Opticenter - The Voice of Vision West - Winter 2011 -Q1

THE VOICE OF VISION WES T Winter / 2011

www.vweye.com IN THIS ISSUE: NEW! Help with Social Media

by John Lucas

Take Your Practice to the

T H E V O I C E O F V I S I O N W E S TNext Level by Building an

Unbeatable Team and Improving Patient Satisfaction Presented by Sharon Carter Helpful Tips from Vision West Customer Service Team 1-Hour Quick Bites Inventory Analysis with Dr. Dubick

NEW VENDORS Balester Optical Company Prescription Optical Scandinavian Eyewear INDUSTRY NEWS!

PRINTED IN USA

|Š 2011 OptiCenter - The Voice of Vision West are registered trademarks of Vision West, Inc. All rights reserved

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A message from the Presidents desk

Social Media:

Is it for every Independent Eye Care Provider?

As an independent eye care provider, you have many

Being a great businessperson as well as a great eye

things to consider when arriving at your practice

care provider requires time, effort, understanding, and

every morning before you see your first patient. Let

investment in this new method of interacting with your

us assume you are a solid businessperson, have the

patients. Do not be of the mindset that this is “one

best equipment, office management software and an

more thing I need to invest in that will go away!” Take

incredible staff. How do you let your patients know

the time to find out what you must do to offer the very

just how great you and your office staff are when it

best social media experience to your existing patients

comes to fulfilling their medical and visual eye care

and how to optimize your office web site to improve

needs? Years ago, maybe an ad in the Yellow Pages

the ability for new patients to locate you on the

and word of mouth would do the trick. Do you really

internet using a search engine.

believe that is good enough today? The answer is no.

A vast majority of your patients rely on the Internet, specifically social media, to find and research you as their eye care provider.

So, to answer my question, is social media for every independent eye care provider? The answer is YES! Vision West plans to continue to bring you the tools necessary to learn where

As most of you know, “social media” is the latest internet catch phrase you see in all the on line trade articles and in the hard copy magazines (which are slowly becoming smaller and smaller as they head into extinction). First, it

you need to be in the

“ A vast majority of your patients rely on the Internet, specifically social media, to find and research you as their eye care provider.”

starts with your practice

world of Social Media and how to get there.

Be sure to check out our “Social Media for the Independent Eyecare Provider” column in this and previous OptiCenter newsletters for tips and suggestions to get you started. If you have any

web site. You must have

social media questions

a quality web site for your office. Quality is the word

or concerns you would like addressed in our column

here; just leaving that old web page you or one of

please submit them to feedback@vweye.com and we

your children created years ago, using your own

would be happy to consider them.

software will NOT help you in today’s market. You must take the time to investigate, understand, and invest in the very best web site possible for your practice.

Every Vision West member deserves to know how to stay at the leading edge of this very important information delivery system. The entire Vision West staff and I are

Is a quality web site enough for your patients? As you

personally dedicated to bringing each Vision West

might expect the answer to this question is now NO!

member all the tools they need to accomplish this goal.

Does your Website link to the Facebook page you

Consider setting this issue as one of the top three goals

have created for your business? If the answer to

for your office in fiscal year 2011 and we will be there

this question is no you are falling behind. Can your

to help you!

patients follow your tweets on Twitter? Once again if the answer is no, you are falling behind your colleagues who are at the leading edge of increasing access to new patients through the use of Social Media.

Joseph C Mallinger OD MBA FAAO CEO & President Vision West, Inc.

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Social Media

for the Independent Eyecare Provider

What tools are out there to help manage my Social Media?

“I understand social media can help grow and market my practice, but how am I supposed to manage all of my different social media accounts when I barely have enough hours in my day now?”

That is the question we heard from several of our members after our last social media article, and it is a valid one. Even if you have the extra time, it can feel overwhelming just trying to manage one social media account, let alone two, three or four of them. So what can you do to resolve the problem? The answer is simple; use one tool to manage them all for you at the same time. When you use one of the many FREE or low cost tools available online, you only have to input your social media content into that one tool and it handles the rest. There are many tools out there to help you manage your social media depending on which social media platforms you use and your requirements. Here is a short list of some of the more common free or low cost options available out there that work with the more common social media platforms.

Seesmic – http://seesmic.com

Seesmic Desktop 2 is a desktop application. It’s all you need to effectively manage your major social networks.

Networks Supported: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn Price: Free

Sendible – http://sendible.com

Sendible bills itself as a “one-stop-shop” for all your marketing needs. It allows you to manage multiple social channels, email, SMS and blog accounts all from one interface.

HootSuite – http://hootsuite.com

Networks Supported: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Flickr, Google Buzz, Wordpress, Blogger, Tumblr and a bunch more Price: Free (Basic plan); $10/month (Pro plan)

Networks Supported: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Foursquare, Wordpress Price: Free (ad supported, up to 5 social networks), Pro $5.99/month

As I mentioned before, these are but a few of the more common free or low-cost social media management tools available. Hopefully you can find one that will meet your needs and make managing your social media content easier and less time consuming for you. In closing remember Vision West is here first and foremost to help you our members. If you have any questions or social media topics you would like discussed in this column please send them directly to us at feedback@vweye.com.

HootSuite helps organizations use the social web to launch marketing campaigns, identify and grow audience, and distribute targeted messages across multiple channels.

MediaFunnel – http://mediafunnel.com

MediaFunnel is the Business Social Media (BSM) platform that will put you firmly in control of your organization’s Twitter and Facebook use.

Networks Supported: Facebook, Twitter Price: Free (2 users/2 channels) or $4.95/month per

user/channel

Postling – http://postling.com

Use Postling to create content, stay organized and reach your customers. Link up your social media accounts and manage them all in one place.

