During the month of November, Facebook is full of expressions of gratitude but for singer, songwriter and farmer Richie Tipton, being thankful every day has become a way of life. He set out on what has become a fairly popular mission – list at least three unique things every day for which he is […]
Generosity – One of the Traits of a Successful Practice
I have the privilege of working with many great practices and one trait that they all have in common is their generosity to their patients, team members and community. One example of this “pay it forward” philosophy is an exceptional practice that gives each team member $100 to give away each Christmas. There are no […]
If We Used Shorter Names for Things Would We Need so Many Initialisms? Or What is an ACO? and What Does it Mean to ODs?
An Accountable Care Organization (ACO) is a local group of Medicare providers tasked with providing quality, low-cost health care to a specific population of patients. They are either physician or hospital led and are responsible for the care of at least 5,000 Medicare patients over at least a three-year term. During that time, quality and […]
SMARTY Goals Keep You on Track
Every year I spend a lot of time developing my resolutions or “game plan” for the coming year. It has become such an integral part of the my holiday vacation that I get anxious when I’m not working on it. I use personal and professional goals in a variety of aspects – spiritual, physical, and […]
A successful team beats with one heart.
There is an old saying, “A successful team beats with one heart.” At PVG, we often use the term “heart of care” to describe the kind of culture that produces genuine and heartfelt care. This loving and sincere approach to patient care and service is the cornerstone of the modern private practice. Our relationships will […]
Relationship Marketing
I think it is no accident that market share of private practice optometry is expanding. Why does our market grow while private pharmacies and hardware stores disappear? To me, the answer is obvious. When it comes to eye care and eyewear products, no one can replace the relationship of the locally-owned and operated eye care […]
Persuasion Momentum
Why do private practice optometrists see 2/3rd of the eye exams and sell less than half of the glasses in our industry? I think the answer is very simple: It is all a matter of momentum. Momentum is defined simply as mass in motion. The bigger the mass or the faster the motion, the stronger […]
The “Four Question” Performance Review
According to the Washington Post, in an effort to streamline what can become a laborious, negative, and in many ways ineffective and inefficient, performance review process, Deloitte, an international HR consulting firm, is getting away from the long supervisory and peer-reviewed performance evaluation processes. Now there are four simple questions: 1. Given what I know […]
Billing (SCODI, or “OCT”) and other Services for the Management of Glaucoma
Billing Scanning Computerized Ophthalmic Diagnostic Imaging (SCODI, or “OCT”) and other Diagnostic Services Together for the Management of Glaucoma Most Medicare carriers revised coverage determination at the end of August for billing Scanning Computerized Ophthalmic Diagnostic Imaging (SCODI, or “OCT”) and other diagnostic services together for the management of glaucoma. Retinal images, extended ophthalmoscopy and […]
What My Dad used to Say
All my life I have resisted the urge to say “things were different when I was growing up” or “young people these days are not as appreciative or hard-working as they used to be.” I didn’t want to sound like my dad. He held positions of leadership in local government, the military and a utility […]
