also very appealing to me was that as an optometrist, no one patient in my chair would be exactly the same as the one before; there would be variety in my day-to-day work.

I visited a couple of schools prior to visiting SCO. Because I had attended a large campus for undergrad, I was a little nervous that SCO would not have much to offer since it was not connected to a larger university. However, everyone I talked to was very polite and friendly. I felt very comfortable walking around the school.

SCO left me with a sense that people here wanted me to succeed and graduate in four years.

SCO’s high board passage rates also impressed me. The clinic at SCO was much larger than the other schools I visited; it was more modern, with newer-looking equipment in the exam lanes.

Now that I’m into my fourth year at SCO, we are much more engaged in patient care. During second year I felt we were starting to learn our way around the clinic and beginning to feel a part of the optometry field more as we started having patient

encounters in the clinic and on school screenings.

Third year you still feel quite nervous and inexperienced with examinations. You are only in the clinic a couple days a week so it takes time to develop a level of confidence.

However, by the fourth year, you are in the clinic every day and learn much more from working with the patients. As a fourth year, you feel much more confident and at ease working with a patient.

Fourth year is more than what I expected. Being at school is a much different experience than how it was during second and third year. We have more responsibilities and see more patients every day than we did as a third year. The doctors try to get us thinking more independently during our exams. However, if we need help or have questions, faculty members are willing to give us some guidance.

The faculty is amazing, both our professors and staff doctors. They have dynamic personalities and encourage us to learn more. The staff in the clinic, especially at the cashier desk and optical, are very helpful and always give us a smile even on our bad days!

As fourth years, we rotate through different clinics at SCO over the week. We rotate through optical, contact lens, adult and pediatric primary care, low vision, vision therapy, nursing home, and ocular disease.

On my schedule, I am in optical or nursing home/contact lens on Monday; Tuesday I have either adult or pediatric primary care. Half my Wednesdays are in vision therapy and the other half is in low vision. Thursday I am in ocular disease and occasionally technology service. Friday I am in contact lens care.

A typical day in patient care is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. during which I will see a variety of patients.

For example, I had the pleasure of seeing a 68-year-old patient in for a one-day post-operative cataract surgery visit, a 50-year-old patient with sudden vision loss and an 18-year-old with an acute red eye associated with contact lens wear as part of my patient care assignment. Overall, it is rare that I do not learn something from a patient encounter.

While we don’t have tests or classwork during fourth year – in some ways a big load off our backs – we are all a little worried about what happens after graduation. Will we have a practice lined up, a contract signed, or will we be accepted to a residency program?

I especially love being on externs. We go to two separate extern sites; one is a private site and the other is an institutional site. My first externship was at the Eyecare Center in Wilmington, North Carolina under Allan Barker, OD ’75. The doctors and staff there were wonderful, and I enjoyed working with them every day!

These doctors taught me a lot while I was on extern this summer. They went out of their way to show me interesting cases and explain things like their diagnosis and management plans. I learned so much in my few months there about patient care, and I increased my experience with anterior and posterior segment diseases.

I left feeling I could better diagnose eyerelated problems.

At the Eyecare Center, I got to see many contact lens patients, and help manage many problems asso Laura with her externship preceptor, ciated with contact lenses. I learned Allan Barker, OD ’75. about selecting the right contact lens for a patient and some clinical pearls about fitting the various contacts.

My next externship in the spring semester is at a comanagement group called the Katzen Eye Group in Lutherville, Maryland. Externships are a wonderful and invaluable ex­ perience for fourth-year students. I am very grateful to those who offer externships at their office or institution and are willing to further our education!

Currently I am in the process of applying to residency positions for next year. In the future I see myself moving back to Ohio to practice. However, in the next few years, I am more open to practicing in another state, preferably on the east coast, perhaps North Carolina, South Carolina, or Maryland.

I also plan on becoming a member of my state association and national AOA. Over the past few years I have seen that it is very important to be involved in my profession.

Optometry is a rewarding profession. I feel that we offer quality care for our patients and truly work to solve their problems. This is something that I believe is lacking in other areas of healthcare. In the future I believe that more optometrists will have positions at co-management centers.

I believe it would only help us provide better patient care if optometry was more integrated with other healthcare areas.

What I like best about optometry is the idea that the profession can still grow and change over the years. My predecessors fought hard to allow us to use prescription medications, and in the future, who knows what other doors we will have opened and what new technologies we will have to improve our patient care?

(P.S. If anyone reads this and would like to contribute to the fourth-year class, we would really enjoy having a mediumsized refrigerator, microwave, and a sofa in our fourth-year lounge.

Thank you!)

Winter 2008

|

9

HCPE UPDATE

How Productive is Your Staff?

L ea r n w h at ’ s r eally in vo lv e d in un d e r s tan d ing yo u r s ta ff e x pen s e s .

According to the American Optometric Association’s (AOA’s) surveys and my own consulting experience, the typical dispensing optometrist invests 18 to 22% of his gross income on non-OD staff salaries and related expenses. But that number only tells part of the story. Don’t you also need to know what you’re getting for that investment? In other words, how productive is your staff?

H o w d o yo u mea su r e pr o d u c t i v i t y ?

If you want a general rule of thumb for staff productivity, it’s my experience that a reasonably productive practice should gross about $125,000 to $150,000 per year for each non-OD employee.

For example, four employees is about right for a practice that grosses $500,000. (That includes optometric assistants and clerical help, but excludes employed optometrists and the time any employee spends on cutting and edging lab work.)

Calc ulat ing h o u r ly pr o d u c t i v i t y

An even better way to calculate staff productivity is to divide your collected gross income by the total number of hours that your staff actually worked. Again, exclude lab time from this calculation.

For example, let’s assume that in one year, Dr. Worker collected gross revenues of $500,000 and employed four full-time employees who, after vacation, sick leave and paid holidays, worked 49 weeks each year. Therefore, his staff worked 49 weeks x 40 hours = 1,960 hours x 4 employees = 7,840 total hours.