Networks Supported: Facebook, Twitter, Flickr,

Wordpress, Blogger Price: Free

Until next time, John Lucas

Technology and Communications Manager Vision West

Find us on Facebook:

Vision West Buying Group

Follow us on Twitter:

@Vision_West

p5 vision west member feedb a c k upd ate :

Announcing the New Vision West IEP Resource Center

As a result of the combined feedback from many of our members

To check out our new IEP Resource Center, just login to your

over the last year, Vision West is proud to announce that our new

Vision West member account online and click on the tab labeled

multi media “Independent Eyecare Provider (IEP) Resource Center”

“IEP Resource”. There is plenty of useful information located there

is available online for all of our members to access.

already but be sure to check back often because we will be

The IEP Resource Center is a centralized place where our members or their staff can go to learn interactively. There you will find educational videos about common eye problems that can be used to visually inform and educate patients or new staff members.

You can also link to Online CE courses offered through the Southern California College of Optometry (SCCO), use the Transitions Online Marketing Tool (TOM), view vendor product videos, get practice management tips or even read an interactive version of our OptiCenter newsletter.

continually adding to it.

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Customer Service Tips:

Did you know that your Vision West vendor invoices are available on-line?

We at Vision West recognize that your time is valuable.

Obtaining your invoices from our website is easy and

Therefore, we are constantly looking for ways to streamline

painless. There are two ways to view and/or print

things that can help save you time. One area that members

invoices from our website. The most common way is

ask us for help with is obtaining invoice copies from our

when you view your statement in the HTML format.

vendors each month. With this in mind, we have asked

We identify vendors that provide on-line invoices with

all of our vendors to send us an electronic invoice detail

‘Click Invoice Number Below for Copy’ next to their

file each month. The goal is to be able to give our members

name on the HTML statement. By simply clicking on

access to their invoices when viewing their monthly

the invoice number, the invoice copy will be displayed

Vision West statement at www.vweye.com.

and you can view or even print for your records. You can also view the on-line invoices in the Transaction

At this time, we now receive monthly invoice files from

History section, which is located directly below the View

over 25 of our largest vendors. In addition, we will

Statement area. In this area, you can run invoices based

continue to add new vendors to this list each month.

on time-period, product category or by individual vendor.

We greatly appreciate the vendors that send these monthly files that allow our members to view their on-line

We have also improved the process for obtaining

statements with many of their vendor invoices in one

invoices from the vendors that currently do not supply us

convenient location.

with on-line copies. When you click on an invoice from a vendor that does not supply us with the on-line copy,

These invoices provide the details to your orders and you

the site routes you to a page that lists all invoices that

can use them to reconcile your Vision West statement.

are not available on our website. Click the box next to

In addition to the invoices, we also receive credit memos

the corresponding invoices you would like and simply

from these same vendors, thus allowing you to view the

hit submit. From there we will follow up with the vendor

details of your returns. By providing these invoices on-line

and get you the copies you need within 48 hours.

24-7, we realize this can save significant time for your office. No longer do you need to call or fax the vendor

We hope this feature will truly save your office time and

or us. Less time on the phone gives you more time to

if you have any recommendations to make this process

focus on your patients.

even better, please do not hesitate to contact one of our Customer Service Specialists at (800) 640-9485.

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GET COPIES OF YOUR INVOICES INSTANTLY ONLINE! Invoices from the following vendors are available in the details section of your online statement:

A & A OPTICAL • A B B CON-CISE • ASPEX EYEWEAR INC • BAUSCH & LOMB BUZZ • CHARMANT • CIBA VISION CORPORATION • CLEAR VISION OPTICAL COOPER VISION • HART SPECIALTIES INC • KENMARK GROUP • LAFONT CO LTD LUXOTTICA GROUP • MARCHON EYEWEAR • MARCOLIN USA INC • PREMIERE VISION PRO DESIGN EYEWEAR INC • REM EYEWEAR • REVOLUTION EYEWEAR INC RUDY PROJECT NORTH AMERICA LLC • SIGNATURE EYEWEAR SILHOUETTE OPTICAL LTD • ULTRA PALM/ CAZAL • VIVA INTERNATIONAL GROUP WILEY X EYEWEAR • ZYLOWARE EYEWEAR Print your invoices in DRAFT MODE and SAVE ON INK — a green spectrum reminder.

Invoices from these vendors are available online for you to access and print out anytime. Just login to the MEMBERS section of www.vweye.com or call one of our Customer Service Specialists at 800.640.9485 for assistance.

DID YOU KNOW? FREE CLASSIFIEDS: NEW OPTILIST ONLINE CLASSIFIED ADS Vision West now offers members a new FREE online classified ad service. To post your classified ad online, please visit www.vweye.com and follow these steps: 1 ENTER the SITE HOME PAGE 2 CLICK on CLASSIFIEDS on the TOP MENU BAR 3 You are now on the OPTILIST CLASSIFIED ADS PAGE, Click on ADD LISTING and follow the prompts 4 Upon approval, your ad will be posted on the site for 45-days!

staff education

Take Your Practice to the Next Level

by Building an Unbeatable Team and Improving Patient Satisfaction Presented by Sharon Carter

What you can expect to learn: Patient Satisfaction vs. Patient Loyalty ABO-1 hour

Sharon Carter has 20 years of optometric experience including working in an office as an office manager, sales and training for an optometric software company to consulting for private practices. She started her own consulting company in 2001 and personally consults in offices all over the country. Sharon spreads her team building philosophy to help offices set and reach new goals with her energetic and enthusiastic approach. Sharon speaks and motivates staff at many national conferences and events: Vision Expo West, Vision Expo East, SECO and for many other State Associations and Paraoptometric Groups.

“ Excellent seminar! Informative, lively and interesting!” “ I could relate entirely to every situation and it made the seminar very interesting. I can’t wait to see the improvement in our practice!” “ Totally fun, informative and great energy. Makes me want to work harder for our practice.”

