The Lasting Impression of our Practice

The optical professional is responsible for helping patients understand their options and finding eyewear that looks great and is functional. The job requires good people skills and the ability to take and record critical measurements and data. The optical team member is also responsible for learning about new products, managing inventory, and ensuring quality. Experience in retail sales is very helpful and the ability to listen well and to explain complex information to people is critical.

Duties:

• Provides eyeglasses and contact lenses by filling written optical prescriptions; determining client’s current prescription, using lensometer or lens analyzer.
• Evaluates client’s vocational and avocational visual requirements by reviewing optical requirements.
• Suits customers’ needs by recommending specific lenses, lens coatings, and frames.
• Measures customer by measuring bridge and eye size, temple length, vertex distance, pupillary distance, and optical center of eyes using millimeter rule and light reflex pupillometer.
• Helps clients select frames by offering commentary on styles, colors, coordinating frames with facial and eye measurements and optical prescriptions.
• Provides instructions for grinding lenses by completing work order.
• Maintains quality by verifying finished lenses are ground to specifications.
• Ensures that eyeglasses fit customer by adjusting frames.
• Educates customers by offering instructions in eyeglass and contact lens care and use.
• Sells optical goods by displaying and promoting binoculars, sunglasses, magnifying glasses, low-vision aids, and optical cleaning supplies.
• Collects revenues by preparing charges; collecting payment.
• Updates job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities; reading professional publications; maintaining personal networks; participating in professional organizations.
• Enhances optical center reputation by accepting ownership for accomplishing new and different requests; exploring opportunities to add value to job accomplishments.

The First Impression of the Practice

The receptionist has the crucial job of making everyone feel welcome in person and on the phone. They utilize our practice management system to schedule patients, gather data at patient check in, and record fees and payments upon check out. Some administrative duties include processing recalls, sending statements, and reconciling insurance and patient payments. Experience with a medical database is very helpful and a pleasant demeanor while balancing multiple tasks is a requirement.

Duties:

• Welcomes patients and visitors by greeting patients and visitors, in person or on the telephone; answering or referring inquiries.
• Optimizes patients’ satisfaction, provider time, and treatment room utilization by scheduling appointments in person or by telephone.
• Keeps patient appointments on schedule by notifying provider of patient’s arrival; reviewing service delivery compared to schedule; reminding provider of service delays.
• Comforts patients by anticipating patients’ anxieties; answering patients’ questions; maintaining the reception area.
• Ensures availability of treatment information by filing and retrieving patient records.
• Maintains patient accounts by obtaining, recording, and updating personal and financial information.
• Obtains revenue by recording and updating financial information; recording and collecting patient charges; controlling credit extended to patients; filing, collecting, and expediting third-party claims.
• Helps patients in distress by responding to emergencies.
• Protects patients’ rights by maintaining confidentiality of personal and financial information.
• Maintains operations by following policies and procedures; reporting needed changes.
• Contributes to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed.

The Patient Care Coordinator

The optometric assistant is responsible for keeping patient visits on track and recording information vital to the doctor’s care. The job requires the ability to move quickly, think on the run, and be aware of situations. Experience recording data into EHR is very helpful and the ability to learn, attention to detail, and a heart of care is required.

Duties:

• Verifies patient information by interviewing patient; recording medical history; confirming purpose of visit.
• Checks condition of patients’ eyes by observing pupils, muscle, visual acuity, extraocular movements, blood pressure.
• Prepares patients for eye examination by dilating their pupils; reporting patient history summary, changes in visual acuity, elevated extraocular pressure, or blood pressure to the eye doctor.
• Saves eye doctor time by helping with office procedures
• Secures patient information and maintains patient confidence by completing and safeguarding medical records; completing diagnostic coding and procedure coding; keeping patient information confidential.
• Counsels patients by transmitting physician’s orders, use of drops, contact lenses, drugs, and questions about surgery.
• Schedules surgeries by making arrangements with the surgical center; verifying times with patients; preparing charts, pre-admission and consent forms.
• Maintains safe, secure, and healthy work environment by establishing and following standards and procedures; complying with legal regulations.
• Keeps supplies ready by inventorying stock; placing orders; verifying receipt.
• Keeps equipment operating by following operating instructions; troubleshooting breakdowns; maintaining supplies; performing preventive maintenance; calling for repairs.
• Updates job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities; reading professional publications.
• Serves and protects the eye care practice by adhering to professional standards, policies and procedures, federal, state, and local requirements.
• Enhances eye care practice reputation by accepting ownership for accomplishing new and different requests; exploring opportunities to add value to job accomplishments.

The Eyewear Artist

An ophthalmic lab technician is responsible for maintaining high quality standards and producing eyewear in a timely and cost-effective manner. The lab technician works with delicate machinery and precise measurements to fabricate prescription eyewear. Experience with ophthalmic lens fabrication is very helpful and an attention to detail and deadlines is critical.

Duties:

• Provides eyeglasses by filling written optical prescriptions; determining client’s current prescription, using lensometer or lens analyzer.
• Fabricate eyewear to industry standards
• Repair eyewear
• Maintain lab equipment in good working order
• Work with optical technicians to ensure job timeliness and quality
• Work with ophthalmic wholesale labs to ensure quality and delivery
• Maintains lens stock inventory

Backs up optical team:

• Ensures that eyeglasses fit customer by adjusting frames.
• Educates customers by offering instructions in eyeglass and contact lens care and use.
• Sells optical goods by displaying and promoting binoculars, sunglasses, magnifying glasses, low-vision aids, and optical cleaning supplies.
• Collects revenues by preparing charges; collecting payment.