Editorial Preview

March/April 2021 Issue

The Administrative Eyecare Mar./Apr. 2021 issue focuses on the touchless office, racism and unconscious bias in the office, building resiliency, transitioning registration intake from face-to-face to virtual, and much more. The deadline to reserve space for this issue is Jan. 20, 2021, and materials are due Feb. 2, 2021.

Cover story: The touchless office—Patient flow and processing in the age of COVID-19

Synopsis: Ophthalmology practices have had to rapidly change operations—often from the bottom up. This article takes a close look at the patient journey to see exactly how it’s been altered in the age of COVID-19 and which changes might be here to stay.

Advanced administration: Racism and unconscious bias in your office—What you need to do about it

Synopsis: Unconscious biases based on age, gender, attractiveness, affinity/similarity, confirmation/prejudice, name, and height can work for or against candidates being considered for employment and promotion/demotion. Citing examples unearthed in consulting with ophthalmic practices, the author defines unconscious bias and offers guidance for leading cultural change through anti-racist policies and behaviors.

Advice for new administrators: Building resiliency

Synopsis: Resiliency will never eliminate stress. However, it can aid in overcoming adversity and allow quick recovery from stressful events. Here, six steps administrators can take to build the resiliency they need to benefit personally and professionally.

Business operations: The benefits of developing a triage department—How to re-focus on patient care

Synopsis: Although many practices have seen a full (or nearly full) recovery of patient volumes while adapting to the new and stringent social distancing norms necessitated by the emergence of COVID-19, the question remains: What more can be done to maximize workflows and resources? This article describes one practice’s response.

Customer care: Creating virtual patient relationships—Tips for helping your providers avoid a “failed connection”

Synopsis: Making meaningful connections with patients in a virtual environment requires more than the standard basics of patient-centered communication. Focusing on presence and presentation and establishing virtual rapport will improve any “web-side manner.”

Fast practice: Mastering adaptability within the ophthalmic workforce—How to adapt and thrive despite ambiguity

Synopsis: COVID-19 has been the great disruptor of a generation, forcing rapid change on numerous industries and upending lives. Here’s how practices survive and thrive: by focusing deeply on key processes and successfully adapting them to a highly compressed timeline.

Human resources: Fast-track your staff to success in their new role with this feedback tool

Synopsis: A practice staff learned the value of the feedback process when they unintentionally ran an experiment in their own office. Now, instead of “business as usual”— i.e., blame between departments, office gossip, traditional hierarchy, and cliques—the practice uses an accountability-focused feedback tool, which allows them to work on projects rather than on people.

InfoTech: "Wearable" advanced technologies aid low-vision patients

Synopsis: Technologically advanced wearables have great potential for improving low-vision patients' quality of life. This article describes wearables that can help those with low vision become more visually independent and better able to perform cherished activities.

Leadership Log: Our “summer of love”—What we learned about leadership during the pandemic

Synopsis: Presented with seemingly impossible constraints, a practice was forced to look at long-term problems in new ways. It emerged as a better, stronger team by implementing five management principles that brought it to a new level of performance.

Marketing: Keep, drop, add—How practices are shifting marketing during the pandemic

Synopsis: Practices know that marketing is always important. But what should they keep doing, stop doing, or start doing now to ensure that the efforts made will reap the desired results? Here, some guidelines.

Technicians: Transitioning registration intake from face-to-face to virtual

Synopsis: Communication problems that ensued during COVID-19 pushed this administrator to recognize that it was better to find her stars and use the innate skills that they possess instead of the traditional approach of shoring up everyone’s weaknesses. As a result, the practice ensured that patients received the same consistent messaging about new protocols to keep them appropriately cared for—and safe.

Making the case: The silver lining—Thriving in the face of change

Synopsis: While they can be challenging and uncomfortable, unexpected situations often serve as catalysts for new opportunities and growth. This article offers six strategies for seeing the silver lining in any challenging situation and propelling positive change.

ASC: Stick to the KISS principle for ASC compliance

Synopsis: Managing compliance is challenging at best, and the key to success is to keep it simple and systematized (KISS) while leveraging systems. This article shows how to stay on top of ASC documentation by following the KISS method.

COE Corner: Navigating my COE journey

Synopsis: This soon-to-retire administrator found that adopting his normal mantra of management—his North Star—also served him in obtaining his COE credential: Be as strong as possible and never stop learning.

Peer to Peer: Is there a difference between a good boss and a good leader?

Synopsis: Practice administrators share their wisdom.

Space reservation deadline: Jan. 20, 2021

Materials due: Feb. 2, 2021

For advertising information, contact:

Jessica Donohoe, Director of Special Projects

703-788-5764 | jessica@eyeworld.org

Joe Dooley, Sales Representative

571-212-1925 | joe@eyeworld.org