Happy New Year! It’s 2020! What comes to mind when you think of 2020? For me, it’s opportunity. Every time someone says 2020, they should think about our profession. This year, we have a great opportunity to grow our practices. We have a tremendous amount of competitors in our industry and they will be using 2020 as a means of growing their businesses; why shouldn’t we?Every year, March rolls around and only a few of us take advantage of the promotional opportunities that come along with Save Your Vision Month because we haven’t prepared and, before we know it, the month has passed. That’s why I’m proposing we start thinking ahead for a great Save Your Vision Month. The AOA will be promoting awareness around digital eyestrain and the importance of receiving regular, comprehensive eye exams from a doctor of optometry and we should prepare to take advantage of the marketing efforts they put forth. In addition, as a POA member, you have access to Think About Your Eyes at discounted prices (included with Active POA membership) and should recommend the site to your patients as another resource for eye care information.
In the past, the POA has provided annual coloring sheets for members to distribute, but what other things have you done to promote Save Your Vision Month? I suggest having a banner or sign for your office, doing a community screening, or something with your local society. In March, the POA will be joining VSP to provide a community eye exam event in conjunction with Lobby Day in Harrisburg. Please read the update by Executive Director Joseph Ricci on page 4 and join us in this worthwhile event.
Another tool to spread the word of Save Your Vision Month, and optometry in general, is social media. Make sure to Like and Follow the Pennsylvania Optometric Association Facebook page where the POA will be posting eye care articles for you to share in the coming months. Ask your Facebook friends to do the same. Just imagine how many people we could reach. Let’s use social media to benefit our profession this year.
Other means of growing and bettering your practice are included in your POA membership: the Pennsylvania Diabetic Eye Health Alliance (PDEHA) recently started a working relationship with UPMC that will increase the number of patients PDEHA members see in their offices. Similar initiatives with Geisinger, Highmark, and Lehigh Valley Health Network are already in place, and if you’d like to join the PDEHA and the initiatives, email Kelsey@poaeyes.org. More information on the Alliance can be found here: https://pennsylvania.aoa.org/doctors/poa-member-resources/pennsylvania-diabetic-eye-health-alliance.
A new group, the Children’s Vision Care Alliance (CVCA), has formed to promote children’s eye exams. To join, a member has to commit to the examination standards of this group when performing an examination on a child. Educational and informational events are being planned for local societies, but find out more here: https://pennsylvania.aoa.org/doctors/poa-member-resources/childrens-vision-care-alliance.
The 2020 POA Board of Directors are passionate about making 2020 a year to remember. They are:
President Elect Dr. Edward Savarno, Secretary/Treasurer Dr. Jessie Jones, Trustee Dr. Tracey Sepich, Trustee Dr. Ryan Edmonds, Trustee Dr. James Deom, and Trustee Dr. Jessica Young. Our immediate past president is Dr. Lori Gray.
I look forward to serving as President for 2020 and working with the great group of dedicated professionals to advance our profession. Please join us. Get involved. Together, we can accomplish so much!
David Evans, O.D.
POA President
