Eye Give a Damn!

Roya Attar, OD, MBA, DHA, is a professor and director of optometric services at the Department of Ophthalmology, University of Mississippi Medical Center. For instance, Dr. Attar utilizes AI to manage her emails and as a scribe to help her focus on her patient while the program takes notes and fills in the EHR, which she reviews afterward. She discusses some of her favorite AI programs and different ways they can be incorporated into your daily professional and personal life. Like any other new technology, she feels AI will augment healthcare professionals’ ability to diagnose, manage and treat patients. She is most excited about how AI will enable more personalized medicine going forward. On a personal note, this is another full circle moment for Dr. Joseph Allen as he interviews his former TA from the UIW Rosenberg School of Optometry. Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media. For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/ Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media.

As the AOSA president at The Ohio State University College of Optometry, Maggie Dunn has worked alongside members of the Ohio Optometric Society to advocate for the profession. She discusses her passion for scope expansion and meeting with legislators to educate them on all that optometry students are learning and what optometrists are doing in practice. Her philosophy for speaking to elected officials is: “Speak from the heart and speak the truth.” Maggie shares her thoughts on how she and her cohorts feel about entering school during the pandemic, private practice, practice ownership, private equity, board scores, and more. Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media. For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/ Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media.

J. Daniel Diaz, MD, and Diana Shechtman, OD, FAAO, work side by side at Retinal Consultants of Miami. In this episode, Dr. Allen interviews them both to learn how they work together to serve their patients. Dr. Diaz and Dr. Shechtman agree that success starts with mutual respect and trust in each other and feel that collaborative care is the only way forward. Listen in as they discuss their backgrounds and the patient population they serve. They also share their thoughts on how other optometrists and ophthalmologists can collaborate to better serve their patients. Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media. For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/ Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media.

Listen in as they discuss the benefits of vitamins, supplementation, and lifestyle changes for preventing and slowing down many diseases, including age-related macular degeneration. Professor Nolan is a world-renowned scientist and researcher based in Waterford, Ireland where he established the Macular Pigment Research Group and founded the Nutrition Research Centre Ireland. His current research interests include the study of key nutrients for cognitive function, ocular nutrition, and brain health with a major goal of identifying ways to reduce risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Topics include, but aren’t limited to, carotenoids, antioxidants, lutein, zeaxanthin, meso-zeaxanthin, blue light, and macular pigment. Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media. For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/ Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media.

Dr. Jill Saxon shares with Dr. Joseph Allen how her officer training in the Navy helped her become the leader she is today and she shares the story of a specific soldier that helped inspire her to think big and give back. She then transitioned to private practice in her hometown in New Jersey, where she had the opportunity to work with Bausch + Lomb as a consultant. Eventually, B+L approached her with the opportunity to join full time. She discussed her 10 years in industry and its global impact on optometry and patient care, starting with her early input on developing the INFUSE contact lens. Listen in and get inspired to move optometry forward! Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media. For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/ Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media.

Melissa Barnett, OD, FAAO, was involved early in the development of scleral lenses and is now considered a legend in specialty contact lens fitting. In fact, she was one of the authors to publish the first contemporary scleral lens textbook in 2017. She also spent four years in an ophthalmology practice, where she became certified in California to treat glaucoma. Currently, she serves as the Director of Optometry at UC Davis in Northern California. She believes every optometrist should get involved with their local and state optometry associations. Today, she is clearly passionate about discussing keratoconus with colleagues and patients on her Clearly KC podcast. After authoring 300+ publications and delivering numerous lectures, Dr. Barnett is honored that she is now able to advocate for colleagues, diversity and the industry, which resonates well with her personal why: “To elevate others through the power of connection.” Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media. For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/ Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media.

