Are You Fairly Compensated?
You didn’t grit it through a decade or more of training to get mired in accounting. We get it. But dealing head-on with the profitability (or lack thereof) of your practice may seriously affect your professional sense of wellbeing. Altruism only puts food on the table for so long.
A good place to start is with yourself. Are you fairly compensated compared to other ophthalmologists? Check out these salary surveys. Are you within an acceptable range, or are you drifting to the lower end of the scale? Why? Are you plowing too much of your salary back into the practice? Are you staffed correctly? What part of your business is bleeding red ink?
This may sound counterintuitive or selfish, but you need to pay yourself first. That’s how successful entrepreneurs do it. And like it or not, you’re a member of the “E” club.
What part of your business is bleeding red ink?
It’s doubtful that you have the time to immerse yourself in the intricacies of a profit and loss statement. That’s why accountants were created. A good one can determine if you are within industry ratios for expenses and revenues, and group your services into lines, like Cataract and LASIK surgery. You’ll have the information you need to direct your marketing for the best return, and to allocate your time to the most profitable parts of your practice. This helps you along by giving you data to inform decisions.
Staffing is the biggest expense of most ophthalmology practices, so work with your accountant to assess productivity. What is the role of every employee in contributing to profitability? At the very least, you’ll gain insight into the types of employees who can grow your practice. You can be a compassionate and altruistic doctor and still enjoy the financial rewards of your work. So, if you don’t have an accountant, you have time right now to hire one.
Protecting Eyes From Summertime Ultraviolet Rays
Summer is here. Long days, hot sun and UV rays leaping around like toddlers in a bounce house. The sun’s damaging ultraviolet rays put your patients at risk of serious short-term and long-term eye problems but prevention is easy: Wear sunglasses that block ultraviolet radiation. But which sunglasses are up to the task of protecting those precious peepers?
Here’s some handy info to share with patients when choosing the sun-specs that will keep their eyes safe from sun damage: Look for a tag that says 100 percent protection against both UVA and UVB or 100 percent protection against UV 400. The darkness of a lens, color or price doesn’t necessarily indicate the strength of UV protection, so be sure to check the label.
There’s no doubt about the consequences of not protecting our eyes from the sun’s harmful rays. If eyes are exposed to strong sunlight for too long without proper protection, UV rays can burn the cornea and cause temporary blindness in a matter of hours. Long-term sun exposure is linked to more serious eye disease, such as cataracts, eye cancer, and growths on or near the eye. And a lifetime of exposure can increase the progression of age-related macular degeneration.
And consider wearing a hat with a broad brim along with your shades to complete the anti-UV ensemble. They’ve been shown to significantly cut exposure to harmful rays as well.
Oh, and don’t forget the sunscreen!
Fixation Control: The Octopus 900’s Accuracy Secret
Everything you want in a perimeter available in one streamlined device, Haag-Streit’s Octopus 900 gives you full field static and kinetic perimetry, 100 % fixation control, easy-to-read analysis software and easy integration into your practice workflow.
Whatever your perimeter needs, Bell can help you find the solution that’s perfect for you and your practice. Call us at 800.255.5929 or email us to learn more!
Going on Vacation? Here’s the Health Tech You Need!
Ah, summer, when thoughts turn to time off, beaches, margaritas and oyster shooters. But an ouchy sunburn, an unexpected food allergy or worse can turn your hard-earned vacation into a less than wonderful experience. But don’t worry, this is the 21st century. There’s health tech available to ensure your vacation goes off without a hitch.
Spending some time on the shore or by the pool? Aquatic Safety Concepts iSwimband wearables are worn on the wrist and come with a free companion app that will sound an alarm on your chosen device after being submerged for 20 seconds. Perfect for anyone who might not be the strongest swimmer on the boardwalk. And of course, this doesn’t replace your vigilant supervision.
Protect your skin from sunburn with wearable patches like these from L’Oréal. They’ll monitor the amount of UV you are absorbing and let you know when it’s time to get out of the sun. Sorry, kids, it looks like it might be time to head inside and take a nap!
