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January 19, 2008

From Dr. Kristin Heeney - CN Tower Climb

January 19th 2008 Posted to Optometry

On October 21, 2006, Dr. Heeney and Karla are participating in the the Enbridge CN Tower Climb for the United Way. That?s right we?re climbing the stairs up the CN Town. It?s 1,776 stairs to the top.

The money raised from the Climb will help support United Way?s network of over 200 health and social service agencies, and help make Toronto a better city for us all. It is something Dr. Heeney always thought would be an interesting challenge to do and fun. Find out more about the United Way CN Tower Climb at http://www.unitedwaytoronto.com/.

Sponsorship Appreciated

If you would like to sponsor Karla and Dr. Heeney it would be greatly appreciated.

From Dr. Kristin Heeney - heeney.ca

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Posted on Optoblog - Wal-Mart Steps in [It] With 1-800 Contacts

January 19th 2008 Posted to Optometry

Wal-Mart recently announced in a letter that they are “excited to announce a long term alliance between Wal-Mart/Sam’s Club and 1-800 CONTACTS..” May Heaven help us, because 1-800 sure isn’t going to. I promptly wrote the following E-mail to Dr. Patel, Wal-Mart’s Director of Professional Relations: Dr. Patel, I would advise against any kind of alliance with […]

Wal-Mart recently announced in a letter that they are “excited to announce a long term alliance between Wal-Mart/Sam’s Club and 1-800 CONTACTS..”

May Heaven help us, because 1-800 sure isn’t going to. I promptly wrote the following E-mail to Dr. Patel, Wal-Mart’s Director of Professional Relations:

Dr. Patel,
I would advise against any kind of alliance with 1-800 CONTACTS. You’re not the first one to try. Standard Optical, a Utah-based optical chain, aligned with this Utah-based contact lens reseller for a while, and it didn’t last long. You should talk with those in the know about why it didn’t work out.

1-800 is also militant about teaching the general public to force the doctor to make decisions not in their best interest. Everyone inside our industry acknowledges that yearly eye exams are important, but 1800’s own website indoctrinates consumers to mandate to their doctor that prescriptions should expire at the two year mark OR LATER. (see: http://www.1800contacts.com/docAndRx/DocRx-release-1.shtml ). As a Utah eye doctor, I already suffer with practicing in the only state in the nation with a minimum 2-year contact lens expiration date- thanks to 1800’s lobbying power in our Utah legislature.

I had a patient last year, whom if her prescription hadn’t expired, she wouldn’t have come back in to see me for her yearly exam. If she wouldn’t have had her yearly exam, I wouldn’t have noticed an FDT screening visual field defect and reduced vision in one eye that wasn’t there the previous 2 yearly exams. If I wouldn’t have seen her, I couldn’t have referred her to the ophthalmologist who referred her for imaging which found the diagnosis of a brain tumor. A yearly eye exam saved her life, and under 1800’s reign, we are sure to miss these kinds of cases in the future.

If your only goal is to cut costs related to online sales at walmart.com, why not use 1800 as a nameless, behind the scenes
subcontractor? Giving them the limelight is the wrong move for Wal-Mart. An alliance with 1800 disgraces our reputation.

Also, I’ll quote from your FAQ (http://www.walmartod.com/clients/1814/docs/FAQ_Alliance.pdf): “Consumers in that same survey specifically cited cost and “purchasing them is inconvenient” as reasons for over-wearing their lenses.” Wal-Mart boasts about how something like 50% of a town’s population visit their store in any given week. How is stopping by the vision center on their bi-weekly pilgrimage inconvenient? What they meant to say is expensive or don’t have enough money. They expect to buy a box per eye and stretch it as long as possible. The real problem is that people expect a year supply of contacts to be less expensive than glasses just because you throw them away, and most also expect them to be a replacement for, not in addition to, glasses. Change those two perceptions, and you’ll increase your contact lens sales without help from the enemy of 1800 CONTACTS.

Please see my previous blog posts about 1800:
http://www.optoblog.com/2007/10/09/check-yearly-live-another-year/
http://www.optoblog.com/2007/07/30/patients-say-the-funniest-things/
http://www.optoblog.com/2007/03/19/1-800-eat-crap-and-die/

Sincerely,
David Langford, O.D.

January 18, 2008

From Eye On Vision - LASIK As An Economic Barometer?

January 18th 2008 Posted to Optometry

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January 17, 2008

Optometry News - THONEH-NIO Malaysia launches BS Optometry in Collaboration with … - PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung)

January 17th 2008 Posted to Optometry

THONEH-NIO Malaysia launches BS Optometry in Collaboration with …
PR-Inside.com (Pressemitteilung), Austria - 18 hours ago
2008-01-16 08:56:04 - Every 5 Seconds one person in our world goes blind and a child goes blind every minute. Every year, an additional 1-2 million persons …

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January 16, 2008

From Dr. Kristin Heeney - Clear Care and Aosept temporarily unavailable

January 16th 2008 Posted to Optometry

ClearCare is back! Ciba representatives informed me that it shipped to Shoppers Drugmart, Loblaws and Walmart last week. Other locations will be restocked soon.

