EyeCode Media

Dr. Kristin O'Brien - iCare Advisors, Cold Starts, Vision Source Next and Time Management

 

Dr. O’Brien attended Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan where she earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Biology with a Vision Science concentration. She went on to complete her Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree at the Michigan College of Optometry (MCO). Dr. O’Brien has additional training in the areas of low vision, pediatrics, specialty contact lenses and working with patients who have a mental or physical handicap. She particularly enjoys getting to know her patients and takes pride in providing exceptional eye care.

While in school Dr. O’Brien founded the Michigan Optometric Student Private Practice Association (MOSPPA) and was influential in beginning the Student Optometric Leadership Network (SOLutioN) of which she has served as President, followed by the Executive Director and is now on the Alumni Board. She also spends time on the lecture circuit, speaking about private practice and the business aspects of the profession with Optometric Insights to inspire success in future generations of optometrists. She currently leads the Vision Source MentorOD program with the goal of providing resources to students most interested in private practice. Dr. O’Brien has participated in optometric missions to Guyana and Mexico to provide eye care to the underprivileged and has served nationally on the Vision Council Young Professionals Advisory Committee, Liaison to the Allergan Jumpstart Ambassador Program, is the Past-President of the Colorado Young Professionals Club and current Vision Source Co-Administrator in North Carolina. Dr. O’Brien also works as the Director of Marketing and Analytics for iCare Advisors where she helps others achieve their dreams in opening a private practice from scratch.

Dr. O’Brien has earned multiple honors in her short 6 years as an optometrist; early in her career with the Marchon Practice Management Award and the William Feinbloom Low Vision Award and later was named the 2016 International Vision Council Next Generation Innovator. Most notably, Dr. O’Brien was awarded the 2017 Colorado Optometric Association Young OD of the Year.

Dr. O’Brien moved to Colorado in 2013 and opened a cold start private practice with her two business partners and the help of many mentors who have guided her along the way. In 2019, Dr. O’Brien relocated to Charlotte, NC and traded mountain views for life on Lake Norman. In her spare time, Dr. O’Brien enjoys spending time with her dogs, boating, and exploring local eateries in Charlotte with her husband, Chris. 

Dr. Christopher Wolfe - Dr. Ted McElroy interviews Chris!

Dr. Christopher Wolfe is a graduate of Northeastern State  University Oklahoma College of Optometry.

During his education, Dr. Wolfe received extensive training in all aspects of primary eye care; including eye infections, cataracts, diabetic eye care, specialty contact lenses and pediatrics. He completed a rotation at BVA Advanced Eyecare in Tulsa, Oklahoma where he gained specialty training in minor surgical techniques, as well as therapeutic laser ocular surgery. Dr. Wolfe won the Golden Retinoscope Award, the Oklahoma College of Optometry’s highest distinction for clinical excellence. Dr. Wolfe also served as president of the American Optometric Student Association, where he represented over 6,000 members.  He is a member of the American Optometric Association and the Nebraska Optometric Association.

In 2013 and 2015 he was awarded Young Optometrist of the Year for the Nebraska Optometric Association.  In 2016 he was awarded the Optometrist of the Year for the Nebraska Optometric Association and the Young Optometrist of the Year for the American Optometric Association.  In 2014 he was awarded Political Keyperson of the Year for the Nebraska Optometric Association and Alumni of the Year from Skutt Catholic High School.

Dr. Wolfe has a passion for education.  He is the founder of EyeCode Education, a company specializing in clinical and billing education. Dr. Wolfe is a fellow in the American Academy of Optometry and a Diplomate of the American Board of Optometry.  He also has special interests in therapeutic scleral contact lenses to correct visual distortions in patients with corneal diseases.  Dr. Wolfe is an avid runner and most of all, he enjoys spending time with his wife Jaime, daughters Ryan, Paityn, Camryn, Logan, Maisyn and sons Lincoln, Deacon and Benton.

Dr. Brad Byergo - Private Equity, EBITDA and Frame Dream

Dr. Brad Byergo received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Missouri­Columbia in 1998. He received his Doctor of Optometry degree from the University of Missouri­ St. Louis School of Optometry in 2002, where he graduated with highest honors.

