Blog

March 30, 2020March 30, 2020

FYidoctors Provides Support to Members for Online COPE-accredited CE

FYi doctors and CRO JOURNAL are pleased to announce a new program that supports optometrist members of the FYidoctors network to achieve Category A COPE-accredited CE hours at a member discount through the CRO (Clinical & Refractive Optometry) online CE platform (www.crojournal.com).

The FYidoctors member discount program is available immediately and will be in effect until August 31, 2020.

FYidoctors are the first optometry group to take advantage of CRO’s member network affiliation program. Through a simple member sign-on process, FYIdoctors will be automatically enrolled in the program to achieve the discounts.

FYidoctors Chair and CEO, AL Ulsifer, said, “I cannot help but feel tremendous pride that in times where doctors are now wondering how they will pay the bills, that many want to use this time to improve their skills as optometrists. We are pleased to work with CRO Journal to provide a timely support system for our doctors to continue to improve their skill set and meet their regulated CE requirements.”

“We are honoured to be working with the FYi doctor group as the first optometry network to leverage CRO member program benefits. Our online CE technology platform makes it easy to scale up and integrate member networks. We are pleased to make this contribution to the profession during these trying times.” said David Pietrobon, Publisher of CRO (Clinical & Refractive Optometry) Journal.

What Does CRO JOURNAL Offer?
CROJOURNAL.com offers category A COPE-accredited CE courses starting at $17.50 per 1-hour course. There are also a several complimentary courses available. A member account is free and no credit card is required to register. Members may purchase pre-paid packages of 5 or 10 CE credit hours at value prices or purchase a premium subscription.

CLICK HERE TO VIEW CRO Online.

CRO Group Membership inquires may be addressed to:
David Pietrobon, B.Sc. (Hons), MBA, CRO Publisher

EMAIL: dpietrobon@vuepoint.ca
PHONE: 1 (226) 780 6871

March 29, 2020March 29, 2020

Webinar Series Provides Expert Advice to Practices

Eye Care Business Canada (www.eyecarebusiness.ca) is pleased to announce a collaboration with BMO Bank of Montreal and ROI Corporation to bring expert advise to eye care practices experiencing difficulties created as a result of the COVID-19 crisis and related shut-down orders.

The webinar series is entitled, “It’s Time to Mend the Nets”, and builds from the notion that when seas are stormy and its not possible to set out to sea that there are plenty of tasks that can be attended to so that you can return stronger than ever, ready to meet the challenges ahead.

For more information visit Eye Care Business Canada.

The three webinars will bring experts in the fields of Human resources, financial/banking and legal field to discuss how practitioners can address some of the critical concerns. The webinars will be live and the experts will take attendee questions.

Keeping Employees Engaged and Motivated: (April 2nd 3PM EDT)
Nava Sarooshi, President of MDP Personnel, will discuss culture and actions required to keep teams calm and motivated.

Managing the Practice’s Financial Health During Troubled Times (April 6th 3PM EDT)
Romal Bryce, Head of Healthcare Initiatives BMO Bank of Montreal and Jackie Joachim, COO or ROI Corporation will help attendees understand the potential impact on the practice value and and tips on managing the financial risk associated with office closures.

Key Legal Issues Affecting Practice Owners (April 8th 3PM EDT)
Artem Kobzev, of TaxChambers LLP will look at all the legal factors that affect your clinic. This session will discuss the importance of key documents such as associate and employee agreements, partnerships, incorporating and leases.

The webinar series will be co-hosted by Eyes Wide Open Podcast host, Dr. Glen Chiasson and Jackie Joachim.

Full details and links to register for the webinars are available at eyecarebusiness.ca.

March 26, 2020March 24, 2020

Recycling Project Sets Sights on Eyeglasses

Seneca has taken another stride towards sustainability by launching an initiative that not only prevents used eyeglasses from ending up in landfills, but also allows them to be repurposed as an educational resource, recycled and then donated to those in need.

iSight, a student-led eyeglass recycling initiative from the Opticianry diploma program, was unveiled Tuesday at the Optical Trade Show 2020 at Newnham Campus. Under the pilot project, which is supported by Sustainable Seneca with plans to expand to all campuses, students are asked to bring in glasses they no longer use and drop them in designated collection bins on campus.

“I realized that most of my friends had four to five pairs of eyeglasses sitting uselessly at home while more than one billion people around the world lack access to these resources,” said Opticianry student Phi Au Thi Tran, who spearheaded iSight. “These people include children with the risk of missing their education, the elderly who have lost their sight as they age and countless others who are unable to attain success at work as they don’t have proper vision aides.”

