SOCIAL

  O.D. SCENE

THE ENTERTAINING SIDE OF OPTOMETRY

Q&A

In one scene of the movie, “Back to School,” Rodney Dangerfield’s Thornton Melon, who enrolls in college to help his disillusioned son, is caught in a hot tub with a few female coeds by a professor he has feelings for. Panicked, he replies, “Diane! Say hello to my nieces.” If you attended any major optometry meeting in the past 30 years, it’s likely you’ve heard, “Hey, Uncle Frank” at least once. Guess what? These loud greetings come from optometrist Frank Fontana’s optometric nieces and nephews.

I do not know how “Uncle Frank” got started, but I do know that as one of his nephews, he has introduced me through the years to many of the people I now work with in the profession and industry. Let me tell you how it started.

In the 1980s as a new optometrist, I attended Bausch + Lomb’s symposium, and I happened to sit next to Frank and Mel Remba, O.D. Frank, without even knowing me, invited me to join him and Mel for dinner. Of course, I knew who they were, so I jumped at the chance to share a meal with them. Frank inquired about my new practice and was surprised when I told him I had no clue about how to develop a fee structure for specialty contact lenses. The next week, I received a package from him containing a micro cassette and all his comprehensive clinical fee sheets. It is gestures like this one that earned him the nickname “Uncle Frank.” And thanks to his fervor for helping fellow optometrists, I also became close friends with Mel, who helped me become part of many contact lens studies. Enjoy getting to know “Uncle Frank.” Also, enjoy getting to know Patagonia, courtesy of Travel, Food & Wine columnist Kirk Smick, O.D., F.A.A.O.

Jack Schaeffer, O.D., F.A.A.O.,
Editor-in-Chief
O.D. Scene

KEY OPTOMETRIC LEADER WEIGHS IN...

Frank Fontana, O.D.
St. Louis

Q: EVERYONE CALLS YOU “UNCLE FRANK;” HOW DID THAT BEGIN, AND WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU?

FF: I was fortunate to have early success with contact lenses on patients when the profession knew very little about them, so I received many optometry and ophthalmology referrals, and I helped my professional friends to learn. Thus, the title “Uncle Frank” was bestowed on me by the four Os: optometry, ophthalmology, opticianry and ocular industry people. The name “Uncle Frank” means everything to me. I treasure it whenever and from whomever I hear it.

1: “I miss her so much,” says “Uncle Frank” of Dorris. 2: Study group circa 2004 in Napa Valley, Calif.
3: “Uncle Frank” at age 20.

Q: WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO BECOME AN OPTOMETRIST?

FF: After WWII, I felt almost alone, since all of my military friends were gone. To belong to a similar group or discipline seemed natural to me. I chose optometry because it took only four years to reach, rather than six to eight years for dentistry or medicine; plus my Dad’s best friend was an O.D. and had two sons just graduating from optometry school.

Q: CAN YOU DESCRIBE YOUR PRACTICE?

FF: After 66 years of practice, I am cutting back, but the practice, Fontana Eyecare Associates, is large and thriving with our young successor, Dr. Jeffrey Kempf, who is well trained and experienced in all ways. The practice has been contact lens-oriented since 1958.

Q: OPTOMETRY OFFERS MANY FACETS. WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO FOCUS ON CONTACT LENSES?

FF: I was completely bored and unchallenged with optometry from 1950 to late 1957. Newt Wesley and George Jesson (contact lens pioneers) taught and inspired me to enter this brand new field. Most importantly, my patients simply wanted to be without their ugly glasses. (In those days, glasses were ugly.)

Q: WHAT CAN YOU TELL FELLOW O.D.S ABOUT THE EARLY DAYS OF RGP LENSES?

FF: Eye care professionals knew early that the cornea needed more oxygen than PMMA provided. Therefore, RGPs were a precious development and almost immediately accepted.

Q: YOU WERE PART OF THE EARLY PRACTICE MANAGEMENT/CONTACT LENS STUDY GROUPS; WHY AND HOW WERE THEY FORMED?

FF: Study groups were first developed to increase our fitting skills and find answers. In the beginning, these groups existed locally. As many of us attended large meetings, we started regional and national groups that exist today. Incidentally, most of these study groups are now practice management oriented. I love my group. It is named The Eyecare Marketing and Management Group (the nephews and nieces).

Q: WHY DO YOU THINK O.D.S SHOULD LEARN ABOUT SPECIALTY LENSES?

FF: Specialty lenses put us in an advanced league. . .

1: “Uncle Frank” with Dorris. 2: Alcon’s Dana Sager and “Uncle Frank” at the National Optometry Hall of Fame ceremony.
3: Dorris having fun.

Q: WHAT, IN YOUR OPINION, IS THE BIGGEST CHANGE YOU HAVE SEEN IN THE CONTACT LENS MARKET?

