Blog

May 27, 2020May 27, 2020

ZEISS Canada Offers New Initiatives to ECPs

In preparation for reopening, ZEISS Canada has created new initiatives to help eye care professionals (ECPs) get back on their feet.

ZEISS has created a complimentary sanitization guideline to help ECPs get ready to welcome patients back into their practice. There, ECPs can find signs with different messages that speak to patients and staff and make them feel comfortable by ensuring all precautions are being taken during their visit. Signs can be customized and printed. Click HERE to visit the website for additional support and content.

ZEISS is committed to providing options to create a safe practice for both ECPs and patients:

Contactless Consultation – when the patient arrives for their eye exam, they will go through a journey in which they will receive the same level of care without the need of a technician being nearby.
One Zeiss Program – offers the opportunity to purchase ZEISS equipment easily with reward points.
Direct Shipment Program – is still on-going at no charge.

Click HERE for the full press release.

May 27, 2020May 27, 2020

The Vision Council Launches ReopenEyecare Website

Reopeneyecare.com, a new digital platform designed to help eye care providers navigate the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on their businesses, is now launched. Featuring content specially curated by a taskforce of vision community leaders and sponsored by The Vision Council, the website is intended to serve as a comprehensive resource to help eye care providers navigate the complex journey from shutdown back to ‘new normal’ business conditions with practical insights and a collection of best practices, protocols, tools and tips for reopening a practice and maintaining its health until conditions improve.

“The coronavirus pandemic has disrupted the vision and eyecare community in ways that can threaten the livelihood of eyecare providers, their staff and their businesses if they do not adapt to the new circumstances. We understand how overwhelmed business owners are feeling during these unprecedented times. That inspired us to build a website to serve as a one-stop destination to help eyecare providers make the right practice and business decisions as they navigate from shutdown to a sustainable new-normal,” said David Chute, Co-Founder and CEO at ThinOptics. “Reopeneyecare.com provides the most timely, relevant information that eyecare providers need to be aware of as they reopen their businesses, as well as tools and actionable tips to employ over the coming months as they evolve from surviving to thriving. By curating the best, trusted resources in one place in a personalized and interactive format, we hope to help eyecare providers make informed business decisions.”

“Now more than ever, it is important to come together as a community, so that we can emerge from this crisis stronger, smarter and more nimble,” said David Friedfeld, President at ClearVision Optical. “Reopeneyecare.com reflects a collective industry effort to gather the most useful information and tools in one accessible platform to support and guide eyecare providers as they adapt their business strategies through each stage of reopening and recovery. Reopeneyecare.com contains all the information eyecare providers need in one, easy-to-navigate website and will continually be updated as guidelines, regulations, and standard practices evolve.”

Designed for a seamless user experience, the website features an intuitive display and is divided into seven sections:

The Landscape:
- With detailed information on national COVID-19 data and trends, The Landscape is home to Survive to Thrive: Covid-19 Coping Skills, an overview presentation that highlights the challenges eye care providers are faced with and how they can approach the implications of the pandemic on their businesses from a strategic, financial and leadership perspective.
Setting Your Course:
- This section breaks down the process of developing a strategy to navigate the implications of COVID-19 and provides tips on how to communicate with patients and strengthen relationships.
Financing the Journey:
- Featuring an interactive cashflow calculator, Financing the Journey explains how to calculate cash flow, manage and generate cash and includes financial best practices and checklists.
Roadmap to Reopening:
- From understanding personal protective equipment (PPE) sources and best practices to breaking down dispensary protocols, Roadmap to Reopening details what eyecare providers need to know to begin seeing patients again while keeping both patients and staff safe.
Leading the Way:
- This section provides tips on how to manage, motivate, and compensate staff during a difficult time, when strong, inspiring leadership is essential.
Rules, Regulations and Requirements:
- Highlights state and local rules, professional guidelines, liability issues and employment law.
Industry Data:
- The Industry Data section contains the latest industry research pertaining to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the vision industry, with insightful analysis and key takeaways.

The website will continue to be updated with new, pertinent content as conditions change and new information becomes available.

