Episode Show Notes In 2016 he took his first scleral lens patient from “Surviving in a combination contact lens to thriving in scleral lenses”. This was the beginning of Dr. Steven Keith’s growing specialty lens practice. Dr. Keith founded Towne Lake Eye Associates 25 years ago. Since then, he has added two associates Dr. Christopher Luft and Dr. Sara Aamir. Towne Lake Eye Associates is located in Woodstock, Georgia which is about 30 miles north of Atlanta, Georgia. In this episode Dr. Keith shares how he nurtured his specialty lens practice through being mentored and by enhancing word of mouth and investing in his staff and technology. At the end of the podcast, we give some short practical advice on “tooting your own horn”. Towne Lake Eye Associates website – https://townelakeeye.com Eaglet Eye website - https://www.eaglet-eye.com Contact Eaglet Eye - https://www.eaglet-eye.com/contact Is there someone you would like to us to interview for the podcast? Is there subject matter you would like us to explore? Contact me... Ted Newill at [email protected] with your thoughts.

Episode Show Notes Before I introduce today’s guests, think about the following questions: • Do you know what Lasik Disney is? • Are you familiar with the concept of Speed to Specialty? • Are you playing the “long game” with your practice? Well, you are in luck because these are just a few of the topics that will be discussed today with our guests Dr. Alex Gibberman, FAAO, FSLS and Dr. David Williams, MBA of 2020 Eyecare Ohio. 2020 Eyecare is located in Loveland, OH which is a suburb on the northeast side of Cincinnati. Early in their careers, Dr. Gibberman and Dr. Williams met while moonlighting at a Lenscrafters. Needless to say, they hit it off and started talking about opening a practice together. Today we talk about the different skill sets each brought to the practice, how they marketed the practice and how they maintain important relationships to enhance word of mouth referrals. Starting a specialty lens practice from scratch? They have some words of wisdom. 2020 Eyecare Ohio website – https://2020eyecareoh.com ICSC Meeting, July 28 and 29, 2023 - https://www.icscmeeting.com Contact Eaglet Eye for a virtual demo - https://www.eaglet-eye.com/contact Eaglet Eye website - https://www.eaglet-eye.com Is there someone you would like to us to interview for the podcast? Is there subject matter you would like us to explore? Contact me... Ted Newill at [email protected] with your thoughts.

Episode Show Notes “You have to be all in” says Dr. Coan when talking about specialty lenses. Being “all in” started during her residency at Pacific University. We cover a lot of ground in this conversation from practice marketing to staff support to workflow to technology and advice for new fitters. I found one of her marketing techniques humorous and effective. That is when she turns around an ophthalmologist’s public relations visit to her office to benefit her practice. Dr. Coan’s enthusiasm for what she does is infectious. You can hear her smile when she talks. Dr. Coan is a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry, Fellow of the International Academy of Orthokeratology and Myopia Control, Fellow of the Scleral Lens Education Society and a Fellow of the British Contact Lens Association. These are important fellowships, and they demonstrate Dr. Coan’s personal investment and commitment in this area of specialization. Coan Eye Care and Optical Boutique - http://www.coaneyecare.com To contact Dr. Coan – drcoan at coaneyecare.com Pacific University School of Optometry Residency in Cornea and Contact Lenses https://www.pacificu.edu/colleges/college-optometry/residency-programs/washington-cornea-contact-lenses To learn more about fellowships: FAAO – Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry -https://aaopt.org/membership/candidates-fellows/become-a-fellow/#cfig FIAOMC - Fellow of the International Academy of Orthokeratology and Myopia Control - https://www.myopiamanagement.info/fellowship FSLS – Fellow of the Scleral Lens Education Society - https://sclerallens.org/for-practitioners/become-fellow FBCLA - Fellow of the British Contact Lens Association - https://www.bcla.org.uk/Public/Public/About/BCLA_Fellowships Is there someone you would like to us to interview for the podcast? Is there subject matter you would like us to explore? Contact me... Ted Newill at [email protected] with your thoughts.

Episode Show Notes His first impression of scleral lenses was that they took up “too much time”. Little did he know that several years later they would become his specialty. For our inaugural episode of the Specialty Lens Success podcast, our guest is Tom Arnold, OD, FSLS. He says to fellow specialists “You are the difference between seeing and not seeing. You are the difference between being in pain and not in pain.” In this episode, we explore Dr. Arnold’s journey in optometry and specialty lenses. We dig into the strategies and tactics he used to build his successful specialty lens practice. And, we talk about the resources available to those that are newer to specialty lenses. Finally, we talk about the upcoming ICSC meeting in Ft. Lauderdale and how he and his fellow organizers have enhanced the meeting. The specialty of specialty lenses is very rewarding in many ways. Dr. Arnold encourages those in this specialty and those considering it to invest in continuous learning. During our conversation, Dr. Arnold mentioned several resources. Links to these resources can be found below: Scleral Lens Education Society (SLES) - https://sclerallens.org International Society of Contact Lens Specialists (ISCLS) - https://www.iscls.net Gas Permeable Lens Institute (GPLI) - https://gpli.info International Congress of Scleral Contacts (ICSC) - https://www.icscmeeting.com - 2023 annual meeting to be held in July 28 and 29 at the Fort Lauderdale Marriott Harbor Beach Resort Guide to Scleral Lens Fitting, by Eef van der Worp, 2010 – you can download a pdf by clicking here Is there someone you would like to us to interview for the podcast? Is there subject matter you would like us to explore? Contact me... Ted Newill at [email protected] with your thoughts.