IDOC Focal Point Podcast

Behind the Benchmarks: Insights for Managing Overhead and Profitability Nathan Hayes, the director of financial services at IDOC, discusses the importance of comparing practice financials to other practices. He explains how Books & Benchmarks service can provide accurate and reliable data to help practice owners make informed decisions about their business. Download the report here: https://bit.ly/44HRX0V Learn more about Books & Benchmarks: https://booksandbenchmarks.com/

Technology will continue to disrupt the eye care profession. This poses both opportunities and threats for ECPs. In this episode with Travis Beaven, Alcon's Global Vice President of Vision Care Digital Health, we discuss the role technology will play in the future of eye care. A few things we discuss are which technologies will have the greatest impact on the eye care profession, artificial intelligence, adapting to change, privacy issues, and much more! While change and disruption can be unsettling, it also opens the door for innovation and new opportunities that improve the experience for both provider and patient.

Managing billing operations has historically been one of the most challenging tasks of practice ownership. In this episode we explore the reasons for this, how practices are handling (or not handling) these challenges, and the evolving role of technology in billing. One of the more exciting platforms to hit the market is OneSpot, a centralized digital hub to streamline billing processes. OneSpot is productivity software for your insurance biller. The tool helps billers organize, manage, track, and resolve outstanding insurance claims. OneSpot also gives eyecare practice owners and managers visibility into their insurance billing operations, something that the PMS/EHR has not been able to do. Tune in to gain insights into the future of billing and the role OneSpot plays in shaping it.

Resistance to a sale is often countered with additional patient education, assuming that more information will lower the barrier to a sale. In reality, many of our purchase decisions are not driven by what we KNOW about something, they're driven by what we FEEL about something. Fear, excitement, anticipation, trust, safety, confusion, curiosity, and certainty are some examples of emotions that influence our purchase decisions. Research shows the overwhelming majority of our decisions are primarily driven by emotions, not logic. In this episode we explore some of the not so obvious reasons people resist making a purchase, along with strategies to counter these situations.

In this episode, Selin Olmsted (founder of Selin Olmsted Studio) shares her expertise on a topic many ODs marginalize. Eyewear fashion and design! A few things we discuss are insights on the latest eyewear trends, factors to consider when selecting frames, options for implementing private label, and adapting to future trends. Doctors know a lot about the clinical side of eye care. Patients want great vision and healthy eyes, but don't neglect something that is also very important to your patients… Looking good! More about Selin and her company https://www.selinolmsted.com/

In this episode, Sharon Carter shares her strategies for getting “unstuck” and taking your practice to the next level.   We cover a lot of reasons practices fail to reach their full potential and how to put strategies in place to maintain growth. Spoiler alert! You can't do this alone. After a certain point, designating a leadership team is necessary. However, those efforts can be sabotaged by putting the wrong people in these roles. It's also possible that you have the right people with the right attributes, but your approach to promotion and development sets them up for failure.  What's the best way to track success? Numbers! In Sharon's words, “The numbers don't lie.” In this interview we cover the importance of KPI's (key performance indicators), which KPI's to track, and how to hold employees accountable for outcomes.  Sharon is the owner of ECOC Optometric Consulting. Learn more about her company here: https://ecoc.biz/

In this episode, Dr. Mike Neal shares how he transformed his practice by removing many of the obstacles that prevent practice owners from building a great team.   A few things we discuss are taking emotion out of the interview process, the importance of focusing on talents and strengths rather than just experience, what we can learn from companies like Disney to ensure better hires, and how to get clear on which applicants to reject and which to call in for an interview.  If you're ready to change the game and set yourself up for hiring success, you'll love this episode!  Dr. Mike Neal is the owner and CEO of Build My Team. Learn more about his company here: https://www.buildmyteam.com/

In this episode, we explore the key elements of a successful staff meeting that leaves a lasting impact. The planning phase takes center stage, emphasizing the importance of identifying the need, purpose, and intention of the meeting. The episode highlights the perpetual nature of issues to address and emphasizes the value of delivering a clear and focused message, recognizing that less is more when it comes to information absorption.  Collaboration is introduced as a powerful tool during staff meetings, illustrating how discussions among attendees can enhance information retention. The "So what?" test is discussed as a practical tool for filtering information, ensuring that only essential and impactful content is included in meetings. Authenticity in delivery is emphasized, covering gestures, tone, and conviction. Tune in to discover actionable insights for transforming your staff meetings into engaging and effective sessions.  More about Erin at https://erinmomalley.com/

