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THE VOICE OF V IS ION WES T

Winter / 2016 www.vweye.com

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IN THIS ISSUE: FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK: Time By Joseph C. Mallinger, OD, MBA, FAAO

1-Hour Quick Bites Prospering in the face of disruptive technologies By Fred H. Dubick, OD, MBA, FAAO

SOLVING A FUTURE ISSUE IN THE PRESENT By Kim Williams-Justesen Marketing Communications Manager, Solutionreach

ANNUAL BUSINESS PLANNING By Tony Milian CEO Practice Co-Pilot RECRUITING YOUR NEXT SUPERSTAR By Dr. Scot Morris Morris Consulting Associates PLUS INDUSTRY NEWS!

1

Press Contact: Audrey Pavia

apavia@tura.com 800.242.TURA (8872)

Tura Launches Two Collections by Gwen Stefani: L.A.M.B and gx by Gwen Stefani NEW YORK (January 2, 2016) – Tura Inc., in combination with Grammy Award-Winning musician and fashion entrepreneur Gwen Stefani, is introducing a new line of sunglasses and optical eyewear for the L.A.M.B. and gx by Gwen Stefani brands. The collections offer a mixture of urban shapes, bold colors, and fashion forward styling. Both the L.A.M.B. and gx by Gwen Stefani collections are emblematic of Gwen’s unique personal style. Gwen is the master of fusing multiple music genres to create her own distinctive sound. Like her music, her personal style is a fashion blend that showcases her innate ability to create fashion that is fresh and original. While both collections are infused with Gwen’s iconic style, they address two different customers. The L.A.M.B. collection features Gwen’s love of “black and white” by expressing it through graphic uses of stripes, checkers, geometric prints, and color blocking. Her inclination to mix masculinity and femininity in her style is conveyed through the use of bold masculine shapes softened by a feminine color palette. Iconic industrial details on the frames include slot head screws, zipper textures and her custom signature metal tip. This rock and roll edge is juxtaposed with Gwen’s classic Hollywood glamour that adds sex appeal and a luxurious undertone to the collection. Rich pearl and metallic acetates are used throughout the collection to underscore its sophisticated fashion position. The sunglass collection is most noted for its “street” aesthetic; her 90’s influenced shapes with flatter brow lines are on trend. “gx” is how Gwen signs her emails, and for her, the “x” represents sending her love. gx by Gwen Stefani is designed for her fans who are looking for an affordable way to emulate her style. Trendy retro-inspired “geek chic” shapes dominate with playful uses of pop color. Pop color accents are used most often on the interior of the frame and signature tip stripe. Colorful fade materials, laminates, and block material are used throughout the collection. Gwen’s punk rock roots come through in the use of pyramid studs, metallic logo plaques, and unconventional shapes and colors. Her collection appeals to a young, self-expressive, and creative audience. “I feel like I’ve been waiting my whole life to get to do this and finally getting to design eyewear is a dream come true! Getting to design two different collections is even better than a dream! L.A.M.B. is chic, modern and beautiful. The glasses are graphic with a lot of black and white. L.A.M.B. is all about my

Between traditional and casual,chic and off-beat with a “trendy London”feel, the WOOW style will speak to allwomen and men with a sense of humor.The little message inserted in the end tipof the frame will make the wearer smilefirst thing in the morning…Better than a coach!

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INTRODUCING:

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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.

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FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK P3

As 2015 ends and a New Year starts it might just be an opportune time to look back and consider how you used time during 2015. Should you take a few minutes to reflect on 2015 while asking yourself – “Did I use all my TIME during 2015 in a Positive, Proactive and Productive manner?” – I believe it is a positive question to ask and action to take.

Why is such an exercise worth some of your valuable 2016 time? Reflection upon our actions or lack thereof during 2015 provides insight into improving behavior in the minutes, days, months and year to follow in 2016. What areas of your life deserve your attention – for most of us the answer is easily divided into - personal time and time allocated to improving business.

For me, reflecting upon 2015 and how I used my time is bittersweet. We all know of the saying that goes something like - Will my friends say that I spent enough quality time with my family and enjoying all life has to offer outside of business or will the time I spent at my office represent my priority to those who know me?

If we are lucky 2015 does not represent a year when we lost someone close to us. Why? Because when we lose someone close to us our personal loss is what becomes

meaningful to each of us. How meaningful is the real question? As for me the recent passing of my friend, my ex-partner, my colleague and a true ‘visionary’ for eye healthcare – does cause me to reflect more closely regarding my use of time.