Now divide $500,000 7,840 = $64 each hour. Based on the “Staff Productivity Scale” show below, we’d rate this doctor’s staff as “fair to good” in terms of productivity.

per hour (49 weeks x 40 hours = 1,960 hours x 4 employees = 7,840 total hours worked). $51 per hour is low in my book.

This tells us that Dr. Lowe needs to either increase her gross or reduce her staff hours. Otherwise, she’s employing more people than she really needs.

On the other hand, if Dr. High grossed $600,000 with four employees, then his staff productivity would be $600,000 7,840 = $77 per hour (49 weeks x 40 hours = 1,960 hours x 4 employees = 7,840 total hours worked). This is in the “good” range, which tells me that Dr. High is a good manager and likely has an above average net.

If Dr. Lowe grossed only $400,000 with four employees, then her staff productivity would be $400,000 7,840 = $51

Pr o d u c t i v i t y in pe r s pe c t i v e

As the above figures show, understanding your staff expense category involves not only how much you pay them, but how much they help your practice produce. The ideal situation for most solo dispensing practices is to have staff costs fall around 18 to 20% of gross income and for staff productivity to equal more than $75 for each employee hour worked. Do that and you’re well on your way to an efficient and profitable practice.

Practice Primer for Recent Graduates and other HCPE program offerings.

P roductivity

S cale

Good

Fair

Low

More than $90 / hour / employee

$75 to $89 / hour / employee

$60 to $74 / hour / employee

Less than $60 / hour / employee

|

SCOVisionS

SCO, Dr Hayes is a well known speaker and writer on the business side of optometric practice. He is the

Center For Practice

Practice efficiency generally decreases as revenues increase. Therefore, you can expect an $800,000 practice to have slightly lower productivity per employee than a $400,000 practice.

Can staff productivity be too high? The answer is yes, anything more than $100 per hour is probably too high. We see that mostly in smaller practices that have one or two employees and where the doctor performs many duties that he could delegate if he had more staff.

Excellent

10

A 1973 graduate of

founder of the Hayes Va r ia b le s to r emem b e r

Coming in Spring 2009…

D o yo u h av e to o mu c h s ta ff ?

S taff

Jerry Hayes, OD ’73

Excellence at Southern College of Optometry and the president of HMI and Red Tray.

Disclaimer: The opinions contained in this report are for general information only and are not intended to serve as legal, financial or investment advice.

CLASS Notes

Send us news of your accomplishments along with a photo. Items will appear in the magazine or in our monthly alumni e-newsletter, SCOnline. Send to the Office of Institutional Advancement, 1245 Madison Avenue, Memphis, TN 38104-2222; fax 901-722-3379 or email alumni@sco.edu.

’60s

IN Memoriam

Kyle D. Abshire, OD ’66, is celebrating his 40th anniversary in practice in Orange Park, Florida.

Dr. Abshire oversees Orange Park Eye Center, a regional practice with two large, state-of-the-art offices staffed by six doctors, 26 staff members and approximately 66,000 patients. His milestone anniversary was covered by his hometown newspaper. Dr. Abshire says that he has no plans to retire.

’80s Deborah Long, OD ’80, was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives in the November election. Dr. Long defeated her Democratic opponent to take the vacant South Carolina House District 45 seat. Dr. Long, who previously served as the first woman president of the South Carolina Optometric Association, owns Fort Mill Vision Center.

William E. Cochran, OD ’68, SCO President Emeritus, recently welcomed his first grandson, Nash Christian. Nash was born October 27, 2008 to Dr. Cochran’s son, Will, and his wife, Jennifer. He is Dr. Cochran’s second grandchild.

’90s

Fredric M. Rosemore, OD ’48, one of SCO’s most supportive and faithful graduates, passed away Friday, November 21 in Florida.

Dr. Rosemore and his wife, Marion, established the first charitable unified trust at SCO in 1994 to provide student scholarships. There are seven Rosemore Family Endowed Scholarships awarded annually to SCO students as well as the President’s Merit Award first given in 2008.

“Without question, Dr. Rosemore was one of the dearest friends SCO ever had,” said SCO President Richard W. Phillips, OD ’78. “Through his many years of consistent support of the college, he ensured that future generations of optometry students will be afforded the same opportunities that he enjoyed in our profession.”

“Dr. Rosemore was one of the most remarkable, caring and dedicated individuals that you could ever hope to meet,” said SCO President Emeritus William E. Cochran, OD ’68. “Over the years, he and his family became personal friends.”

Dr. Rosemore served his country as a B-17 navigator during World War II. He completed 22 combat missions before being shot down, captured and made a Prisoner of War. He received numerous citations and honors, including the Air Medal Oak Leaf Cluster, Presidential Unit Citation, five Battle Stars, a Prisoner of War medal, and two Purple Hearts.

Following the war, he enrolled at SCO, graduating in 1948.

Dr. Rosemore settled in Alabama, where he practiced for 32 years in private practice before retiring in 1980 to lead a number of successful businesses. He became known in his community for caring for those who could not afford his services.

A past president of the Alabama Optometric Association, Dr. Rosemore was a life member and Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry. His business leadership included serving as Chairman of the Board of PMC Capital, Inc., a lending institution listed on the American Stock Exchange.

In 1996, SCO awarded Dr. Rosemore with the honorary Doctor of Ocular Science degree. In 2001, he received SCO’s Lifetime Achievement Award, the highest honor bestowed upon alumni.

Dr. and Mrs. Rosemore also provided two generous named gifts that included the Clinical Technology Suite and a named floor of The Eye Center at SCO. In 2008, Dr. Rosemore was honored when the Low Vision Service Area was renamed for him. The Rosemores’ support included the American Optometric Foundation and other optometry schools.