 

 

Dr. Byergo joined the Midwest Eye Associates team in 2002, and has been the medical director of the practice since 2004. He is a member of the St. Louis Optometric Society, the Missouri Optometric

Association, and the American Optometric Association. In 2012, Dr. Byergo and Midwest Eye Associates joined forces with Vision Source, the largest network of independent Optometrists in the country. Dr. Byergo currently serves as the administrator for Vision Source St. Louis. In 2013, he was the recipient of the Vision Source Outstanding Leadership Award.

Dr. Abie Chadderdon - AOA PAC, Fiscal Responsibility, Empowering New Graduates

Dr. Chadderdon graduated from the Southern California College of Optometry in 1981. He practiced four years at Eisenhower Medical Center in Ft. Gordon, Georgia, while serving in the U.S. Army from 1981 to 1985; he joined Dr. Hinson in partnership. Shortly thereafter, the practice name was changed to Family Eyecare Associates and the Tama office was added. Dr. Chadderdon has additional training in pathology, contact lenses and children’s vision. He is a member of New Hope Christian Church, Noon Lions Club, Rotary Club, Chamber Ambassador, and he coaches youth sports. He has served on the Junior Achievement Board, Mid-Iowa Community Action Health Advisory Board, YMCA Board, and the United Way Executive Committee serving as co-chair in 2006. He is an active member of the Iowa Optometric Association, currently serving as Eyecare Benefits Chairman. He served as the 1995-1996 president and was named young OD of the year in 1986 and OD of the year in 2007. He is active in the American Optometric Association serving as state representative on two committees. He serves as a member of the Iowa Army National Guard now retired at a rank of Lt. Colonel.

Dr. Tad Kosanovich - Running for AOA Board of Trustees in 2020

Dr. Kosanovich is in practice in Englewood, FL.  He is a past president of the Florida Optometric Association and a current member of the AOA's State Government Relations Committee.  He is running for a position on the AOA Board of Trustees in 2020.

Dr. Johndra McNeely - Opternative/Visibly, Patient Protection and State Government Relations Committee

Dr. McNeely is a Past President of the South Carolina Optometric Association and a member of the AOA's State Government Relations Committee.

A native of Florence, Alabama, Dr. Johndra McNeely graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of North Alabama in Professional Biology. She received her doctorate of optometry from the University of Alabama at Birmingham where she graduated with honors and received the VSP Excellence in Primary Care Award for her graduating class. Dr. McNeely has completed an externship at the Tuscaloosa VA hospital focusing on eye disease and primary care, and she has been in practice in the Upstate since 2009. Her special interests in optometry include diabetic eye disease and children’s vision.

Dr. Amir Khoshnevis - Vision Source, Private Equity, Essilor, and The Future of Optometry

Dr. Amir Khoshnevis received his Doctor of Optometry at Pennsylvania College of Optometry and his B.S. in Biology at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Dr. Khoshnevis has held appointments and positions with numerous national health care entities. He is the recipient of several awards including 2011 Philanthropist of the Year by Optometry Giving Sight.

Dr. Khoshnevis is the founder of Vision Source Studio 20/20 with two locations in Charlotte, NC.

Amir has been a Vision Source Administrator since 2003 and has served as an Advisory Board member and Senior Advisor to the company. Recently, Dr. Khoshnevis joined the Vision Source leadership team as Executive Vice President and Chief Clinical Officer where he works to ensure that the voice and vision of the private practice optometrist continue to guide the network.

Dr. Ashley McFerron - Women in Optometry, Wage Gap, and Practice Management

Dr. McFerron received her Bachelor of Science from The University of Tulsa in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 2003. Her Doctorate of Optometry was received in 2008 at the Oklahoma College of Optometry at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. In July 2008, Dr. McFerron moved from Oklahoma to Oregon where she practiced in Woodburn for 3 years. In October 2011 Dr. McFerron bought Canby Eyecare from Dr. Don Chase after 37 years of ownership.