Lee Todd Nordan, MD passed away too soon when he died on December 21, 2015!

I will miss him, his wisdom, his advice and consul and simply as a very close friend! I know one thing for certain – Lee lived his life with passion. The time he dedicated to his wife and two boys especially since he retired from active practice is an example I will work had to emulate.

While dedicated to always doing the very best while treating patients and excelling in business as a consultant upon his retirement – his example of time with his family is the most important use of time I will attempt to follow. His time with his sons and his wife while staying focused as a medical consultant is a perfect example for not only me but for those of you who never had the privilege to know Lee.

When I think of his example to me it becomes something I want to pass on to you. Insight I believe Lee would absolutely agree was

something worthwhile for me to share. Take the time you need to be the best healthcare provider while not neglecting to strive to the best businessperson – while never allowing this to become the priority before the needs of your family.

This is my New Year message to each of you spending too much of your valuable time in your office rather than with your family. Yes, my personal loss of a friend is mine alone to use as an example for the use of my time. However, I hope each of you who read this will stop and think about how to allocate the time you have during 2016.

If Lee Todd Nordan MD’s life can be an example of how to live for your family and the fact that I share my friend’s life example with all of you -- causes only one of you to reconsider your time with family – then my brief New Year message about his life example is worth sharing.

Time

From the President’s Desk:Joseph C Mallinger OD MBA FAAO

President / CEO Vision West

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SOLUTIONREACH P7

According to several federally sponsored studies, one of the biggest problems for both healthcare providers and patients is a lack of transportation to get patients to and from their non-emergency care. It is estimated that as many as 3.6 million people miss or delay medical care because they have no reliable source of transportation. As the population ages and chronic conditions continue to grow, a vicious cycle begins to emerge - with reduced access to care, chronic conditions remain untreated, and chronic conditions make accessing care more of a challenge.

In 2009, the Centers for Disease Control estimated that 78 percent of the adult population above age 55 had a condition such as arthritis, cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or diabetes, each requiring frequent medical services. The treatment of these chronic conditions accounts for nearly three-fourths of all U.S. healthcare spending. Non-emergency medical transportation is critical for these

patients, but financial burdens cause many patients to wait until their condition requires emergency care to seek help because they don’t have transportation.

The advent of enterprises such as Uber have given many low-income city residents an alternative to public transit that is less expensive and offers more dignity to the patient. The flexibility of scheduling and convenience of door-to-door service makes these services more desirable than public transit, and they are often less expensive than traditional cab service. With these new options, healthcare providers also have new opportunities to demonstrate a commitment to serving patients in a unique fashion. Solutionreach now offers an Uber scheduling service as part of their regular platform. This lets providers offer patients transportation scheduling at the same time they schedule their appointments.

When patients have access to affordable transportation, the benefits

are exponential. Fewer missed or late appointments saves money for healthcare providers while at the same time ensuring that patients receive the necessary care. Providers can maintain consistent office operations instead of shuffling schedules to accommodate late arrivals or no-shows, and patients can feel comfortable that they are getting the care required without waiting for their condition to reach emergency status.

The addition of a small convenience, such as ride scheduling, can mean a tremendous difference in your patients’ health and the successful and smooth operation of your office. By assisting with this one, seemingly small component in healthcare - transportation - you can have a significant impact on the health of many of your patients who most need your care.

Kim Williams-Justesen Marketing Communications Manager, Solutionreach

Healthcare Access and Transportation: SOLVING A FUTURE ISSUE IN THE PRESENT

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.

One Hour Quick Bites:

1-HOURQuickBites

1-HOURQuickBites

Fred H. Dubick, OD, MBA, FAAO

VIEW & PAYYour Statement Online

visit: www.vweye.com

Prospering in the face of disruptive technologies

A competitive review looking at your colleagues in your immediate market area is just a start. Of course, as we have covered in recent columns, your physical plant, inventory and customer service must be the best in town. However that is no longer a guarantee of success as your patients have other choices beyond the big box retailers and national chains in the mall.

Today’s consumer (in this discussion that is what your patients are) have unlimited access to online sources for the exact products, prescription and nonprescription, that you want to prescribe for or sell them. Additionally they can source virtually every frame line, complete spectacles and contact lenses whether you prescribe them or not. Now that we understand the current reality of the marketplace, let’s address some strategies for keeping that revenue in house.