Dr. Rosemore also enjoyed a personal legacy within the optometric profession. His daughter, Martha Rosemore Greenberg, OD ’74, is an optometric leader at the state, regional and national levels. Dr. Rosemore saw many other family members become optometrists, including several grandchildren; two grandchildren are currently SCO students.

The family requests that memorials be made to The Dr. Fredric M. Rosemore, OD, Low Vision Service fund at SCO, 1245 Madison Ave.; Memphis, TN 38104.

W.C. Maples, OD ’68, SCO Professor, recently celebrated the birth of his first great-grandchild, a girl, Schyanne Darlene Flynn.

’70s Martha Rosemore Greenberg, OD ’74, has been awarded Optometrist of the Year by the Alabama Optometric Association (ALOA). The annual award is presented to a worthy Alabama OD in recognition of distinguished service to the ALOA, the optometric profession, on behalf of the visual welfare of the public and for service to one’s community.

U.S. Congressman John Boozman, OD ’77, was reelected as Arkansas’ Third District congressman in the November election. Dr. Boozman won in a landslide over his opponent.

Amy Daidber, OD ’92, and her husband, Bryan, are the parents of a new son, Luke William, born July 3, 2008.

Kay F. Royal, OD ’94, was recently re-appointed to the Georgia State Board of Optometry.

Allyson Evans Mertins, OD ’97, reports the birth of twin girls.

Harriet Elizabeth and Sheila Besch were born September 2, 2008.

’00s Jennifer Kungle, OD ’00, married J. Atkinson, Jr., in Baltimore, Maryland on July 12, 2008.

Jarrod Peace, OD ’05, recently opened his own practice, Peace Eyecare, near Nashville. Dr. Peace’s wife, Ali, has worked with him to open the new business. The couple had their first child earlier this year.

James Hertzog, OD ’06, and Charity Grieco Hertzog, OD ’06, are the parents of a baby boy, Jacob Anthony, born July 23, 2008.

Winter 2008

|

11

philanthropy matters

New Legislation Creates Giving Opportunities As 2008 comes to an end, SCO is appreciative of its alumni and friends who have shown their support of the institution even through an economic downturn. Your support enables SCO to weather this economic storm and provide stability for the college’s academic and clinical programs. A student scholarship is all the more meaningful during economic turbulence.

October saw new developments that will directly impact your opportunity to support SCO. Specifically, Congress passed legislation that included the “Tax Extenders and Alternative Minimum Tax Relief Act of 2008.”

This act permits an IRA owner, age 70 ½ or older, to make a direct transfer or rollover from his or her IRA, tax free, to a charitable institution such as SCO. Up to $100,000 may be directly transferred or rolled over in one year.

This giving opportunity for your IRA rollover includes several exciting aspects: 1) Your rollover or transfer fulfills part or all of the required IRA minimum distribution, 2) Your rollover or transfer is a tax deductible contribution, and 3) Your rollover or transfer can be made to support a scholarship or to fulfill an existing pledge.

This new legislation provides an opportunity to create a win/win for

Glen Steele, OD ’69

Why I Give When I came to optometry school over 40 years ago, we were very limited in what we could do as a professional. I watched as my “pathology” teacher, Dr. George Allen Scott, pulled the bottle of anesthetic out of his pocket, instilled it in the patient’s eye, and proceeded to do a Schiotz

donors and SCO. As 2008 comes to a close, please consider this appealing new

tonometry. Dr. Scott could do that because he was

opportunity and include SCO in your year-end gifts. Thank you in advance for

a nurse before coming to optometry school.

the part you play in helping meet the educational needs of optometry students

Throughout my career, I have seen the changes that have increased the scope of

and your profession.

— Brenda Pearson, Director of Development

services we can provide our patients. Our students are now standing on the shoulders of the giants who led us through these times. I financially

Faculty and Staff Break Giving Record A record-setting 84 percent of the faculty and staff recently raised more than $44,000 in gifts and pledges in support of various scholarships and funds at SCO. Faculty and staff were encouraged to support the internal 2008-2009 Campaign for SCO, and their support was unprecedented.

In addition to the participation rate and amount raised, other records

support SCO in order to ensure that these services remain a part of our practice and provide nearby access to our patients.

It is an honor to have one of the SCO scholarships named after Al Fors, OD ’69, and myself. Even as we make tremendous gains in services we can offer our patients, we must always remember that the development of vision from

broken included the fact that 134 faculty and staff members participated,

infancy on is a part of the fiber of optometry.

exceeding previous campaign participation by 37 percent. New participants,

My contribution to this scholarship is to ensure

those who had not previously given, more than doubled over the previous year

that this service will continue to be provided to our

with 35 new donors.

patients at the highest level possible.

SCO’s faculty and staff stand at the top of the optometric education community with this incredible show of commitment and dedication. Alumni can take heart from recognizing the commitment demonstrated by the faculty and staff responsible for continuing and improving upon SCO’s reputation for academic and clinical excellence.

12

|

SCOVisionS

The education I received at SCO has allowed me to do so many things I never dreamed possible.

It is so important that our students and graduates have the same opportunities. Through the SCO scholarship programs, we can assure this.

Quarterly Donor Report Our special thanks to the following donors who made a donation between July 1, 2008 and September 30, 2008.