FF: With no hesitation, the biggest change I’ve seen is the development of soft lenses. They completely changed the contact lens profession. Thank you, Otto Wichterle and Bausch + Lomb.

Q: WHAT DO YOU FEEL IS YOUR BIGGEST ACCOMPLISHMENT IN OPTOMETRY?

FF: Being named to the National Optometry Hall of Fame has to be the ultimate in optometry. A close second is being loved and respected by many, many colleagues in the four Os everywhere.

Q: YOU HAVE SPENT A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TIME DEVELOPING INDUSTRY RELATIONS, WHY?

FF: I wanted industry to know optometry and to use their resources to help our profession to better help our patients. And boy, they have certainly done so!

Q: WHAT PROFESSION OTHER THAN YOUR OWN WOULD YOU LIKE TO TRY, AND WHY?

FF: The answer is none. I chose optometry. I helped improve optometry, and I’ll love optometry until I leave this Earth.

Q: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE OPTOMETRIC MEETING AND WHY?

FF: I have four favorites: the AOA’s annual Optometry’s Meeting, AAO’s annual Academy meeting, SECO and, last but not least, the Vision Expo meetings. All present programs that educate and bring us all together no matter who we are.

Q: WHO IS YOUR OPTOMETRIC HERO (MENTOR), AND WHY?

FF: This is very hard for me. There are so many, but I’m going to name Irv Bennett. He featured me in all of his OptiFair meetings (pre Vision Expo). Simply said, the publicity made me nationally and even internationally known.

Q: WHAT IS THE BEST LECTURE YOU HAVE EVER ATTENDED, AND WHY?

FF: All of Melton and Thomas’ lectures. These two O.D.s make me so proud to be an O.D.

Q: HOW IMPORTANT IS A RESIDENCY FOR A RECENT OPTOMETRY SCHOOL GRADUATE?

FF: They are a great way to learn and choose a specialty.

1: Two Franks 2: Celebrating with John Schachet O.D.

Q: WHO ARE THE MEMBERS OF YOUR FAMILY, AND WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO FOR FUN?

FF: I have two sons, Frankie and Don. I also have two grown grandchildren, Laura and A.J., a daughter-in-law, Terry, two grand-in-laws, Mark and Trish, my great-granddaughter, Dylan, and I can’t forget my wife Dorris, aka “Do Do,” who has been gone eight years now. We used to love going to Disney World and Disneyland as often as we could. I miss her so much. Frank Jr, better known as Frankie or Frank II, is as good as they come. Without him, I couldn’t function.

Q: IF YOU COULD HAVE DINNER WITH ANYONE LIVING OR DECEASED, WHO WOULD IT BE AND WHY?

FF: Ronald Reagan because I think he saved our country.

Q: WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE, BOOK, BAND AND ADULT BEVERAGE?

FF: Movie: “The Seven Year Itch;” Book: All World War II stories; Band: Glenn Miller Orchestra; Beverage: Chardonnay. OM

TRAVEL, FOOD & WINE

Patagonia: South of the World

Kirk L. Smick, O.D., F.A.A.O. Travel, Food & Wine editor

Patagonia refers to the boundless southernmost tip of South America. Specifically, both Argentina and Chile occupy the area and are separated by the spectacular Andes Mountains. My wife and I spent 14 days in Patagonia exploring both countries.

ARGENTINA

On the Argentina side, we explored the famous Perito Moreno glacier, which is part of an ice field that is the third largest reserve of fresh water in the world. To get to the glacier, you must go through the town of El Calafate.

We also visited Bariloche, a lakefront city that teems with tourists in both the summer and winter — the latter of which is when the ski set arrives.

CHILE

In Chile, we dined at Boragó, in Santiago, one of San Pellegrino’s 50 best South American restaurants. A couple days later, we flew to Puerto Montt, which is a gateway to the Andes Mountains and then Puerto Varas, which is famous for its German traditions and the Osorno Volcano. The volcano can be seen in the background of Lake Llanquihue, Chile’s second largest lake.

The highlight of visiting Chile, however, was staying at the Torres del Paine National Park. It includes almost 1,000 square miles of rivers, glaciers, mountains, woodlands, lakes and prairies. Specifically, we stayed at the Explora Atacama, a five-star hotel that provides well-trained guides to accompany you on hikes and horseback rides. Both activities were exhilarating, and the scenery was unparalleled. A caveat: The hotel has a minimum stay of four nights, and reservations must be made at least a year in advance during high season, which is January (their summer).

HIGH MARKS

Having traveled extensively throughout the world, I can attest to the fact that Patagonia is one of the most spectacular areas for scenery and, therefore, deserves to be high on any serious traveler’s bucket list. Until next time . . . OM