Many patients are convinced that your traditional delivery modality is more expensive and they are going to be pressured to fill their Rx and not take it out. If your practice includes a significant number of Millennials, understand they want lots of choices for all their purchases. No amount of frames in your boutique can compete with the unlimited Internet choices. Create an in house selection of about 6 frames that match the styles of the most popular frames on the website of the biggest current internet seller and put them in a nice leather display tray to pull out at the appropriate time. Have a package of single vision polycarbonate lenses with a basic anti reflective/ anti scratch coating that goes into those frames at a comparable price point. When your optician is asked for the patient’s PD to be included with their spectacle Rx as it is about to be taken offsite, this is the time to offer an alternative. Now you have an answer.

Make ordering replacement contact lenses as easy on your website as it is on the world’s largest contact lenses suppliers site. Upgrade your technology as needed by using one of the available services from your contact lens distributor, electronic medical records provider or any of the white label online storefronts that are available. Be sure whichever direction you go that it is HIPPA compliant and all the financial data is secure.

From the patient’s point of view, let’s consider an on online refraction versus the care in your office. The patient must experience a state of the art professional office with new technology provided with lots of education throughout the entire process from the moment they walk into your space. A 5-minute exam on 25-year-old instrumentation is not going to build your patient base in the future. Certainly in most cases, there are several alternatives for care within a short distance.

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P12

Annual Business Planning

Annual business planning is an opportunity to go beyond the typical exercise of creating a budget for your practice. It’s an opportunity to understand your current state, and more importantly identify the things you aren’t satisfied with in your business. It’s about how to leverage limited resources to focus on the things that will matter the most to your business in the coming year.

Start your business planning process by identifying only 2 - 3 metrics you want to focus on improving the following year. Less is way more in this case. You want to make sure that you can focus your efforts on moving these metrics by not over extending your resources on too many initiatives. Business planning is all about focus. Otherwise, why have a plan in the first place.

Don’t jump to setting goals just yet. Before you set improvement goals, you need to do some root cause analysis to determine why these metrics are up to standard. Root cause analysis will give you an indication of how much you can expect to impact your metrics once you start identifying improvement initiatives. Remember, you want to make sure that your goals are challenging but still realistic. Without the proper root

cause analysis, you might set goals that are

unrealistic to meet. Root cause analysis is often the toughest part of the business planning process. It’s not always easy to identify what is really causing your metric to be off target. A low capture rate in your optical is tied to how well you can perform your hand-offs, but your actual hand-off may not be the problem. The real issue might be that you are scheduling glasses exams at the same time as your peak dispensary walk in traffic occurs for repairs, dispenses and outside prescriptions. This might be a good time to hire a consultant or coach that has had experience working with many other practices in the industry.

Once you’ve identified some root causes of unsatisfactory metric performance, you can work on setting goals. Your goals should follow the S.M.A.R.T principal (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time bound). A good example is as follows: Increase the percentage of patients that receive ancillary testing from 18% of patient

encounters to 26% of patient encounters by May 1, 2016.

Now it’s time to set your initiatives. These are the specific actions that you and your team are going to take to accomplish the goals you set for your practice. One of the most important aspects of setting initiatives is to make sure that you invest the time needed to get the work done. I often use this term with my clients, “Don’t

try to change the tires on the bus while it’s rolling down the hill.” The time you invest needs to be patient free time. Set your work up on a rhythm so that your staff learns to expect to work on improvement initiatives at a certain date every month. Close the office the 3rd Thursday of every month for example. The results won’t only be better, you will probably get the work done faster than if you try and do it here and there, when you can get to it.

Finally, leverage the business planning process as an opportunity to engage your staff. Don’t try and build your plan by yourself. Your staff is full of great ideas. They also know where many of the challenges lie because they do the work every day. Business planning is a great opportunity to empower your staff to think and act like owner.

(904) 701-3084practicecopilot.com info@ practicecopilot.com

Tony has utilized Lean Management concepts to help foster a culture of employee driven continuous improvement at more than 400 Eye Care practices across the United States and Canada. His approach has generated significant revenue growth, cost reductions, and operational efficiency within these practices, while also improving staff accountability and engagement.

