Marketing & Advertising
Covid-19 – A Year’s Review From The Doctors of TSO
Mar
Over the past year, Shareholder Doctors have had to pivot their offices in the wake of the pandemic. Many in the optometry industry were grappling with ever-changing health and safety standards, managing patients, and managing staff all at once. We asked TSO doctors their perspectives of the past year.
Q: What significant opportunities exist for you and your team that has been born out of the pandemic?
A: For this pandemic, we learned about how to make our office efficient. We didn’t know how to do the phone tree at first, and then we learned how to manage our system to redirect the calls. We got better as a team to be more efficient and make adjustments to be more successful in the future.
Q: What have been some obstacles you have faced as an optometrist and entrepreneur over the past year?
A: “When the pandemic happened, keep in mind that Dr. Hassett and I are brand new; truly taken aback, and deciding to furlough the staff was difficult. We decided to furlough our staff for a month, and we had only one team member alongside us. We had a great learning experience in learning how to pull insurance and deal with the optical made me appreciate the work that my team handles. I was so excited for them to come back to the new normal.”
Q: What changes did you physically make in your office or demonstrate to your patients to ensure their safety?
A: We repainted our office during the pandemic and doing a deep clean and doing a full Marie Condo of our office. We also added some decor.
Q: What have been some guiding lights over the past year for you as an optometrist and entrepreneur?
A: Pausing was a guiding light for us to reevaluate our practice and see what changes we needed to make. We had time to organize the practice management aspect of our business. It was good for our office to slow down and consider the smaller items that we usually overlook and items that we let pile up.
Q: Did your office reach any unexpected goals over the past year? If yes, how did you accomplish this goal?
A: We met our optical goals based on The Edge, even though we saw less patients. Our contact lens sales went up because of the lens fog that comes with glasses and masks. Johnathan is a great optician, and has been so helpful in our optical. People were scared to lose their glasses, so we had an increase in multiple pair sales. The first thing that people were coming in to do was get their glasses fixed because they were uncertain of the future.”
Q: What additional thoughts would you like to speak on to the TSO Network regarding the past year?
A: The TSO Network was great with keeping the doctors united and updated with the loop of COVID-19 information. It has been great to be a part of a network so far. I can’t wait for the shareholders to meet again in person!
Q: What significant opportunities exist for you and your team that has been born out of the pandemic?
A: This pandemic allows for each office’s opportunity to develop procedures that ensure quality visits for all of your patients. Patients have enjoyed more personalized attention while visiting the office during the year, so it is the opportunity to continue this as things continue to be more efficient.
Q: What have been some obstacles you have faced as an optometrist and entrepreneur over the past year?
A: “When the pandemic happened, keep in mind that Dr. Hassett and I are brand new; truly taken aback, and deciding to furlough the staff was difficult. We decided to furlough our staff for a month, and we had only one team member alongside us. We had a great learning experience in learning how to pull insurance and deal with the optical made me appreciate the work that my team handles. I was so excited for them to come back to the new normal.”
Q: What changes did you physically make in your office or demonstrate to your patients to ensure their safety?
A: Increased spacing between optician desk and waiting room, hand sanitizing station upon entry and throughout the building, very minimal use of waiting room with increased efficiency of always being ready to start prelims on patients once they finish signing their form. Offering curbside dispensing, we found a percentage of our patients found beneficial when they were in a hurry.
Q: What have been some guiding lights over the past year for you as an optometrist and entrepreneur?
A: Constant communication with colleagues to compare their protocols and perceptions has been a tremendous help. Also, we read numerous articles from various optical publications and engage n forums such as ODs on Facebook. Last, we listened to patients’ feedback about their experience in the office.
Q: Did your office reach any unexpected goals over the past year? If yes, how did you accomplish this goal?
A: Our office in Mont Belvieu, which had been open only three months, came super close to being a platinum practice within one year of opening despite the switch to emergency care only for an extended period and other COVID impacts. Staying involved in the community and ensuring communication with patients to let them know we were here to provide for all eye care needs even during the extended period. We also reached out to local healthcare organizations, letting them know we could assist with any eyesore emergencies.
Q: What additional thoughts would you like to speak on to the TSO Network regarding the past year?
A: The last 12 months have been one of the most significant challenges of my 40 plus years practicing between the pandemic, weather impacts, and technology impacts. The balancing of financial, economic, emotional, and physical effects has made it a very draining past 12 months, and the challenges from this point will be finding the new balances. It is essential to consider all these items over the next year and use the new efficiency and net growths to enhance your business in ways that benefit you as an optometrist, entrepreneur, and community healthcare professional.
Q: What significant opportunities exist for you and your team that has been born out of the pandemic?
A: Telehealth, now that we know we can offer this service and virtual vision therapy sessions. We created “budget” glasses packages for patients on a budget. We also signed up for MARLO, a mail system for Alcon brand contact lenses that allows patients to reorder contacts themselves through our office to offer quicker mail service to patient homes.
Q: What have been some obstacles you have faced as an optometrist and entrepreneur over the past year?
A: Ensuring the safety of my staff and patients, but mainly financial obstacles. Those practices that had just relocated, remodeled may not have had cash reserves necessary, causing financial stress. To top it all off, the week of the winter storm set our office back as well.
Q: What changes did you physically make in your office or demonstrate to your patients to ensure their safety?
A: We have one entry door, one exit door, taking temperatures on everyone before entering the office, and set stick-on floor dots to labeled with six-foot distance. We also “quarantine” patients in exam rooms immediately after checking in and checking the patient out in the exam room.
Q: What have been some guiding lights over the past year for you as an optometrist and entrepreneur?
A: Having to support my family and my staff’s families is what kept me pushing through this year—also, the support from my colleagues.
Q: Did your office reach any unexpected goals over the past year? If yes, how did you accomplish this goal?
A: Virtual learning for children and adults working from home has caused unexpected visual strain, increasing patient numbers seeking help, and glasses sales have gone up significantly. Unfortunately, some offices nearby have closed and have seen some patients transfer to our office as a result.