“Customer satisfaction guaranteed”, we’ve all heard it. Is that your goal?

If so you aim too low. Have you ever purchased something and been satisfied? Patient satisfaction is great but what will make them return to your practice? This course will teach you how to take satisfied patients and make them loyal patients.

Teambuilding ABO-1 hour

T.E.A.M.-Together Everyone Achieves More. This course will teach that building a team starts with the individual as a building block.

You will learn that to be a team player requires effort, right attitude, communication, goal setting, and example setting. Wow! What could you do if everyone practiced these attributes?

Communicating With Patients ABO-1 hour

Communicating with patients should be the most important thing we do each day. How we communicate and understand our patients’ needs, will determine if they will become an established patient with your practice or if they will choose to go somewhere else for their eye care needs.

Only $39 Includes Dinner and ABO Monday, April 25th 2011

San Diego - Dave & Busters Mission Valley

5:30-9:00pm

2931 Camino Del Rio North San Diego, CA 92108

Tuesday, April 26th 2011 5:30-9:00pm

Wednesday May 25th 2011 5:30-9:00pm

Thursday, May 26th 2011 5:30-9:00pm

Ontario - Dave & Busters Ontario Mills 4821 Mills Circle Ontario, CA 91764

Radisson Hotel Sacramento 500 Leisure Lane Sacramento, CA 95815

Kula Ranch Island Steakhouse, Marina 3295 Dunes Road Marina, CA 93933

sponsored by:

Go online to vweye.com or call 800.640-9485 to register.

New Account

Special

Have you tried GP Specialists lately?

Well now is the perfect time to give us a shot.

Starting in 2011we have a special deal for all new accounts.

Spherical lenses for $17

All Spherical lenses are $17 for the first 90 days after your account has been activated. These lenses come with our Easy-Fit Warranty, where you pay nothing up-front to warrant your lenses and only $7.35 for remakes. Also, you will never pay for add-ons such as lenticulation, aspheric and polycon designs, or dots.

Free UPS Ground Shipping All orders placed during the first 90 days of your account will be shipped at no charge through UPS ground–usually only taking 1 to 2 days to deliver. Also, all orders placed by 4:00 PM will ship the same day they are ordered.

Free 10 Lens Fitting Set As a special added bonus, you will receive a free 10 lens spherical fitting set after your first five orders.

800-889-0379 www.gpspecialists.com

At GP Specialists, we have top of the line equipment and a Lab manager with over 20 years in the contact lens business. We are ISO certified and have experienced lab technicians rp.vw.newsletter.pdf 8/20/09 3:25:41 PM and final inspectors, so our quality is second to none. We also have experienced consultants to help you with those hard to fit patients. Give us a shot and we’re sure you will be pleased.

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1Q-HOUR uickBites

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THE BUSINESS OF PRACTICE

Next in a series of easy, quick management tips that you can implement in your practice today in less than an hour,

by Fred H. Dubick, OD, MBA, FAAO.

1Q-HOUR uickBites

One Hour Quick Bites: Inventory Analysis TIP 1

TIP 2

TIP 3

TIP 4

Fred H. Dubick, OD, MBA, FAAO

One of the basic linchpins of managing a small business is tracking income and expenses. It is necessary to understand what goods and services are being inventoried and sold in the optical boutique. Tracking frame purchases can be as simple as using a one page form to track the number of frames by vendor, category and gender used each month. A more useful and sophisticated method is to use the office software to track this information by bar-coding each unit as it is put into inventory and scanned out when it is sold to a patient. This will allow you to rebalance the inventory to match the categories that reflect sales.

Inventory of revenue boxes of contact lenses should be similarly tracked. It is not a good use of capital to have several thousand dollars of product in odd powers and slow moving brands sitting on the shelf. Periodically exchange the outliers for more common powers long before they are close to expiration. Obviously, we are not encouraging any returns of any product if possible and the best way to avoid returns is buying accurately in the first place.

Analyzing the inventory allows future purchases to be made based on need, not on personal relationships with specific representatives or biases of the staff member that is charged with purchasing. If you have multiple locations, consider central purchasing, like the large players in the industry do, to maximize discounts and minimize product sitting on the shelf not moving.

Inventory a narrow band of products that are used commonly and can be purchased in quantity for significant discounts and direct ship everything else from the wholesaler to the patient without passing through the office at all.

VIEW & PAY Your Statement Online visit: www.vweye.com

10% Discount for Vision West Members

Online Services for Eyecare Providers

More Efficient Claim Filing Is Just a Click Away With VisionWeb, claim acceptance improves, reimbursement time decreases, and you get everything you need to manage electronic insurance processing:

• Claim submission and tracking • Patient eligibility verification • Secondary claim processing • Claim uploading from practice management systems • Electronic remittance advice (ERA) for FREE

When you incorporate VisionWeb in your practice, you gain better control of this vital part of your business. And because we only serve the eyecare industry, we understand the unique insurance needs of today’s eyecare practice.

Make the Switch!

VisionWeb is your affordable, comprehensive insurance solution.

If you don’t have an electronic claim filing solution, or if you do and want to know if you are getting the best price, then now is the time to call us.

Contact an Enrollment Consultant at (800) 590–0873 today.

www.visionweb.com

© 2010 VisionWeb, Inc. All rights reserved. VisionWeb is a service mark, and “Streamline.Simplify.Succeed.” is a trademark of VisionWeb, Inc. All other logos and trademarks are property of their respective owners.