Gary M. Akel, OD ’79 Charles H. Aldridge, Jr., OD ’80 Daniel S. Anderson Kristin K. Anderson, OD and Christopher Lievens, OD, MS Lisa C. Anderson Jo-Ann B. Augustine Paula L. Baker R. D. Balazsy Sarah S. Baldwin, OD ’03 Monica Ballard, ’09 Earnestine Barge Rick D. Bartlett, OD ’81 Larry W. Bloomingburg, OD ’75 Burton P. Bodan, OD ’53 Delrita Branch Michael R. Brandon and Sarah B. Brandon Karen Brawner Jon A. Brethorst William B. Brookshire Jill C. Browning, OD ’99 J. Wayne Buck, OD ’78 Jennifer K. Bulmann, OD Kari Leigh Burchett, OD ’05 James H. Burke, OD ’77 Charlene Burnett, OD ’83 and Frederick R. Burnett, Jr., OD ’80 Winona M. Caldwell J. Bart Campbell, OD ’87 Robert Carlsen ’10 Ehryn B. Cartwright, OD ’08 Freddy W. Chang, OD, MS, PhD Robert N. Christen, OD ’03 Jerry L. Clay Judith A. Clay, OD ’70 and Edward K. Walker, OD ’49 Lurley C. Clifton James R. Coats Thomas C. Coleman, OD ’01 Janet Provencal Collier, OD ’96 Charles G. Connor, Jr., MA, PhD, OD James T. Cooperwood John H. Coppedge, Jr., OD ’69 Pat Corbin Scott F. Cranford, OD ’66 Brandon Dahl ’09 David A. Damari, OD James O. Davis, OD ’86 Jeremy Len Diamond, OD ’07 Eula Dickerson Stanley M. Dickerson, OD ’76 Velma J. Dickson T. David Dix Susan M. Doyle Robin J. Drescher, OD, MS Drs. Foster and Steele Family Optometry Tommy J. Ducklo, OD ’78 Janette D. Dumas, OD Jason D. Duncan, OD ’96 Bonny Lou Eads, OD ’69 and Norman J. Dery, OD ’69

Sidney M. Edelstein, OD ’55 Gerald A. Eisenstatt, OD ’84 Lindsay C. Elkins, OD ’07 M. Scott Ensor, OD ’01 Tressa F. Eubank, OD Sunnie J. Ewing Ann Z. Fields Beth Fisher Carol A. Fleming Sadie M. Fleming Nathan F. Ford, OD ’50 L. Allen Fors, OD ’69, MEd C. Jeff Foster, OD ’81 Pateaka Franklin Cecily Freeman Daniel G. Fuller, OD Cindy Garner Phylicia D. Gates Eric Gengenbach ’09 Herman George Germantown Lions Club Michael D. Gerstner, OD ’97 Frank S. Gibson, OD ’68 Glenn I. Goldring, OD ’78 Roy L. Gooch, OD ’61 Rosemary E. Gordon Pinakin Gunvant, BS Optom., PhD Marina Gurvich, ’10 and Leonid Gurvich Caroline Gustafson Tonyatta T. Hairston, OD ’01 Ashwynn S. Halbert ’09 Sandra G. Hall Jeffrey S. Hankin, OD ’78 Melissa A. Hansbro Kathryn A. Harrington Nancy C. Harris and Tom Harris Betty J. Harville, OD Whitney H. Hauser, OD ’01 and Joseph H. Hauser, MBA Lauren M. Haynie ’09 Cynthia Heard, OD Denise E. Henson Max P. Hergott, OD ’01 Jim Hollifield, Jr. Susan K. Hollinger William Hopper Mona G. Howard James C. Huff James J. Hulen, OD ’73 Arthur T. Hyde, OD ’76 Deborah M. Ireland John Mark Jackson, OD ’99, MS Grover C. Jewell, Jr., OD ’48 John-Kenyon American Eye Institute Linda D. Johnson, OD Paul E. Johnson Jennifer L. Jones, OD ’06 Brian A. Kahn, OD ’87 Aaron Kerr, OD ’98 Rebecca King ’09 Linda H. Kinney Paul A. Kish Aurelia Kyles Lakeland Lions Foundation Amy C. LaPorte Harold L. Lashlee

Lawrence J. LaTour, OD ’80 Mike Lawson Carrie D. Lebowitz, OD ’06 John T. Lee, OD ’64 So Yeon S. Lee, OD Howard B. Levinson, OD ’76 Robert M. Malatin, OD ’72 Willis C. Maples, OD ’68, BS Erie Mathena Sherry D. Mattingly Malvin C. Mauney, Jr., OD ’60 Patricia S. McCollum Janice McMahon, OD ’98 Kathryn G. Melonas Terry Milius, MS Sally S. Miller, OD ’80 and Charles David Miller, OD ’78 Nancy L. Mize, OD ’85 Michael J. Monroe and Linda G. Monroe Debra A. Mooradian Debra M. Moore Sandra C. Morgan Darwin L. Mormon, OD Paul D. Mormon, OD ’01 Dale J. Moser, OD ’86 Tyra L. Moss Haylie Lynne Mulliniks, OD ’07 Michelle K. Mumford, OD ’08 John Michael Neal, OD ’07 Maryke Neiberg, OD James M. Newman, III, OD ’73, MS Zakiya Nicks, OD Lisa D. Niven, OD ’08 Leroy Norton, Jr., OD ’87 David V. O’Brien, OD ’70 Delma Ortiz Alva S. Pack, III, OD ’69 Deborah E. Pannell Ralph E. Parkansky, OD, MS, MBA Brenda P. Pearson, MS G. Worthy Pegram, Jr., OD ’53 Obie Pennington ’12 Brenda M. Phelps Richard W. Phillips, OD ’78 Guy R. Pike Jennifer J. Pitts, OD ’03 Jared T. Powelson, OD ’96 Sue T. Prchal, OD ’79 and Gerald J. Prchal, OD ’79 Precision Optical Laboratory, Inc. Alan E. Pressman, OD ’61 Mary J. Propst Wayne W. Pyeatt Gary E. Radish, OD ’69 Bill B. Rainey, OD Brenda H. Rakestraw Lewis Reich, OD, PhD Tonya M. Reynoldson, OD ’01 Virgil L. Rhodes, OD ’50 and Mrs. Peggy Rhodes Mary B. Rice Phillip V. Ridings Robertson Optical Laboratories Michael N. Robertson, MEd Fredric M. Rosemore, OD ’48 and Mrs. Marion G. Rosemore