In this episode, Dr. Aaron Neufeld shares his strategies for leveraging referrals from other doctors to grow his practice.   When it comes to marketing your practice, many ODs think of traditional marketing strategies such as social media, online or print marketing, and having a great website. These are all important to grow a practice, but in this technological world we often marginalize face to face marketing.  In this interview, we focus on Dr. Neufeld's strategies for securing more referrals, what to expect when you begin this process, which doctors to target, how to sustain a very productive relationship, and how to overcome some of the obstacles you will likely face.

In this episode, Stanford lecturer Matt Abrahams shares valuable insights about listening and communication from his book, Think Faster, Talk Smarter: How to Speak Successfully When You're Put on the Spot   Doctors are tasked with solving problems for their patients, but as Matt points out, it's not hard to solve problems, it's hard to find the right problems to solve.   In this interview, we focus on asking better questions and sharpening our listening skills. Matt says that questions get the other person more invested in the problem itself and the desire to solve it. “When it comes to communication, we over index on the speaking part and we need to balance that out with the listening part,” he says. When it comes to establishing connections, building trust, and uncovering problems (all vital to patient care), we need to do more listening than talking.

The best practices are NOT constantly trying to motivate people, they just have better systems in place, and they manage the systems. That's much easier than constantly managing (and motivating) people.  Do you agree or disagree with the above? In this episode, I take on the interviewee role as Erich Mattei, President of Akrinos, interviews me on this topic for his podcast. We attempt to answer the question, “Which is more effective when it comes to managing employees, motivation or systems?”

One of the biggest checks you write is to your lab, yet many practices seem to tolerate a lot of bad service from the labs they partner with. Dr. Barton Higley is one doctor who had enough, ultimately partnering with an independent lab out of Pittsburgh called Three Rivers Optical. In this episode Dr. Higley describes his struggles with the labs he used prior. Poor customer service, poor quality, and inexperienced reps led him to pursue alternatives. Based on prior experience he was understandably skeptical, but he explains how Three Rivers Optical surpassed all his expectations. Dr. Higley asked himself an important question, “Does their business model align with our practice model?” After partnering this Three Rivers his question was answered. They did! Does YOUR lab align with YOUR practice model? Find out more: https://3riversoptical.com/ Link to meet with Dr. Higley: https://go.oncehub.com/HigleyThreeRiversPeerConsulting

Approximately 50 percent of doctors are experiencing professional burnout. In this episode we explore the most common reasons for this and what you can do to overcome it. While much of the attention for reducing physician burnout has been focused on getting away from patient care, also called escapism, this isn't a realistic option for all doctors and it's also not always the most effective option. A more sustainable approach is not getting away from patient care, but rather changing how we provide patient care. The focus of this episode is on shifting from a transactional model back to a relational model. A more personalized approach to patient care combined with a greater sense of accomplishment can help restore the joy and satisfaction in the profession of eye care.

Are you struggling to make specialty care a meaningful part of your practice? Maybe you're trying to solve a medical problem when you should be trying to solve a marketing problem. For many ODs, time is the biggest culprit when it comes to growing a specialty service. Doctors are trying to cram medical conversations into comp exams and failing to get the patient's buy-in. In this episode with Bob Miglani, founder of Hoot, we explore some of the most common reasons for this and how Hoot provides a solution to these problems. Find out more at Gethoot.com

In this podcast, Nathan Hayes, IDOC's Director of Financial Services, highlights the essential factors involved in determining the value of a practice, including revenue, profitability, market conditions, and competition. The role of financial statements and historical performance metrics, such as EBITDA, is emphasized as critical tools in the valuation process. The conversation also explores the challenge of quantifying intangible assets like goodwill, reputation, and relationships, shedding light on their impact on a practice's overall value. The interview addresses whether formal valuations are necessary for all practices and how the presence of private equity has transformed the landscape of healthcare practice valuation and acquisition. Our discussion uncovers common mistakes and misconceptions held by practice owners about business valuation, helping them navigate the process more effectively. For potential sellers with exit plans, valuable insights are shared regarding benchmarks and strategies to boost their practice's value. Likewise, potential buyers receive guidance on avoiding overpayment, ensuring informed decisions when considering acquisitions.