Reopeneyecare.com and the resources included on the website are available for use and distribution by anyone involved in the vision community. Users should register on the website to receive updates as new content is posted. An eyecare provider advisory panel is in development. The panel will advise on future content and site improvement.

Source: The Vision Council

May 22, 2020May 21, 2020

Essilor Celebrates United Nations’ Recommendation to Governments to Ensure Good Vision of All Road Users

Essilor celebrates this major milestone, an incentive to generalise eye tests and facilitate access to eyecare, and reinforces its commitment towards safe mobility, as a vision care leader and as a donor to the United Nations Road Safety Fund.

Effective April 1^st, the call to ensure good vision for all road users in the world is now part of the “ITC Recommendations for Enhancing National Road Safety Systems”. The recommendations were adopted by the governments at the Inland Transport Committee (ITC), the United Nations’ regulatory platform in the field of inland transport.

This historic achievement builds on the 3^rd Global Ministerial Conference on Road Safety, held in Stockholm last February, where main representatives of governments, public and private sectors called for a precise framework to achieve the United Nations’ road safety-related 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Following the Stockholm declaration, the “ITC recommendations for Enhancing National Road Safety Systems”, which came into effect on April 1^st, represent a major guide towards road safety across the globe. It particularly calls countries to adopt specific rules to ensure appropriate vision for all road users as an important lever to achieve this goal.

Essilor officially joins the United Nations Road Safety Fund (UNRSF) through a US$200,000 cash contribution, becoming UNRSF donor as of 5^th May 2020. It is a major milestone following the successful collaboration with the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile)* since 2017 promoting the golden rule “Check your vision” for all road users.

As part of its efforts, and as countries gradually lift their lockdown restrictions in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the Essilor Group will be launching an international public campaign entitled “On the Road again” in June 2020. Driven by the hashtag #MaxVisionMaxSafety, it will encourage drivers, bikers, cyclists and pedestrians to enjoy the recovered mobility safely with optimal vision.

David Navarro, VP Vision & Road Safety at Essilor, declared: “In a world where people are preparing to get back on the road in the context of the COVID-19 crisis, the recommendations of the United Nations come at a very timely moment. Along with the fundamental role of good vision for all road users, this set of rules is a real game-changer, enabling countries to adapt their national policies accordingly. As a vision care leader and member of the UNRSF, we are thrilled to contribute to safe mobility by boosting awareness, innovation, access to vision tests and vision care everywhere around the globe, in line with our mission of improving lives by improving sight.”

Click HERE for the full press release.

May 22, 2020May 22, 2020

“New Talent” Sarah Bureau at sbspecs

Jessie Strype, Optik magazine’s contributor, spoke with Sarah Bureau of sbspecs. Sarah talks about how she got into the optical industry and found the art of restoration and customizing eyewear to be a perfect blend of science and the arts.

The most common request Sarah receives is for custom nose pads. She can do titanium implanted pad arms, fused pad arms (ideal for translucent frames), and bridge build ups for acetate frames.

Of all the custom work Sarah has completed to date, the one repair she is particularly proud of is the very first time she repaired an acetate frame which had broken in half at the bridge.

Optik asked which frame feature Sarah would alter to avoid a common break. Her answer? She would alter the way a traditional spring hinge works.

Optik also wanted to know how Sarah saw the optical industry changing and how does that apply to the future of sbspecs. Are you as curious as we are? If so, find out by reading the full interview!

The full interview with Sarah Bureau by Jessie Strype is available in the April – May Issue of Optik Magazine.

Click here to view the full interview.

May 22, 2020May 21, 2020

Karl Optical to Provide Surgical Masks to ECPs

Karl-Optical, a Quebec company, whose brands TopLook and Fatal Eyewear are sold worldwide, aims to help eye care professionals in terms of protection and hygiene.

In order to help and contribute to the safety of their partners and customers, Karl-Optical has started providing free surgical masks to eye care professionals in Canada and will reach a total distribution of 5,000 masks.

This is to facilitate the reopening of clinics, optical stores and to protect professionals and consumers.

For more information, contact Jeff A. Larbi at info@karl-optical.com.