Eyes Wide Open - Canadian Eye Care

Dr. Scott Mundle provides a historical perspective on Optometry Giving Sight (OGS), its mission and current activities. He and Eyes Wide Open Host, Roxanne Arnal, talk about the benefits of giving and how contributing to social programs can help personal happiness and make business sense. Dr. Mundle, UW ('83) has been active in the service of Optometry since early in his career. He is the past-president of the Manitoba Association of Optometrists and the Canadian Association of Optometrists, and Past President of the World Council of Optometry. Dr. Mundle serves as the OGS Canada Member Representative.

Tom Bollum, a seasoned optical industry executive shares valuable insights on practice real estate in a conversation with EyesWideOpen host, Roxanne Arnal. They discuss the importance of location and how a change of location could impact the practice. Must read lease negotiation tips are provided!

Dr. Sophia Leung, in a conversation with EyesWideOpen host, Roxanne Arnal, the tables are turned. Once an OD student in Dr. Arnal’s practice, the student has evolved and honed her clinical and mentorship skills. Together they explore professional burnout, mentorship and types of collaboration in a forthright discussion. About the Guest Dr. Sophia Leung has taken an atypical professional pathway following graduation from UW School of Optometry in 2014. After spending some time in private practice, she pursued an Ocular Disease and Refractive Surgery Residency in the US followed by an Advanced Glaucoma and Cornea Fellowship. Dr. Leung is also a Diplomate of the American Board of Optometry, a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry (AAO), and a Diplomate of the AAO in the Anterior Segment Section. Currently, Dr. Leung is the Principal Optometrist at a high volume corneal, cataract, and refractive surgical centre in Calgary and the President-Elect of the Alberta Association of Optometrists. Episode Notes Dr. Sophia Leung is passionate and thoughtful about mentorship, professional development, and education. As an OD student, she rotated through many urban and rural clinic settings, including Dr. Arnal’s Alberta private practice. They discuss their personal and professional insights on mentorship, professional collaboration, and the evolution of optometry. They also delve into stress and practitioner burnout and point to a few interesting reads on the topic (See Resource links). Dr. Leung shares her not-so-typical pathway after graduation that brought her first to private practice and then to an Ocular Disease and Refractive Surgery Residency in Oklahoma, a state with a very wide scope of practice, followed by an Advanced Glaucoma and Cornea Fellowship. In her current role, Dr. Leung is developing an OD-to-OD referral model the enhance patient access to ophthalmologic care that also increases time efficiency for ophthalmologists. She explains how the demand for routine vision exams vis-à-vis medical eye exams will evolve and how this exacerbates the need to improve efficiencies to meet the rising demands for patient care She challenges her OD colleagues to rethink primary care optometry and outlines why primary care will unavoidably migrate to medical optometry. An insightful 30-minute discussion.

In his current role as VP, Optometric Partnerships, Dr. Michael Naugle oversees the growth and development of the FYidoctors banner in Canada and is a key figure in recruiting new optometrists. From the company’s inception in 2008 up until 2015, he served as Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors and Vice Chairman of the Advisory Committee.

Dr. Trevor Miranda describes his multi-practice location on Vancouver Island with UW '95 classmate, Eyes Wide Open host, Dr. Glen Chiasson. In particular, Dr. Miranda stresses the importance of having great products that are "Channel-protected" for optometry in building a Dry Eye Sub-specialty

Wendy Buchanan is a Registered Optician and an Image Consultant. Wendy has a highly successful mobile practice. She shares her highly unique skill set with Optometry practice owners through a training course and consulting. Podcast host, Dr. Glen Chiasson explore Wendy's success formula, how it came about and reveal how Optometry practice owners and managers can bring optical sales to a new level.

Dr. Scott Mundle, University of Waterloo ('83) has been active in the service of Optometry since early in his career. He is the past-president of the Manitoba Association of Optometrists and the Canadian Association of Optometrists, and is the Immediate Past President of the World Council of Optometry. He shares insights from this incredible path of leadership with Eyes Wide Open Host, Roxanne Arnal.

Dr. Patrick Quaid, immediate past-president of the Ontario College of Optometrists, founder and Director of Optometric Services Vue³ Vision Therapy Clinics, speaks with EWO podcast host Dr. Glen Chiasson about Vision Therapy – or as he prefers to call it – Neuro-Optometry. He shares his personal path from childhood trauma, through Optometry school to achieving his doctorate at UW, School of Optometry and creating non-dispensing Vision Therapy clinics. 

Naomi Barber, Director of Optometry, Specsavers Canada shares thoughts with Roxanne Arnal on Specsavers' approach particularly as it relates to data modelling and working with various health stakeholders to improve accessibility and drive more positive outcomes in through its optometry network.

Dr. James (Jim) Hoffman, shares insights on how to get former contact lens patients with presbyopia and astigmatism back into contacts and WOW them them in the process with new ULTRA Multifocal for Presbyopia from B + L.

Dr. David Schwirtz, Optometrist, Vice President of Medical Affairs & Professional development, IRIS Group shares his views on technology advances and the importance of ensuring that technology remains at the centre of patient care, creating a better experience for both the patient and the practitioner.

It's been just over one year since COVID-19 interrupted life as we know it casting uncertainty on practice valuations in all health care sectors.  How has optometry held up over this period?   Jackie Joachim offers her perspective in conversation with Dr. Glen Chiasson based upon real-world experience .

By store count, Canada’s largest optical and eye care organization, the NEW LOOK VISION GROUP announced plans to take the corporation private and and alleviate the onerous burden of public company reporting. Dr. Daryan Angle, IRIS VP Business Development introduces the new investors and talks about the rational for the move with Eyes Wide Open Podcast host, Dr. Glen Chiasson.

Roxanne Arnal, OD and Certified Financial Planner® discusses her unique skill set as a family Chief Financial Officer specifically for optometrists. She charts her path from Optometry School, through personal health challenges and becoming a financial planner focused on Optometry practices and their families.

Dr. Steven D’Orio, practicing in partnership his father Dr. Greg D’Orio, shares his approach on incorporating a dry eye specialty within the practice.

Dr. Michael Nelson, is the current President of the Canadian Association of Optometry (CAO). He’s in the second year of his two-year term.  He is in private practice in Winnipeg Manitoba.

Dr. Devan Trischuk, OD shares his perspective on myopia control with host Dr. Glen Chiasson. In particular, they discuss the the place for a truly effective new spectacle lens option, MiyoSmart, as part of the myopia management kit tool.

Dr. Daryan Angle, IRIS VP Business Development recounts how the COVID crisis accelerated the group’s advanced technology adaption and customer flow management.  IRIS continues to be bullish in acquiring partnerships and sees little impact on valuations as a result of COVID closures.

Dr. Kerry Salsberg and Dr. Glen Chiason share a few memories while Kerry explains how Eyes on Sheppard became one of the largest optometric practices in Toronto and how a re-imagined practice of the future took shape Covid challenges notwithstanding.

Paul Martin, founding partner of Wilton Martin Litigation Lawyers, updates employment law issues as clinics and employees start to reopen from the COVID-19 mandated practice shutdowns.