Unforgettable Patient Care: Influence Outcomes by Making a Lasting Impression In this enlightening podcast episode with Dr. Carmen Simon, the renowned author of "Impossible to Ignore: Creating Memorable Content to Influence Decisions," we delve into the fascinating world of memory and message retention. Would it surprise you to know that people typically only remember about 10% of the messages they encounter, and most of this information is forgotten within the first 24 hours? Memory challenge not only affects what people remember, but also what they act on. As healthcare professionals, what if you could take charge of what patients remember and wield the power to shape their choices? Dr. Simon unveils the keys to controlling that pivotal 10% of information people retain. Without deliberate efforts, what sticks in their memory tends to be random and unpredictable. In this episode, Dr. Simon walks us through concepts such as deliberate messaging, cognitive ease, and pattern recognition. Understanding these concepts helps you better position your messaging to be remembered and acted upon. This podcast episode promises to reshape your approach to patient care by tapping into the enigmatic world of memory. Are you ready to become an unforgettable force in the eyes of your patients? Tune in to find out.

When physicians contemplate HIPAA compliance and the safeguarding of patients' protected health information (PHI), their primary focus typically centers on internal aspects. Questions such as, "Do our practice's written policies align with HIPAA requirements? Have we adequately trained our employees on HIPAA regulations? Is our computer infrastructure and software adequately secure?" often dominate their concerns. However, one crucial aspect that often goes unaddressed is whether the vendors who have access to our patients' PHI are also diligently taking steps to ensure the protection of this sensitive information. In this episode, we engage in a discussion with Christine Schneider, Vice President of Operations, and Jon Kettner, who oversees HIPAA compliance at RevCycle Partners. They provide insights into the comprehensive process RevCycle Partners follows to achieve HIPAA compliance and offer guidance on the essential inquiries you should be making of your vendors to fortify your defenses against potential data breaches.

In this episode with Colin Carr, founder of Carr Realty, we explore the intricacies of securing an optimal space for your practice. Our conversation begins by highlighting the significance of leaving room for growth over the coming years. To gain a tangible grasp of spatial dimensions, Colin recommends using tape to visualize and assess potential layouts. Delving into the realm of property procurement, our discussion underscores the advantages of collaborating with contractors attuned to the unique needs of optometrists. Colin advocates a structured three-step evaluation approach: analyzing your options comprehensively, assessing location compatibility, and then delving into the financial aspects. This episode places a spotlight on the importance of enlisting a seasoned broker. Recognizing that negotiations can often be skewed in favor of landlords, a skilled intermediary adds essential expertise to your side. Colin's insights also touch on a key negotiation pitfall: prematurely indicating an unwillingness to consider alternate locations. This inadvertently shifts the balance of power to the other party. Emphasizing strategic negotiation tactics, he endorses meticulous research as a potent strategy. Creating a sense of uncertainty can potentially strengthen your bargaining position. Finally, Colin demystifies costs by clarifying that commissions are typically covered by the seller, thus incurring no direct expenses for the buyer. From making informed decisions about space to navigating negotiations, this episode equips you with versatile knowledge to approach real estate endeavors with confidence and strategic finesse.

In this episode with Ankit Patel, founder of My Business Care Team, we delve into a transformative approach that Ankit implemented in his practice. By leveraging a remote workforce in the Philippines, Ankit's practice achieved remarkable results. Most notably a 33% increase in revenue per patient and a 28% reduction in payroll. Previously, distractions and administrative tasks limited the support on-site employees could provide. However, by delegating calls and administrative responsibilities to remote staff, valuable time was freed up. This additional time spent with patients translated into a noteworthy increase in average revenue per patient. Interestingly, this shift in staffing also opened doors to a more skilled and diverse pool of candidates due to the ability to pay above market rates. Ankit operates a Business Processing Outsourcing service, which provides comprehensive oversight for the remote workforce. This approach differs from employing Virtual Assistants, where the practice takes on the responsibility of training, managing, and supervising the VA. Ankit's experience serves as a valuable example of how reimagining staffing strategies can lead to substantial enhancements in both patient care and financial outcomes.