TONY MILIAN - CEO

TIP OF THE

MONTHPractice Management

Annual Business Planning

Annual business planning is an opportunity to go beyond the typical exercise of creating a budget for your practice. It's an opportunity to understand your current state, and more importantly identify the things you aren't satisfied with in your business. It's about how to leverage limited resources to focus on the things that will matter the most to your business in the coming year. Start your business planning process by identifying only 2 - 3 metrics you want to focus on improving the following year. Less is way more in this case. You want to make sure that you can focus your efforts on moving these metrics by not over extending your resources on too many initiatives. Business planning is all about focus. Otherwise, why have a plan in the first place. Don't jump to setting goals just yet. Before you set improvement goals, you need to do some root cause analysis to determine why these metrics are up to standard. Root cause analysis will give you an indication of how much you can expect to impact your metrics once you start identifying improvement initiatives. Remember, you want to make sure that your goals are challenging but still realistic. Without the proper root cause analysis, you might set goals that are unrealistic to meet. Root cause analysis is often the toughest part of the business planning process. It's not always easy to identify what is really causing your metric to be off target. A low capture rate in your optical is tied to how well you can perform your hand-offs, but your actual hand-off may not be the problem. The real issue might be that you are scheduling glasses exams at the same time as your peak dispensary walk in traffic occurs for repairs, dispenses and outside prescriptions. This might be a good time to hire a consultant or coach that has had experience working with many other practices in the industry. Once you've identified some root causes of unsatisfactory metric performance, you can work on setting goals. Your goals should follow the S.M.A.R.T principal (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time bound). A good example is as follows: Increase the percentage of patients that receive ancillary testing from 18% of patient encounters to 26% of patient encounters by May 1, 2016. Now it's time to set your initiatives. These are the specific actions that you and your team are going to take to accomplish the goals you set for your practice. One of the most important aspects of setting initiatives is to make sure that you invest the time needed to get the work done. I often use this term with my clients, “Don't try to change the tires on the bus while it's rolling down the hill.” The time you invest needs to be patient free time. Set your work up on a rhythm so that your staff learns to expect to work on improvement initiatives at a certain date every month. Close the office the 3rd Thursday of every month for example. The results won't only be better, you will probably get the work done faster than if you try and do it here and there, when you can get to it. Finally, leverage the business planning process as an opportunity to engage your staff. Don't try and build your plan by yourself. Your staff is full of great ideas. They also know where many of the challenges lie because they do the work every day. Business planning is a great opportunity to empower your staff to think and act like owner.

(904) 701-3084practicecopilot.com info@ practicecopilot.com

Tony has utilized Lean Management concepts to help foster a culture of employee driven continuous improvement at more than 400 Eye Care practices across the United States and Canada. His approach has generated significant revenue growth, cost reductions, and operational efficiency within these practices, while also improving staff accountability and engagement.

TONY MILIAN - CEO

TIP OF THE

MONTHPractice Management

Annual Business Planning

Annual business planning is an opportunity to go beyond the typical exercise of creating a budget for your practice. It's an opportunity to understand your current state, and more importantly identify the things you aren't satisfied with in your business. It's about how to leverage limited resources to focus on the things that will matter the most to your business in the coming year. Start your business planning process by identifying only 2 - 3 metrics you want to focus on improving the following year. Less is way more in this case. You want to make sure that you can focus your efforts on moving these metrics by not over extending your resources on too many initiatives. Business planning is all about focus. Otherwise, why have a plan in the first place. Don't jump to setting goals just yet. Before you set improvement goals, you need to do some root cause analysis to determine why these metrics are up to standard. Root cause analysis will give you an indication of how much you can expect to impact your metrics once you start identifying improvement initiatives. Remember, you want to make sure that your goals are challenging but still realistic. Without the proper root cause analysis, you might set goals that are unrealistic to meet. Root cause analysis is often the toughest part of the business planning process. It's not always easy to identify what is really causing your metric to be off target. A low capture rate in your optical is tied to how well you can perform your hand-offs, but your actual hand-off may not be the problem. The real issue might be that you are scheduling glasses exams at the same time as your peak dispensary walk in traffic occurs for repairs, dispenses and outside prescriptions. This might be a good time to hire a consultant or coach that has had experience working with many other practices in the industry. Once you've identified some root causes of unsatisfactory metric performance, you can work on setting goals. Your goals should follow the S.M.A.R.T principal (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time bound). A good example is as follows: Increase the percentage of patients that receive ancillary testing from 18% of patient encounters to 26% of patient encounters by May 1, 2016. Now it's time to set your initiatives. These are the specific actions that you and your team are going to take to accomplish the goals you set for your practice. One of the most important aspects of setting initiatives is to make sure that you invest the time needed to get the work done. I often use this term with my clients, “Don't try to change the tires on the bus while it's rolling down the hill.” The time you invest needs to be patient free time. Set your work up on a rhythm so that your staff learns to expect to work on improvement initiatives at a certain date every month. Close the office the 3rd Thursday of every month for example. The results won't only be better, you will probably get the work done faster than if you try and do it here and there, when you can get to it. Finally, leverage the business planning process as an opportunity to engage your staff. Don't try and build your plan by yourself. Your staff is full of great ideas. They also know where many of the challenges lie because they do the work every day. Business planning is a great opportunity to empower your staff to think and act like owner.

