#32 Eye Give a Damn about Optometry's Best Kept Secret with Dr. Frances Bynum

J. Daniel Diaz, MD, and Diana Shechtman, OD, FAAO, work side by side at Retinal Consultants of Miami. In this episode, Dr. Allen interviews them both to learn how they work together to serve their patients. Dr. Diaz and Dr. Shechtman agree that success starts with mutual respect and trust in each other and feel that collaborative care is the only way forward. Listen in as they discuss their backgrounds and the patient population they serve. They also share their thoughts on how other optometrists and ophthalmologists can collaborate to better serve their patients.  Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media.For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media. 

Listen in as they discuss the benefits of vitamins, supplementation, and lifestyle changes for preventing and slowing down many diseases, including age-related macular degeneration. Professor Nolan is a world-renowned scientist and researcher based in Waterford, Ireland where he established the Macular Pigment Research Group and founded the Nutrition Research Centre Ireland. His current research interests include the study of key nutrients for cognitive function, ocular nutrition, and brain health with a major goal of identifying ways to reduce risk of Alzheimer’s disease. Topics include, but aren’t limited to, carotenoids, antioxidants, lutein, zeaxanthin, meso-zeaxanthin, blue light, and macular pigment.  Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media.For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media. 

Dr. Jill Saxon shares with Dr. Joseph Allen how her officer training in the Navy helped her become the leader she is today and she shares the story of a specific soldier that helped inspire her to think big and give back. She then transitioned to private practice in her hometown in New Jersey, where she had the opportunity to work with Bausch + Lomb as a consultant. Eventually, B+L approached her with the opportunity to join full time. She discussed her 10 years in industry and its global impact on optometry and patient care, starting with her early input on developing the INFUSE contact lens. Listen in and get inspired to move optometry forward! Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media.For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media. 

Melissa Barnett, OD, FAAO, was involved early in the development of scleral lenses and is now considered a legend in specialty contact lens fitting. In fact, she was one of the authors to publish the first contemporary scleral lens textbook in 2017. She also spent four years in an ophthalmology practice, where she became certified in California to treat glaucoma. Currently, she serves as the Director of Optometry at UC Davis in Northern California. She believes every optometrist should get involved with their local and state optometry associations. Today, she is clearly passionate about discussing keratoconus with colleagues and patients on her Clearly KC podcast. After authoring 300+ publications and delivering numerous lectures, Dr. Barnett is honored that she is now able to advocate for colleagues, diversity and the industry, which resonates well with her personal why: “To elevate others through the power of connection.” Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media.For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media. 

Viola Kanevsky, OD, was born in the former Soviet Union, but after a family “adventure” they settled down in New York City when she was a child. Like most optometrists, she worked in several modes of practice early on, but today, she owns a specialty pediatrics practice in Manhattan. She loves seeing children and considers it “play time” rather than an exam. Her advice for working with kids is to think outside of the box, be patient, and follow their lead. She shares her tips on how to fit infants and small children with specialty contact lenses (psst... The secret is keeping the parent calm). Her practice does not take vision plans or medical plans (other than Medicare) because she wants to be able to prescribe what is best for each patient. She also discusses her family’s passion project called “The Ship of Tolerance.” You may have seen her witty posts and comments as a group expert in ODs on Facebook, but now it’s time to get to know Dr. Viola Kanevsky better. Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media.For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media. 

Mile Brujic, OD, FAAO, is an international optometric educator with over 2000 lectures given to date. For 22 years, he has been with the same practice, where he’s now one of the partners. He shares with Dr. Joseph Allen how he entered the speaking world by developing dry eye and contact lenses CE courses for opticians. His keys to success include putting in the hard work to truly master the content and a commitment to getting raw, honest feedback and taking it to heart to improve. Working with industry partners, he’s had the opportunity to conduct research and consult on cutting-edge innovations in eye care, making him a better clinician as a result. Personally, he finds immense strength in his partnership with his wife, as they’ve grown together over the years to support each other’s professional pursuits. His current passion is his work on Optometric Insights with Dr. David Kading to help educate and inspire students to greater career enjoyment and success. Lastly, he implores all optometrists to be dues-paying members of their national and state optometric associations to create an even more powerful and unified profession. Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media.For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media. 

Dr. Cory Lappin knew as an optometry student that he found his passion for dry eye, cornea and anterior segment disease as his fellow students commonly complained about symptoms of dry eye. After completing his residency at Cincinnati Eye Institute, he was fortunate to join Phoenix Eye Care and Dry Eye Center of Arizona, where he was mentored by the legendary Dr. Art Epstein. Since publishing the Ultimate Guide to Dry Eye, Dr. Lappin has continued to pursue his passion for writing and educating, putting an emphasis on scientific literacy. Dr. Lappin’s passion for the advances in ocular surface disease diagnosis and treatment is contagious. Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media.For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media. 

Mark Schaeffer, OD, FAAO, was born into eyecare and worked every job possible in the family practice before going to optometry school after earning an undergrad degree in marketing. As part of MyEyeDr, Dr. Schaeffer is the Clinical Excellence Captain, helping onboard new doctors in the group. He firmly believes that optometrists need to prioritize their expertise and invest in “chair time” with each patient to provide education and create value. Listen in as he and Dr. Allen discuss their approach to patient care, helping them understand the “why” behind their recommendations. Finally, they discuss how excited they are about the numerous innovations and new technologies in eyecare and how they are improving patient care. This episode is sponsored by Bausch + Lomb Blink™ NutriTears® Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media.For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media. 

 Currently practicing at a multi-disciplinary brain injury center in Virginia, Dr. Theis discusses her personal journey to finding her clinical subspecialty. As an athlete who suffered a lot of concussions when she was younger, she had trouble reading for more than five minutes at a time. Then, while exploring other fields during her pre-med studies, she had her first visit with an optometrist who prescribed prisms and changed her career path. The doctors discuss various brain injuries and other neurological disorders, including the importance of creating a referral network and addressing the patient’s overall physical and mental health. Dr. Theis also discusses how she takes an individualized approach to prescribing prisms. This episode is brought to you by Altius Vision (https://altiusvision.com/) Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media.For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media. 

Dr. Whitley wears many hats as a practicing optometrist at Virginia Eye Consultants, where he also serves as Director of Professional Relations and Education and Regional Medical Director. Since graduating around the same time Restasis hit the market, Dr. Whitley has been at the forefront of recent research and innovation in the diagnosis and treatment of dry eye disease. In fact, he’s been involved in more than a dozen clinical trials and enjoys lecturing to share his key learnings. Dr. Whitley shares his dry eye workup including patient assessment and various testing he may or may not do based on symptoms. When treating dry eye disease, he feels it’s vital to know all the options and be able to set clear expectations for patients. Lastly, the doctors discuss some of the exciting new treatment options in the pipeline. Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media.For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media.