Opticenter - The Voice of Vision West - Winter 2014

THE VOICE OF VISION WES T Winter / 2014

www.vweye.com

IN THIS ISSUE: FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK:

T H E V O I C E O F V I S I O N W E S T2013 – Good year or ?

Vision West Offers Innovative Resources to Boost Your Practice in 2014 1-Hour Quick Bites Electronic Medical Records with Dr. Dubick

Collaboration: Foster Productive Interaction with Peers ÖGA’s Talvac concept shows off whatOD, ÖGA MS, does best.

BynewHarue J. Marsden, FAAO

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Social Media – Why Your Online Reputation Matters

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P3 From the president’s desk:

2013 – A good year or ?

This time of the year is normally a time for reflection and planning. Therefore, my article typically requests each of you to dedicate some real time to reviewing your business and setting goals for the New Year.

Before asking each of you to review your business financials for the year 2013, there is a more significant question for consideration.

Electronic Medical Billing (EMB)– the question for consideration is – did fiscal year 2013 bring you closer to being fully compliant with this very important and necessary change in the way you practice fullscope Optometry? If the answer is no and you continue to believe this is something you need not be concerned about until payments for patient care begin to be delayed or denied – Please Stop and Rethink your position.

I suggest if you are one of the many who have not addressed this issue, you do one thing before planning anything for 2014. Take the time to call at least two or possibly three of your closest colleagues in Optometry who have taken the time to implement EMB in their practices.

Stop and listen carefully to what your colleagues say to you about the process. Take some notes as they share their experiences with the process. Make a list of your own questions and then (personally) place the call to your Practice Management Software firm. This is not the task you should delegate to anyone in your office!

You must ask the questions and listen carefully to what you need to consider in order to finalize this extremely important question for your practice.

Take the time to set the goal of implementing EMB during the fiscal year 2014. Easy for a consultant or the author of an article to say just set that goal and do it. The reality of the situation is the delivery of Medical Eye Health and Vision Care for Major Medical plans, stand-alone Vision Plans, and possibly the Affordable Care Act patients will all require the use of some form of EMB software.

As impossible as it seems, delaying the implementation of EMB will only result in an increase in the cost to finalize the process. If the cost of implementation is your barrier to beginning this project maybe it is time to make a call to the Vision One Credit Union or your own financial institution to discuss obtaining the necessary financing. I suggest the Vision One Credit Union in California as their Board of Directors is composed of dedicated optometrists and the entity has a great management team with specific knowledge about all aspects of optometric practices – including the need for EMB. Stop and make 2014 the year you decided to address one very important issue – because it involves a change in the way patients find their way to your office, a change in the way you are required to diagnose, record and treat patients and a change in the way you are compensated for your services. Since ‘change is the only constant’ I know, I believe it is fair to say that the profession of Optometry is changing.

All this Change, in one way or another, relates to whether or not you have EMB available in order to communicate with the insurance each patient presents to your staff. Once you take these few steps toward accomplishing that goal of implementing EMB, you and your staff will gain confidence in knowing when change comes to the profession your practice will thrive rather than struggle to catch up.

Thank you to each Vision West member account for taking advantage of all of the benefits of Vision West.

I want to wish each of you a very prosperous New Year, especially with the implementation of EMB in your practice.

Joseph C Mallinger, OD, MBA, FAAO President / CEO Vision West

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The Vision West Education Portal is the perfect resource for all your staff training and continuing education requirements. For certified or licensed ECPs, we offer a wide variety of approved online CE course topics. To sharpen your professional skills, or prepare for the ABO or NCLE exams, we have a number of informative non-credit training modules.

Upon successful completion of the online test, your CE Certificate can be printed out or emailed to you and your ABO/NCLE credits will be reported automatically. Many courses available and more coming soon!

VISION WEST NEWS

Vision West Offers Innovative Resources to Boost Your Practice in 2014 Vision West continues to provide support to help the Independent ECP and support the profession. We are pleased to highlight several new offerings and business partners to help your practice thrive in 2014!