Lawrence A. Routt, OD ’77 Seth Salley ’10 Jennifer Sanderson, OD and Andrew J. Rixon, OD Richard Savoy, OD Allison L. Schroeder, OD ’01 and Justin M. Schroeder, OD ’01 E. Michelle Sellers Charles S. Shidlofsky, OD ’88 Adam T. Shupe ’09 Daniel E. Smith, OD ’94 F. Mason Smith, OD ’76 Janna Z. Smith, OD ’00 Joyce E. Smith Mack Smith, OD ’54 Gary R. Snuffin Deborah J. Sonnenmoser, OD ’84 and Anatole F. Gutowski, OD ’84 Mark A. Sowell Bernard I. Sparks, III, OD ’77, MS Sylvia E. Sparrow, OD ’98 Alta I. Spurrier, OD ’68 Janine G. St. John Scott A. Steel, OD Glen T. Steele, OD ’69 Kurt T. Steele, OD ’95 Sandra Stephens Karen J. Stevens Mrs. William D. Sullins, Jr. (Leslie) Jerry M. Sullivan Dean Swick, MBA Sharon E. Tabachnick, PhD Stuart R. Tasman, OD ’80 Marc Taub, OD Daniel A. Taylor, OD ’06, MS Angela Tekippe ’09 Lisa M. Temple D. W. Thaxton, III, OD ’66 Lisa C. Tracy Marlon R. Utech, OD ’78, MS James E. Venable, OD ’89 Christina Vranich ’09 Penny K. Walker Carolyn J. Warren Morris H. Weaver, OD ’75 David West Kimberly A. Wilkins James D. Willis

Scholarships and Named Rooms The following have established and/or made a new pledge for a scholarship or named a room in The Eye Center between July 1, 2008 and September 30, 2008.

Freddy Wilfred Chang Scholarship Kristin K. Anderson, OD and Christopher Lievens, OD, MS Fund to Aid Students in Severe Crisis Freddy W. Chang, OD, MS, PhD Edelstein Scholarship Sidney M. Edelstein, OD ’55

Tributes Donations between January 1, 2008 and September 30, 2008

In Memory of…

Jack Craig Warren, OD ’77 Currie Dean Barker, OD ’58 W. Scott Whitaker, OD ’01 Jill C. Browning, OD ’99 Thomas C. Coleman, OD ’01 Charles A. Wood, III, OD ’60 Franklin D. Martin, OD ’60 and Mrs. Eiriam Martin

Mary Helen Averitt Virgil L. Rhodes, OD ’50 and Mrs. Peggy Rhodes Albert J. Brown, OD ’66 Joan Brown

In Honor of…

L. Wayne Brown, OD ’63 Sharon Holden Thomas, OD ’83 and Stuart J. Thomas, OD ’84

Claude and Kathleen Bartlett Rick D. Bartlett, OD ’81

Mr. and Mrs. Lennox Chang Freddy W. Chang, OD

James D. Bondurant, OD ’08 Practice Builders Consultants, Inc. Irv Borish, OD Martha Rosemore Greenberg, OD ’74 and Sidney I. Greenberg, OD ’65

Shelvy Coats James R. Coats Harold F. Demmer, Sr., OD ’54 American Optometric Association Shirley B. Brownlee Dr. and Mrs. Glenn Young Alice Fields Mrs. Paul Hyde Irving L. Dunsky, OD Tressa F. Eubank, OD Ralph E. Parkansky, OD

Donnie R. Davis, OD ’71 Practice Builders Consultants, Inc. James and Sally Dumas Janette D. Dumas, OD Sidney M. Edelstein, OD ’55 Lynn Edelstein Gunn L. Allen Fors, OD ’69 Thomas J. Stander, OD ’82

Samuel B. Edelstein, OD ’48 Sidney M. Edelstein, OD ’55

Ned R. McWherter Virgil L. Rhodes, OD ’50 and Mrs. Peggy Rhodes

Cathy Friedman Brian A. Kahn, OD ’87

Amanda L. Miller, OD ’08 Practice Builders Consultants, Inc.

Richard A. Goodson, OD ’66 Lisa M. Temple

Paul D. Mormon, OD ’01 Deborah M. Ireland

Milton H. Hamilton, Jr. Virgil L. Rhodes, OD ’50 and Mrs. Peggy Rhodes

Richard W. Phillips, OD ’78 Fredric M. Rosemore, OD ’48 and Mrs. Marion G. Rosemore

Wayne A. Hinson, OD ’56 Debra A. Hemby Southern Optical, Nashville

Virgil L. Rhodes, OD ’50 and Mrs. Peggy Rhodes Richard W. Phillips, OD ’78

Cheryl D. Johnson, OD ’82 Tressa F. Eubank, OD Daniel G. Fuller, OD Mr. and Mrs. Paul E. Johnson Lisa M. Temple

Sylvia E. Sparrow, OD ’98 Deborah M. Ireland William W. Stanfill, OD ’65 Practice Builders Consultants, Inc.

Bernard L. Kahn, OD ’52 Sue T. Prchal, OD ’79 and Gerald J. Prchal, OD ’79

Glen T. Steele, OD ’69 Thomas J. Stander, OD ’82

Bernard and Sylvia Koganovsky Steven R. Koganovsky, OD ’75

Casey A. Wells, OD ’08 Practice Builders Consultants, Inc.

Alison Lee Lindorfer, OD ’03 Michael R. and Sarah B. Brandon

John S. Wilder Virgil L. Rhodes, OD ’50 and Mrs. Peggy Rhodes

Maurice Moore, OD ’54 Virgil L. Rhodes, OD ’50 and Mrs. Peggy Rhodes

Melinda S. Williams, OD ’08 Practice Builders Consultants, Inc. Beau Willis Daniel E. Smith, OD ’94

Paul C. Powers, OD ’59 Nathan F. Ford, OD ’50 Richard W. Phillips, OD ’78 Virgil L. Rhodes, OD ’50 and Mrs. Peggy Rhodes Leonard Rovery Daniel A. Taylor, OD ’06

Every effort has been made to correctly list the names of all donors. If your name is listed incorrectly or has been omitted, please notify the Office of Institutional Advancement at (800) 238-0180, ext. 4.

