Opticians Rave about OpticalCEUs Fall 2013 Continuing Education Conference

Opticians from Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island cheered for the presenters and their courses at OpticalCEUs Fall 2013 Conference for continuing education. Here’s sampling of what they had to say, based on a questionnaire developed by ABO/NCLE. Read the evaluations that participants gave when they answered the ABO/NCLE questionnaire. 

Augmented Reality Contact Lenses (course name): "Very interesting!" "Different - Great speaker." "Incredible!  Best hour of all.  Very exciting new technology!" "Great!" "Technology is amazing!" “Excellent course on the future of contact lenses.  Awesome facts on positive and negative situations to come.  Good theory on safety, health concerns and visual distractions.  Expressed hypothetical scrutiny that can help to handle upcoming patients.  Good critical thinking on who we serve, can and will serve.  Provided a vast array of data from experts in our industry.  Showed well thought out placement to educate and create a desire to expand on what was given."

Beam Me Up!  Understanding the Slit Lamp (course name): "Loved the video." "Keep the videos - super entertaining." "Have more videos with this guy." "Video definitely put the whole process of using the slit lamp." "Very interesting – thanks." "Video/slides were great - great info."

Grading Contact Lens Complications (course name): "My recognition of these situations is still very limited.  Have not got the experience with these matters.  Great explanation of neovascularization." "Being weak on contact lens grading, I felt I understood better after going through the course." "Slides were great!"

Answers to the survey question, "Considering your other education options, why did you select this seminar?": "Convenience, audio/visual material." "Convenient location and time." "Very helpful to busy person.  Appreciate the convenience of the program." "Cost, convenience, informative not overwhelming." "Time, location and topics, great presentation and speakers." "Price, location, topics discussed; like the speakers."

In Older Adults Levels of Visual Abnormalities Differ in Eyes

Follow-up in older adults shows a high rate of anisometropia, or differing levels of visual abnormalities between eyes, reports a study in Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health,” notes Science Daily. “The researchers analyzed vision examination results in 118 older adults followed up over 12 years -- from an average age of 67 to 79 years at the end of the study. The study focused on the development of anisometropia, defined as a significant difference (one diopter or more) in prescription (refractive error) between the two eyes in one of four components.” Read more.

New Eyewear from Guess

“Guess Eyewear presents a new optical collection for men and women this January, drawing inspiration from runway trends and timeless vintage styles with chic metal accents and structured silhouettes. The Spring 2014 collection features a new mix of designs that coordinate perfectly with the adventurous lifestyle of today’s Guess guy and girl, including seven new women’s styles and five new men’s styles.” That’s the word from Midwest Lens. “A chain link design provides a shiny metallic accent to the sleek handcrafted temples of GU 2406 and GU 2407. The triple laminate colorations of this duo are offered in pops of fun contrasting colors, including red/pink, brown/blue and blue/green. The rich color tones continue into the fronts of GU 2406, a modified rectangle and oval front shape of GU 2407, both handcrafted in acetate. The chic design of the duo’s temple treatment compliments the Guess girl’s expressive accessory collection.” Read more.

Patrick Dempsey Continues to Represent Silhouette

“Wanna be shady with Patrick Dempsey? It’s about to get a whole lot easier,” goes the post on WetPaint. “The Grey’s Anatomy star has officially renewed his partnership with the Austrian eyewear company, Silhouette, for 2014 — and it’s giving him a chance to promote something he loves even more than sunglasses: racing! In the promo shoot for the glasses, Patty’s all decked out in his racing apparel as a car speeds by in the background. Gotta see the picture for yourself? Click here.” Read more.

SynergEyes Makes Returns Easier for ECPs

“SynergEyes, Inc., has changed its policies for ordering and returning lenses,” according to a notice from the AOA. “Effective Nov. 1, prescribers will no longer need to return lenses in order to receive credit for discontinued fits, whether they are working with Duette, UltraHealth or SynergEyes lenses. In addition, the warranty period for all lenses will be 90 days and receiving credit, when necessary, will be easy and hassle-free. SynergEyes also will be automating a number of procedures, from account setup to billing. Accounts will have the option to receive printed versions of their statements or go paperless by using an online account management system.” Read more.