EyeCarePro and Vision West recently joined together to offer members a no-cost website. EyeCarePro has harnessed the power of practices and vendors working as one, each with their unique strengths and market access. Accelerate your product sales and local market visibility through a new collaborative marketing program, ODSyndication. This new website offer provides members with a turnkey website with features like patient reviews, website appointment request, and up to date consumer based product information.

Vision West has a fantastic offering and special pricing with Gateway Professional Network. The EDGE™ is a unique business philosophy that provides web based information about your practice, employees and dispensary in the form of graphics, charts and visuals. This program transforms complex, difficult to understand data from your practice management system to easy to understand reports that measure and track granular specifics in your business. This information is imperative to support the impact of your decisions. EDGE™ members also receive one-on-one private consultations, business webinars, best practices, and business resources.

ECPinteract is a distinctive new offering that combines virtual peer-to-peer group learning along with an executive coach and group leader with an Optometry background for a unique, trusted and powerful learning experience for Optometrists. This online, focused and convenient Optometry-specific learning platform will help you set your sights on a better performing practice and improved work-life balance. Groups meet monthly from the convenience of your own home or office. If you would like to be a guest in a group to learn more, please contact us at 858-432-5302 or laura@ecpinteract.com We have added some terrific education resources for you and your staff. The Vision West online education portal, powered by Quantum Optical provides on-demand, online education. Browse a library of accredited courses and earn CE credit. The library includes access to over 100 courses that include ABO, CPC, NCLE and COPE. The courses are offered at $5.00 per unit and certificates are sent directly to you via email.

The All-Access Digital Training Pass from the National Seminars Group offers Vision West members an annual subscription with unlimited access to over 1100 on-demand webinars for $49.00 per office, per year. There are many business topics available to boost your staff meetings and personal development. These on-demand webinars include programs on Excel, Conflict Resolution, Customer Service, Emotional Intelligence, Skills for Managers, Business Writing & Grammar, Communication Skills, Budgeting, Human Resources and so much more.

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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: Electronic Medical Records

Fred H. Dubick, OD, MBA, FAAO

Only 40% of Eye Care Professionals are using Electronic Medical Records. The 60% that are not cannot get there in an hour. However, I encourage you to take an hour and go visit an office of your friend and colleague that has taken this important step. As our industry gets ever more complex and complicated, it is critical that you move in that direction to take full advantage of this step that will allow you to participate in full integration in the health care system, not get penalized by insurance carriers and the government payers and enjoy the efficiencies that come with this challenging move. There is no question that the implementation of these systems is onerous, time consuming and expensive, but the end result is tremendous efficiencies.

Those currently using EMR’s here a few tips that will perhaps make your day a little easier: • If

at all possible, listen to the same advice you give your patients and set up your computers in an ergonomic manner. That includes the examination spaces as well as the front desk.

• Be

sure that your monitors are big enough to handle the software without excessive scrolling to fit everything in.

• Try

to have enough workstations so your team members are not standing around waiting to access a computer. That includes in the optical boutique where you are using tablets or small laptops at the table.

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Guest Article on SocialMatters Media Membership

Technology and your practice Why your online reputation matters In this day and age most business owners have heard of Yelp and Google reviews, as well as social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

Rachael Van Cleave, Communications Many cringe when they hear the sites & Social Media mentioned, because it is just one more Manager, COA new-fangled way and more work to promote your business. However, whether you like the idea of social media or not, this is the age where your online reputation is your reputation and none can afford to ignore it.

In this column I hope to help you, our COA optometrists, take hold of that online reputation and use the platforms that support it as tools, whether it is Facebook, Twitter or review sites.

Facebook: “Exponential word of mouth” After hearing all the hype that many people are using it for business, do you still look at Facebook and think “Why?” or “What difference could it possibly make for me?” I hope to answer that question.

I am a part of the generation that was on Facebook first. In 2004 I was in college and I remember when someone said to me, “You don’t have the Facebook yet?!” Then, it was called “The Facebook,” when no one but college students could access it.

Why am I telling you this? Because it means I am familiar with the social networking platform. Does that mean that I am qualified to tell you how to use it in your business? Probably not. However, after years of using it for business and content promotion, I know how it can help you.

