insider intel

INDEPENDENT ADVANTAGE

Healthy Eyes Advantage (HEA) recently appointed James Kirchner, O.D., to the newly created position of executive consultant for state and professional relations.

“[Dr. Kirchner] will advise HEA’s leadership team and will be instrumental in ensuring HEA’s programs are closely aligned with the needs of independents and the professional associations that serve them,” says HEA Chairman and CEO Jim McGrann.

Here, we catch up with Dr. Kirchner to learn more about his new role + goals.

JAMES KIRCHNER, O.D.
Executive consultant, state and professional relations, Healthy Eyes Advantage

ODC: How has your past experience prepared you for this new role?

Dr. Kirchner: I’ve had extensive experience in optometry, including leadership roles in state (president), regional (president), and national optometric association (AOA) work. I’ve spent 33 years in private optometric practice and have been in leadership in the ophthalmic industry for the last nine years.

ODC: How does HEA help the independent ECP?

Dr. Kirchner: By providing value-added resources that will strengthen their private practice—resources dealing with lowering costs, managing staff personnel more effectively, staff training, providing effective dashboard business management diagnostics, a single-source payment system for all of their vendors, and enhanced patient communication tools.

ODC: What is one of your top goals at HEA?

Dr. Kirchner: To enhance the relationship between HEA and the state optometric associations, creating functioning, mutually beneficial partnerships.

INFO: healthyeyesadvantage.com

DATA DRIVEN

Nostalgic for report cards? “More and more, data is driving decision-making for independent optometry practices,” says IDOC President and CEO Dave Brown. “With the new IDOC Insider Report Card, we’re adding a level of visual accessibility that will communicate key performance indicators quickly, clearly, and accurately.”

The new graphical reporting feature (a complimentary benefit to IDOC members with GPN-compatible practice management systems) will display business performance in real time: clinical and optical revenue, sales volume by product type, performance benchmarks compared with participating IDOC member averages, and other key performance indicators (KPIs). Those KPIs are then analyzed by IDOC practice management experts to provide actionable next steps. We take that as an A+. INFO: idoc.net

REFORM READY

PECAA is prepped for healthcare reform. The alliance has launched a new program, the Integrated Eye Care Initiative (IECI), an extension of the Health Care Reform to Thrive program developed by OD Excellence prior to its merger with PECAA.

The new program aims to provide ECPs with the ability to negotiate for higher reimbursements and immerse themselves in local integrated care delivery networks, and to equip them with the tools needed to deliver better patient care. INFO: pecaa.com/health-care-reform/