During her education, Dr. McFerron was trained in ocular disease, specialty contact lenses, and pediatrics, as well as all forms of primary care optometry. She is certified to use therapeutic pharmaceutical agents to treat glaucoma, iritis, “red eye” and other anterior eye diseases. Dr. McFerron’s main interests in optometry include contact lenses, ocular disease, and pediatrics.

Dr. McFerron is a member of the American Optometric Association (AOA), the Portland Metropolitan Optometric Society (PMOS), and the Oregon Optometric Physicians Association (OOPA). She also a past President of OOPA.

In 2013 Dr. McFerron was named the Oregon Young Optometrist of the Year.

In her spare time Dr. McFerron enjoys exercising, reading, cycling, cooking, and traveling to see her family and friends that are spread all across the US.

Listener Questions - Music, Listenership, Scope and a Though Experiment

This week we take listener questions:

1. How many people are tuning in?
2. Where do you get your music?
3. What do you think about intravitreal injections by nurses?
4. What is up in Arkansas?
5. Is there a scope of practice limit that could be made on ODs?

Dr. Ted McElroy - Private Equity, Business Acceleration, and Kaizen

Dr. McElroy, founded Ted A. McElroy, OD, PC in 1994 in Tifton, GA. He is a graduate of Southern College of Optometry. In 2004 he served as the Georgia Optometric Association President and is currently serving as the treasurer of SECO International. Dr. McElroy was the recipient of the 1997 GA Optometric Association’s Young Optometrist of the Year, the 2005 GOA Optometrist of the year and the 2009 GOA Bernard Kahn Award Recipient. His passion is his connection with his patients. His goal is to exceed his patient’s expectations, service and to offer his patients a better quality of life. Dr. McElroy strives to provide his patients with an experience that cannot be found anywhere else in eye care. He is continually looking to industries and businesses outside Optometry to find these examples of excellence.

Dr. McElroy is a founding member of The Roya Enterprise, an organization dedicated to assisting aspiring practice owners. He enjoys speaking to students on the joys of private practice and is an author published in Optometric Management, also serving on their editorial board. He spends a great deal of his time with his wife and two sons traveling to swim meets, going to Disney World and enjoying time with them.

Dr. Jeff Krohn - Myopia Control, Private Equity and Inspiring Podcasts

Dr. Jeffrey Krohn was unsure of where his future would take him as a college student. After bouncing around from Architecture (Cal Poly, SLO) and Business (Point Loma College) and Engineering (Fresno State), his father helped him “see” that his future was as an optometrist. After completing the optometric training, he was asked to join the same faculty that taught him for two yeas. With a desire to put down roots in the valley, he and his wife moved to Fresno in 1989 with their son, Austin. Over the past 20+ years in Fresno, they have been involved with church and community activities, have had 3 daughters (Aubrey, Olivia and Emmaline) and have been blessed with great staff and great friends. Dr. Krohn has a particular passion and interest in patients who require specialized and unique contact lens designs, and receives referrals from other doctors and organizations from up and down the central valley.

We discuss Dr. Bob Vandervort, who was a mentor to both Jeff and I, and below is a picture of Jeff posing as Bob at a skit while he was in school:

 

Dr. Scott Schachter - DEWS 2, DREAM, Simple Dry Eye Protocols and Adoption

Dr. Scott Schachter founded Advanced Eyecare and the Eyewear Gallery Optometry in 1994 in Pismo Beach, California. He believes in the importance of providing full scope eye care for his patients and was one of the first optometrists in California to become glaucoma certified.

Like many practitioners, the ocular surface disease was a neglected part of his practice for almost 2 decades. Then, in 2011, while undergoing his own LASIK preop visit, Dr. Schachter realized his own dry eye disease was causing the majority of his higher order aberrations. Dry eye disease was no longer limited to just the surface — Dr. Schachter started thinking of it as a vision disease.

Since that auspicious LASIK preop visit, Dr, Schachter has worked to become a leader in the dry eye world. He has been published in Investigative Ophthalmology and Visual Science and is a regular columnist for Optometry Times and Ocular Surface News. In addition, he has presented papers at the American Academy of Optometry (AAO) and presented posters at AAO, American Optometric Association, and the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology.

Check out The Ocular Surface Academy!