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P17

Recruiting Your Next SuperstarFace it—It’s hard to find great talent. But, it is out there though. You just have to know where to look, what to look for, and how to capture their attention. Like everything else, you just need to have a plan and execute it. There are five key elements to recruiting your next superstar:

Know What You Want. The first step is to evaluate your current team. What personalities currently exist? What positions do you currently have filled? Could any of these people have potential to be a candidate for the role you are looking for? In many instances, the best person for the job you want to fill might be someone else already in your office. The second part of this discussion is do you know exactly what you are looking for? Define and document the job description for this position. You will also want to define personality characteristics and job skills that you are looking for prior to starting the process. What values or work ethic are necessary to be successful in the position you are hiring for. Write them down. These items will be the foundation for staying non-emotional later on in the hiring process.

Know Where to Look. If you know what you are looking for then you have taken a large step towards knowing where to look. Some of my favorite places are churches and banks for receptionist positions. Most of any of these positions require short interactions with consumers, deal with money, and have passed general background checks. For retail, I like high-end restaurant wait staff, jewelry stores, and fashion consultants or personal shoppers at clothing stores. These people already “get” fashion and the consumer-driven sales process. As you will notice, nowhere did I say newspaper or job boards. I personally like to recruit people who already have a job. Personal networking or even networking through social media venues like Linked In can also be great ways to turn up “potential candidates.”

Know What to Say. Many times the most difficult part of the recruitment process is approaching a potential staff recruit. This too takes a little preparation. For those that you want to approach in person, write your cell phone number and a brief description of the position that are recruiting for on the back of one of your business cards. Put it in your wallet, purse, or even pocket. Its presence will be a constant reminder that you will keep attentive to potential people that you can recruit. Second, think about what your script will be and write it out. It has to contain all the necessary information and be deliverable in 60 seconds or less. Remember that this recruitment process is actually more about selling your business and this position to them so they will think about the position and take the next steps to be part of your team. Your script should encourage follow-up and leave the next step in the process up to them. It might sounds something like this, “Excuse me, my name is Dr. XXX. I just wanted to let you know that I am impressed with your communication skills, personality, and ability to interact with your consumers. I run an eye care practice and we are looking to recruit people just like you to join our awesome team. No pressure but if you would like to learn a little more about this position please contact me. Here is my business card with my cell number and a brief discussion of the position. I hope to hear from you.” For those positions where you are networking

and recruiting someone from afar, it is important to think about what will attract them. What are they looking for in a new position or a new company? By emphasizing what your company values, you stand a much better chance of aligning your goals with theirs.

Know the Process, Avoid the Common Mistakes. When the person does contact you, you need to be able to communicate the rest of the process quickly. The candidate may be truly interested or just intrigued enough to learn more information. Either way, they are interested enough to contact you. You need to have an application, full job description, as well as a summary of the practice and the team members, the benefits of working there and the next steps in the process ready to be delivered in multiple formats (print, e-mail, etc.) Please avoid one of the biggest mistakes though. Don’t make the application process too easy. This is the stage where you find out which candidates are really interested, do their homework and are persistent and those that are just looking for a quick process. Make the application long and thorough. Math tests, personality tests, ethical essay questions, and scenario-based questions can all help weed out who is NOT a good fit. The “not really interested” will not continue the process and weed themselves out. The next mistake to avoid is believing that the interview process is the best recruitment tool. Most people that make it to the interview are at their best. I suggest multiple interviews with multiple people and even a working interview to make sure that the candidate’s skills represent what was on paper and that there are no major personality issues. Everyone can make themselves look good on paper or once in person. Doing it consistently and with multiple personality types, interviewing is much more challenging.

