HARUE MARSDEN, O.D., M.S., F.A.A.O., EDUCATOR AND PROFESSION ADVOCATE

Harue J. Marsden, O.D., M.S., F.A.A.O., a beloved educator and profession advocate, died in her home from breast cancer in early February.

Dr. Marsden was a professor and associate dean for clinical education at the Southern California College of Optometry (SCCO) at Marshall B. Ketchum University in Fullerton, Calif. There, she focused on cornea and contact lenses, served as chief of this department and continued seeing patients until the end of January, says SCCO President Kevin Alexander, O.D., Ph.D. She also owned two private practices in California.

“The University community is just stunned at the loss of Harue,” Dr. Alexander says. “She was a powerful force for the change in our profession over the years, on the local, state and national level. Her students, her residents, her colleagues loved her dearly, and she will be missed deeply.”

After completing a residency in family practice and getting her master’s degree from the University of Houston, College of Optometry, Dr. Marsden became a faculty member of SCCO in 1989.

Also, she lectured internationally, conducted research, wrote about contact lenses and served as the California Optometric Association’s (COA) president from 2010 to 2011. (At the time of her death, she was on the COA’s Legislation and Regulation Committee.)

In addition to the COA, Dr. Marsden volunteered for the AAO, AOA, Association of Optometric Contact Lens Educators, the Great Western Council of Optometry and the Orange County Optometric Society to ensure optometric scope of expansion.

“Harue was special to the profession in so many ways: her calling as an educator was a blessing to doctors of optometry everywhere, and her professional acumen as a leader and voice for optometry across arenas benefited the entire profession,” explains Lori Grover, O.D., Ph.D, a friend and colleague. “She was a fierce advocate for knowledge and discovery, scope and practice, equity and integrity, and accessible quality care. Harue always knew the value of sharing a laugh — hers will never be forgotten.”

Dr. Marsden is survived by her three sisters and brother. Her family has developed the Dr. Harue J. Marsden Memorial Scholarship Fund. To contribute, visit http://tinyurl.com/HarueMars . ■

PRACTICE TIPS:

Selling Eyewear From the Chair

The following are several tips taken from the “Tip of the Week,” “How to Sell from the Chair,” (Tip No. 651), by Neil Gailmard, O.D. See the complete “Tip” at optometricmanagement.com .

Use the word “prescribe.” For example: “In addition to updating your general lens prescription, I’m also prescribing computer eyewear for you with lenses that are specially designed for that task.” ■

Make a firm recommendation. Base this on one of the complaints you gathered during the case history or link it to the visual demands of the patient’s job or hobby. ■

Know the patient’s vision plan benefits before the exam. Patients generally want to use their benefits as soon as possible, so if a frame or lens is covered, include that fact as you discuss your recommendation. ■

Include a very basic question in your case history about getting new glasses. Before seeing the doctor, have the tech ask, “Are you planning to get new glasses today?” The tech then records the answer so the doctor sees it before starting the exam. ■

COLLEGE AND SPORTS COMPANY TACKLE CONCUSSION

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) and VICIS, a sports equipment company that designed a sports-related impact-reducing football helmet — the ZERO1 — have agreed to combine their expertise and intellectual property to develop “next generation” helmets, according to a UAB press release.

Specifically, UAB researchers and doctors who have been involved in large clinical studies regarding traumatic brain injury and college initiatives, such as the UAB Sports Medicine Concussion Clinic at Children’s of Alabama and UAB’s Vestibular and Oculomotor Research Laboratory (which performs research to identify concussion markers in athletes), will be working with VICIS.

The ZERO1 helmet (left), which costs $1,500, is comprised of a soft outer shell and underlying layer of columns to reduce collisions from a variety of directions. It is designed for players weighing more than 150 lbs, though VICIS says it is working on helmets for “smaller, lighter athletes.” Visit vicis.co . ■

GROUP TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA TO CUT SJÖGREN’S DIAGNOSIS TIME

In an effort to increase public and health care professional awareness of Sjögren’s syndrome and, thus, reduce the average three years it takes for patients to get the correct diagnosis, the Sjögren’s Syndrome Foundation (SSF) will be using its social media channels to provide information on the autoimmune disease during April, the 19th annual Sjögren’s Awareness Month.