Between the rum-based drinks and the sun, it’s easy to get dehydrated while vacationing. Make sure you’re getting all the H2O you need with the LVL, a hydration wristband that measures hydration, heart rate, and activity. It alerts you to how much fluid you need and what type of performance boost you can expect by using an infrared light to measure water. Or you could just make sure you have one of those handy-dandy reusable water bottles with you at all times.
Most vacations mean taking a break from the usual diet, as well. If you’re trying to stay gluten-free, the Nima gluten-sensor can tell you if your food contains gluten within a couple of minutes
If you’ve been stricken with a weird insect bite or unexplained rash, check out tele-dermatology services like FirstDerm, SkinMDnow, and iDoc24 which connect patients to a dermatologist online for consultation within a short period of time. Usually, people can load up their photos of the affected area on a specific platform, and the dermatologists give advice based on it.
And if the an emergency does happen, be prepared with the Welloh medical app that helps you locate an urgent care, pharmacy or hospital within 30 miles of wherever you are.
A Smoothie Prescription for Eye Health – Bell Ophthalmic
Summer is the perfect season for smoothies, so why not combine a refreshing drink with some benefits for better vision? Here’s a list of the vitamins, minerals and compounds and the tasty ingredients they come in that, combined in your blender, make for a healthy punch in the eye.
Vitamin A and Beta Carotene Beta-carotene from fruits and vegetables converts to vitamin A in the body. Foods rich in beta-carotene? Think carrots, spinach, kale, broccoli, tomatoes, dandelion greens, mangoes, apricots, pumpkins and just about all orange and yellow fruits and vegetables as well as dark, leafy greens.
Lutein and Zeaxanthin These carotenoid compounds, are also found in foods rich in beta-carotene and are known to support eye health. In fact, both lutein and zeaxanthin are actually concentrated in the retina and lens of the eye, indicating a possible biological, protective function. Broccoli, kale and spinach are good sources.
Resveratrol Carotenoids aren’t the only plant compound that provides provide health benefits for the eyes. Resveratrol, found in red grapes, can protect the eyes from age-related macular degeneration.
So pick your favorite ingredients, toss ‘em in the blender, and make yourself an eye-healthy treat. Here’s a recipe we enjoy to get you started.
Mango-Grape Smoothie
- 1 cup of spring water
- 1 cup red grapes
- 1 mango, pit removed
- 1 cup fresh baby spinach
- 1 small carrot
Why Bulls, Owls, Tigers, and Lambs Matter to Your Practice
Personality tests are an excellent way to understand the behavior and social tendencies of your staff and yourself. Meyer’s Briggs (MBT) is the gold standard of this genre, but it takes training to administer and interpret the result.
Fortunately, there’s a fast-food personality test that’s accurate and fast. It’s called BOLT (Bulls, Owls, Tigers and Lambs).
If you’re a Bull, you’re thinking, “what could this possibly have to do with my practice?” Read the descriptions of the personality types below, and then we’ll talk.
BULL
- Gets to the bottom line quickly
- Seeks control
- Blunt
- No frills, just facts
- Hard to convince
OWL
- Analytical
- Detail-oriented
- Deep thinker
- Methodical
- Takes time to make a decision
- Introspective
LAMB
- Slow to decide and often change their minds (high buyer’s remorse)
- Understands your mistakes and feels badly about their mistakes
- Very emotional – avoids conflict
- Security is more important than prestige and status
- Can be an introvert or an extrovert
- Hard to read feelings
TIGER
- Not into details
- Fast to decide and is “messy messy”
- Fun-loving
- Expressive
- Wears feelings on the outside
- Impulsive
- Self-confident
- Extroverted
By now, you probably have a trial snapshot of yourself, and some of your staff. There are numerous uses of this information, but first keep in mind that almost everyone has personality traits of each animal. For example,
- Don’t be late for a meeting with an Owl
- Send your Tiger out for screenings and presentations
- A Bull will be useful in a crisis
- Lambs are great with patients
Bolt Download the BOLT test here. This is a great subject for a staff meeting. Let people share and see how you can put your newfound knowledge to work.