I often recommend Clear Care contact lens solution for many of my patients. It is especially great for individuals who have sensitivities to other solutions. Unfortunately, Ciba Vision Canada which produces several eye care solutions including Clear Care and Aosept had a manufacturing problem which temporarily stopped the production. Supplies of Clear Care in stores have run out in the last few weeks frustrating many patients and causing confusion.

If you do not have a history of solution sensitivity you may try one of the several multipurpose solutions available. There is another ?peroxide-based? contact solution for sensitive eyes called UltraCare. Instructions for using UltraCare are:

Place lenses in case filled with Ultracare Disinfectant and Ultracare Neutralizing Tablets.
Soak for a minimum 2 hours or overnight, the solution turns pink when it is neutralized. No rinse necessary before insertion although I suggest rinsing with saline if your eyes are really sensitive.

This week, CIBA Vision Canada Inc. confirmed that production has resumed of lens care products at its sterile manufacturing facility in Ontario, Canada. CIBA Vision is building up its supply chain and over the next few months, will gradually re-introduce its most popular lens care products and sizes as a first priority. It may take several months to fully re-stock all distribution channels, however, the company expects to have an increasing supply of its most popular products beginning April 2006. Clear Care is expected at this time. AQuify® Drops and other products will become available commencing in the third quarter, 2006.

I know many patients are anxiously awaiting the return of these products. If you have any questions or concerns in the mean time please do not hesitate to ask me

From Dr. Kristin Heeney - heeney.ca

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January 14, 2008

From Eye On Vision - Unhappy With 20/20 Vision After Cataract Surgery?

January 14th 2008 Posted to Optometry

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January 13, 2008

From Dr. Kristin Heeney - Threat Number 4: Canadian Optometrists are Terrorists

January 13th 2008 Posted to Optometry

Ahhh the humour of it. On Monday, Kristin appeared on The Hour with George Strombouloupolous to answer questions about Ontario optometrists being terrorists. Last week Ontario Minister of Health and Long-Term Care George Smitherman called Ontario optometrists “a bunch of terrorists, and I don’t negotiate with terrorists.” He apologized on Monday, November 7, but national and international news (and pseudo-news) media have picked up on the story.

The Colbert Report Threat Down identified Optometrists as the fourth biggest threat to national security.

Bears
NASCAR Romance Novels
Professional Musicians specially those at Radio City Music Hall
Canadian Optometrists
Pirates

Watch The Colbert Report clip QuickTime 5.5Mb

From Dr. Kristin Heeney - heeney.ca

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January 12, 2008

Posted on Optoblog - Hey, EyeMed! Are You Listening?

January 12th 2008 Posted to Optometry

I’ve been having a problem with EyeMed vision insurance, so I’m taking it to the blogosphere since their support fails to find a solution. When patients come in for an exam and contact lens fitting, their information sheet says $x copay for exam and $0 copay for Contact Lens fit and follow-up. All well, and […]

I’ve been having a problem with EyeMed vision insurance, so I’m taking it to the blogosphere since their support fails to find a solution.

When patients come in for an exam and contact lens fitting, their information sheet says $x copay for exam and $0 copay for Contact Lens fit and follow-up. All well, and good. I’m assuming that EyeMed will reimburse me $30 for my time and expertise in fitting contacts. Then when we go to eyemed.com and bill it, and it tells us that the patient owes the $30! What?!!

We call customer support, and they say that on his system, it says up to $55 maximum copay on CL fit and follow up, so we must have misread it.

It said $0 copay for CL fit and follow up in black and white on the patient’s insurance card. It said it on the benefits information when we preauthorized the exam online. What is the deal, EyeMed?

Meanwhile, I need to charge more money to the patient, but they’re going to have a cow about how we’re trying to rob them when EyeMed is to blame!

Please, EyeMed, fix your error on the website and send another letter to let your beneficiaries know that they will be paying for their contact lens evaluation.

January 11, 2008

From Eye On Vision - Unhappy With 20/20 Vision After Cataract Surgery?

January 11th 2008 Posted to Optometry

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January 10, 2008

From Dr. Kristin Heeney - Lacrosse Players set their Sights on Eyewear

January 10th 2008 Posted to Optometry

According to the Washington Post, lacrosse player in the NCAAs will have to wear protective googles for the playoffs during the 2004 season. The eyewear protective equipment becomes mandatory under US Lacrosse rules in 2005. Hockey, lacrosse, football, racquet sports players are all susceptible to eye injury. The Ontario Association fo Optometrists has an excellent resource for Protecting your Eyes and the Canadian Association of Optometrists and the American Optometric Association have petitioned the NHL to require a hockey visor (Letter to Mr. Gary Bettman, Commissioner, National Hockey League).

Your Vision, what could be more important?

If you have questions about protecting your eyes, please contact Dr. Heeney at 416-703-2797 or heeney.ca, and we can help find an protective eyewear solution for you.