Follow-Up. One of the biggest mistakes that people make is the lack of follow-up. This is an art form for sure. You want to promptly communicate with potential applicants after they have stepped out and communicated with you. Typically your goal is to follow-up within 24 hours with the information I provided above. Give them time to read your materials and contemplate their interest. Give them 3-5 business days. Interested candidates will generally reply within that time period. At that point, follow-up once to express your interest in them continuing the recruitment process and let them know that if they have any questions to be sure to contact you through the phone number or email that you left at the first visit.

Train.

What do you have to lose? Nothing. You have everything to gain including a great new staff member that will fill the position that you are hoping for. We hope that you have found this blog useful. Pass it on to your team or your colleagues.

Dr. Scot Morris www.morrisconsultingassociates.com

Membership Options Available

P18 NEW VENDORS

Inface was born in Denmark in the 1980’s and recently merged into ProDesign. The Inface concept is all about creating beautiful authentic frame design and bringing it to the consumers, in a very convenient price level. Even though every frame in the collection is unique and even though every little detail is taken care of, our price policy stays the same!

Inface Company wants to embrace and fit fashion frames to many types of faces – from kids to adults – therefore the collection contains a great variety of shapes, sizes, colours and materials.

The 4 words that capture the idea and soul of the Inface brand : Timeless, Aesthetic, Modern, Exclusive

Simplicity is an important word in our design - effortless and easiness with beautiful details.

Each frame in the Inface collection has been designed from scratch – it means we don t́ do things the easy way. Therefore you can be sure that every frame in the collection is unique. On top of that each frame has gone through many processes before the actual production starts. We spend a lot of time finding the perfect fitting and purifying the colors and the shapes. No shortcuts are allowed! Call Inface today to view the collection!

INFACE

Products: Manufacturers/Distributors of: InFace Danish Eyewear

VW Discount: 10%

For more information contact: Kathye Lieu (877) 270-0604kli@inface.comwww.inface.com

IF 93

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I N FAC E B Y P RO D E S I G N D E N M A R K

Between traditional and casual, chic and off-beat with a “trendy London” feel, the WOOW style will speak to all women and men with a sense of humor.

The little message inserted in the end tip of the frame will make the wearer smile first thing in the morning… Better than a coach!

The frames are characterized by a unicolor front and “sleeved” two-toned temples, the end tip bearing a little “poking” message.

The soft, rounded metallic insert, covered by a thin layer of resin, is inspired by the superb keys of old typewriters.

The WOOW collection is designed in France and the frames are manufactured in Italy. With a recommended retail price around $275, the collection’s main target is younger adults, but can of course seduce men and women of all ages. Call Woow Eyewear today!

WOOW EYEWEAR

Products: Manufacturers/Distributors of: Woow Eyewear

VW Discount: 10%

For more information contact: Madison East (888) 388-3223madison.east@faceaface-paris.com www.wooweyewear.com

Between traditional and casual,chic and off-beat with a “trendy London”feel, the WOOW style will speak to allwomen and men with a sense of humor.The little message inserted in the end tipof the frame will make the wearer smilefirst thing in the morning…Better than a coach!

Receive on-going

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The brand with a “ trendy-London” feel

NeverMind 1

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The WOOW collection is designed in Franceand the frames are manufactured in Italy.With a recommended retail pricearound $275, the collection’s main targetis younger adults, but can of course seducemen and women of all ages.

TurnOn 3

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Customer Service - Tel : 888 388 3223infous@wooweyewear.com - wooweyewear.com

NEW VENDORS P19

Solutionreach is the industry’s leading provider of patient relationship management solutions designed to assist healthcare providers in retaining and educating existing patients, reactivating lost patients, and acquiring new patients.

Solutionreach’s technology leverages the power of multiple communication channels, including text messaging, email, voice calls, and online portals. Solutionreach features also include: recall reminders, eyewear ready reminders, referrals, e-newsletters, birthday greetings, educational video’s from Eyemaginations, e-surveys, Care Credit Edition, Healthgrades partnership, custom promotional & group messages, patient portal, free PatientReach tablet & mobile app, online reputation management, and scheduling tools such as 2 months free usage of Limelight online scheduling application. The

many benefits of Solutionreach include: Increase revenues, reduce no-shows, fill late cancellations, improve staff efficiency, reactivate lost patients, decrease costs, increase loyalty, and get referrals.

