Power Hour Optometry

There's more to cutting costs than squeezing your sales reps for better deals. Gary discusses his top five ways so add to your practice's bottom line on this episode of the Power Hour.

Do you look forward to office meetings, or do you dread them and then ultimately cancel them? Tune in to this episode of the Power Hour where Gary discusses new ways to effectively and efficiently hold staff meetings that are productive and add to your practice's bottom line.

Decreasing revenues with increasing expenses and regulations, online eyeglass selling, "generic" contact lenses and online refraction – to name just a few things – are going to fundamentally change and possibly eliminate optometry as we know it. Gary talks about why that's a GOOD thing and how you can leverage the tsunami of change NOW to position your practice for whatever the future holds. Tune in to this thought provoking episode of the Power Hour!

Vision by Design, the country's best meeting on myopia control is right around the corner. Get a snapshot of myopia control in general and the meeting in particular from Dr. Paul Levine, President of the American Academy of Orthokeratology and Myopia Control. Paul gets listeners up-to-date on what's new in myopia control and talk about why it's important for your practice.

Drs. Mark Rosner and Debby Feinberg are back on the show to discuss some of the latest work they've been doing with minute amounts of prism. On the previous show they discussed how they have had literally life changing results for their patients by carefully prescribing minute amounts of prism. Get caught up on some of their latest work on this episode of the Power Hour.

Mike Hundert is the current Chairman of The Vision Council, as well as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Creative Officer of De Rigo Rem, part of the world's fourth largest provider of eyewear. Mike joins Gary for a discussion on the Power Hour to give his thoughts on what is arguably the biggest merger – ever - in the eyecare industry, and how it will affect consumers, other frame and lens manufacturers and your practice. Don't miss this thought provoking and interesting episode.

On last week's show, Gary talked about successful strategies to externally market your practice. This week, the show focuses on internal marketing. Learn to turn last week's prospects into patients, who then become practice evangelists on this informative and entertaining episode of the Power Hour.

Gary rolls up his sleeves and gets into a discussion about some innovative external marketing strategies you should be using at your practice. What works, what doesn't, how to budget and plan your marketing and how to create compelling campaigns are all topics to be covered on this show.

Barney Dougher, President of HOYA Vision Care, Americas, joins the show to give his opinion on how eyecare's biggest merger ever may affect your practice and the industry. Our last show on this topic had our largest listening audience ever and we expect this episode to be even BIGGER!

You've worked really hard to get patients to come into your practice. Are you working as hard to make sure they never leave . . . and come back when they should? This episode of the Power Hour is dedicated to what Gary calls, "the lifeblood of EVERY business and practice." Learn why it's so important and then how to make yours better – regardless of how you actually do it! Which are better? Postcards or text messages? Robo-calls or real people calling? Does pre-appointing matter? Be ready take notes for this episode! What you hear Wednesday night, you'll start using Thursday morning!

Inventory is a major expense for a practice yet one that rarely gets any attention beyond – "There's a hole on the board – I guess we need to fill it with something." On this episode of the Power Hour, Gary takes your calls and shares easy strategies to help you control what for most practices, is arguably the biggest potential profit generator – or potential profit loser – in a practice.

On a recent Power Hour episode, Gary shared strategies for hiring a great team. But what happens after they're hired? Learn how to get alignment with your practice values and ways to get procedural things to stick! If you commonly say to staff, "We just went over that exact thing in a staff meeting!" then you'll want to tune in to this episode.

Reuters news and other historically reliable news sources recently reported a proposed merger between Essilor and Luxottica. Howard Purcell, O.D., F.A.A.O., DIPL., Senior Vice President of Customer Development at Essilor, joins a special news breaking edition of the Power Hour. Callers speak to Howard and learn about how this breaking news will affect the industry.

A recent landmark court case for a New York Yoga Studio may have far reaching consequences on how doctors pay their associates. The concept of Independent Contractors and how they can work in your practice is the topic of the next episode of the Power Hour. Join attorney Elizabeth Harlan who argued the case on behalf of the Yoga Studio, that their employees were indeed independent contractors. It's an important topic for any doctor who has an associate or might hire one in the future!

On the first Power Hour of the year, Gary talks about starting at step one of practice team building: hiring a great team. Hear some great strategies you can use the next time you need to hire someone – which as you'll hear on the show – might not be as far off into the future as you might think! If you're a new practice owner or a seasoned veteran, you'll get a lot of benefit by listening to this first episode of 2017!

On the Oct 26th episode, Gary discussed "Part 1" about how to use public speaking to grow your practice. Listen to Part 2, on this episode of the Power Hour. Learn everything, from content development to presentation style to creative ways to use Power Point (or NO Power Point) or Prezi, how to deal with questions and difficult audience members, suggestions for handouts and a lot more. You already talk to patients every day and are great at it. Why not do the same thing in your community and talk to prospective patients? Learn how to make your own presentations more dynamic and memorable!