Everyone who runs a business knows the benefit of word of mouth. For many it generates a large portion of business. In that light, think of Facebook as “exponential word of mouth.”

When someone posts on Facebook about your business, more than one person sees it. Their 150 “friends” see it. If one of those friends click the “like” button on the post or “share” the post that espouses your practice’s wonders, then THAT person’s 150 friends see the post. Then if you have a page, that fan of yours can post a link to your Facebook page for all of their friends to click on and admire.

Are you starting to see the benefit?

Twitter: Consumer feedback forum Many business owners are sold on Facebook, but they just can’t bring themselves to use Twitter for their business. They don’t see the benefit.

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california optometry

Copyright California Optometric Association © 2013 – All rights reserved.

No part of this article may be reproduced without the California Optometric Association’s express consent.

Twitter developers touch on the idea here: “Every day, millions of people use Twitter to create, discover and share ideas with others. Now, people are turning to Twitter as an effective way to reach out to businesses, too.”

A patient can tag a complaint or praise in a “tweet” and you as the practice owner can see it and answer it effectively. This “feedback forum” has the potential to help you improve your business and make it more viable in the future.

You can also use it as a branding tool. Your brand doesn’t have to be anything like Nike, Dell or Starbucks. It can just be you, the doctor of optometry. Many people don’t want to talk to a logo, they want to know they are talking to a real, live human who has interesting or informative things to say and will listen to their concerns.

Plus, with both Facebook and Twitter you get this branding, marketing and customer feedback all for free. All you need is a little time to devote to the sites every day.

Review sites: How people decide where to go You may think, “Why should I care if I have bad reviews online?

Who looks at that anyway?” Well, I do, my husband does, and so do millions of other people or about 72 percent of people in North America, according to a Local Consumer Review survey conducted this year. The online survey was sent to 4,500 hundred people across North America.

However, you don’t have to sit idly by and watch your reviews stack up. If you “claim” your practice page with Google or Yelp, you can then edit the information on the review page, add pictures and also respond to reviews, all for free.

Through these free accounts you can also track how many people visit your practice listing, display upcoming events and offers and more.

How to get started There is so much you can do to bring your practice into the social media age and interact with your patients on a whole new level. You can start by claiming your Yelp and Google Places pages, creating a Facebook page, or opening a Twitter account. Starting with the next edition of California Optometry, I will write how-to and tip articles about using these platforms and tools for your practice. In the meantime, feel free to contact me with any questions, comments or concerns. I will use your ideas to determine what I write about in the future. Contact me at rvancleave@coavision.org.

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COLLABORATION:

Foster Productive Interaction with Peers

By Harue J. Marsden, OD, MS, FAAO Optometrists often practice in isolation. But when ODs collaborate in a peer-to-peer environment, they can learn from each other and push one another to achieve greater practice success.

Having a practice that continuously improves rather than rests on its laurels is hard. Maintaining a mindset that strives for excellence is challenging amid the day-to-day work of running a practice. For that reason, gathering with other independent ODs can be just what you need to get a sense of what needs to be changed to provide better service to patients.

For example, in discussion you may find that other doctors have a more efficient way of moving patients through their office (maybe you, too, could have separate counters for paying and picking up eyewear) or maybe you would find that others have invested in instrumentation more intelligently (you never

About ECPinteract…

ECPinteract is a virtual peer learning community providing ODs with access to the best minds in the eyecare field—their peers. The program is designed to help ODs to learn from their peers’ experiences, past mistakes and successes, and to help ODs achieve their full potential and grow their practice.

To learn more: www.ecpinteract.com

knew that the right leasing program was what you needed). Whatever your challenge, discussing practice realities with other doctors in a collaborative platform like ECPInteract can be a great help. Here is what I have found valuable about the experience.

Maintain a Collaborative Spirit With ECPinteract, our peer group of ODs meet once a month. It’s all online, and we can see other group members on our computer screens.

