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NEW YORK—A new type of website resource, DailyDoc aims to help optometric practices find the professional help they need, particularly for daily and flexible part-time work, during the pandemic. While home during quarantine and the mandated closure of optometric offices, Drs. Mark and Danielle Feder said they spent their time thinking about the future of optometry and the likely changes to the industry. The uncertainty surrounding patient demand upon re-opening, along with schedule adjustments necessary to adhere to social distancing requirements, would create new challenges to both business owners and doctors alike.

Mark, a partner in a Connecticut private practice, would be forced to reduce doctors' hours and limit patient volume to ensure proper sterilization and cleaning techniques are carried out between exams. Danielle, a part-time employee at her father’s office in Connecticut in addition to working at two other offices in New York City, was furloughed. Her employers communicated that upon return, her hours would be limited and would vary week by week, resulting in gaps in her schedule. While job searching, Danielle noticed that websites only listed full and fixed part-time opportunities, which made it difficult for her to fill her fluctuating work schedule. Through collaboration and each with their own perspective, the two doctors determined that optometry would need a means to easily hire doctors by the day. " COVID-19 has affected us all in unimaginable ways.To this end, Daily Doc was created," she told VMAIL.

Daily Doc provides a new, simple way for both optometrists and employers to find and book daily jobs at no cost. Employers create job posts with all relevant information, including location, hours, salary, and best means of transportation. Using an easy-to-use calendar tool, optometrists can search for opportunities within a specified radius for any given day of the week. A major benefit of Daily Doc is that it allows optometrists to customize their work commitments to satisfy their desired personal schedule, Dr. Feder pointed out. Employers can use Daily Doc to hire doctors on an as needed basis to properly meet their patient demand. A unique feature offered within Daily Doc is the credentialing of its doctors to ensure that only qualified, licensed professionals will be applying to the job listings. Additionally, Daily Doc members will have the ability to look at reviews of its doctors and employers left by colleagues who previously completed work through Daily Doc.

Daily Doc hopes to fill an important void in the optometric field. During these difficult times, Daily Doc will help connect employers and optometrists in order to meet their fluctuating demand. Although Daily Doc has recently launched in the Tri-State area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, the vision is to expand to major cities throughout the United States, said Dr. Mark Feder. Further information is posted on the DailyDoc website here.