The Power Hour welcomes Maureen Cavanagh on this episode. A 24 year industry veteran, Maureen heads up this important group whose mission is to enhance and promote the leadership role of women in the ophthalmic industry through networking and peer support. Maureen talks about what the association brings to its members and the industry as well as their goals for 2017.

VSP's Global Board Chair Dan Mannen, O.D., F.A.A.O., and VSP Vision Care President Kate Renwick-Espinosa are our guests. Dr. Mannen discusses his new position paper on managed vision care, which explores the value it provides patients and consumers, and why he believes the channel is so important to independent optometry. The guests also discuss VSP's focus for 2017, how it is helping increase access to care, and take questions on other topics from callers.

Join Jerry Warner, CooperVision President, as he talks about big picture changes in optometry such as selling models, online commerce, legislative battles, private lable contact lenses and more.

If you could do five – and only five – things to build your practice, what would they be? On this episode of the Power Hour, Gary shares his own special list of what he recommends to jumpstart your practice and ensure it stays highly efficient and profitable.

Dr. Mark Jacquot, Luxottica's VP and Clinical Director, Vision Care Operations is the guest on this episode of the Power Hour. Mark discusses his thoughts on the current state of corporate optometry and where he sees it fitting in the big picture of optometry's future.

David Friedfeld is back on the air to share his thoughts about everything from what the optical of the future will look like to how many frames should be in a typical practice. We discuss the pros/cons of carrying ubiquitous brands vs. frames from smaller independent companies, frame markup strategies and a potpourri of other important topics.

Having given more than 1,000 presentations to audience sizes of 2 to 2,000, Gary taps into his experience and discusses how to use this powerful medium to get out into your community and build your practice. Everything from content development to presentation style to creative ways to use Power Point or Prezi are discussed on this episode of the Power Hour. You already talk to patients every day and are great at it. Why not do the same thing in your community and talk to prospective patients? Learn how to make your own presentations more dynamic and memorable!

By using new technology, more opticians are now able to offer auto-refraction to patients. Some of them are having the data signed remotely and used as an eyeglass prescription. Is this a convenience for patients and a business builder for the optician, or a public health hazard? Is this part of the future of eyecare that should be embraced or avoided? Listen to the this episode of the Power Hour when Yaopeng Zhou, the CEO of Smart Vision Labs calls in to discuss this important topic.

Listen to Gary on this episode of the Power Hour where he shares some of his unique perspectives around delegating. This is much more than "buy an automated X and have your tech use it." Learn some very compelling reasons about WHY you should be delegating, what you should delegate and how to get it done. As with all of Gary's shows, you're sure to get a perspective on a previously mundane topic you hadn't ever considered before!

In addition to conventional marketing, properly used, public relations can be a huge benefit to most practices. Tune in to this episode when PR professional Jennifer Bodner discusses how to get a great campaign in place for your practice.

Your state law changed to say you could never see another new patient or raise your fees? Listen to this thought provoking episode of the Power Hour with Gary leading the discussion.

Listen to this episode of Power Hour when we take your calls to discuss specifically how using a consultant helped your practice.

Your practice rent is one of the largest ongoing expenses your practice has. Learn from real estate expert, Chuck Feitel, how to minimize your rent and maximize concessions from your landlord on this episode of the Power Hour.

Dr. Cheryl Engels, Senior Consultant from the Power Practice is our guest this week. Dr. Engels runs the "Practice Made Perfect" program at the Power Practice and discusses her list of "must do and must know" before you open or buy your next practice. Tune in for some lively and insightful discussion on this important topic!

Most of us know George Martin as No. 75 of the New York Football Giants, the star defensive end of the 1970s and '80s, with 96 quarterback sacks, the touchdown record for a defensive lineman, a Super Bowl win and an incredible interception that Coach Bill Parcells called the greatest football play he has ever seen. George is an NFL legend, but he's also so much more. Son of a sharecropper who grew up dirt poor in the American South, through talent and determination, family and faith, George Martin became a true leader on the field and off, a man whose relentless positive energy and ability to inspire know no bounds. He has championed NFL colleagues as their union president, advocated for retired players with chronic injuries, and created a non-profit to help young people find their way to responsible adulthood through athletics and mentoring. He joins the Power Hour along with Dr. Don Teig to talk about how OD's can get more involved with concussion care for athletes. Tune it to this very special episode!

It's easy to get bogged down in the regulations around security compliance, HIPAA and billing and coding requirements. While the information is available to help you navigate the confusion, there are companies who can carry that burden for you. Rob Marcella from CSEye talks about when it is (and isn't) a good idea to outsource this important part of your practice, what to watch for when making the decision and other relevant topics.

Alan Homestead, OD is the guest on this informative episode. Get the latest on preventing and surviving audits, meaningful use updates, using after hours codes, using your iPhone for anterior seg photos and a host of other important updates. As the director of billing coding at the Power Practice, Alan is uniquely capable to share his expertise on this important topic.

It might be an old saying, but it certainly applies to any OD trying to manage their practice. Listen to this episode where Gary shares his, and his Power Practice client list of, "If I'd only known then what I know now I would have . . ." On tap for this interesting episode are topics like starting a practice that focuses on everything except the doctor, learning practice building from anyone but an optometrist, the importance of culture, what marketing really means for an OD and lessons learned about staff management.

