Opening Lines

STUDY SHOWS OPHTHALMOLOGY ISN’T REACHING SOME DEMOGRAPHICS

Economically disadvantaged, minorities less likely to seek eye care

By Bill Kekevian, Senior Associate Editor

■ According to researchers with the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, economic and sociologic factors impact a person’s probability of seeking eye care whether or not that individual has health insurance.

According to data collected from about 9.8 million enrollees, the study determined race, education, and income significantly impact the likelihood of visiting an eye care provider, with income and education having a greater effect than race.

The study, presented at the 2013 ARVO meeting, found the odds of visiting an ophthalmologist were 3% lower among blacks and 9% higher among Asian Americans relative to whites. Also, compared with those with high school diplomas, enrollees with college degrees had 35% higher odds of visiting an ophthalmologist and equal odds of visiting an optometrist. People earning greater than $125,000 annually had 19% higher odds of visiting an ophthalmologist than individuals earning less than $30,000 annually.

The study, titled “Despite Possessing Health Insurance, Large Disparities Exist in Likelihood of Visits to Eye Care Providers Across U.S. Sociodemographic Groups” was led by ophthalmologist Patricia A. Ple-plakon, MD.

“This pattern of eye care utilization puts racial minorities and people of lower socioeconomic status at higher risk for many sight-threatening ocular diseases,” the conclusion of the study reads. “Thus, creating important implications for policy-making and future resource allocation.”

EYE-CARE PROFESSIONALS PITCH IN TO HELP ISLAND INHABITANTS

Group sets sights on Grenada mission

By Bill Kekevian, Senior Associate Editor

■ Orazio Giliberti, MD, has been committed to mission programs and volunteerism for decades. He serves as the director of ophthalmology at St. George’s University in Grenada, as well the director of ophthalmology at Seton Hall University. But about five years ago, the government of Grenada approached him formally. The island’s 110,000 inhabitants have few eye-care options. Dr. Giliberti, along with Grenadian eye specialist, Dr. Elliot McGuire, dedicated his time and energies to bringing quality eye-care to the island. With financial assistance from a handful of ophthalmic companies, Dr. Giliberti says, “we were able to put together about 27 ophthalmologists from the United States and the United Kingdom to rotate through Grenada over the last few years. We’re asking for 7 to 14 days.”

Dr. Giliberti says, today, medical students are taught to engage in charitable causes through bioethics courses, but when he was a student, that was just called “doing good.” That altruism is something he taught his daughter, herself an ophthalmologist who started a clinic in Grenada.

Those who have joined his cause, he says, are “some really big names, godfathers of ophthalmology. And the list just gets longer and longer.”

The St. George University Department of Ophthalmology will hold its annual meeting October 25 in West Orange, NJ. “We are always looking to get more doctors involved,” says Danielle Pennisi, Dr. Giliberti’s customer service representative. Interested parties may contact her at 973-595-0011.

AN ADMINISTRATOR TALKS ABOUT BRINGING NEW TECHNOLOGY TO THE PRACTICE

Making the leap to laser cataract surgery

■ Middlesex Eye Physicians is one of the most experienced, complete eye care providers in the state of Connecticut. The group is comprised of five ophthalmologists, each one a leader in their field and dedicated to providing the highest quality of patient service available. Earlier this year, the three-location practice made an investment in laser cataract technology. Rose Malczynski, an administrator at Middlesex Eye Physicians, spoke with Ophthalmic Professional about the transition.

Q. When did Middlesex Eye Physicians acquire its laser cataract technology?

A. The revolutionary technology was offered to our practice and utilized as of January 2013; one of the first practices in New England.

Q. How many patients are now utilizing Middlesex Eye Physicians’ laser cataract surgical procedures?

A. We have five surgeons in the practice and they all are utilizing LenSx technology. Our highest surgeon-percentage-of-patients utilizing the LenSx is 75%.

Q. How has the surgery impacted the practice in terms of operational efficiency, either positively or negatively?

A. Not a significant change. We tend to educate a little more, which is ideal for any surgery patient. The ultrasound may take a little longer as we have added tests to ensure all readings are as precise as possible. We know it takes a little more time in the OR, we accommodate for this.

Q. How did the new technology change the responsibilities/roles of the allied health staff?

A. For surgical assistance, we’ve added more staff involved in the surgical process.

We’ve sped up our postoperative care. To aid in patient education, we utilize eye diagrams, animation videos provided by Alcon, additional LenSx consent forms, and always stress the importance of preoperative and postoperative eye drop instruction sheet.

When first obtaining the new technology, our primary goal was to enable a better understanding with the complete staff. “Lunch and learns” were scheduled. We enlisted the help of our Alcon representatives to bring in information and videos for the staff to watch. Live surgery was viewed via the representative DVDs. The surgeons also played an important role in educating staff.