We have a set agenda or questions and issues. The technique used in our ECPInteract discussions provides a doctor with ample opportunity to articulate their thoughts and ideas or questions posed. However, before answers and opinions can be provided we each ask more in-depth questions about the subject. This can result in the doctor posing the question, their own answer or raise other ideas about how to do things. For instance, one recent discussion focused on how to calculate capacity. After our initial discussion this resulted in new ways to look at this determination and has led to an assessment of how we can better measure capacity in our practices.

Another question recently raised in my ECPInteract discussions was how to determine percentages for independent contract employees. There was robust questioning to ensure that the correct terminology was used (associate vs independent contractor) and then the doctor who posed this question went back and did a comprehensive assessment of vision plans and revenue to feel comfortable that the percentage that he was compensating the independent contractor was fair and equitable for him, the practice and the independent

contractors. His work figuring out these calculations can now serve as a template for our practices, as well.

I find in peer groups it is important to be open-minded. You can gain as much or as little as you want but participation by all is needed to maximize the content of the discussions. Sometimes different is better and other times different is just different. I always love going to meetings where ideas are shared. Sometimes you realize that you’re not doing as bad as you thought and other times you have a take away of how to do things better. Accountability is important. At our next meeting I’ve been tasked to discuss how we have looked at the impact of the Affordable Care Act, new HIPAA regulations, Meaningful Use and ICD-10, etc., in our practices. This type of homework allows me to stay ahead of the curve.

Geographic Diversity of Collaborators Helps Each ECPinteract group has geographic diversity, so we’re not talking to the OD down the street who competes with us on price. The geographic location of each of the participating practitioners in ECPInteract is across the nation and even those in the same metropolitan areas are not close enough to be considered competitors. That being said, I feel that we still have a competitive drive between the practices in looking at performance measures and best practices. Other practice management groups spend a significant amount of time looking at financials and using that for competition and others use competition of ideas. It all benefits the participants since it provides another way of looking at one’s practice. Rather than thinking of such

P13

financial comparisons as competition, you can maintain a collaborative spirit by talking about them from the perspective of setting benchmarks for success.

I have been amazed at how there are significant regional differences in the way optometry is practiced and the “business” of optometry is managed throughout the nation.

This creates a greater diversity of ideas in what trends may or may not work in your practice. Additionally, it gives ideas of how to set yourself apart in your area.

Solutions to Business as Well as Personal Challenges Like Work/Life Balance What I love about participating in ECPInteract is that it makes me accountable.

I look forward to the two-hour discussion with my peers and after my first quarterly oneon-one it made me go back to review some of the other goals in my personal life that I had set when I enrolled. It is far too easy to put things aside and let one thing over ride the other areas of your life. This really does provide a greater balance to life than just focusing on optometry and business.

Often Same Challenges Regardless of Size The sharing of ideas is beneficial no matter what the source. I’m in a unique situation as private practice owner/ partner and optometric educator and find that often times what works in one arena is applicable to another. For example, in one discussion, we were looking into activities that we have done to raise practice awareness which include back to school events, trunk shows, etc. Each participating doctor faces the same challenges of providing quality medical care and a sustainable business model.

I recall being at a state association meeting and a young OD expressed her frustration at her difficulty in finding a balance between practice and raising her family. She asked “how” others have been able to do it and succeed. I was a little stunned when no one stepped forward to address her concern (though there were plenty in the room who had done so). Being single with no children, I did not feel qualified to address her concerns but I knew there were tons of individuals (male and female) who face this challenge day in and day out. Groups like

ECPInteract provide a place where doctors can get answers to these kinds of questions, for which many others have input they are waiting to share in a comfortable setting.

Establish Long-Term Relationships I have personal friendships and long-term relationships with some of the participating doctors in my ECPInteract group, so it is nice to have another thing to share with these individuals. When we see each other at conferences and meetings we have further discussions on some of the topics that have been raised in our monthly meeting. I like the idea of visiting each other’s practices. One of our doctors has relocated one of their offices and I would love to be able to see the new practice—and continue bouncing ideas off each other in person, extending the great learning that began on ECPInteract.

Collaboration: Foster Prod

Harue J. Marsden, OD, MS, FAAO, is a professor

By Harue J. Marsden, and the associate dean ofOD, MS, FAAO clinical education at the Optometrists often practice in isolation. But Southern California College of can learn from each other and push one anot Optometry.