Viola Kanevsky, OD, was born in the former Soviet Union, but after a family “adventure” they settled down in New York City when she was a child. Like most optometrists, she worked in several modes of practice early on, but today, she owns a specialty pediatrics practice in Manhattan. She loves seeing children and considers it “play time” rather than an exam. Her advice for working with kids is to think outside of the box, be patient, and follow their lead. She shares her tips on how to fit infants and small children with specialty contact lenses (psst... The secret is keeping the parent calm). Her practice does not take vision plans or medical plans (other than Medicare) because she wants to be able to prescribe what is best for each patient. She also discusses her family’s passion project called “The Ship of Tolerance.” You may have seen her witty posts and comments as a group expert in ODs on Facebook, but now it’s time to get to know Dr. Viola Kanevsky better. Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media. For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/ Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media.

Mile Brujic, OD, FAAO, is an international optometric educator with over 2000 lectures given to date. For 22 years, he has been with the same practice, where he’s now one of the partners. He shares with Dr. Joseph Allen how he entered the speaking world by developing dry eye and contact lenses CE courses for opticians. His keys to success include putting in the hard work to truly master the content and a commitment to getting raw, honest feedback and taking it to heart to improve. Working with industry partners, he’s had the opportunity to conduct research and consult on cutting-edge innovations in eye care, making him a better clinician as a result. Personally, he finds immense strength in his partnership with his wife, as they’ve grown together over the years to support each other’s professional pursuits. His current passion is his work on Optometric Insights with Dr. David Kading to help educate and inspire students to greater career enjoyment and success. Lastly, he implores all optometrists to be dues-paying members of their national and state optometric associations to create an even more powerful and unified profession. Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media. For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/ Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media.

Dr. Cory Lappin knew as an optometry student that he found his passion for dry eye, cornea and anterior segment disease as his fellow students commonly complained about symptoms of dry eye. After completing his residency at Cincinnati Eye Institute, he was fortunate to join Phoenix Eye Care and Dry Eye Center of Arizona, where he was mentored by the legendary Dr. Art Epstein. Since publishing the Ultimate Guide to Dry Eye, Dr. Lappin has continued to pursue his passion for writing and educating, putting an emphasis on scientific literacy. Dr. Lappin’s passion for the advances in ocular surface disease diagnosis and treatment is contagious. Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media. For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/ Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media.

Mark Schaeffer, OD, FAAO, was born into eyecare and worked every job possible in the family practice before going to optometry school after earning an undergrad degree in marketing. As part of MyEyeDr, Dr. Schaeffer is the Clinical Excellence Captain, helping onboard new doctors in the group. He firmly believes that optometrists need to prioritize their expertise and invest in “chair time” with each patient to provide education and create value. Listen in as he and Dr. Allen discuss their approach to patient care, helping them understand the “why” behind their recommendations. Finally, they discuss how excited they are about the numerous innovations and new technologies in eyecare and how they are improving patient care. This episode is sponsored by Bausch + Lomb Blink™ NutriTears® Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media. For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/ Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media.

Currently practicing at a multi-disciplinary brain injury center in Virginia, Dr. Theis discusses her personal journey to finding her clinical subspecialty. As an athlete who suffered a lot of concussions when she was younger, she had trouble reading for more than five minutes at a time. Then, while exploring other fields during her pre-med studies, she had her first visit with an optometrist who prescribed prisms and changed her career path. The doctors discuss various brain injuries and other neurological disorders, including the importance of creating a referral network and addressing the patient’s overall physical and mental health. Dr. Theis also discusses how she takes an individualized approach to prescribing prisms. This episode is brought to you by Altius Vision (https://altiusvision.com/) Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media. For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/ Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media.

Dr. Whitley wears many hats as a practicing optometrist at Virginia Eye Consultants, where he also serves as Director of Professional Relations and Education and Regional Medical Director. Since graduating around the same time Restasis hit the market, Dr. Whitley has been at the forefront of recent research and innovation in the diagnosis and treatment of dry eye disease. In fact, he’s been involved in more than a dozen clinical trials and enjoys lecturing to share his key learnings. Dr. Whitley shares his dry eye workup including patient assessment and various testing he may or may not do based on symptoms. When treating dry eye disease, he feels it’s vital to know all the options and be able to set clear expectations for patients. Lastly, the doctors discuss some of the exciting new treatment options in the pipeline. Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media. For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/ Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media.