Specifically, the SSF will provide facts, resources and real-life accounts of Sjögren’s Syndrome via Twitter (@SjogrensOrg ), Facebook (@SjogrensSyndromeFoundation) and LinkedIn (Sjögren’s Syndrome Foundation), and the organization asks that eye care professionals help them spread the word, as they “are often on the frontline of diagnosis.” ■

TRANSITIONS ACADEMY TURNS 21 WITH TWO-DAY EVENT IN ORLANDO

Transitions Optical hosted more than 650 industry professionals during the 21st annual Transitions Academy held recently in Orlando. The event offered professional development, product technology information, expert presentations and networking opportunities.

A highlight of the two-day meeting was the 2016 Transitions Innovation Awards program, which recognized: Best in Marketing, Value Optical (Trinidad & Tobago); Best in Training, New Look Eyewear (a Canadian optical retailer); Best in Patient Experience, Professional VisionCare (Columbus, Ohio); Best in Growth Achievement Pacific, Pacific Eye Care (Port Orchard, Wash.); and 2016 Transitions Brand Ambassador, Sheena Taff, optician, Roberts & Brown Opticians (Vancouver, Canada).

In accepting the award for Pacific Eye Care, Jamie Nelson, practice manager, noted that “everything fell into place” at the practice when the language changed during dispensing from “I am recommending. . .” to “I am prescribing. . .”

The Academy’s keynote presentation on marketing to different generations was led by millennials and generation expert Jason Dorsey, co-founder and researcher at the Center for Generational Kinetics. Mr. Dorsey noted that for the first time ever, there are five generations in both the marketplace and the workforce. Of the five generations, millennials represent the largest block of the U.S. workforce and in 2017, they will outspend baby boomers.

During the opening session of the meeting, Darragh O’Connor, vice president of global marketing and Patience Cook, director of North America marketing, introduced “Live the Good Light,” Transition’s new consumer marketing campaign. The campaign was developed to educate younger single-vision spectacle wearers on the benefits of the company’s photochromic lenses that also offer protection against harmful blue light. Mr. O’Connor noted that blue light is an issue that resonates with younger consumers. In addition, Ms. Cook shared the statistic that 60% of eye care practitioners say blue light protection is a reason to recommend the company’s lenses.

John Ligas, of Transition’s global research & development, explained how Transitions lenses filter harmful blue light and discussed how product technology is developed and tested.

The meeting also offered a variety of training courses and professional development workshops, covering negotiating, the science behind blue light, designing the customer experience, vision care plans and lens styles.

“Not all attendees have the same business needs. So, we want to provide course options that feature the expertise of industry leaders from technology, science and business development,” says José Alves, general manager, Americas. ■

EYE DESIGNS OPENS WEST COAST SHOWROOM

ECL LAUNCHES VISIONARIES PROGRAM

Eye Care Leaders (ECL) recently announced the launch of Eye Care Visionaries, a program for leaders in ophthalmology and optometry, to tackle the business and management challenges. Through a members-only peer network, participants will have opportunities to network with other physicians, administrators and industry leaders, both in-person and through online forums.

In addition, members will have access to a dedicated website that offers exclusive content, such as benchmarking data and whitepapers. This content is designed to help practices improve their performance and profitability, says Jim Alland, president of ECL, a family of companies that provides EHR and business management solutions to the eye care profession.

“We believe looking within the eye care industry, bringing together the most forward-thinking and insightful individuals through the Visionaries program will result in not only connecting eye care leaders to each other, but also will develop real solutions to the most difficult problems practices and physicians deal with every day,” says Mr. Alland.

Some of these issues include compliance, risk, declining reimbursement, pressure on costs and profitability, professional time pressures and competitive issues.

For information on the Visionaries program or to sign up, visit eyecarevisionaries.com . ■