TAMPA, Fla.—Seeking to address the gap in eyecare for long-term care (LTC) patients, innovative startup Mobile OptiX is rolling out its new business model and mobile van that the firms said is “revolutionizing access to quality eyecare” for the underserved patient population in long-term health care facilities. The state-of-the-art mobile vision practice has been in development for months, and this week made its first official visit and provided eye exams and services at a long-term care facility in the Tampa, Fla., area, which will be the debut market for Mobile OptiX, according to company executives.

The plan is to offer a full spectrum of both optometry and ophthalmology services and treatments throughout central Florida with the Mobile OptiX mobile eyecare van. The vehicle, fully equipped with the latest eye exam technologies and tools, brings highly qualified eyecare professionals directly to the long-term care facilities. This enables the residents to leverage the advanced diagnostic technologies within the self-contained mobile clinic to provide quality eyecare that helps prevent unnecessary vision loss, the company said.

“One of the services that was highly impacted with COVID was optometry and ophthalmology, [which are] not something that historically could be done remotely,” Tracey L. Lewis, MD, a board-certified ophthalmologist and medical director of Mobile OptiX, told VMAIL in an interview. “We have to look at the optic nerve and we have to check pressures. Those are not the kinds of things that are conducive to a telehealth visit,” she added, noting that there was a long period when nursing homes were not allowing outside visitors or ECPs to come on site to perform eye exams.

Along with diagnosis of eye disorders, Mobile OptiX provides a full scope of adult eyecare services, including ophthalmic exams and refraction, treatment of some ocular diseases, vision screening, and  comprehensive retail eyewear. Appropriate referrals for additional care are also made as needed. Mobile OptiX utilizes air purification technology to provide an infection-controlled examination environment for the safety of its patients, clinicians, and staff.

Rob Cash, chief executive officer of the new company, said the planning for this new eyecare business model has evolved over the past few months, as executives turned their focus from a “bedside-care model,” which is the way long-term care facilities had been provided care, to a more flexible approach using a mobile eye exam clinic.

“In optometry and ophthalmology, the diagnostic equipment has come a long way,” Cash told VMAIL.

“Through different trials [with our mobile unit], we were  able to get the right equipment, and we were able to look to more of a mobile shuttle clinic,” he noted, which in some ways has made it easier to recruit now optometrists. The firm now has one ophthalmologist, Dr. Lewis, and two ODs, but expects to continue growing.

The initial reaction to the mobile eyecare clinic has been very positive, Cash said, noting that the goal is to make each visit to a long-term care facility a special experience for the elderly patients. The mobile unit also has an extensive assortment of eyewear for the patients to view and consider.

“We hit the road last week doing some promotion [and visits to LTC facilities], and this week was our first week of seeing patients,” he said. “It has exceeded all of my expectations. I'm very proud of our team and the way the mobile clinic turned out. It's going to do a lot of good for patients. It was a lot of work, and there’s still a lot of work to be done.”

Mobile OptiX describes its model as “eyecare in motion.” The fully equipped vision care mobile unit—and there are plans to add additional mobile exam vehicles—is set up to deliver clinically focused eyecare services and to provide each patient with comprehensive diagnostic testing for glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, and cataracts.

These are the tests that proactively identify the top four leading causes of blindness, the company noted. Left untreated, these conditions can also contribute to other systemic diseases, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and carotid artery disease.

“At Mobile OptiX, we are driven by the knowledge that up to 95 percent of late-life blindness can be prevented by early detection," Lewis said. "Ensuring that early detection happens is the catalyst behind our mission to deliver high quality eyecare using advanced technologies that improve imaging, streamline scheduling and care processes and ensure patient information is available when and where it is needed."

Richard Sanchez, managing partner of Visibility Management assisted with development of the Mobile OptiX business plan.