In this episode with Dr. Kerry Giedd, we uncover a wealth of actionable tips to enhance your practice's success in boosting the sale of daily disposable contact lenses. Dr. Giedd stresses the importance of keeping your patients informed about the latest advancements and unique features in the world of daily disposable contact lenses. Did you know that a staggering 70% of patients express a strong desire for their optometrists to offer new technology? Stay ahead of the curve by embracing innovation and sharing these exciting developments with your patients. Being easy to do business with is a crucial aspect of driving sales. Our conversation delves into practical ways to streamline your practice's operations, ensuring you have ample time to educate patients thoroughly about the various contact lens options, particularly the convenience and benefits of daily disposables. Simplifying the process of ordering and purchasing contact lenses is a game-changer. Learn how to create a seamless experience for your patients, removing any obstacles that might hinder their decision to opt for daily disposables. Trust is the cornerstone of patient relationships. Discover strategies to build a strong foundation of trust, ensuring that your recommendations hold weight in your patients' eyes. This trust, in turn, translates into increased sales of daily disposable contact lenses. Our episode unveils an intriguing perspective to enhance annual supply sales. Rather than asking patients how many boxes they wish to purchase, consider operating under the assumption that they'll be ordering a year's supply. Dr. Giedd provides valuable insights on implementing this approach effectively. Join us in this dynamic episode as we equip you with a toolkit of strategies to skyrocket your sales of daily disposable contact lenses.

In this episode with Dr. Kristina Pusz, we delve into the transformative impact of scheduling more staff meetings. While many practices struggle to carve out adequate time for meetings, Dr. Pusz schedules 1.5 hour leadership meetings and 1 hour departmental meetings every week! We discuss the impact this has had on critical areas such as staff turnover and communication challenges. Dr. Pusz shares personal insights on transitioning from a boss to a leader, fostering trust among team members, and why accountability and feedback play pivotal roles. Discover how tracking key performance indicators (KPIs) can boost revenue and overall practice culture. The podcast unveils the positive outcomes: improved work-life balance, a more cohesive team, and a thriving optometry practice.

Mastering Difficult Patients: Proven Strategies that Promote Positive Patient Interactions In this episode with Lynn Lawrence, we delve into the art of handling challenging patients with grace and professionalism. Discover effective techniques to meet negativity with positivity, swiftly uncover the underlying issues, and maintain control in the face of difficult encounters. Learn how to train your staff in conflict resolution using real-life situations, and shift towards a preventative approach that emphasizes proactive training. Explore the importance of effective communication to avoid misunderstandings with patients, empowering your team to uphold a standard of unwavering professional behavior. Tune in to gain valuable insights and strategies for navigating challenging patient interactions.

What would it take to open a practice cold and within 5 years achieve a level of financial success that many practices never reach… becoming a multi-million-dollar practice? In this episode, Dr. Joel Tuite takes us through his 5-year journey, year-by-year. Some of the topics we cover are how he attracted patients in the lean years, the importance of putting staff first and treating patients like family, and how having a vision of success keeps you motivated and optimistic even during challenging times. According to Dr. Tuite, “If you can envision it, it will happen.”

Digital eye strain, while frustrating for your patients, presents a tremendous opportunity for your practice. In the past, contact lenses often had less than stellar outcomes for patients experiencing eyestrain on digital devices. Many of these patients ultimately dropped out of contact lenses. This was not good for the patient or the practice. Advancements in contact lens technology have created a new option that's getting raving reviews from both patients and doctors. Patients love the visual comfort and symptomatic relief the lens provides, and doctors love the ease of fitting (98 percent of patients found their final lens with 2 pairs of lenses or less). In this episode with Dr. Michele Andrews, we discuss a lens with potential to create a lot of happy patients (and doctors): MyDay Energys.

Is it possible to set up your optical so most of the selling is done for you without having to speak to the patient? Where you get the patient 80% of the way there and then you close the last 20% When the patient walks into your optical, there are a lot of factors that can encourage or discourage a sale. Many of these operate on a subconscious level. Things like the number of decisions the consumer is forced to make, where frames are placed relative to eye level, and even the cleanliness of the frames can impact sales. In this episode with Susan Daly, Director of Optical Strategy and Development for IDOC, we cover 10 tips for boosting sales and several of these tips challenge conventional thinking.

When people search for an eye doctor (or related service) in your area, are you the one who shows up? If not, you're losing patients and money! While word-of-mouth marketing may still be king for many practices, online marketing is not far behind. In this episode with Wayne Street, SEO Manager at IDOC, we discuss the most effective online marketing strategies, how to position your website and content to rank high when people in your area search for eye care services, and reasons your marketing is not working (wasting money). For those who lack the time or expertise to manage their own marketing successfully (probably most of you), Wayne also discusses how IDOC can do it for you. As Wayne states, “It's easy to do, but involves a lot of work!”

