Back-to-School Prep Season

2024 • Peer to Peer

It is crucial that school children start the academic year with optimal vision, which can cause a mad rush from parents and caregivers that creates a busy season for an eyecare practice. Preparing for this annual back-to-school season involves a combination of effective marketing, patient education, and community involvement.

Tip: “We volunteer at a local private school. Rather than bring my team with me, I gather several parent volunteers to help me conduct the testing…The value of the services we provide hits home for each of those parent volunteers. That generates word-of-mouth referrals.”

Here, we connected with one of Shamir’s long-standing Peer-to-Peer Champions, David Holler, O.D., FAAO, FSLS, president of Clarity Vision of Apex in North Carolina, to reveal insights into promoting eye health, supporting the academic success of local children, and building a strong network for your practice.

Do you have any partnerships/collaborations with local schools?

Dr. Holler: We volunteer at a local private school and do annual vision screenings. Besides testing distance and near acuity, we bring an autorefractor and do some additional external and binocular testing. Rather than bring my team with me, I gather several parent volunteers to help me conduct the testing. Parents are always surprised at the number of children with [vision] problems that they are seeing firsthand. These are classmates of their own kids and the value of the services we provide hits home for each of those parent volunteers. That generates word-of-mouth referrals.

How do you communicate the importance of annual eye exams for children to your patient base and community at large?

Dr. Holler: We have dedicated pages and blogs on our website that discuss the importance of annual exams and explain myopia management options. A surprising number of parents say the pediatrician cleared the child of any issues. This is super frustrating since pediatricians are certainly not dilating the pupils or checking eye pressure. We often diagnose color deficiencies and conditions such as keratoconus and amblyopia in late adolescents. It would be nice to detect problems such as these much earlier.

Are there any hard-won lessons you’ve learned throughout the years to navigate this busy time of year?

Dr. Holler: We must all understand that most families are taking vacations and doing summer camps. Routine vision care is not at the top of their list. College students often come in days before they head to college wanting to try contact lenses for the first time. We try to accommodate them the best we can knowing it may be difficult to coordinate follow-ups.