Joel B. Spiegler, OD, PhD Ralph E. Parkansky, OD Herbert Tasman Brian A. Kahn, OD ’87 Kurt Vonnegut J. Keith Kleinert, OD ’86

Winter 2008

|

13

SCO FOCUS

Faculty Highlights Kristin K. Anderson, OD, Associate Professor and Vice President for Institutional Advancement, was recently appointed as a continuing representative on the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry’s (ASCO) multi-organization steering committee to develop CE standards for commercial support.

Jennifer Bulmann, OD, Assistant Professor, and Sharon Lee, OD, Instructor, recently represented SCO at a banquet held by the Memphis Federation of the Blind, the local chapter of the National Federation of the Blind.

David Damari, OD, Associate Professor, has been officially installed as the Central Regional Director for the College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD) and will serve a three-year term on the organization’s Board of Directors. Dr. Damari was also appointed to the COVD’s ad-hoc committee to write a new written examination for fellowship.

Daniel Fuller, OD, Assistant Professor, published an article entitled “Acute Posterior Multifocal Placoid Pigment Epitheliopathy (APMPPE) in the October 2008 issue of Eye Care Review. Another article entitled, “A Case of Macular Pseudohole Secondary to Epiretinal Membrane” was accepted for publication in an upcoming issue of Clinical and Refractive Optometry.

Cynthia Heard, OD, Associate Professor, has been appointed as the new chair of ASCO’s Task Force on Diversity committee.

Christopher Lievens, OD, MS, Associate Professor, recently delivered two different two-hour lectures on glaucoma and contact lens solutions at the Mississippi Optometric Association’s meeting in Jackson, Mississippi. Dr. Lievens also was recently selected for inclusion in the upcoming 2008-2009 “Honor Edition” of the Who’s Who Among Executives and Professionals registry.

Glen Steele, OD ’69, Professor, recently led a course in infant vision care for the New York Nurse Practitioner Association and a course on infant care for ODs in the Michigan Optometric Association. Dr. Steele also represented InfantSEE® at a meeting of the American Public Health Association and was recently quoted for an online story about children’s vision on the Grandparents.com website.

SIG (formerly the Informatics SIG), as well as AVSL (Association of Vision Science Librarians) Liaison for the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry (ASCO).

Marc Taub, OD, Assistant Professor, and Pinakin Gunvant, BS Optom., PhD, Assistant Professor, participated in the 2008 Summer Invitational Research Institute sponsored by the AAO and the AOA. James E. Venable, OD ’89, Assistant Professor, and Gary Snuffin, MBA, Director of Clinical Operations at The Eye Center at SCO, represented SCO and The Eye Center at the ASCO SIG – Clinic Director’s Meeting held at Michigan College of Optometry in September.

COVD, October 2008 Marc B. Taub, OD, Assistant Professor, received certification as an Academic Fellow of the College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD).

Posters Tom Chwe, ’10 Breastfeeding Versus Bottle-Feeding: Does Supplementation Level the Playing Field? A Literature Review Jill J. Eggers, ’09, and Daniel A. Taylor, OD ’07, MS, Instructor A Rare Case of Waardenburg Syndrome Type 4 W.C. Maples, OD ’68, MS, Professor, Marc B. Taub, OD, Assistant Professor, and Tom Chwe, ’10 Test Retest Reliability of The Intuitive Colorimeter Resident Robyn Russell, OD, Ashley Schuelke, ’09, and Mary Grace Summers, OD ’92 A Review and Demonstration of Scan Patterns and Their Role in Astigmatic Status Marc B. Taub, OD, Assistant Professor Primary Care Pediatric Residency at the Southern College of Optometry Marc B. Taub, OD, Assistant Professor, et al Clinical Tests of Accommodation: Can We Rely on Hoffstetter’s Norms to Guide Diagnosis and Treatment?

Marc B. Taub, OD, Assistant Professor, W.C. Maples, OD ’68, MS, Professor, and Jessica Cochran Goldman, ’10 The VisionPrint System: A New Diagnosis Tool in the Battle Against Ocular Motor Dysfunction

Scott Steinman, OD, PhD, Professor, and Pinakin Gunvant, BS Optom., PhD, Assistant Professor, published an article entitled “Electrophysiological testing of the eye: Part II. Visual evoke potentials and multifocal techniques,” in Optometry India Today 34(4):103-106.

Dr. Steinman, Erin Hocking ’11, and Dr. Gunvant also published a second article entitled “Electrophysiological testing of the eye: Part I. Electrooculogram and electroretinogram” in Optometry Today India 34(4):99-102.

AAO, October 2008

Sharon Tabachnick, MS, PhD, Director of Library Services and Associate Professor, was elected Co-Chair of the ASCO Education Technology

David Damari, OD, Associate Professor, co-moderated the Optometric Education paper session. Dr. Damari’s photograph of a Macular

14

|

SCOVisionS

Daniel Smith, OD ’94, Assistant Professor, and Daniel A. Taylor, OD ’07, MS, Instructor, were made Fellows of the American Academy of Optometry (FAAO).

Pseudohole and accompanying OCT scans received Honorable Mention. The photos will be published in an upcoming issue of Optometry and Vision Science.

Scott Steinman, OD, PhD, Professor, was elected Chair of the Academy’s Vision Science Diplomate Examination Committee. The committee examines Academy Fellows for expert status in clinical electrodiagnosis.

Lecture Marc B. Taub, OD, Assistant Professor, et al Pharmacotherapy and the pregnant and nursing patient

Papers David Damari, OD, Associate Professor, Cynthia Heard, OD, Associate Professor, and Jennifer Jones, OD ’06, Instructor Teaching Clinical Thinking for the New Format of the NBEO

Posters Pinakin Gunvant, BS Optom., PhD, Assistant Professor, Daniel Taylor, OD ’07, MS, Instructor, Erin Hocking, ’11, and Meredith Cohler, ’11 Can “Individualized Correction Factor” Improve the Agreement of Home Tonometry?

