Practice Tip: Improve collections by communicating expectations with patients
Communicating expectations regarding payment clearly throughout the patient journey is crucial for a healthy accounts receivable, asserts Ann Rea Miller, OD, in the Nov./Dec. article “Conquering collections.” At her practice, she says this communication begins with her front desk staff collecting the patient’s vision and medical insurance about a week in advance of a patient’s appointment. Dr. Miller says her staff does this so they can review what benefits are available to the patient and what the patient’s financial responsibilities may be, if any, when the patient checks in for their appointment. Read more.
American Optometric Association Excel hosting financial strategies workshop AOAExcel is hosting a workshop to provide doctors of optometry with answers to their financial wellness questions and provide financial strategies designed specifically for ODs, according to a press release. Specifically, “Navigating financial wellness as an OD - Strategies to build a secure financial future” will occur Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, at 8 p.m. EDT. During the workshop, attendees will learn how to leverage retirement plans to maximize their contributions and reduce their current tax burden; identify the best student loan repayment strategies to align with financial goals; and more. Register here.
Campaign expands for National Family Caregivers Month
The Gr8 Eye Movement is a disease awareness campaign from Prevent Blindness and Regeneron that launched in 2023 to elevate the importance of prioritizing eye health with an emphasis on increasing awareness of wet age-related macular degeneration, diabetic macular edema, and diabetic retinopathy. It also encourages checking eye health regularly, specifically by sending reminders to the participant on the eighth of each month. In honor of National Family Caregivers Month in November, the campaign is broadening its focus to emphasize the crucial role of those caring for loved ones at risk for these diseases and offers resources to support them.
CATS Tonometer LLC gets FDA marketing clearance for CATS-L Prism and Releases prism set
CATS Tonometer, LLC received U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) clearance for its Legacy Prism (CATS-L). It is a conventional Goldmann prism that provides bright mires, ergonomic use, and a thin profile for narrow palpebral fissures, according to a press release. CATS is pairing the CATS-L with its modified surface CATS-R Goldmann prism in a new diagnostic prism set. Visit catsiop.com.
Contact Lens Institute report provides practical steps for overcoming dropout
The Contact Lens Institute’s report, “Disrupting the Dropout Dilemma: Practical Steps to Keep Patients in Contact Lenses,” is now available. The publication is based on CLI-commissioned research conducted in August 2024 among 401 U.S. adults, split equally between new (<2 years) and long-term (≥2 years) soft contact lens wearers. The 32-page report can be downloaded for free at https://www.contactlensinstitute.org/resources/see-tomorrow/, which also offers stand-alone infographics, a report highlights synopsis, and video of multiple visionaries discussing several findings and their implications.
CooperVision spreads the word about myopia
CooperVision participated in a national media tour with 26 broadcast television and radio news outlets across the country to raise awareness of childhood myopia with parents. Felicia Timmermann, OD, MS, FAAO, senior manager of Myopia Management at CooperVision, led the interviews, discussing how children's lifestyles, with less outdoor time and more screen time, are contributing to the nationwide rise in myopia.
GP Lens Institute elects new board of directors
The GP Lens Institute (GPLI) has completed elections of the board of directors and officers for the coming year. Specifically, Dr. Jenn Harthan will assume the role of executive director, succeeding Dr. Ed Bennett who is retiring after 37 years of service to the GPLI. The 2025 board of directors includes the following officers and members: president Derrell James, vice president John Hibbs, secretary-treasurer Sara Yost, Cindy Belliveau, Kurtis Brown, Dr. Rob Davis, Dr. Jennifer Fogt, George Mera, Daren Nygren, Chris Pantle, and Jan Svochak. Ex officio members include Drs. Jenn Harthan and Tom Quinn. Beth Anderzhon is the administrative director.
Intrepid Eye Society to host eyecare-related game show
The Intrepid Eye Society, in conjunction with The Fundingsland Group, will host “Who Wants to be an Eyecare Millionaire” on Thursday, Nov. 7, 2024, beginning at 6:30 p.m. EDT at the Indianapolis Artsgarden. The program, which is free to register, includes complimentary dinner and beverages for those in attendance, and provides COPE credits and AMA PRA Category 1 credits, for optometrists and ophthalmologists, respectively. A live stream option will also be available. See https://millionaire.tfgeducation.com/.
Notal Vision to provide data on home-monitoring program at Academy of Optometry meeting
Notal Vision announced it will provide key data on the ForeseeHome AMD Monitoring Program at Academy 2024, the upcoming annual American Academy of Optometry meeting taking place Wednesday, Nov. 6, through Saturday, Nov. 9, at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis. Specifically, two posters will illustrate how artificial intelligence (AI)-powered home monitoring makes a meaningful impact in the care of age-related macular degeneration patients by optometrists, according to a press release. The first poster is called “Retinal Remote Monitoring Using Artificial Intelligence in Optometry Compared to Ophthalmology Practices.” The second poster is called “Catching the Conversion to Wet AMD Earlier with Home Monitoring.”
Prevent Blindness provides assets for Diabetes-Related Eye Disease Awareness Month
Prevent Blindness, which has once again declared November as Diabetes-related Eye Disease Awareness Month, is offering free resources to help educate the public, including parents and care partners of individuals with diabetes, as well as allied health professionals, according to a press release. These resources:
• Diabetes + The Eyes Educational Toolkit
• Prevent Blindness and the Focus on Diabetes video series
• Juvenile Diabetes and Vision Health web resource and corresponding Diabetes + Your Eyes: Vision Health in Youth fact sheets
• Diabetes, Vision Loss, and Mental Wellness video
• Diabetes-related Eye Disease and Mental Health fact sheet
• Diabetes-related Eye Disease YouTube playlist
Nonprofit provides $1 million grant to Axovia Therapeutics’ for Bardet-Biedl syndrome treatment
A Race Against Blindness, a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding sight-saving research for children, provided a $1 million grant to Axovia Therapeutics to support the company in developing a treatment to address blindness and obesity associated with Bardet-Biedl Syndrome 1 (BBS1). BBS1 is a rare genetic disorder with no current cure. Specifically, the funding will directly support Axovia’s near-term milestones associated with the initiation of a clinical study and initial patient enrollment in the United Kingdom in mid-2025 to treat blindness caused by BBS1 mutations.
Southern College of Optometry sees rise in community eyecare needs
The Southern College of Optometry reported its patient outreach programs provided more than $5.6 million in uncompensated and undercompensated optometric care for patients in the region during the 2023 to 2024 fiscal year. The college provides uninsured or underinsured patients with optometric services at its three clinical facilities, in addition to free and affordable eye care at its outreach programs, according to a press release. Uncompensated care is defined as professional services at no charge and undercompensated care is defined as professional services at a discount. This represents a 4.4% compound annual growth rate since about 2019.
Siloton acquires subsurface retinal images
Akepa, from Siloton, is an optical coherence tomography chip can acquire a subsurface image of a human retina utilizing its photonic technology. Siloton is currently seeking funding to support its development. For more information, visit https://www.siloton.com/technology.