Justin Schweitzer, OD, FAAO, is a leader at Vance Thompson Vision in Sioux Falls, SD, focused on managing glaucoma, anterior segment disease, and pre-operative cataract and glaucoma care alongside his surgical partners. Since Dr. Schweitzer sees glaucoma diagnosis as a puzzle with multiple pieces beyond pressure, they discuss the latest in diagnostic tools, medications, drug delivery systems, at-home monitoring, and surgical procedures. They also consider the difference between patient-based treatments compared to physician-based interventions, such as SLT and MIGS. Finally, they discuss the importance of managing ocular surface disease to improve quality of life for patients and the potential impact of AI to improve efficiency for optometrists. Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media. For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/ Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media.

Dr. Bynum discusses the importance of incorporating new technologies and always learning to deliver the best care to your patients -- and build your practice and business. She realized early on that she had to be good at a lot things because referrals aren't always easy or convenient for her patients. She has developed strong relationships with other healthcare professionals in her town and surrounding communities to build her network. Dr. Bynum is excited for the future of optometry and the opportunities available to the next generation of optometrists. Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media. For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/ Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media.

Dr. Brianna Rhue's passion for myopia control runs deep as she grew up in a family of myopes and is married to a neuro-ophthalmologist who shares her passion for myopia research. From how to discuss myopia with parents to the latest research on atropine, these docs dig deep into the diagnosis, discussion, and current and future treatments for this growing epidemic. For more information on the STAR Study, visit: https://www.sydnexis.com/pipeline Key moments: 1:32 Guest Intro 2:48 Family history of myopia and its impact on Dr. Rhue’s journey 6:07 Myopia control in the US vs. other countries 7:47 Sharing insights with her neuro-ophthalmologist husband 10:14 Explaining myopia to parents 12:41 Dr. Rhue’s approach to myopia diagnosis and management 14:44 Atropine research 16:16 Atropine safety and dosage 18:15 The atropine concentration debate 20:23 How atropine might be working 23:02 Compounding and safety 24:27 Changing the standard of care for myopia control 25:38 Getting parents excited to enroll kids in a study 29:22 Why formulation matters for atropine 32:30 “Go outside!” 36:20 What’s next? Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media. For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/ Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media.

While optometry school was a last-minute decision for her, Dr. Julie Rodman knows it was the best decision she ever made. During her residency at the VA, she discovered her passion for working with students and watching them grow. Today, as a professor at Nova Southeastern University, she teaches the retina course and serves as the Chief of the Broward Eye Care Institute, exposing her students to a wide variety of pathologies in the real world. She also spent several years as the residency education coordinator and now runs a resident case report contest for the Optometric Retina Society. Her early introduction to OCT supercharged her passion for retina, so much so that she wrote a book about OCT-Angiography in 2019. Currently, she is working on two studies focused on geographic atrophy and diabetic retinopathy. Key Moments: 1:37 Dr. Julie Rodman’s path to optometry 3:38 From residency to academia 4:57 Teaching retina and running the clinic 6:55 The ‘sexiness’ of retina 9:30 Dr. Rodman’s research in retina 11:05 Why she loves optometry 13:59 A shout out to the power of OCT-A 18:38 The role of optometry 21:52 Residency programs 25:28 Dr. Allen’s learnings from his own residency 30:10 Dr. Rodman’s two current studies in geographic atrophy and diabetic retinopathy Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media. For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/ Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media.