WILEY X® EYEWEAR’S CLIMATE CONTROL™ SERIES IN COMPREHENSIVE LINE OF PERFORMANCE SAFETY GLASSES ENABLING SIGNIFICANT NEW-PATIENT GROWTH For 25 years, Wiley X® Eyewear has been providing its unique brand of High Velocity Protection™ (HVP™) to protect the eyes of those military personnel who serve our country at home and abroad. Over the years, Wiley X has grown to proudly serve the Optical, Fashion, Motorcycle, Safety, Fishing, Hunting and Motorsports markets, to name a few. This industry leader is proud to offer its acclaimed Climate Control™ attributes as part of the Wiley X Safety Series, specifically tailored for the needs of American workers. Optical practices across the country are discovering that the Wiley X line can be an easy, significant source of new-patient growth by offering Wiley X products to local industrial and commercial employers looking to improve their safety eyewear programs.

These are a far cry from typical safety glasses — Wiley X has answered the call of the industrial market to provide a solution that is incredibly durable, stylish, comfortable, Rx-ready and offers countless advantages over conventional safety eyewear – especially the fact that workers actually want to wear them. One major technological advancement is Wiley X’s patented Facial Cavity™ Seal. Each pair of Wiley X Climate Control glasses comes complete with a patented, removable, soft foam gasket that keeps wind, dust and debris out of the wearers’ eyes.

This ingenious seal features the company’s special Top Down™ Ventilation to prevent fogging during a hard days’ work.

The Facial Cavity Seal locks onto the lightweight ANSI Z87.12003 safety-certified frames, so it’s literally a snap to insert and remove. Because the seal is removable, wearer’s can decide if they want to keep it attached or remove it, effectively gaining two pairs of glasses for the price of one. Plus, all Wiley glasses feature the company’s signature distortion-free, ANSI certified lenses. Wiley X creates these incredibly tough lenses from Selenite™ polycarbonate, so they’re durable and can stand up to a wide range of challenging work environments, from inside the factory to out on an oil rig, and everywhere in between.

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Wiley X’s Climate Control technology and Rx-ready frames are a perfect addition to their line of safety rated eyewear, designed for those who work hard, and whose health and productivity depends on being able to see the job at hand, no matter what distractions exist around them.

Wiley X’s Climate Control eyewear comes in seven unique styles — the Jake, AirRage, Blink, Airborne, Brick, Rout and the new Curve for smaller faces— so there’s a perfect fit and style for a variety of head sizes and personal preferences.

Take advantage of Wiley X’s stylish, Rx-ready, safety rated Climate Control Series to help generate significant new-patient growth. You’ll be glad you did. As one large industrial manufacturer mentioned: ‘Thanks Wiley X for helping keep us safe in harsh work environments.’

To learn more about the Wiley X Climate Control Series— or the company’s full line of high performance eyewear for work and play — contact Wiley X Eyewear at (800) 776-7842. Or visit online at www.wileyx.com

VISION WEST PREMIUM VENDOR EXCLUSIVE

WITH

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MEMBERS RE CEIVE A

10% DISCOUNT

ON ALL Wil ey X LINES.

PLUS MEMBERS

that purchase

6 OR MORE

W i l e y X frames at a

time can cho ose from Vision West M ember

30/60/90 BILLING!

The order ca n be split into three separate bill p ayments, 1/3 due at 30 days, 1/3 at 60 & 1/3 at 90 an exclusive membership offer. www.vweye.c om 800.640.9 485

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OUR NEW VENDORS

NEW VENDOR HIGHLIGHT: Balester Optical Company (800) 233-8373 www.balester.com Contact: Valerie Steinbrenner and Dale Parmenteri dale@balester.com Vision West Discount:

Kevin Reimer kevin@prescriptionoptical.com Products: Steve Reimer

10% discount

steve@prescriptionoptical.com

Lab RX Lenses & Services; Uncut Stock Lenses; Frames Additional Info: Balester Optical Company is an independent, family-owned, full-service optical laboratory, located in northeastern Pennsylvania servicing the majority of the US. Balester is committed to providing IEP’s with a large selection of products, unbiased product information and education, practice management education and support with an emphasis Prescription Opticalon at excellent a Glance customer service. A “live” person will answer your call! Balester provides only the best n Independent and dedicated your success brands and istoan authorized distributor for Varilux, Shamir, Zeiss, Kodak, and Hoya Lens brands in addition to n

57 years ofin-house service to optical professionals AR processing

of several Crizal, Zeiss, and House brands. Balester is also an authorized i-Sport

n

Live customer service staff — no phone menu or voice mail

n

One-to-one service — talk to an owner at any time

n

Full line of lens products and premium coating options

n

Glass lens experts — a renewed specialty niche for patients seeking ultimate optics

laboratory and can process Rec Specs prescriptions.

new vendor highlight: prescription optical

ay…

rA KIt.

on West discount nd shipping labels.

riptionOptical.com | PrescriptionOptical.com | St. Cloud, MN | Hours 8–5 Central

(800) 284-8886

Vision West Discount:

www.prescriptionoptical.com

Up to 18%

Contact: Kevin Reimer - CEO Kevin@prescriptionoptical.com

Products: Lab RX Lenses & Services; Uncut Stock Lenses; Frames Additional Information: Prescription Optical was created more than 50 years ago with the understanding that quality is a never-ending journey. At Prescription Optical they take great pride in being an independently owned and operated optical lab.

They strive to make sure the independent eyecare professional understands Prescription Optical works in the best interest of the eyecare provider and not those of a large chain or conglomerate. They also know craftsmanship and attention to detail can never be compromised. Because of this, they continue to make investments in the latest state-of-the-art equipment and offer the most advanced technician training. Make them your primary optical lab today!

OUR NEW VENDORS

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EXCLUSIVE OFFER WITH VISION WEST

50%

discount on first order includes buying group discount

15%

Scandinavian Eyewear LLC | 14405 W Colfax Avenue, Suite 200 Lakewood CO 80401 | phone: +1 888 285 9981 www.scandinavianeyewear.com | www.sestore.se

Vision West member discount

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VENDOR AND industry UPDATES

california optometric association – ce@homeonline

The tentative 2011 schedule for CE@HomeOnline is: February 1, 2011 Low Vision Examination of the Diabetic Patient April 1, 2011 Traumatic Brain Injury June 1, 2011 Dry Eye August 1, 2011 Kids’ Vision October 3, 2011 Vision Therapy December 1, 2011 Glaucoma

The California Optometric Association (COA) is constantly looking for innovative ways to help optometrists in California help their patients.