One of the most important responsibilities of private practice ownership, and perhaps one of the most neglected, is staff training. Some of the most common reasons for inadequate training are lack of time, poor training systems, and poor follow-up. Kayle Ashlee has built a wonderful training platform at Bespexy.com. In this episode, we take a deep dive into some of the most common mistakes with staff training, the role of leadership in executing a training program, building a training structure, and how to continue developing employees beyond the onboarding stage. If your practice struggles with staff training, this episode is a must-listen!

Do you aspire to spend less time seeing patients are more time developing your practice? If you're not developing and growing your practice, then who is? Early in his career, Dr. Larry Golson was somewhat dismissive of the term “leadership,” but came to realize how important it was to the growth of his practice. To be a better leader, he needed to get out of the exam room! Dr. Golson adopted an entrepreneurial operating system called Traction, which allowed him to create a practice with more clarity, greater organization, increased accountability and sustained growth. He now teaches this system to other ODs.

For years we've been hearing, “It's hard to find good employees.” Over the past few years that's become, “It's hard to find ANY employees!” A few years ago, virtual assistants in eye care were unheard of. Today many practices are testing the waters with this concept. Dr. Adam Ramsey is one of those innovative ODs. In this episode, he shares his experience working with a virtual assistant. He discusses how he uses the assistant, his approach to training a virtual staff member, the reaction from both staff and patients, and much more! If you're on the fence about virtual staff, this episode may convince you to give it a try!

You may be a doctor who treats dry eye, but are you THE DOCTOR in your area who treats dry eye? In this episode with Dr. Janelle Davison, we discuss how to build a brand around dry eye and the many opportunities this can create for both the patient and the practice. When patients have dry eye, are YOU the one they think of for help? In this interview, we tackle many of the questions you may have about building your own brand. How should I market myself? Should I focus on my current patient database or external patients? What equipment should I start with? How do I present prices to the patient? Tune in to learn how Dr. Davison built her dry eye brand, grew this specialty, and became THE DOCTOR in her area.

“You can make drama or you can make money, but you can't make both. The thing that Zig (Ziglar) always said about building a team is that “together everyone achieves more”. I have found in my 25 plus years of consulting that this is the magic wand to creating a multi-million dollar practice. The team is everything.” The above is directly off of Sharon Carter's website. In this episode, we tackle the topic of team building and the impact this has on your practice. If you aspire to be a better leader and build a team that takes your practice to the next level, this episode will not disappoint! We cover how to get the right people on board, the importance of empowering people, becoming a more effective communicator, culture building, embracing failure, and much more!

Every eyecare practitioner wants what's best for the patient in the chair. So, why do we sometimes stop short of providing the best care? In this episode with Dr. Selina McGee and Zac Denning of Science Based Health, we explore the role of nutrition and nutritional supplements in the care of patients, and address some of the most common reasons ODs struggle to make this a more meaningful part of their practice. Perhaps the reason is that you're not comfortable “selling” products in the office, or you lack the time to discuss these options with patients, or you struggle getting your staff to embrace their role in communicating this treatment option to patients. All of that and more is addressed in this interview. A lot of the ideas presented are not just applicable to supplements, but any area of your practice that you desire to grow.

How do you define success? Would your definition of business success and personal success conflict with each other? Sometimes it feels like they are aligned when they are not. Business success often requires long hours and hefty sacrifices that come at the expense of family and personal joy. In optometry school, did you set a personal goal to spend less time with your kids, take fewer vacations, and watch a savings account grow with money you didn't get to enjoy? In this episode with Adam Cmejla, we take a look at this topic and discuss how important it is to work to live, not live to work. Even if you love your job, your practice can and should be in service of not only your business goals but also your personal goals. From a financial planning standpoint, how can you set yourself up for success on both fronts?

In this episode I sit down with Dr, Candace Hoff to talk about something she's doing that a lot of ODs ask about, but very few successfully execute. That “something” is an in-house discount plan. In Dr. Hoff's case, this allowed her practice to drop a few vision plans while retaining a healthy percentage of those patients. The feedback from patients has been mostly positive, and the feedback from staff has been even better. The success of this discount plan has Dr. Hoff targeting additional plans to drop. Take a listen to learn how she did it, how she communicated this option to patients, and much more!