Younger’s Adage Available in Trilogy Progressives

“ECP's have been wondering – When my patient needs a progressive lens that fits into a shorter frame, which lens has an excellent and balanced combination of far, near, and intermediate zones?” according to a spokesperson for Younger Optics. “Adage is the answer! Adage, the short corridor progressive lenses with wide and balanced near and distance zones, are now available in clear Trilogy, the impact resistant material with superior optical quality. … Adage Trilogy lenses offer patients all the benefits of the Trilogy material in an ultra-short PAL that fits their favorite small frames. The Adage lens has been designed to provide the wearer with an excellent and balanced combination of far, near, and intermediate zones. Compared to leading short corridor progressives, the Adage lens offers a broader clear area. This helps patients get a focused view, wherever they are looking.” Read more.

The Reviews Are In for OpticalCEUs Fall 2013 Conference

Go to http://opticalceu.blogspot.com/2013/11/opticians-rave-about-opticalceus-fall.html.

DITTO Becomes Superior Vision Provider—of Sorts

DITTO, an eyewear website, now will provide eyewear and sunglasses for Superior members. Superior Vision members receive a 25% discount on their first pair of glasses and 30% off if they purchase more two or more pairs. For now, DITTO is an out-of-network provider for Superior Vision members. Superior Vision members may receive reimbursement at out-of-network rates if their vision benefits are not already exhausted. Members may go to SuperiorVision.com for a link to the promo code to receive their savings on DITTO.com. Read more.

Essilor Acquires Chinese Sunglass Manufacturer

“Essilor International (Paris:EI) has acquired a 50% stake in Xiamen Yarui Optical Company Ltd., China's leading supplier of mid-range sunglasses,” reports Finanzen. “Xiamen Yarui Optical, which has 850 employees, generated revenue of about €42 million in 2012. The company designs and manufactures non-prescription sunglasses that are sold in China under a variety of brands, including Bolon and Molsion, two of the country’s best known sunglass brands. Positioned in the fast-growing mid-range segment, Xiamen Yarui Optical products are sold mainly to Chinese eyecare professionals and department stores representing in all some 30,000 sales outlets throughout the country. The company has a plant in Xiamen, in southeastern China." Read more.

Google Expanding Use of Its Eyewear

“In the latest move to expand use of its Glass eyewear, Google has reportedly begun inviting developers to purchase the device,” goes the Los Angeles Times post. “The developer invitations to purchase the $1,500 devices came shortly after Google made it  possible for all developers to create Glass apps -- known as Glassware. Google is trying to get more apps developed for the eyewear. Late last month, the company told existing users they could each invite three people to purchase Glass. That was followed by Google posting an online form so that any consumer could apply to receive an invitation. The company also said it will no longer disable the device if users try to sell them. That has spurred some users to try to sell their gadgets at steep prices on EBay and Craigslist.” Read more.

In related news, Linda Conlin's presentation about AR contact lenses at OpticalCEUs Fall 2013 Conference received rave reviews. Read more.

Vision of Hope Launches New Student to Leadership Contest

The Vision of Hope Foundation, with the support of Hoya and the Opticians Association of America (OAA), is once again excited to offer the Hoya Student to Leadership Contest. The HOYA Student to Leadership contest is open to all 2nd year Opticianry students of NFOS schools. Contestants should prepare a 10-15 slide PowerPoint presentation answering the question: "How can I be a leader in the optical field?"
Finalists and Prizes: The top three (3) scores from the judging will travel as guests of the Vision of Hope Foundation and HOYA to the 2014 Opticians Association of America's State Leadership Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana from January 16 - 18, 2014. Prizes will be awarded in the form of travel and lodging. Winners will also receive complimentary registration to the OAA Leadership Conference. Judging will be conducted by the Vision of Hope Foundation Committee and will be complete no later than December 25, 2013.