Dr. Sherrol Reynolds has three key passions: diversity and representation, mentorship, and high-quality eye health care. This has led her to become a strong voice in optometry focused on advocating for the profession’s role in overall healthcare with a goal of increasing communication and collaboration between optometrists and other members of their patients’ healthcare team. She has won numerous awards and held several key leadership positions for the National Optometric Association, Optometric Retina Society, the National Eye Institute, Prevent Blindness, and the Florida Optometric Society. As a leader in diabetes and diabetic retinopathy education, she is changing the narrative for patients with diabetes and their healthcare providers so that no one unnecessarily loses their vision due to diabetes like her aunt did. Ultimately, she wants every human to have access to high-quality healthcare. Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media. For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/ Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media.

Dr. Joshua Davidson has a clear passion for eye care and his patients as an optometrist, which has led him to help solve their problems through innovation and product development. He has become a national expert on Dry Eye Disease and specialty contact lenses. While seeing 30-50 dry eye patients a day and discussing the importance of drinking water, he realized there was a hole in the market. He pulled together a few doctors to formulate a drink mix specifically to help dry eye patients. He discusses the entrepreneurial journey with Dr. Joseph Allen and shares the lessons he learned along the way … from idea to product development to bringing it to market. Learn more about the Dry Eye Drink here: https://dryeyedrink.com/ Key Moments 1:59 How Dr. Davidson got into optometry 3:56 Where/how Dr. Davidson practices optometry today 5:29 His path to focusing on specialty lenses 8:07 The origins and development of the Dry Eye Drink 12:52 Collaborating with five doctors on product development 14:15 Bringing a new product to market 20:40 Flavor preferences. Does orange Dry Eye Drink taste like Tang? 22:22 Adding a night-time version to Dry Eye Drink 24:44 The research behind melatonin 28:22 The importance of having a mentor as an entrepreneur 30:25 The need for front-line doctors to create products that improve patients’ lives 33:30 Where the best ideas come from 35:49 Future research on the Dry Eye Drink 37:10 Thoughts on uniform licensing nationally Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media. For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/ Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media.

After getting her first pair of glasses at age 12 and seeing the individual leaves on trees for the first time, Pam knew she’d be an optometrist. As an adult, she struggled with her own dry eyes, which led her to focus on helping others alleviate their symptoms. Today, Dr. Pam Theriot advocates for 4 simple steps for a daily hygiene routine: Hydrate, Harmonize, Heat, Heal. Listen in to hear how Dr. Theriot is sharing her knowledge with the masses through her clinic, her book and now the metaverse: https://theomniverse.city/dry-eye-metaverse/ Learn more about Dr. Pam Theriot Find her book "Alleviate Dry Eye" Key Moments 0:48 Dr. Allen introduces Dr. Pam Theriot 2:05 How Dr. Theriot found optometry 3:17 Moving around as a military spouse 5:38 Creating a dry eye clinic 8:43 The path to self-publishing 13:48 Preparing patients prior to initial consultation 14:40 post-appointment follow-up communication 16:43 Dr. Theriot’s 4 simple steps for daily eye hygiene 18:11 Recommending nutritional supplements with Omega fatty acids 20:57 Dry eye technology and treatments 23:03 The future dry eye treatments 25:48 The first dry eye clinic in the Metaverse 33:07 Eye care should be part of your daily health care Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media. For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/ Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media.

When it comes to overcoming obstacles, Dr. Cecelia Koetting likes to tackle them head on. In her mid-thirties while training for a marathon, she was diagnosed with Stage 4 colorectal cancer right before the world shut down for COVID. Luckily, her attitude has always been to never ask “why me?” but to find a path forward and roll with it. Her experience battling cancer led her to try to connect with each patient on a more human level. As for optometry and patient care, if Dr. Cecelia Koetting doesn’t have an answer to a question, she dives in to figure it out. This often leads to the creation of her CE lectures, including those on hormone replacement therapy and limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD). This has also led to her current pursuit of a Master of Public Health in epidemiology and biostatistics which she hopes will allow her to find opportunities to further improve the profession of optometry. Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media. For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/ Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media.