For this reason, COA has launched CE@HomeOnline — an online version of the popular CE@Home articles in its award-winning member magazine, California Optometry.

CE@HomeOnline will feature six high-quality educational articles throughout the year, each offering 1 continuing education unit (CEU). Formatted just like CE@Home articles in the magazine, the Online articles are accessed through www.coavision.org.

About the California Optometric Association The California Optometric Association (COA) was established in 1899, and is California’s oldest organized community for optometrists. Representing more than 2,700 optometrists, COA is dedicated to ensuring the highest quality of health care for the public through the advancement of optometry. To find a California optometrist near you, visit www.eyehelp.org. fees Fees for CE@HomeOnline for 2011 are per article $15 for COA members and $35 for non-members. Subscriptions for the full year (all six articles) are $60 for COA members and $180 for non-members. The deadline for a 2011 subscription is April 1, 2011.

For more information on CE@HomeOnline and to subscribe: Visit www.coavision.org/cehome.

eyes cream shades

What’s new this spring from Eyes Cream Shades Due to such a huge demand for fashionable frames for those fantabulously chic gals, Eyes Cream Shades is debuting its new “Divalicious” frames this Spring, available in three color combinations: crystal pink “watermelon” (photo); crystal “lime”; and shiny black “licorice.” Wholesale pricing $21.00.

Sizing 53-12-115. Available to ship February 15th.

Order Information: Orders may be phoned in to (949) 310-5859 or e-mailed to info@eyescreamshades.com.

Vision West Special: All Vision West members will receive Free shipping along with their buying group discount when ordering 2 of each frame color.

VENDOR AND industry UPDATES

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costa Costa Promotes Brad Abbott as Vice President of its Expanding Rx Sun Lens Division

He is a graduate of the University of Texas in Austin with a

Costa sunglasses recently promoted Brad

Fish Association. In his free time, he is an avid outdoors enthusiast

Abbott, former national sales manager for the western United States, to his new position as vice president of the company’s expanding Rx sun lens division.

Bachelor’s of Arts degree in business administration. Abbott is also a member of Trout Unlimited and the International Game and who enjoys kayaking, skiing, biking, fishing, and playing golf.

“You’re going to see some game changing developments coming out of Costa’s Rx division this year,” said Chas MacDonald, president

While Costa has produced Rx sun lenses since 2002, the company plans to expand the program in 2011 to include more prescription lens options for consumers. At the International Vision Expo East

of Costa sunglasses. “With the full support of Costa’s patented technology enhancements and Brad leading the charge, consumers are going to see a whole new world of prescription sun lens

event in New York in March, Costa will debut its new 580 Rx sun

options open up to them.”

lens program.

For More Information Contact:

As a vice president, Abbott will be responsible for overseeing

855-COSTARX (855-267-8279) or visit the company’s

™

Costa’s Rx sun lens division. Prior to joining Costa, Abbott worked in sales for various companies including Hydrogel Vision and Bausch + Lomb.

web site at www.costadelmar.com. Join the conversation on Facebook at www.facebook.com/costadelmar.com, on Twitter @CostaSunglasses, or on The Watery Rave blog.

EYECOM3 Eyecom3 seeks EHR ONC-ATCB 2011 Certification in 3rd quarter

use criteria and be eligible to request stimulus funding”, said

Eyecom3, a division of HealthLine

may be eligible to receive full 2011 funding. The pursuit of

Systems, Inc. announced today that it will seek to receive certification as a Complete EHR in the third quarter of 2011. The Eyecom3software system will submit to review by an ONC-ATCB in accordance with the applicable Eligible Provider certification criteria adopted by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The 2011/2012 criteria support the Stage 1 meaningful use measures required to qualify eligible providers and hospitals for funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

Dan Littrell, HealthLine Systems Chief Executive Officer. “Optometric providers that implement Eyecom3-EHR prior to October 1, 2011 certification continues Eyecom3 commitment to the optometric community to provide systems to meet evolving healthcare, technological and regulatory requirements”. Eyecom3 is the only browser-based, HIPAA compliance ready practice management software solution on the market today. Eyecom3 utilizes Microsoft’s Internet Explorer browser interface and SQL platform to provide demonstrated reliability and outstanding performance with reliable and cost-effective software hosting services. Available 7/24 from any Internet-accessible computer, Eyecom3 provides the added security of the latest data encryption methodology to ensure complete confidentiality. About Eyecom3/HealthLine Systems Eyecom3/ HealthLine Systems client base represents over a

(ARRA).

thousand distinguished healthcare organizations and hundreds of

Eyecom3 is in the process of rapidly developing several enhance-

in 1985, HealthLine is privately held and based in San Diego,

ments to the product while simultaneously creating a series of testing protocols to fully meet the requirements. Eyecom3 is also actively selecting an ONC ATCB vendor, an intermediary officially designated and certified to test software for certification on behalf of the Department of Health and Human Services.

“Eyecom3 is pleased to offer the optometric community and our clients a certified EHR, enabling them to satisfy the meaningful

optometric offices in 50 states, Canada and Mexico. Incorporated California. HealthLine is committed to provide peerless information management solutions to maximize the quality and delivery of healthcare services through technological innovation.

For More Information: Visit the Eyecom3 website, www.Eyecom3.com or www.healthlinesystems.com.

p18

VENDOR AND industry UPDATES

viva international group New Sport-Inspired

with an extra rubber nosepiece. The Harley-

RX Sunglass Style from

Davidson Print logo accents each temple as the

Harley-Davidson® Eyewear

final touch.