Dr. Edward Paul gets us up-to-date on how OD's can integrate nutrition into their practices. Everything from science to practice management is on tap for this episode.

Tarik Sedky from Agency Pure has done advertising for Glaxo Smith Kline, DuPont, AT&T, Home Depot and many other large corporations. Now, he's our guest on the Power Hour where he shares his words of wisdom and discusses how optometrists can emulate the marketing messaging of these huge companies – at a fraction of the cost. He covers the most common mistakes small businesses make in their marketing and talks about how you can improve yours.

Lukas Ruecker, president of EyeMed and Dr. John Lahr, VP of Provider Relations return to the Power Hour to take your calls. Topics include their perspectives on the managed vision care marketplace overall, where and how they think optometry will be practiced in the future and how EyeMed is working with doctors to promote positive clinical patient care outcomes and a positive overall consumer experience.

Architect Joost Bende is our guest this episode of the Power Hour. With experience designing medical and optometry practices of all shapes and sizes, Joost answers questions about your own personal design challenges and answer questions about everything from color schemes to window placement.

Drs. Barry Eiden and Andrew Morgenstern join the show to get listeners up-to-date on all things keratoconus. It's more prevalent than you think and there's a lot more you can do about it than just stress over patients never being really happy with their contact lenses. We'll also take a deep dive into cross linking and how it fits in an OD's practice.

Drs. Tom Arnold and Nathan Schramm are fitting a lot of their patients with scleral lenses. Are you? Find out why they've become so popular in their practices, and how the doctors became clinically competent and practice management savvy with these specialty lenses. Find out how you too can get on board with one of the hottest modalities in contact lens care.

Jason Nichols, OD, MPH, PhD, FAAO, shares his thoughts and data about how contact lenses are viewed and prescribed outside the U.S. and what American doctors can learn from their international colleagues.

Gary walks through the most important "mid year" metrics to examine as we approach the halfway point of the year. Are you hitting the goal you laid out back in January and are you sticking to your budget? Scheduling, staffing and marketing are all fair game for discussion on this episode of the Power Hour!

Johnson & Johnson Vision Care President Peter Menziuso and Vice President of Professional Affairs Dr. Millicent L. Knight discuss current trends in the contact lens industry, opportunities to expand your contact lens practice, their recent entry into the monthly lens category, and their recent decision to eliminate UPP pricing for the company's contact lenses. Listen to this episode of the Power Hour and get an update on current contact lens market trends and legislative battles being waged around the country.

Previously unaware of the enormous unmet demand for eye care within his San Francisco community, Robert Bell began using his influence as a long-time eye care industry executive, consultant, and speaker to inspire more eye care professionals to volunteer and to bring in more optical and optometric resources, equipment, and eyewear to the Project Homeless Connect vision program in San Francisco. Hear about Robert's journey and how you can do the same thing to support your own communities.

Moscot is a New York institution currently headed by Director, Dr. Harvey Moscot. As a fourth generation owner in arguably the most competitive optical environment on the planet, Harvey shares his company's legacy and "secret sauce" to enduring for so strongly for so long. Take a deep dive with Harvey on the Power Hour and hear this fascinating story about how all of his locations compete not only with Warby Parker, but with every other conceivable optical competitor on the price volume curve spectrum.

We're honored to welcome one of optometry's best known speakers, Dr. Paul Karpecki back to the Power Hour! Paul gets us up-to-date on everything from anterior segment technology, disease and treatment, advances in refractive surgery and keratoconus – and just about anything else you might think of! Take advantage of this rare opportunity to listen to a genuine optometric thought leader on this episode.

Healthcare attorney Susan Orr is back on the Power Hour. Our topic is the recent increase in audits by Medicare and other 3rd party payors resulting in overpayments that need to be returned by the provider. Hear how to approach these audits and what to do when you discover a billing error. Also, get up to date information on REQUIRED compliance plans that are necessary to remain a participating provider in Medicare. We also discuss the sale of practices – stock purchase or asset purchase – the pros and cons of each.

Dr. Vance Thompson is our special guest on this episode of the Power Hour. Vance has been, and is currently involved in many FDA studies related to refractive surgery. Listen to his insights about what’s hot, what’s not and what you must know about the next wave of dry eye treatments, cross linking, phakic IOL’s, presbyopia treatments and cataract surgery. With Vance on the show, be prepared for a fascinating discussion – and the show’s FIRST discussion about refractive surgery!

Talking about everything from an anterior seg update to national and state optometric politics, Dr. Art Epstein is back on the show. Never one to hold back an opinion on all things optometry, we welcome Art back to the show.

Industry veteran, Mike Daley, is the guest on this episode of the Power Hour. As the CEO of the Vision Council, Mike discusses this important industry organization whose mission is to grow in the vision care industry through education, advocacy, research, consumer outreach, strategic relationship building and industry forums.Mike also talks about their role in the upcoming Vision Expo East meeting and Think About Your Eyes.