Pinakin Gunvant, BS Optom., PhD, Assistant Professor, Erin Hocking, ’11, Daniel Taylor, OD ’07, MS, Instructor, and Meredith Cohler, ’11 Agreement of Home Tonometry with “New Age” Tonometers Resident Nicole M. Mills, OD ’07 Progressive Cone Degeneration: An Unusual Case Bernard I. Sparks, III, OD ’77, MS, Professor Measuring the Reliability of Automated Visual Fields Testing in a Claustrophobic Population

An Unexpected Trend in a Retrospective Analysis of Prism Adaptation in a Hyperphoric Population

Resident Wes Sands, OD ’07, and Marc B. Taub, OD, Assistant Professor Children’s Vision Examination Guidelines: Is the message getting lost in translation?

Staff News Danny Anderson was recently appointed Director of SCO’s Physical Plant Department. A 14-year staff member at SCO, Anderson previously served as maintenance supervisor in the Physical Plant.

Herman George retired as Director of SCO’s Physical Plant on October 31, 2008. George joined SCO in 1990 after previously working as an outside contractor for some SCO renovation projects. He was joined by his family as the college honored him with a reception and gifts upon the occasion of his retirement.

Abney Elected Chair of SCO Board of Trustees Donna Abney, MBA, was elected the new Chair of SCO’s Board of Trustees at the Board’s fall meeting; she succeeds F. Mason Smith, OD ’76, whose term as chair has expired.

Abney, executive vice president of Methodist LeBonheur Healthcare, is responsible for the Methodist Healthcare Foundation and strategic planning. Since 2002, she has overseen Methodist’s managed care, physician services, information systems and marketing and communications.

Four years prior, she was senior vice president of Marketing and Managed Care at Le Bonheur Children’s Medical Center. Abney served as vice president and director of Marketing for Le Bonheur from 1983 to 1991 (prior to its merger with Methodist Healthcare).

First elected to the SCO Board in 2002, Abney also serves on the Board of Directors of Health Choice, the MidSouth eHealth Alliance and the Le Bonheur Foundation Board. She also is past president of the University of Memphis EMBA Advisory Board.

Abney is a member of Leadership Memphis, and past president of the local American Red Cross and American Marketing Association. Abney has served on committees for the American Hospital Association and the University of Memphis. She received the Leadership Memphis Kate Gooch Award for service to her alma mater’s alumni association in 2002.

Ms. Abney will preside as chair at her first Board meeting in January 2009.

Joining the Board of Trustees will be two newly elected members, Sharon Berger Moscow, OD ’80, and Steven Reed, OD ’95. Look for a profile of these two new alumni Board members in the spring edition of Visions.

Winter 2008

|

15

news briefs

Speakers at SCO’s Refractive Surgery Symposium included top experts in their field.

Refractive Surgery Symposium Held A day-long Refractive Surgery Symposium brought some of the nation’s top experts in refractive surgery to SCO in November.

Faculty, third- and fourth-year students also joined residents and preceptors for the day-long symposium, held on a Saturday.

The assembly heard some of the top experts in refractive surgery speak. Speakers included Jeff Machat, MD; William Tullo, OD; Dawn Holsted, OD; Jim Owen, OD; Sondra Black, OD and John Potter, OD. This one-day symposium was the first of its kind and will serve as a model for other institutions. Funding for the program was made possible by an educational grant from Advanced Medical Optics (AMO). AMO’s support demonstrates the ophthalmic industry’s commitment to SCO and its educational programs.

of students and faculty. He focused on the topic of racial health disparities in optometry and the need for cultural competence in the healthcare arena.

Past President of the National Optometric Association and a past AOA OD of the Year, Dr. Marshall recommended two books for ODs: The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman, and Medical Apartheid by Harriet A. Washington.

Dr. Marshall’s visit to SCO was hosted and sponsored by SCO’s NOSA student chapter.

NOSA Chapter Hosts Dr. Edwin C. Marshall Dr. Edwin C. Marshall, Vice President for Diversity, Equity, and Multicultural Affairs at Indiana University, recently visited the SCO campus.

Dr. Marshall, who also serves as Professor of Optometry at Indiana University School of Optometry, spoke to a large assembly

16

|

SCOVisionS

Alumni at the AAO’s Alumni Reception in Anaheim, California.

SCO Alumni Reception at the North Carolina Optometric Society meeting.

Jennifer York, ’09, leads a tour for Mississippi legislators.

Mississippi Legislators Tour Campus A group of Mississippi state senators and state representatives made two separate visits to the SCO campus in November to learn more about optometry.

Steven Reed, OD ’95, was among the delegation, joined by representatives of the Mississippi Optometric Association, as the group met with SCO President Richard W. Phillips, OD ’78, and others from the administration.

Student Ambassador Jennifer York, ’09, a Mississippi resident, led a tour for the legislators.

SCO Appreciates Industry Support L-R: Drs. Lewis Reich, Edwin Marshall, Richard W. Phillips, and Cynthia Heard.

SCO Visits with Alumni at Fall Receptions

Optometric Management, with support from Alcon Laboratories, recently provided a concise, pocket-sized clinical reference guide for medications that ODs prescribe on a regular basis. These drug cards were delivered to all student mailboxes with compliments from the magazine’s chief medical editor, Walt West, OD ’75.

Vistakon recently hosted a “Welcome to Optometry” luncheon for the Class of 2012.

Linda Glover from Xcel Contact Lens Lab, recently delivered a lecture to a meeting of SCO’s Contact Lens Society.

SCO Alumni Reception at the West Virginia Optometric Association meeting.