Having a practice that continuously improves rather than strives for excellence is challenging amid the day-to-day with other independent ODs can be just what you need t

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VENDOR AND INDUSTRY UPDATES

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EYECARE PRO EyeCarePro Announces the Return of Seeing is Believing this January 2014: Bringing Convenience, Information and Opportunity to Your Home or Office This past year marked the beginning of something new for EyeCarePro and the greater optometric industry: virtual conferencing. In January we brought you Seeing is Believing, optometry’s virtual eye care conference dedicated to educating ECPs and their staff about the power of online tools, techniques and technology. Following that success, we created CEing is Believing, optometry’s virtual COPE approved continuing education conference which was held in July, featuring 24 online CE courses from some of the industry’s top speakers. Both conferences were created, designed and developed by Daniel Rostenne, CEO of EyeCarePro, and Dr. Alan Glazier, OD, FAAO. This January, get ready for an even better virtual conferencing experience when Seeing is Believing returns to computers and tablets everywhere on January 29th and 30th.

The two-day conference will run live from 12 PM to 9 PM EST, and OnDemand for 90 days following. This year, SiB will feature 30 presentations with topics focused on matters of interest for each of your optometric staff members, including 10 clinical CE COPE approved courses, 10 courses focused on Practice management, 5 more for staff, and 5 for opticians. This year’s roster will include several of our past speakers returning to bring you timely and well-presented material that you have come to rely on. As always, there will also be a grand exhibition hall featuring exhibitor booths where vendors will be available with live support for assistance throughout the conference.

SiB 2014 will feature talks on “Practicing Optometry in a Health Care Reform World” and “Turning Change into Opportunity,” in addition to courses on “Building a Results-Oriented Team,” the current controversies and data on the generic versus brand battle, “The Emerging Link Between Nutrition, Genomics, and Visual Performance,” “Building a “Wow!” Practice with Integrated Diagnostic Equipment,” “The Power of Nutrition in Ocular and Systemic Health,” and much more.

The conference’s extensive virtual exhibit hall makes it easy to become informed and to interact in real time with the industry’s top suppliers about their latest product and service offerings. The

exhibitors have some great deals on products and services that are likely beneficial to your business. Additionally, SiB’s specialty booths will provide visitors with topical content on a wealth of educational subjects such as dry eye, patient communication tools, employment, glaucoma, practice management software, and more.

These ‘unmanned’ booths ensure that you can read and download content, browse information from various vendors and even watch an educational video - all at your own pace and convenience.

Lastly, Seeing is Believing is affordable, offering a chance to involve your entire staff in this great growth opportunity. EyeCarePro is offering three different conference passes which include a Solo Pass for $139, a Practice Pass that allows you to register everyone from a single office location for a flat fee of $279 or a Society Pass that allows unlimited registration for multiple office locations for $995. Register now for SiB 2014 to get these fantastic prices and learn more about our great program at the SiB2014 website! No travel, no hotels, no extra costs, no extra time taken away from your work or your family. Just you, your computer, and full access to an incredibly convenient and rich conferencing experience.

About EyeCarePro EyeCarePro is a leader in digital innovations for Optometry, employing a global team of Web Development, SEO, Marketing, Sales and Customer Support experts who conduct day-to-day business online. EyeCarePro’s team is dedicated to helping Optometric Practices achieve growth by attracting new patients and building engaging relationships with existing patients. EyeCarePro offers value through results-driven marketing programs and employs proven, powerful and effective online marketing strategies in social media, search engine optimization, traditional offline marketing and sales growth initiatives.

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VENDOR AND INDUSTRY UPDATES

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All premium Jaguar lenses feature an Anti-Reflective coating on the inside

to protect against lateral glare and provide for clearer, crisper optics.

Fashion wise, the majority of the new collection is comprised of easily RXable shapes, augmented with two fashion wrap styles for those seeking a sportier look from Jaguar. With nine metal styles and three plastics, the feel of the collection is classic with a modern twist, not unlike the world renown automobiles.