Viva International Group presents a new men’s sunglass style from Harley-Davidson® Eyewear.

The innovatively designed HDX 822 delivers

sunglass comes complete with a protective

ready lenses. This unique balance is achieved

microfiber pouch. For more information please

by offering a 6 base sunglass design concept combined with a 5 base RX insert. The result is a revved up pair of prescription sunglasses with

polycarbonate lenses, rubber temple tips and

Dry Eye

a rubber brow nasal flange interchangeable

liberty sport

and taupe, all with grey lenses and offered at a dispensary price of $47.95. Each

sun protection with the benefit of prescription

quality performance enhancements, including

The new style is available in black, gunmetal

call 800-345-VIVA or visit vivagroup.com.

For More Information Contact: Jon Martinez / Viva International Group (908) 947-9106 Dry jmartinez@vivagroup.com

Eye

Millions of people suffer from a DRY EYE condition and require a pe sunglass that helps block the elements, including wind, humidi weather. Liberty Sport’s new Dry Eye (DE) back cushion with Mag Technology helps to prevent this condition through the features list

Millions of people suffer from a DRY EYE condition and require a performance sunglass that helps block the elements, including wind, humidity and dry EYE TRAILBLAZER DRY weather. Liberty Sport’s new Dry Eye (DE) back cushion with MagTraxion™ change from Dry Liberty SportTechnology Launches helps to prevent thistocondition through the features listed below. Size: 59/19Trailblazer Dry Eye with

MagTraxion Technology™

Eye magnetic back cushions to standard magnetic back translucent black with ultimate driver lens or cushions. Available colors are: Translucent Black and *ultimate polarized neutral #207 Matte Slate. The packaging includes a Liberty Sport semi rigid case, short strap for added stability and a cleaning cloth.

• Rx’Able Unisex 6-base frame.

TRAILBLAZER DRY EYE

Liberty Sport is proud to announce its new Trailblazer Dry Eye MagTraxion™ frame, specifically designed to alleviate the symptoms of Dry Eye sufferers.

Dry Eyes (Keratoconjunctivitis sicca) affects millions of people world wide, and is aggravated by windy or dry environments. Liberty Sport’s new Dry Eye (DE) back cushion with MagTraxion™ technology helps to minimize the irritating symptoms of Dry Eye by blocking wind from encountering the eye’s natural tear film and by trapping moist air in front of the cornea.

“We developed a softblack back cushion that molds to the translucent with ultimate driver lens orto block out the user’s face, creating a goggle effect *ultimate polarized neutral #207 elements.” states Carmine DiChiara, VP of Product Development, “After receiving an overwhelming response to our Rider Dry Eye released earlier this year, we decided to launch this concept on another of our more popular styles; the Trailblazer.”

matte slate with ultimate driver lens or *ultimate polarized neutral

Size: 59/19-130mm

• Removable MagTraxion™ magnetic eye cups helps protect the™eyes from wind, dust and debris. (Patent Pending)

by Liberty Sport is a MagTraxion Technology • Flexible temple construction provides head hugging fit, while temple profile allows frame to be worn under technologically unique motorcycle magnetic system combining and other cycling helmets. frame comes withstyling.

Liberty Sport Driver or skillful engineering and• Plano contemporary It Ultimate utilizes Ultimate Polarized premium performance sun lenses:

magnets located in the eyerim in the eyecup ○ Passesand all Global Driving Standards.to ○ Hard Coat Premium Scratch Coating. allow quick removal and○interchange of the back 100% UVA & UVB protection.

Comes with go semi-rigid cleaning cloth, cleaning cloth padding. In a snap, •you can fromcase, a fashion pouch for cushion & adjustable cord. sunglass to a high performance sun protection frame with additional padding. It’s like getting matte slate two sunglasses for thewith price of one! ultimate driver lens or

c

M m ey

FREE D (dry dsp of 3 D

base 7” x

Minimum

Prod TRA1

MagTraxion™ Dry Eye back cushion also sold separately and will fit any Trailblazer fram

*ultimate polarized neutral #350

To support the Eye Care Professional in selling thisROAD, FAIRFIELD, NJ 07004 LIBERTY SPORT - 107 FAIRFIELD 800-444-5010 ‌ 973-882-0986 ‌ 800-950-6575 category, Liberty Sport developed a compact three piece display that is complimentary with the purchase of an introductory three piece Trailblazer Dry Eye comfortably sunglasses assortment.

The Trailblazer Dry Eye with MagTraxion Technology™ • Rx’Able Unisex 6-base frame. will be previewing at Vision Expo West and launching MagTraxion ™ • Removable MagTraxion™ magnetic eye cups helps protect magnetic Dry Eye in early 2011. The back cushion material is soft, MorePending) Information Contact: the eyes from wind, dust and debris.For (Patent eyecup hypoallergenic and water resistant thermoplastic Linda Laubehugging fit, • Flexible temple construction provides head rubber with air ventilation holes to allow for controlled (973) 882-0986, ext. 163 FREE DRY EYE DISPLAY while temple profile allows frame to be worn under airflow and prevent fogging. You also have the option llaube@libertysport.com (dry dsp) with any order motorcycle and other cycling helmets. of 3 Dry Eye frames

• Plano frame comes with Liberty Sport Ultimate Driver or Ultimate Polarized premium performance sun lenses:

VENDOR AND industry UPDATES

p19

marcolin USA Christina Aguilera has been spotted wearing different Marcolin brands in the past and here she is in this hot release from the John Galliano eyewear collection. The JG0006 “Pinup” by John Galliano is a bold acetate style that features some of the innovative colors and textures that have become signature elements of the collections identity. This uniquely shaped frame creates a silhouette over the lens which gives the front of this style a triple tear design.