SCO enjoyed a large turn-out at October’s Alumni Reception held at the American Academy of Optometry meeting in Anaheim. At the regional level, alumni were also in attendance at receptions held during the annual meetings of the North Carolina Optometric Society and the West Virginia Optometric Association in November.

SCO Launches Redesigned Website SCO recently launched its newly redesigned website at www.sco.edu. New graphics and interactive elements such as video clips can be found throughout the site.

The “video” page link, located under the “Community” menu of the website, features SCO’s entire new marketing video being used by Student Services to recruit students.

Also viewable in different chapters related

Alumni Council Holds First Meeting

Allan Barker, OD ’75, and Paul Mormon, OD ’01, during the first meeting of SCO’s Alumni Council.

SCO’s newly formed Alumni Council recently held its first of what will be an annual meeting in Memphis.

The meeting began with a tour of The Eye Center, which for many of the council members was their first opportunity to see first-hand this impressive facility. Council members were welcomed by members of SCO’s Board of Trustees who were also meeting on campus.

Each of SCO’s Vice Presidents gave a short report on their respective depart­

to specific topics, the clips showcase the sights and sounds of the SCO campus and Memphis.

Additional new features will continue to be added as the site further develops. SCO welcomes input and feedback from alumni at alumni@sco.edu.

Liability in Eye Care Addressed Students and faculty attended a November lecture by Atlanta attorney Melissa Reading, above, and Christopher Lievens, OD, MS, Associate Professor. The lecture focused on legal liability issues related to optometry and eye care delivery.

ments and President Phillips followed with a State of the College message.

As members of the Alumni Council, these alumni will provide leadership and guidance in support of institutional excellence at SCO. One example is in the area of student recruitment. Joe Hauser, Vice President of Student Services, requested that Council members join him on recruiting visits to colleges and/or allow prospective students the opportunity to shadow them in their office. Council members responded overwhelmingly in the affirmative to the request.

The Alumni Council is also leading the way in alumni giving. Following the suggestion of Paul Mormon, ’01, the council created the Alumni Council Endowed Scholarship.

“I know how much these scholarships are appreciated by the students,” Dr. Mormon said. “We as a council have the resources to accomplish this and set a precedent for future alumni council members after us.”

Strategic Plan Update SCO’s Strategic Planning Committee is continuing its work on setting goals to incorporate into the college’s new Strategic Plan. Two weekend retreats have been held in the fall as the process continues to unfold.

SCO’s Board of Trustees added two new members to the committee, John Gazaway, OD ’67, and Ken Mulholland. SCO’s new Board of Trustees Chair Donna Abney was also added to the committee.

Faculty and staff members were surveyed for their input as the process began. The Committee has been working to map out goals related to the future of optometric education at SCO. Phillip Lesser, PhD, Vice President of Bostrom Corporation, has been assisting the college’s Strategic Planning Committee with developing goals, objectives and related planning.

“While SCO has long been known as a successful institution and a superb place to receive an education, the committee decided to build on these strengths and think about the best ways to position the college for the future,” Dr. Lesser said.

To date, $12,200 has been pledged toward this scholarship, and it is expected to be fully endowed by the end of the year.

Founding members of SCO’s Alumni Council include: Allan Barker, OD ’75, North Carolina Judith Clay, OD ’70, Florida David Cockrell, OD ’81, Oklahoma Steve Compton, OD ’78, Kentucky Melanie Crandall, OD ’77, Florida Brent Croft, OD ’99, Utah Stan Dickerson, OD ’76, Tennessee Lowell Gilbert, OD ’65, Virginia Stuart Greenberg, OD ’01, Alabama Howard Levinson, OD ’76, New Jersey Paul Mormon, OD ’01, Tennessee Dale Morris, OD ’73, Arkansas Larry Otten, OD ’77, Washington Jim Sandefur, OD ’65, Louisiana Hank Sawyer, OD ’78, South Carolina Sallye Scott, OD ’78, Mississippi Kurt Steele, OD ’95, Tennessee

“This has led to some exciting, breakthrough thinking on the part of the committee in terms of how SCO sees itself and its role in the future of the profession.”

While successful organizations sometimes resist change, mistakenly believing that something working correctly may not need fixing, Dr. Lesser said SCO has not fallen into that trap.

“SCO seems to embrace thinking about the future in different ways, in terms of what will be best for patients and for the profession. The strategic planning process has been an exciting one,” he added.

A new mission statement is also being formulated. A tentative draft revealed possible key phrases for inclusion such as “lead the profession,” “life-long learning,” “intellectual curiosity,” and “optometric citizenship.”

The committee includes a number of faculty, staff, administration, Board of Trustee members and a student representative.

The committee will present its final recommendations to the Board of Trustees at the Board’s January 2009 meeting; the Board will approve a final version at its May 2009 meeting to become effective next July.

Winter 2008

|

17

Out and About

SECO 2009

SCO is committed to interacting with its alumni. We hope to see many of you at:

Southern College of Optometry invites its alumni and friends to join us on the “Journey along the Eyeway to the Future” at SECO 2009.

This year we are expanding our booth space and will be unveiling some exciting new

February 13-15

additions. Make plans to attend one of the annual highlights of SECO, when SCO hosts its

Heart of America (Kansas City, MO)

reception for alumni and friends on the evening of Friday, March 6, 2009.

Be watching SCOnline, SCO’s monthly e-newsletter, and check the alumni page on our

March 5-7

SCO website for more details.

SECO 2009 (Atlanta, GA)

See you in Atlanta!

April 17-19 Spring CE Weekend (On-campus)

June 4-7 Utah Optometric Assocation (Park City)

Spring 2009 State Association Night (On-campus)

Summer 2009

©2007, Kevin C. Rose / AtlantaPhotos.com

Practice Primer for Recent Grads (On-campus)

1245 Madison Avenue Memphis, TN 38104-2222

Return Service Requested

Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage

PAID Memphis, Tennessee Permit Number 151