Mod. 37713

ESE’S JAGUAR EYEWEAR PREMIERES NEW LENS BASED SUNWEAR COLLECTION

DESIGNED

TO PERFORM

For more information please call 800-645-3710 or visit www. eseyewear.com. Or follow them online at www.facebook.com/ eseyewear and www.twitter.com/ eseyewear.

Jaguar_Korr_A4-hoch.indd 2

L’AMY AMERICA L’AMY AMERICA’S COLUMBIA EYEWEAR EXPANDS EXTENDED SIZE COLLECTION L’Amy America, a division of global eyewear group TWC-L’Amy, announces the worldwide launch of a new, 2-model ophthalmic duo, expanding upon its highly successful Columbia Eyewear Extended Size collection.

“No other eyewear brand is addressing the needs of the largerthan-average cranial fit consumer, like Columbia continues to do,” said Worldwide Business Unit Manager Connie Reiss. “Our new slim temple duo Edwards Mountain and Stewart Peak offer the right fit, easy sport styling, and ultimately, outdoor durability, to the extended size male whose desire for outdoor function and sport fashion are often overlooked” said Reiss.

The new duo is comprised of two unique shapes, Edwards Mountain, a full rim rectangle, and Stewart Peak, a semi-rimless rectangle, and are both constructed of monel metal, featuring heavy-duty spring hinge systems. A matte brushed finish provides soft touch against the skin. Gently arched, slim temples aid in fit and long-wear comfort, while the thin eyewear completes the overall minimalist feel of these two new designs. Sizes are: 58-19150 and 59-19-150 respectively.

05.08.13 11:49

VENDOR AND INDUSTRY UPDATES

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VIVA INTERNATIONAL GROUP

SKECHERS Eyewear Presents New Spring 2014 Collection SOMERVILLE, N.J. (December, 2013) – Viva International Group presents five new releases from the SKECHERS Eyewear Spring 2014 collection, consisting of two men’s and three women’s ophthalmic styles. The line delivers pops of color with retro-inspired styling. Innovative materials, including rubber detailing and multilayered acetates in gradient colorations, add a playful edge to this sport-lifestyle inspired collection.

Get A Grip A rubber cutout detail wraps around the metal temples of models SK 3118 and SK 3120, two key styles from the men’s ophthalmic collection. An epoxy filled SKECHERS “S” logo is embossed on each temple in coordinating colors including red, blue, olive and green.

A laser-etched SKECHERS logo also appears on each temple tip, completing the look of this grouping. Offered in rectangle variations, model SK 3118 features a full-rimmed flat metal front, while model SK 3120 features a semi-rimless front, delivering a lightweight alternative within the collection.

For more information contact: Jon Martinez Viva International Group 908-947-9106 jmartinez@vivagroup.com

SK 3118 SK 3120

MOREL

TALVAC

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ÖGA’s new Talvac concept shows off what …GA does best. The combination of material and color contrasts, make Talvac visually striking, masculine, and comfortable.

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The texture, which defines the concept, is inspired by Scandinavian furniture where layers of material produce unique effects. The Talvac temple, made from two-tone triple-layered acetate, is milled to reveal a second layer in a contrasting color. It is then textured using laser technology.

The integrated endpiece hides the cam return spring-hinge system and acts as the link between the temple and frame fronts.

Semi-rimless stainless steel frame fronts are paired with handcrafted acetate temples for a unique, but timeless design.

Each of the three Talvac models is offered in 4 colors.

Press Contact: Danielle Mastrangelo dm@morel-eyewearusa.com U.S.A. 500 west main street WYCKOFF, NJ 07481 Toll free: 1 800 526 8838 Toll free fax: 1 888 631 9796 info@morel-eyewearusa.com

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$AVE MONEY WITH OUR

PREMIUM VENDOR$ Vision West members can save even more money by increasing their purchase volumes with our Premium Vendors. In addition to our already low discounts, Vision West has negotiated “Money Saving” deals with our Premium Vendors:

EASTERN STATES EYEWEAR

Increase your savings by purchasing from our Premium Vendors today!

