Stanton Optical jumped from six locations and $7 million in 2009 to 27 locations and $37 million in revenue last year, and the company is on track to have 55 locations up and running by the end of next year. To find out how this optical retailer grew so fast and continues at that pace, read the current edition of “dba: Doing Business in Optical’s Local Markets” at www.visionmonday.com/dba.

How to increase profits from frame sales in today’s managed care environment is explained by regular dba contributors Jay Binkowitz and Evan Kestenbaum, MBA, of GPN, and the different ways leading mid-size regional optical retailers react when patients request a copy of their prescription and PD to buy eyewear elsewhere is the subject of this month’s dba q&a.

This month’s dataPoint shows how the market share of the primary eyecare patient population, as well as primary eyecare revenue, is divided up among independent optometrists, corporate eyecare providers and independent ophthalmologists.

Below, read about a new platform that enables multi-location practices to objectively evaluate and manage their staff. For the complete dba, go to www.visionmonday.com/dba, and sign up for your own e-mail subscriptions while you’re there. ■

jsailer@jobson.com


 
A New System Helps Multi-Location Practices Develop Performance-Based Staff Evaluations

NEW YORK—Challenges with staff management are often mentioned by eyecare professionals and optical retailers as one of their most pressing concerns.

A new web-based program, VHR-Advisor has been developed to solve many of those issues for practices, whether they are operating from one or a handful of locations or across multi-unit groups as large as 50 or more.

The program combines a wealth of online information, metric and coaching resources for independent doctors and multi-location retailers with simple to understand templates for creating and communicating a series of “performance-based” evaluations for the practice’s staff.

By going through several forms and Q&A processes to define and organize tasks, responsibilities and success criteria, ECPs can use VHR-Advisor to essentially customize their own evaluation process, improve employee dynamics and productivity with clearly defined expectation levels for all.

 
The initial idea for VHR-Advisor was originated by Jay Binkowitz, president and co-founder of GPN, and his new company, Integrated System Solutions, as a result of the overwhelming interest of doctors who attended his presentation, “Review-Based Compensation.” Binkowitz, a frequent speaker and consultant on business topics, realized the need for an online program that makes it easy to clarify staff roles and implement a plan that would encourage accountability by directly associating compensation to performance.

After much collaboration with HR specialists, doctors and practice managers, VHR-Advisor launched this spring. The program is managed by Rebecca Johnson, COT, CPOT, COE, who brings over 30 years’ experience in staff management, development and training to the program. Johnson, a motivational ophthalmic staff trainer, nationally recognized speaker and author, is a consultant for GPN and also president of EyeTrain4You. She was previously director of education for Eyefinity, part of the VSP Global Group.

Johnson described VHR-Advisor.com as “the newest tool available to ECPs for structuring a simple to use professional staff review philosophy that ties individual and team results into raises and bonuses. Many practices are overwhelmed by the daily demands on their people, and each office or group of offices has its own requirements. VHR-Advisor is devised as a way to clearly identify what each person’s role is and make it clear how they will be evaluated so that communications and productivity are enhanced.”

Stated one practitioner, Mark R. Richardson, OD, “I have been out of school for over 20 years, and I have three locations. Rebecca, with VHR-Advisor, has simplified the logistics of managing all the employees in an efficient manner. But it doesn’t stop there. If I have a question or idea about human resources issues, I have one of the greatest and most pleasant industry resources available to me, and that would be Rebecca. I don’t have time to reinvent the wheel, nor do I wish to do that,” said Richardson. “With VHR-Advisor I can solve issues rapidly, which allows me more time for the patient elements in my practice.” ■

maxelrad@jobson.com

 

For more from the current edition of "dba: Doing Business in Optical’s Local Markets," (as well as archived issues), click here.