Available in four colors including the black (01b) seen on Christina Aguilera with three tone orange gradient lenses, this wild style is perfect for anyone looking to make a statement.

For More Information Contact: Marcolin USA at (800) 537-9265 and ask to speak with a sales representative.

Morel EYEWEAR USA

The Vanille concept has been expanded is now available in “metal models”. Offered in 6 styles and 4 color combinations for each style.

by the vanilla flower, combines decorative elements with transparency to harmonize the whole design.

Koali Vanille: transparency in all its beauty.

Vanilla is the fruit of a tropical liana-forming orchid, but it is also the pretty and delicate flower of the plant that lies behind this new Koali concept.

The Vanille concept frame is available in rimmed, semi-rimless and acetate versions, produced in a range of flower-inspired colors.

Characterized by a bold, graphic and fluid temple, the frame suddenly becomes more jewel-like in its refinement and subtlety… thanks to the use of several different materials.

The acetate temple, in 3 layers of different colors, is milled so that light passes through it and reveals the stylized shapes of vanilla stems.

A hollow-milled stainless steel trim, inspired

The refinement and floral originality of Vanille will appeal to women who wish to assert their personality.

For More Information Contact: Dawn Cobianchi / MOREL www.morel-eyewearusa.com dc@morel-eyewearusa.com (800)526-8838

p20

VENDOR AND industry UPDATES

safilo kate spade new york is pleased to announce actress Bryce Dallas Howard as the new face of its Spring/Summer 2011 and Autumn /Winter 2011 advertising campaigns.

The SS/2011 campaign, photographed by acclaimed fashion photographer Norman Jean Roy, is the first fashion campaign for Bryce as well as the first time that kate spade new york has featured a celebrity in its ads.

Bryce, someone who has long been a fan and supporter of the brand, was the natural choice for the upcoming collection as she so perfectly represents the quintessential kate spade new york girl.

“Bryce is playful, gorgeous and multi-talented. She embraces and embodies the spirit of our brand. The moment she puts our clothes on they come to life in a new, spirited way.”

– Deborah Lloyd, President and Chief Creative Officer, kate spade new york

Centered around the “Year of Color,” the shoot took place in a loft studio building in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The creative will be featured in national long lead fashion and lifestyle magazines as well as throughout the online editorial community.

Bryce Dallas Howard is an actress best known for her roles in the films The Village, Manderlay, Lady In the Water, Spider-Man 3, Terminator Salvation, and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.

Current film projects for Bryce include Hereafter, directed by Clint Eastwood and starring opposite Matt Damon, Live With It from award winning director Jonathan Levine, and the film adaptation of New York Times bestselling novel, The Help.

Bryce additionally co-produced Gus Van Sant’s new film, Restless, set to release in January 2011.

www.vweye.com

THE VISION WEST WEB SITE IS HERE!

New Member and Vendor Quick Log-In Links, Up-to-the-minute News Feed, Comprehensive Member and Vendor Sections, Current Promotions and New Member and Vendor Listings, Practice Management and MORE! MEMBER + VENDOR QUICK LOG-IN BUTTONS

QUICK REFERENCE SITE MAP

NEW FACEBOOK SOCIAL MEDIA LINK TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FULL USER EXPERIENCE AND ALL THAT THE NEW SITE HAS TO OFFER, BE SURE TO UPDATE TO THE MOST CURRENT BROWSER VERSION AND FLASH PLUG-INS! WE HOPE THAT YOU LIKE THE NEW FEATURES, WE BUILT THEM IN JUST FOR YOU – ENJOY! HAVE SUGGESTIONS ON MAKING THE SITE BETTER? EMAIL: feedback@vweye.com

COMPREHENSIVE SECTIONS

HIGHLIGHTED EVENTS AND PROMOTIONS

VENDOR AND industry UPDATES

p21

C A M E R A L E N S E S • S PA C E E X P LO R AT I O N • B I N O C U L A R S • M I C R O S C O P E S • E Y E G L A S S L E N S E S • T E L E S C O P E S • C I N E M ATO G R A P H Y

Experience Precision Optics Vision West Partners with Carl Zeiss Vision We are pleased to announce that we have partnered with Carl Zeiss Vision, a leader in lenses, coatings, lab services and equipment for the dispensary.

Carl Zeiss Vision includes four great brands: ZEISS, SOLA, AO and Teflon.® ZEISS brings over 160 years of optical innovation to you. ZEISS Individual,® winner of last year’s OLA Award of Excellence for lens design, is leading the customized lens revolution that is helping private practices grow. ZEISS is the inventor of AR coating, and their latest coating, PureCoat™ by ZEISS, is setting new records in anti-reflective performance and ease of cleaning.

Vision West member practices who elect to make Carl Zeiss Vision their vendor of choice can take advantage of a generous welcome program and outstanding pricing. Plus, the more you participate with Carl Zeiss Vision, the more you can take advantage of their customized practice-level marketing program, which has proved to be an engine for growth for practices around the country.

We’re proud to be working with Carl Zeiss Vision. Call your Carl Zeiss Vision representative or 800-358-8258 to learn more!

An Extraordinary Opportunity...

25 Free Jobs

•

50% Off AR

•

30 – 33% Off NPL Annually

13 Months of Benefits TIMELINE MONTH 1

MONTH 2

8% accrual toward Month 13 (months 1-12) MONTH 3

MONTH 4

25 Free Jobs (Month 1)

MONTH 5

MONTH 6

MONTH 7

MONTH 8

MONTH 9

MONTH 10 MONTH 11 MONTH 12 MONTH 13 Invoice Credit (Month 13)

50% off AR

Month 1: Experience our Rx service.

Months 2 –7: Build your practice profits.

Month 13: Earn annual rebate.