SOLUTION REACH

Products: Patient Relationship Management Services

VW Discount: One-time activation fee only $99.00 (normally $399.00); Monthly base rate $359.00/mo (normally $379.00/mo)

For more information contact: Miles Westover866.315.4046partnersales@solutionreach.comwww.solutionreach.com

CovalentCareers.com is an online job discovery platform for eye care professionals. We help optometry practices find amazing staff members from the comfort of their computers. Our primary goal is to eliminate staffing headaches by making it easy for employees to find their ideal position, and for employers to quickly find the best candidates for their practice. This is achieved with a custom-engineered matchmaking algorithm that scores and ranks the fit between employees and available positions.

CovalentCareers was co-founded by two optometrists, a physical therapist, and a software engineer who wanted to find new ways to reduce common staffing and employment challenges for healthcare professionals. The end result is a revolutionary matchmaking system that is “for healthcare providers, by healthcare providers.”

Employers create a job listing by answering questions about their practice culture, the desired schedule, experience required for the position, and more. The system uses this profile to gather candidates who fit the description of the employee you’re looking for, and ranks them by how well they fit. Employee accounts are free!

Job Seekers create a profile by answering a series of questions about their location, interests, experience, values, and ideal position. The matchmaking system uses these answers to come up with a list of available positions that are likely to be a great fit for that particular job seeker.

Products: Online Job Matching for Eyecare Professionals

VW Discount: 15%

For more information contact: Ryan Corte OD248.982.2051ryan@covalentcareers.comwww.covalentcareers.com

Online Job Matching For EyecareProfessionals

CovalentCareers.com helps optometry practices find amazing sta� members from the comfort of their computer! By creating a profile you will see exactly which optometrists, opticians, and optical sta� that you match with.

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CovalentCareersVisit covalentcareers.com/visionwest to create your job listing and get the 15% o� Vision West discount!

TIME SAVING FEATURESSee all job seeker matches on a scale of 0-100% based on culture, clinical experience, work hours & long-term goals!

Find candidates who know your EHR system and o�ce equipment!

View all resumes digitally, no need to print stacks of paper and lose track of details!

Chat with candidates before your phone interview through an in-app chat system!

Automatically syndicate your job listing to indeed.com, simplyhired.com, newgradoptometry.com and more!

Sort hundreds of candidates instantly by criteria relevant to your needs such as location, residency and more!

Vision West members receive 15% o� of all job listings they purchase using the Vision West Discount Code - VWEST2016

Basic Listings are $299Vision West members pay $254.15

Premium Listings are $499Vision West members pay $424.15

Browse the profiles of local ODs, opticians and optical sta� looking for jobs!

Online Job Matching For EyecareProfessionals

CovalentCareers.com helps optometry practices find amazing sta� members from the comfort of their computer! By creating a profile you will see exactly which optometrists, opticians, and optical sta� that you match with.

MEMBERDISCOUNT

15%OFF

CovalentCareersVisit covalentcareers.com/visionwest to create your job listing and get the 15% o� Vision West discount!

TIME SAVING FEATURESSee all job seeker matches on a scale of 0-100% based on culture, clinical experience, work hours & long-term goals!

Find candidates who know your EHR system and o�ce equipment!

View all resumes digitally, no need to print stacks of paper and lose track of details!

Chat with candidates before your phone interview through an in-app chat system!

Automatically syndicate your job listing to indeed.com, simplyhired.com, newgradoptometry.com and more!

Sort hundreds of candidates instantly by criteria relevant to your needs such as location, residency and more!

Vision West members receive 15% o� of all job listings they purchase using the Vision West Discount Code - VWEST2016

Basic Listings are $299Vision West members pay $254.15

Premium Listings are $499Vision West members pay $424.15

Browse the profiles of local ODs, opticians and optical sta� looking for jobs!

COVALENT CAREERS

P20 INDUSTRY UPDATES

KATE SPADE NEW YORK INTRODUCES FALL/WINTER 2015-2016 EYEWEAR COLLECTION kate spade new york is always optimistic, often unexpected and wonderfully original. Inspired this season by a box of chocolates and other sweets – as well as a wonderfully original floral print which ties back to kate spade new york’s current ready-to-wear collection. The kate spade new york Fall/Winter 2015-2016 eyewear collection looks as sweet as its inspiration, and continues to be reinforced by classic shapes and modern graphic elements.