Q. With the addition of laser cataract surgery, how has the practice’s marketing/messaging change?

A. Don’t you deserve the best quality vision? With laser cataract surgery, it’s possible! Reproducible results, real time imaging in surgery for precise incisions, better outcomes. We have added to our home Web page and have spoken of our Facebook and twitter accounts. We also make in-house signage and brochures available for patients.

Q. What opportunities regarding the new technology do you feel would be important to share with other ophthalmology practices that may be considering such a system?

A. Allow the patient the information they deserve while making decisions. For a practice offering premium lenses, ensure the patient knows they need to be paired with the best technology. It’s highly recommended for optimal outcomes. Also, patients need to be instructed that these incisions are more precise than a manual incision and, therefore, we believe the outcomes are much better.

LEARNING TO BALANCE THE WORK-LIFE EQUATION CAN HELP IMPROVE BOTH

Operations officer moves on to career in consulting

By Bill Kekevian, Senior Associate Editor

■ Athlete, musician, columnist and allied health professional Elizabeth Holloway, of Clearwater, FL., says her decision to leave Eye Site of Tampa Bay after seven years was difficult. “I decided that I wanted to focus more on training, team development, recruiting, and human resources,” she says.

As Ms. Holloway prepares for her transition to BSM Consulting, she remains dedicated to a variety of extracurricular activities that help her balance her professional aspirations and her personal life.

“While I haven’t always been successful, I try really hard to leave work at work,” she says. “When I shut my laptop off at home or I turn the key on the building, the day is done. I did the best I could with what I had been given that day. I make it a point to not relive the day at home with my family. It is time to put the work away and restore.”

Body, mind, spirit

When she needs to blow off a little steam, Ms. Holloway says, “running has kept me sane.” She says relieving day-to-day stress with physical exercise is important for everyone, but for folks with a lot of responsibilities and who are responsible for others, that extra relief is vital. “Exercise-induced endorphins help executives keep an even keel and a positive attitude, even when things go wrong.” She says. Although she says she’s not a fast runner, her ability to run for distance has developed into regular participation in half marathons. Her tenth half marathon run at The Gulf Beaches Half Marathon in Clearwater was a special day, Ms. Holloway says, because she set a personal best.

When she’s not training, music also helps her keep a balanced life. “My husband and I sing in church every Sunday morning and we also have a great time performing in concerts together,” she says. “Music, all genres, can heal the soul.”

When feeling particularly stressed, Ms. Holloway suggests a technique that worked for her: Seek advice. “I sought the advice of a life coach. I found someone incredibly competent. She helped me evaluate where I felt the work/life balance had gone astray and got me back into running, singing, and spending time with my family.”

Ms. Holloway also writes the Customer Service column for Ophthalmic Professional.

For more tips on balancing the work/life equation, see Practice Tips on page 48.

AT 384, THE GROUP SERVES A WIDE RANGE OF FUNCTIONS

World’s oldest optical body still making a difference

■ In 1629, King Charles I of England granted two royal charters. One was awarded to the Massachusetts Bay Company, which was owned by a group of Puritans with plans to settle in the New World. The other was granted to the Worshipful Company of Spectacle Makers (WCSM), a City of London livery company. The WCSM has survived nearly four centuries of change and upheaval, but continues to play a number of important roles as the oldest optical body in the world.

The current Master Spectacle Maker Gordon Jones’s, a former senior vice president for Northwest Europe at Allergan. He explains that, as a livery company, the WCSM has four core functions.

The first function, he says, “is the promotion and protection of the craft” including the development of contact lenses and lasers for ophthalmic diagnosis and surgery.”

The second core function is charity. “Collectively, London’s livery companies give more than $60 million to charity each year,” says Mr. Jones. “The Spectacle Makers’ Charity makes only a modest contribution to that total, but we try to focus our support on projects, mostly connected to vision impairment, where we can help to make a difference.” Like many livery companies, the WCSM also provides support to the armed forces.

A third key area of the WCSM’s activities relates to participation in the running of ‘the City’, a square mile of ancient, narrow streets that are home to London’s financial-services industry. Livery companies’ responsibilities include voting for the City’s Lord Mayor and Sheriffs.

The fourth core function is ‘the fellowship’, and the company offers a busy calendar of dinners, lectures, visits and other events. Members of the WCSM, who are known as freemen, are entitled to obtain the freedom of the City of London (which is open to persons of any nationality who are presented by a livery company). WCSM freemen may also apply to become liverymen (or full members). “There is an upper limit to the number of liverymen we can have at any one time,” Those interested in becoming a member can contact John Salmon at clerk@spectaclemakers.com.