“Leadership is not about title or positions, it is about one life influencing another.” These are the words of world-renowned leadership expert John Maxwell. In this episode, I had the opportunity to interview Chris Goede, Vice President of Client Success for The John Maxwell Company. Chris is one of our keynote speakers for our upcoming national convention, The Connection, in Orlando on February 16 -19. In this episode, Chris takes us though the foundational principles from John Maxwell's best-seller, The 5 Levels of Leadership. As you're listening, try to determine what level you are currently at, and what needs to change to advance to the next level. Don't get stuck at a low level! Developing and growing your leadership attributes will pay huge dividends in managing your team and growing a successful practice.

Patient education and effective communication are not the same thing. Patient education only guarantees people will hear what you say. Effective communication increases the odds people will do what you say. So, how do we become better communicators? Fortunately, we don't have to guess at that, we just have to make some small but powerful changes in how we communicate with patients. There is a mountain of research demonstrating how to be more effective and influential when communicating with others, and this can be easily applied to patient care. In this podcast, I present some of these concepts and share an audio lesson from a course I created designed to help doctors become more effective communicators. If you're an IDOC member, email me at svargo@idoc.net for a link to download the entire course for free.

Have you set annual goals for your practice in the past that required you and your staff to perform or produce at a higher level to reach the goal? Did you succeed, or did you find yourself coming up short at the end of the year? There are many flaws and weaknesses in traditional goal setting, this is especially prevalent with annual goals and bonuses. Leaning on research in workplace behavior, I discuss 3 common reasons practices fail to reach their annual goals, and how to devise a system that increases your chances of success.

What should I look for in a resume? How do I prepare for an interview? What questions should I ask? These are good questions to answer, but many employers just “wing it” when it comes to interviewing job candidates. There is an art to asking the right questions, knowing what to listen for, and identifying the right qualities in a candidate that will not only increase your odds of finding the ideal candidate but also avoid the hassles and headaches of hiring the wrong person. Employers must also consider that the job candidate is interviewing them! They want some assurance before accepting the position that this will be a great fit for them. The job interview can serve to showcase your office culture, a defining factor in candidates choosing your practice over another.

There are times when an OD feels it's in the best interest of a patient to modify their contact lenses. This often involves making a change, such as changing the brand or modality. This can be a challenge with a patient who is not experiencing any problems with their habitual contact lenses. It can be even more challenging when the lenses you're prescribing will cost the patient more money than their current lenses. In this episode, Dr. Moscow shares his strategies for presenting daily disposables, handling objections, and getting the patient's “buy-in.” These strategies have led to 80% of his contact lens patients being fit with daily disposables!

Let's dig into a topic many ODs lack knowledge and expertise about… optical and inventory management. They didn't teach us that in school! Dr. Neil Patel is a young OD who purchased a practice one year ago. His first thought was “How hard can this be?” Not long after he confided to an IDOC Optical Consultant, “I have no idea what I'm doing!” That self-realization led to his quest to work with our Inventory Management team and learn more about how to successfully manage his optical and inventory. In this interview, Dr. Patel shares what he's learned over the past year and how the IDOC Inventory Management service has allowed him to run a successful optical with fewer demands on him and his staff.

Change in the eyecare industry is nothing new, but the past few years have seen more change than normal. Having a solid understanding of your practice financials is important to help you navigate changes and strategize for the road ahead. IDOC's Associate Director of Financial Services, Nathan Hayes, shines a light on what metrics are most important and how to use those metrics in your business planning and decision-making. We also discuss IDOC's Books and Benchmarks service that takes the burden of bookkeeping off your plate… and makes sure it's done right!

Dr. Kris May operates his practices in a region with some of the lowest per capita family income in the country. This isn't the typical market that comes to mind when we think success with daily disposables, and yet Dr. May's current daily rate is 55 percent. There was a time when Dr. May prescribed mostly 2-week disposables and felt that dailies were not an option with his patient base, until he did some research on patient compliance, safety, and practice profitability. This caused him to take another look at dailies and make some big changes. Dr. May shares his best practices and lessons learned in this interview.

