| Viewpoint from the Editor |

Back to school

Bruce Maller, Co-Editor

I’m a big fan of education. Knowledge, to me, is a key element of ongoing success and happiness. As a youngster growing up in New York — the son of mom-and-pop grocery store owners — I actually looked forward to school starting. Sure, I loved the carefree, lazy days of summer, but I never dreaded going back to school (and I wasn’t just trying to avoid the “dirty work” of stocking the shelves and cleaning the occasional breakage in the soda aisle).

Today, I still look for opportunities to learn and grow. A good book, travel, a new hobby, a television documentary, a colleague, a friend — all offer ways to expand my knowledge and understanding of my world. So, I get excited when I receive the publisher’s list of articles that are scheduled to appear in the next issue of Ophthalmic Professional. To me, it’s like going back to school.

This semester (issue), I’m taking an array of courses (articles) that promise to expand and improve my knowledge of ophthalmology and the wonderful professionals who serve the eye care community so well. Here is a look:

• Dry eye in the ophthalmology practice. Patti Barkey, CEO, COE, of Bowden Eye & Associates, discusses how the practice’s approach to dry eye management has had a positive impact on doctors, staff, patients, and the bottom line.

• The importance of measurements and patient questionnaires. Mark Packer, MD, explains why a patient’s lifestyle impacts cataract surgery as much as their preop measurements.

• HIPAA, security, and mobile devices. Darla Shewmaker discusses how to secure patients’ protected health information in the age of smartphones.

• Ocular therapies. Contributing Editor Vanessa Caceres interviews ocular surface experts on therapies that may be near FDA approval.

• The benefits of efficient staff scheduling. Consultants Elizabeth Holloway and Maureen Waddle of BSM Consulting discuss the importance of scheduling staff efficiently to optimize the doctor’s time, minimize patient wait time, and maximize staff productivity.

• Giving back. Ophthalmic Technician Cierra Jones, with West Virginia Eye Consultants, describes how she co-founded Infinity Sports, a nonprofit organization that provides opportunities for children to play organized sports.

What an exciting and informative lineup of classes! I get so pumped for the first day of school. Please excuse me while I head down to the store to get my school supplies. Let’s see … No. 2 pencils, eraser, protractor, crayons, lunchbox … check! OP

Mr. Maller is the founder and president of BSM Consulting, which provides business management solutions to hospitals, ambulatory care facilities, medical trade associations, physicians, healthcare personnel, pharmaceutical companies and medical device manufacturers across the globe.