Contest Guidelines: Entries must be posted on the HoyaEPosters.com website no later than December 6, 2013. Judging will be completed by the Vision of Hope Foundation Committee no later thanDecember 25, 2013. The three (3) winning entries will be invited to attend the 2014 OAA State Leadership Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana on January 16 - 18, 2014 courtesy of HOYA Vision.
"Poster" Submission: Students participating in a contest may upload a Power Point presentation of their entry. Contestants should prepare a 10-15 slide PowerPoint presentation answering the question: "How can I be a leader in the optical field?"
New File Option!: Beginning with the 2013 contest, students may export their PowerPoint presentations to video and upload these files directly. This gives the added advantage of insuring that no unintentional changes will occur during the poster conversion process on our website, and the presentation will play for the judges in exactly the manner intended by the author. Standard video formats will be accepted (.wmv, .mp4, .mpg, and .avi), and the presentations must conform in every way to the remaining contest guidelines, including limitations on playing time and copyrighted content. Video files which exceed the time limit, or do not adhere to published copyright standards may be returned to the contestant for revision.

Judging: The Vision of Hope Foundation Committee will rate the presentations according to the following criteria: professionalism, relevance, overall presentation, and leadership vision. When judging is complete, the three (3) highest scores will be contacted and invited to the 2014 OAA State Leadership Conference. Prizes will be awarded in the form of travel and lodging. In the event that a designated winner is unable to participate in the OAA leadership meeting, the next-highest score will be deemed a winner in their place.
To enter, please review the contest guidelines and create an account.

Is Vision Care a Priority? Not So

The Canadian Council of the Blind (CCB) says vision care isn't the healthcare priority it should be for the governments, given that one in four elderly Canadians will experience vision problems. The Council's poll showed more than two-thirds of Canadians feel regular eye exams and vision care should be covered as part of provincial health plans. The council also applauds provincial governments for adding Lucentis to their Drug Formularies for the treatment of Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) and Retinal Vein Occlusion (RVO). CCB does not approve the use of "off label" drugs in eye treatments. We support drugs approved by Health Canada for eye conditions. A new study has raised safety issues with this use so CCB is calling on the government to ensure patient safety is put before costs by only providing the treatment approved by Health Canada. This is an example of how vision care is often not given the priority or resources it should by our health system. Read more.

Across the water in Ireland, Eircom reports that “figures from the HSE obtained by the Association of Optometrists Ireland (AOI) show the waiting time for a follow up eye examination is 47 months in Kildare. The waiting time was recently reported to be three years in Dublin and is at least two years in other parts of the country. The AOI's optometric adviser, Lynda McGivney-Nolan, said the school eye screening system was failing children - they were being treated too late and were not been tested sufficiently for reading vision difficulties.” Read more.

In the U.S., vision care for children theoretically should improve with the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare), which mandates coverage for children’s vision care. Many of the insurance programs in the health exchanges do not provide for refractive care for adults.

Visionworks Finishes Its National Makeover

Visionworks has finished renaming and making over its 615 stores. Visionworks, formerly known as Eye Care Centers of America, operated under 16 different retail store names back in June 2011 when it started its makeover. "We've enhanced the shopping experience for our customers by listening to what they told us they wanted, from an easy to navigate layout, to better lighting, and additional mirrors." said Jim Eisen, Visionworks’ president. Read more.

Lasik Surgery: Born the Day after Thanksgiving

It was the day after Thanksgiving in 1981, and like most others across the nation, Rangaswamy “Sri” Srinivasan, a researcher at IBM’s Thomas J. Watson Research Center in New York, had brought some turkey to work. The difference between Srinivasan and everyone else was that the scientist had no plans to eat the leftovers. He was planning to fire a laser at them!

It  was a landmark decision, which transformed into laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis, or LASIK, and photorefractive keratectomy, or PRK, the refractive eye surgery techniques that have been used worldwide for 20 years to correct the eyesight of more than 30 million people. Read more.