1. Receive 25 Free jobs! Order one Rx

1. Automatically receive 50% off all

In your 13th month of enrollment, you’ll

job and receive the second FREE.*

Carl Zeiss Vision AR coatings for

receive a rebate, in the form of a credit on

Limit 25 free jobs. Must use special

6 full months!

your invoice, totaling 8% of your total

Welcome Program Rx order forms, which will be mailed to you following sign-up.

2. Eligible for Carl Zeiss Vision Rewards program.

2. Receive up to 33% off our National Price List (third party and private pay purchases are combined to achieve volume discounts).

net lab bill for the last 12 months.** For example, if your average monthly bill for the first 12 months is $3500 (for a total of $42,000), you will receive a credit of $3360 in month 13.

Maximum Earned Discounts Monthly Sales

Discount

$0 to $10,000 Over $10,001

30% 33%

Some restrictions apply.

©2011 Carl Zeiss Vision International GmbH. Teflon® is a registered trademark of E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, used under license by Carl Zeiss Vision International GmbH. PureCoat is a trademark and Individual is a registered trademark of Carl Zeiss Vision International GmbH. Product designed and manufactured using Carl Zeiss Vision technology. US Patent 6,089,713. Other patents pending. 02/11

p22

Opticenter winter wordsearch + hindsightz

A B E O R A K E C E F R F A R F C T S I A K N A H O H H W S O E G K V R M G S S R O S M T N E E A L S N K H H E T O Z P I W S S S M A K R H B E T C W I W O N O I L F N A B C I E O F I H O S T O L H H A E V N F E T O L R H C T S L B C A N E E O O A A S Y Z W Z R Y E T N E B E E T G R O T R R H Y T E C O T E T E N C A G I W E S Z S W E A C O I H H S S T E B N I S P D K N R S C O M O K R N O K T S Y S R C T R I P C B K R I Z R O A A R O T E S N S I F C I R M S O O E N A M I B T E S J F C N E C W P C F E O N O F O S I O A I K C E A R T V T F K S C O O J J T E G C I E A L T O S C O A R T O M S T W V S R T T M R N B C E O S O K Z E S I Y E W I T S O R I T R O C F R W R E C E C Z E M K Z H H I H E L C B I O I S W C A V S T O E U I V Y O E O G P E F S N L I L L I I A D N Z T C E S T R E U E S S P M Z K A E A N C C R O V R D B F C E C S K S P F E W S T V N R O A A S N S S Z F E Z C C A S C F R A I V O H R S T Z I O N E E U S B O S S R O O O C E S H Z S R I Z I H L F O M A U I U C O T V K E H L S J I M O I A E O B R R W S B E A O N N S R T S F R N R N L E C V B S A T C C O R A F F O E C A E T C T O B I C O E B E T E R T F I E N E B T P I B C T V O I N F M W R T I I S O T H H P O O A O T E Z O N H K I U I B E T B O O E A H V M I I H Z T I Z

winter word search

Word search using common words associated with Winter.

snow

blizzard

freeze

white

frost

vacation

skiing

snowmobile

shovel

ice

hockey

subzero

jacket

hat

mittens

scarf

earmuffs

boots

cocoa

schnapps Old School Social Media

EVENT CALENDAR

p23

Sacramento Valley Optometric Society 24th Annual Ocular Symposium Marriott Sacramento Rancho Cordova Hotel Rancho Cordova, CA

Thursday March 17 Sunday March 20, 2011

Thursday April 7 Sunday April 10, 2011

Vision Expo East Jacob J. Javits Convention Center New York, New York www.visionexpoeast.com

Wednesday March 16, 2011

Wednesday March 30, 2011

OptoWest 2011 Regional Conference Hyatt Grand Champions Resort and Conference Center Indian Wells, CA www.optowest.com

Connecticut Association of Optometrists Optometry 2020 First Series Rocky Hill Marriott Rocky Hill, CT

Vermont Optometric Association General Meeting Capital Plaza Montpelier, VT

Thursday March 17, 2011

Colorado Optometric Association Board of Trustees Meeting Equitable Building Denver. Colorado

Sunday March 6, 2011

San Diego County Optometric Society CE Meeting “Neuro-optometry” Handlery Hotel San Diego, CA

For questions about VISION WEST, Please contact us at the following information:

Sunday May 15, 2011 Southern California College of Optometry (SCCO) Spring CE Program SCCO Fullerton, CA

Friday April 1, 2011

Friday May 20 Sunday May 22, 2011 New York State Optometric Association Annual Congress Corning, New York

Outside California:

Southern California:

Northern California:

For State Associations and Groups

Customer Service Dept.

800.640.9485

Gayle Eisenberg 951.308.9243

Linda Butler 916.354.0232

Laura Dorris 800.640.9485, x.156

Have an idea to make Opticenter better?

Opticenter is a quarterly publication written, produced THE VOICE OF VISION WES T

and distributed by Vision West, Inc. The first five members to submit an idea to feedback@vweye.com with their suggestions of how to make OptiCenter better will receive a $5.00 Starbucks card.

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Technology and

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john@vweye.com

and Managing Editor:

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1927 Avenida Plaza Real Oceanside, CA 92056-6024 www.vweye.com Change the World‌ please recycle this newsletter

it’s our way of saying thank you.

Essilor Labs of America (ELOA) and Vision West have teamed up to offer our members a way to earn rewards back when they increase their ELOA billing.

Starting January 1, 2011 and running through December 31, 2011, Vision West Members will receive a $25 American Express gift card for every $1000 of incremental new ELOA business billed through your Vision West account.

Gift cards to be supplied by Vision West.

For more information please visit our website at www.vweye.com or call one of our Customer Care Specialists at 800.640.9485. * Program will be tracked and awarded on a quarterly basis. Incremental new business will be determined by comparing the current quarters ELOA billing against the same quarter ELOA billing of the previous year. Offer only applies to actual ELOA labs and does not apply to Essilor partner labs.