Does your career feel stagnant? Have you lost your excitement for practicing optometry? If you fall into that category, that may be hard to admit, but you're not alone. In fact, it's very common for ODs to feel “burned out” from the routine of seeing patients. The good news is… you don't have to be confined to a small dark room if you don't want to. A lot of opportunities exist for ODs to pursue alternative career paths if they aspire to. In this episode I talk to Dr. Joel Hayden. His story involves specialty services, a YouTube channel, teaching a course, mentoring potential optometry students, and even a foray into the world of acting. This is Joel's story. You can write your own, and I hope this interview inspires some people feeling “stuck” to get out of their comfort zone and pursue the unconventional path.

Like many specialty services, a lot of ODs “dabble” but fail to make a service like Dry Eye a meaningful part of their practice. From a clinical and financial standpoint, dry eye has tremendous potential, but a lot of ODs are standing on the sidelines while doctors like Dr. Cohen are going all in and reaping the benefits!   It takes time, effort and money to get where Dr. Cohen is, but the important thing is just to get started. In this episode, we hit the fundamentals of launching a dry eye specialty. Stop dabbling and start building.

In this episode we talk with Dr. Michelle Johnston, author of The Seismic Shift in Leadership, about being a more effective leader. Leadership in the workplace has moved beyond the “command and control” style… or has it? Many leaders are still deploying outdated methods of leading their teams. In a time where employees appear disengaged, turnover is high, and practice revenues are stagnant, it's worth looking in the mirror and asking, “Am I the problem?” This interview may challenge many of the ideas you have about leadership, but if you're willing to make some changes, the rewards for both you and your team could be astounding.

Benchmarking is a term used in business to reference the study of other companies or businesses to compare with your own. Through this process, many companies will (wisely) adopt best practices of other companies. Disney in one such company that has been widely studied by numerous other companies across a wide spectrum of industries. In this episode, I talk with Dr. Jennifer Stewart about her fascination with Disney and how she's integrated many of their business strategies into her practice.

In this episode, Dr. Vargo reached out to IDOC's own Managed Care Consultant, Jenna Armitage, to discuss an issue we're hearing from many ODs – getting denied access to insurance panels. This has been a longstanding issue with a few vision plans, but we're now hearing this more frequently for medical plans also. While we're seeing a trend with many practices dropping insurance plans, that's not practical for every practice and the majority of optometry practices still depend on access to patients provided by insurance companies. In this podcast, we'll walk you through the process and offer valuable insights into what to do when you're denied access to an insurance panel. Follow us on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/idoc.alliance/ or https://www.instagram.com/idocnet/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/IDOC.OptometricAlliance Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/idoc Interested in an optometry specialty? Join our community FB group https://www.facebook.com/groups/idocspecialty

In this episode, Dr. Vargo explores the world of employee benefits with Cory Friedman, Senior VP of Benefits Consulting with the Alera Group. They cover how to get started, how to choose what benefits to offer, how small businesses can get creative with benefits to stay competitive with larger employers, and how to manage all of it without losing your mind!   In this job market, employers have to be competitive with salary and benefits to acquire and retain good talent. Cory's background working with small businesses gives him a unique perspective and he does a great job laying out the options in this interview.   Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/idoc.alliance/ or https://www.instagram.com/idocnet/   Facebook https://www.facebook.com/IDOC.OptometricAlliance   Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/idoc   Interested in an optometry specialty? Join our community FB group https://www.facebook.com/groups/idocspecialty   Employee benefits  Job benefits  Employee acquisition  Employee retention

In this episode, Dr. Vargo sits down with IDOC CEO Dave Brown to discuss something on everyone's mind – the economy! For business owners, scary words like inflation and recession might be keeping you up at night. You're probably feeling the pressure from things like rising wages and higher cost of goods, not to mention the fear and uncertainties that come from not knowing what the future holds.  In this podcast, they discuss the good, the bad and the ugly. Fortunately, it's not all bad and ugly. Neither Dave nor Steve have a crystal ball, but they do their best to share some insights and recommendations based on historical data and trends from previous economic downturns.   Follow us on instagram at https://www.instagram.com/idoc.alliance/ or https://www.instagram.com/idocnet/   Facebook https://www.facebook.com/IDOC.OptometricAlliance   Linkedin https://www.linkedin.com/company/idoc   Interested in an optometry specialty? Join our community FB group https://www.facebook.com/groups/idocspecialty

EYE Own A Business - Episode 2 by IDOC

Eye Own A Business - Episode 1 by IDOC