Login to the member section at www.vweye.com for details of this program or call our Customer Service Department at 800.640.9485.

www.vweye.com

Convert a Vendor

WIN!

to

For each new or converted vendor you add and bill through your Vision West account by 3.31.14, you will receive a $5 Starbucks card and each will earn you an entry into our raffle for a new Keurig® Coffee Brewing System.

HERE’S HOW: To qualify you must add or convert the vendor through our website and select the code ‘Starbucks/Keurig Promo’. Simply log in to your Vision West account at www.vweye.com, go to the Vendor Info tab and select Add/Convert a Vendor. Select the Vendor(s) you would like to add/convert and then in the Reason drop down box, select the promotion code.

The Starbucks word mark and the Starbucks Logo are trademarks of Starbucks Corporation. Starbucks is also the owner of the Copyrights in the Starbucks Logo and the Starbucks Card designs. All rights reserved. Starbucks is not a participating partner or sponsor in this offer.

Starbucks cards will be distributed in April and the raffle will be held on 4.10.14.

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OPTICENTER WINTER 2014 WORDSEARCH

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

COMPETE

FIVE RINGS

MEDALS

SKIING

TELEVISION

ATHLETES

CROSS-COUNTRY

FLAME

NATIONS

SLALOM

TORCH

BIATHLON

CURLING

GOLD

OPENING

SNOWBOARDING WATCH

BOBSLEIGH

DOWNHILL

ICE HOCKEY

CEREMONIES

SPEED

WINTER

BRONZE

FIGURE SKATING

LUGE

SILVER

SKATING

OLYMPIC GAMES

To answer the trivia question, look for a word or phrase that is hidden in the puzzle, but not in the word list.

Trivia: The official Olympic Motto is the Latin phrase: “Citius, Altius, Fortius.” What does it translate to in English?

ANSWER:

, , Super Word Search Puzzles - www.superwordsearchpuzzles.com

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Help More Patients

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With CareCredit

®

With the CareCredit healthcare credit card, designer frames, upgraded lenses, multiple pairs, and prescription sunglasses are all within reach. By offering CareCredit, you can help patients move beyond price. With flexible monthly payment options, they are able to focus on what you recommend and what they truly desire.

“Because of CareCredit, I was able to pick out frames and lenses that I liked the best instead of settling for something I didn’t like nearly as much.”

— Melissa, CareCredit Cardholder

Members Save 25%!

Adding CareCredit is FREE and Vision West members enjoy an exclusive

25% discount

on the merchant fees. To learn more or to apply, call 866-853-8432.

www.carecredit.com/optometry 10629_9x5.5AdV2_062011.indd 1

6/20/11 10:57:54 AM

THE VOICE OF VISION WES T

HAVE AN IDEA TO MAKE OPTICENTER BETTER?

15970 Bernardo Center Dr. San Diego, CA 92127-1828

1.800.640.9485 | www.vweye.com

Opticenter is a quarterly publication written, produced and distributed by Vision West, Inc. The first five members THE VOICE OF VISION WES T

to submit an idea to feedback@vweye.com with their suggestions of how to make OptiCenter better will receive a $5.00 Starbucks card.

HAVE A CUP OF COFFEE ON US.

OPTICENTER DESIGN + PRODUCTION:

P R O J E C T M A N A G E M E N T:

OPTIPENDENCE increasing your visibility info@optipendence.com www.optipendence.com a subsidary of NorthCoast-Creative.com

BRANDING : IDE ATION : WEBSITE S : SOCIAL MEDIA : eLE ARNING : PRINT : INTERACTI VE : PACK AGING : NON-TRADITION AL Optipendence + NorthCoast-Creative.com — Are Divisions of Hatfield Innovative Studios, LLC. Contact us at info@optipendence.com

PRE-SORT STD U.S. POSTAGE PAID PERMIT #236 92056

15970 Bernardo Center Dr. San Diego, CA 92127-1828 www.vweye.com Change the World… please recycle this newsletter

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.

IT’S OUR WAY OF SAYING

THANK YOU! Gift cards to be supplied by Vision West.

Starting January 1, 2014 and running through December 31, 2014, 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.

For more information please visit our website at www.vweye.com or call one of our Customer Service 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. *