SAFILO

TURA

TURA LAUNCHES TWO COLLECTIONS BY GWEN STEFANI: L.A.M.B AND GX BY GWEN STEFANI

Tura Inc., in combination with Grammy Award-Winning musician and fashion entrepreneur Gwen Stefani, is introducing a new line of sunglasses and optical eyewear for the L.A.M.B. and gx by Gwen Stefani brands. The collections offer a mixture of urban shapes, bold colors, and fashion forward styling.

Both the L.A.M.B. and gx by Gwen Stefani collections are emblematic of Gwen’s unique personal style. Gwen is the master of fusing multiple music genres to create her own distinctive sound. Like her music, her personal style is a fashion blend that showcases her innate ability to create fashion that is fresh and original. While both collections are infused with Gwen’s iconic style, they address two different customers.

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Press Contact: Audrey Pavia

apavia@tura.com 800.242.TURA (8872)

Tura Launches Two Collections by Gwen Stefani: L.A.M.B and gx by Gwen Stefani NEW YORK (January 2, 2016) – Tura Inc., in combination with Grammy Award-Winning musician and fashion entrepreneur Gwen Stefani, is introducing a new line of sunglasses and optical eyewear for the L.A.M.B. and gx by Gwen Stefani brands. The collections offer a mixture of urban shapes, bold colors, and fashion forward styling. Both the L.A.M.B. and gx by Gwen Stefani collections are emblematic of Gwen’s unique personal style. Gwen is the master of fusing multiple music genres to create her own distinctive sound. Like her music, her personal style is a fashion blend that showcases her innate ability to create fashion that is fresh and original. While both collections are infused with Gwen’s iconic style, they address two different customers. The L.A.M.B. collection features Gwen’s love of “black and white” by expressing it through graphic uses of stripes, checkers, geometric prints, and color blocking. Her inclination to mix masculinity and femininity in her style is conveyed through the use of bold masculine shapes softened by a feminine color palette. Iconic industrial details on the frames include slot head screws, zipper textures and her custom signature metal tip. This rock and roll edge is juxtaposed with Gwen’s classic Hollywood glamour that adds sex appeal and a luxurious undertone to the collection. Rich pearl and metallic acetates are used throughout the collection to underscore its sophisticated fashion position. The sunglass collection is most noted for its “street” aesthetic; her 90’s influenced shapes with flatter brow lines are on trend. “gx” is how Gwen signs her emails, and for her, the “x” represents sending her love. gx by Gwen Stefani is designed for her fans who are looking for an affordable way to emulate her style. Trendy retro-inspired “geek chic” shapes dominate with playful uses of pop color. Pop color accents are used most often on the interior of the frame and signature tip stripe. Colorful fade materials, laminates, and block material are used throughout the collection. Gwen’s punk rock roots come through in the use of pyramid studs, metallic logo plaques, and unconventional shapes and colors. Her collection appeals to a young, self-expressive, and creative audience. “I feel like I’ve been waiting my whole life to get to do this and finally getting to design eyewear is a dream come true! Getting to design two different collections is even better than a dream! L.A.M.B. is chic, modern and beautiful. The glasses are graphic with a lot of black and white. L.A.M.B. is all about my

INDUSTRY UPDATES P21

Morel releases Sohal from Koali.

The Sohal surgeonfish was the inspiration behind the design of this oceanic concept. Luminous color combinations blend acetate and metal with a bright horizontal stripe extending the length of the frame’s temple.

Subtle and light, the entire design of this concept is clearly derived from its source of inspiration. Available in both triple-layered handcrafted acetate and stainless steel fronts, contrasting colors highlight the eyes, extending onto beveled temples.

Sohal is available in sizes 49-51.

Press Contact: Lisa Burnslb@morel-eyewearusa.com

Morel - 500 West Main Street, Wyckoff, NJ 07481

Toll free : 1 800 526 8838 Fax : 1 888 631 9796www.morel-france.com

P23

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Are you aware that Vision West members can earn rebates by increasing their purchase volumes with our Premium Vendors? In addition to our already low discounts, Vision West has negotiated these following “Money Saving” deals with our Premium Vendors:

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.

PREMIUM VENDOR$2016 LOYALTY REBATE$