In addition, Ms. Tran says changing needs and fashion trends often leave people with unused eyeglasses, which are difficult to recycle as they are made with a combination of materials.

“The project is an opportunity for us to make an impact on other people’s lives by paying it forward and to give the gift of sight to those who can’t afford to buy eyeglasses,” she said.

iSight is the brainchild of Opticianry student Phi Au Thi Tran, who says eyeglass recycling is an opportunity for students to give the gift of sight.

The discarded eyeglasses will be used by Opticianry students to get more hands-on experience in areas such as reading prescription numbers. After that, they will be collected by a voluntary organization, sorted out for sizes and labelled to be sent to India and Africa free of cost for distribution among those in need.

“This project is very close to my heart as my own father had lost his eyesight. It is a phenomenal idea,” said Prof. Shan Khan, who has worked closely with Ms. Tran on the project. “It is great to have our students get involved in initiatives that help them in their education while at the same time helping others.”

From left: Opticianry students show off some eyeglasses on display at Seneca’s Optical Trade Show 2020 at Newnham Campus this week. More than 35 vendors participated in the annual event, which also launched a student-led eyeglass recycling initiative.

March 25, 2020March 25, 2020

Closure of Non-Essential Workplaces

The College of Opticians of Ontario provides additional information regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and how it impacts regulated health professionals.

Government Directives

Monday, the Ontario Government announced that all non-essential businesses will be required to close as of 11:59 p.m. Tuesday March 24, 2020. The Government has now released a list of businesses that are exempt from mandatory closure. Your employer/facility operator may interpret that they fall under one or more of the exempted categories. The College cannot advise businesses on their interpretation of this list nor force businesses to cease operations. Enforcement actions are under the jurisdiction of the provincial government.

As opticians, it is imperative to consider that the directive to Health Care Providers issued by the Chief Medical Officer on Friday, March 20 is still in effect. The directive requires that health care professionals provide only essential services during this period. While some dispensary operators may decide to remain open, as a health care professional, you must determine what is essential. Please see the College FAQs for practice guidance regarding essential services. To practice in contravention of the Ministry of Health directive constitutes a provincial offense and could be deemed as professional misconduct.

The College has reached out to the Ministry of Health to provide further guidance on how these two directives are to work in conjunction with one another and will provide more information as it becomes available. As well the College is in regular communication with registrants, optical operators and the professional association as we navigate these difficult times.

Safety Considerations for Essential Services

It is important to consider the principle of physical distancing to stem the spread of this virus. As a health practitioner, if you cannot ensure the health and safety of your patients, you are obliged to refrain from providing service.

If you do choose to provide what you deem to be essential service, it is strongly recommended to use the remote delivery options afforded to you under the Standards of Practice and Practice Guideline s, and to take steps to maximize patient safety in all other circumstances. Please visit the FAQ page for more information.

What if My Employer is Still Telling Me to Report for Work?

If you work for someone else and are concerned that your workplace is not following the Government’s directives, it is imperative that you let your employer know that you are required to comply. You may have to make important decisions if you have been asked to perform duties that you do not believe comply with the directives. As opticians, your obligations as a health professional must come first.

Can I Refuse to Work?

We understand that many opticians are feeling a lot of tension between their responsibilities as health professionals and their responsibilities as employees. While we understand that this puts many opticians in a difficult position, the College can only provide guidance on your duties and responsibilities as health professionals. We encourage opticians who may be unsure how to meet their responsibilities as employees to seek out appropriate employment law advice.

Recommendations to Dispensary Operators

If you are a dispensary owner, it is important that you take steps to implement the government’s directives immediately. We recognize that there are professional, legal and economic consequences to these actions, and recommend that all dispensary owners inform themselves of their legal obligations as employers.

If your dispensary has ceased operations temporarily during this period, we recommend that you take steps to notify patients about how they can access their practitioner for urgent matters. Please visit the FAQs for more information.

Source : COO

March 25, 2020February 28, 2020

Luxury and Comfort: Look Out for the Infinity View Collection

Silhouette’s new Infinity View collection has combined luxury, glamour, and comfort. With their transparent fronts, the superbly light full-rim models feel like you have nothing on your face. An extraordinary design made with the highest-quality materials, which Silhouette is renowned for, are combined to produce a perfectly classic pair of eyewear for any occasion.

Featured model: Infinity View 1594

Distributed by COS: canadianoptical.com