By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, March 23, 2023 8:30 AM
NEW YORK—Last week, thousands of members of the optical community arrived at New York City's Javits Center to attend Vision Expo East 2023. From some of the biggest companies in the world to mom-and-pop shops in small towns, Vision Expo offered something for everyone—and indies were well represented at this year’s show. Here, we’re taking a look at social media to see how Vision Expo East shaped up for some of the visiting independent ECPs.
By Staff
Thursday, March 23, 2023 8:20 AM
NEW YORK—At sundown on Wednesday, March 22, 2023, the month of Ramadan officially began. Celebrated by over 1 billion Muslins worldwide, Ramadan is the holiest month in the Muslim calendar. For thirty days (this year, from March 22 to April 21), millions will fast from sunup to sundown every day. The month also involves prayer, charity, community time and introspection for Muslims everywhere, including those who do not fast during the month. Islam is the third most popular religion here in the U.S.
By Staff
Thursday, March 9, 2023 2:35 PM
NEW YORK—March is Workplace Eye Wellness Month, a month headed up by Prevent Blindness to help keep eyes healthy, safe and protected on the job. Thousands of workers in the U.S. sustain eye injuries at work each year, many of which are preventable. The American Academy of Ophthalmology states that 90 percent of these eye injuries could be avoided by wearing the proper eye protection. There’s still plenty of time to get involved and spread the word to your patients and teams—here are just a few ideas.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, March 2, 2023 8:30 AM
NEW YORK—Diane Hilal-Campo, MD, knew she wanted to be an ophthalmologist from a young age—but she had no idea that she wanted to be the founder of a makeup brand called
twenty/twenty beauty. Her father, neuroradiologist Sadek Hilal, MD, influenced her desire to enter the medical field in some way, but, as she tells
VM, “it was as a young girl, when I first visited ophthalmologist Dr. Stephen Trokel, one of the inventors of the excimer laser that is used to perform Lasik, that I became fascinated by ocular health. He prescribed me my first pair of glasses, and being able to see the beauty of the world with such clarity changed my life.”
By Marge Axelrad
Thursday, February 23, 2023 8:30 AM
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.—A leading optometric innovator has brought several elevated eyecare and patient experience concepts to her newest location in Southern California. Nikki Iravani, OD, the founder and CEO of
eyeXam Optometry in Silicon Valley’s Santa Clara, Calif. opened a bright, bold second luxury practice in the Crystal Cove Shopping Center in upscale Newport Beach in Orange County last fall.
By Staff
Thursday, February 2, 2023 11:36 AM
Eversee Boutique Eyecare opened in late 2022 in Winnetka, Illinois, to support the area with a high-quality medical practice and retail offering. Dan Myers, OD, the owner and lead optometrist, has a passion for making patients healthy and helping those that cannot find comfort with more traditional treatments. His wife and co-owner, Marisa Kowalsky, focuses her enthusiasm for luxury eyewear on the retail side of the business. The core mission of Eversee Boutique Eyecare is to make patients see better, feel better and look better.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Tuesday, January 31, 2023 8:30 AM
NEW YORK—On January 22, billions of people around the world celebrated the Lunar New Year, saying goodbye to the Year of the Tiger and ringing in the Year of the Rabbit. The holiday, which is celebrated by about 2 billion people worldwide, will last until February 5 in some countries—a full cycle from one new moon to the next full moon,
USA Today reported.
By Staff
Tuesday, January 31, 2023 8:20 AM
NEW YORK—Love is in the air this month. No matter your relationship status, February 14 can be a fun, loving day to celebrate—it doesn’t matter if that celebration involves date night, friends’ night or a day full of self care. There’s still plenty of time to get ready for Valentine’s Day, including some time to decorate the office or put together some sweet social media ideas. Here, we’re taking a look at a few ways indies have celebrated Valentine’s Day to spark some inspiration.