Safilo Licenses Jack Spade and Kate Spade NY

Safilo Group and Kate Spade LLC have signed a five-year North American eyewear licensing agreement for the design, production and distribution of Jack Spade, and the three-year extension of the current kate spade new york international licensing agreement. Both agreements are in effect through December 31, 2018. The Jack Spade men’s sunglasses collection will be available in top-tier department stores, sunglass specialty retailers such as Solstice Sunglasses owned by Safilo Group, and Jack Spade retail stores across the U.S. and Canada beginning February 2014, followed by the roll-out of the Jack Spade men’s optical collection which will be available at select optical retailers throughout North America starting April 2014. Read more.

New Eyewear from Ogi

“Ogi Eyewear is excited to present its innovative take on metal frames with their new handcrafted stainless steel styles,” reports Midwest Lens. “This material gives each frame a durable, lightweight feel with flattering designer details that portray exquisite character. Ogi Eyewear applies its signature channel setting technique, which gives each frame a unique luxurious texture. The essence of rich organic patterns such as wood, marble and leather, are set flush within the metal frame, creating a slim structure that is nearly weightless on the face. Highlighting decorative elements such as a sleek, thin metal rim, diamond-shaped accents and gorgeous textured paneling, Ogi Eyewear’s metal frames have a matte yet luminous look that is truly one of a kind.” Read more.

NAO Promoting Membership Drive

"Ask your co-workers to join the NAO and get an NAO gift for every new member who joins! Plus... your new member gets one, too!" That's the word from a recent National Academy of Opticianry. "Here's how it works: When your co-worker(s) join the NAO, both you and your new member(s) choose a gift. Choose from a free CEC, a gleaming NAO lapel pin, or a $15 gift card to use on anything the NAO offers, including your own membership dues! Membership is $75. Membership is good through November, 2014. Offer ends on December 15, which gives you roughly a month for you and your new member(s) to cash-in! Your new member(s) get to choose a free CEC, a lapel pin, or a $15 gift card as well!...Once they join, they can also earn free NAO gifts for everyone they sign up too!...After you and your new member fill out the membership form, fax it to us at 301-577-3880. Call us if you have questions at 800-229-4828." Download the form at this site.

NAO offers training for opticians, which is valid in eight states. NAO recently highlighted Linda Conlin, founder of OpticalCEUs, in its publication Vision of Industry. (Go to www.opticalceu.com.)

"Eyes" Prevent Unwanted Behavior

"Studies show that people adhere to rules more when they think they are being watched, even if the watching eyes are fake," according to a post by Mike Michalowicz. "A recent stop at a McDonald’s showed this technique in practice. Above the drink and condiment bar where customers serve themselves are the eyes of Mona Lisa. Clearly this isn’t strangely placed art work, it is a technique to prevent customers from over serving themselves." Read more.

Eye Bling: Glittering Heart Implanted in Eye

"Now that tattoos are mainstream and piercings passé, America's youth have taken to some extreme measures to make a statement. And for Lucy Luckayanko of New York City, that statement comes in the form of a permanent, platinum twinkle implanted smack-dab onto her eyeball," says Gizmodo. "Apparently, Lucy will be the first in NYC to get the Safesight jewelry implant, which involves inserting the jewelry between the sclera (the white part of the eye) and the conjunctiva (the clear, outer membrane). Europe and Los Angeles, though, have already seen hundreds of the surgeries done. And while the $3,000 implant has yet to be FDA approved, Dr. Emil Chynn, the medical director of Park Avenue Laser Vision and surgeon to Luckayanko, assures My FoxNy that it's 'actually pretty safe.'" Read more.

Vision Impairment Varies Geographically

"A new study has revealed that the proportion of vision impairment and blindness worldwide that is caused by cataract and macular degeneration varies geographically. The findings are published in The Lancet Global Health," reports Medical News Today. "Results of the analysis revealed that the overall number of people who suffered blindness as a result of cataract reduced from 12.3 million in 1990 to 10.8 million in 2010. MSVI as a result of cataract decreased from 44 million in 1990 to 35.2 million in 2010. Cataract or uncorrected refractive error, both of which are treatable conditions, caused 54% of blindness cases in 2010 and 71% of MSVI cases." Read more.