By Staff
Tuesday, January 24, 2023 2:45 PM
After Morgan Welburn, OD, graduated from the University of Waterloo School of Optometry in 2016, she joined the rural practice of Renfrew Eye Clinic in Renfrew, Ontario. “It worked out well for me because as I started working, one of the partners—who had practiced for more than 30 years—was retiring,” she says. After a year, she became a partner in 2017, joining Alexandra Rowley, OD. Today, Dr. Welburn and Dr. Rowley also have two associate ODs on their team. While the established practice had a loyal patient base over its years in the community, Dr. Welburn says that a revamp plus additional space was needed to help the practice continue to flourish and bring on additional associate doctors.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Wednesday, January 18, 2023 7:30 AM
NEW YORK—Now that the new year is fully in swing and people are back to work, it’s time for ECPs everywhere to remind patients about scheduling their annual eye exam for 2023. January just so happens to be Glaucoma Awareness Month at Prevent Blindness, too—providing the perfect reason to bring up the importance of eye exams. Via the CDC, Prevent Blindness
reports that about three million Americans have glaucoma, which is also the second leading cause of blindness worldwide. For many, the “sneak thief of sight” is a scary concept—but patients can keep their eye health in check with their annual eye exam, and there’s no better time than now to remind them about that.
By Staff
Wednesday, January 18, 2023 7:15 AM
HERNDON, Va.—
SCORE is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and a resource partner of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). Thanks to this generous support from the SBA and the selfless contributions of more than 10,000 dedicated volunteers, SCORE said it can deliver most of its offerings at no cost. SCORE, the nation’s largest network of volunteer, expert business mentors, is dedicated to helping small businesses get off the ground, grow and achieve their goals. Since 1964, the organization has provided education and mentorship to more than 11 million entrepreneurs.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Thursday, December 29, 2022 8:30 AM
NEW YORK—The holiday season is full of social events, from family gatherings to Friends-Mas to, of course, the world holiday party. No matter what you celebrate this time of year and no matter what your line of work, an office holiday party is a special chance to spend time with your colleagues without discussing work or feeling deadline-induced stress. Instead, it’s a few hours to enjoy some holiday treats and get to know your co-workers in a new way—let’s face it, we spend almost as much time with our co-workers as we do our family and friends.
By Staff
Thursday, December 29, 2022 8:20 AM
NEW YORK—Winter has only just begun, and although the days are cold and dark those of us in the eyewear and eyecare industries know better than anyone just how important it is to keep the eyes protected during the winter months. It’s easy for people to think of sunglasses as just a summer accessory—part of the reason why education is such an important sector of our industry.
By Staff
Friday, December 9, 2022 4:32 PM
Shundale Mixon, OD, FAAO, FSLS, Diplomate ABO, started wearing glasses in second grade, and said visiting the eye doctor wasn’t exactly a pleasant experience. “I remember the rooms feeling dark and gloomy.” Now, Dr. Mixon focuses on making her pediatric patients feel as comfortable as possible at her own practice, Gwinnett Pediatric & Adult Eye Center in Suwanee, Georgia. She started seeing patients in September 2022, with an official ribbon cutting on October 1. Kids feel welcome, starting in the kid-designated waiting area, where a TV and a variety of games and toys keep them entertained while they wait. The practice features a calming color combination of green and taupe, giving the space a light and airy feel.
By Gwendolyn Plummer
Wednesday, December 7, 2022 3:00 PM
NEW YORK—For many of us, a sizable chunk of December is dedicated to gifting: giving gifts, receiving gifts, brainstorming gifts and even returning gifts. When we think about gifts in December, we often think about material things such as clothes, tech and food, but this year, ECPs everywhere are encouraging patients to expand their idea of what a gift can be and instead give the gift of sight this December. What it means to give the gift of sight can range from monetarily supporting sight-saving nonprofits to purchasing a pair of eyewear for someone you love—what matters is the impact.