For nearly 20 years, Mitra Madison, OD, has been on a journey with ABB Optical Group in some form. The practice started as Dr. Madison and her late husband decided to branch out from a corporate-affiliated location. They opened two practices–Sight Studio Optometry in historic downtown Fredericksburg, Virginia, and Eye Care Doctors of Optometry in a nearby shopping center. For the first two years as independent practice owners, the doctors leaned into their relationship with ABB, with soft contact lenses and stock lenses for their in-house lab, Dr. Madison recalls.
The practice “grew from a small business to a large, two-practice operation by consistently integrating ABB’s soft lenses and stock lens business,” says Karina Saburova, Optical Administrator.
“This was one of the first practices I went to when ABB started offering full lab services with Digital Eye Lab,” says Tina Howell, ABB Account Manager. “The practice has always been forward-thinking and innovative. The doctors understood the true benefits of digital freeform.”
As ABB expanded its offerings, including with what was then Digital Eye Lab (DEL) and later became ABB Labs as well as soft contact lenses and stock lenses, the team explored how these innovations could benefit their practices. “At our downtown location, adding a second internal lab increased our efficiency,” she says.
TWO LOCATIONS
|
|
|
Being able to leverage ABB’s unmatched pricing and availability is important. Saburova says, “Our patients and staff love the Unlimited Progressive lenses. These lenses offer great performance at very reasonable prices and offer tremendous value. We also enjoy receiving next-day shipments of our stock lenses and soft contact lenses.” ABB Prime AR (antireflective) products feature high-quality value lenses in clear AR and in-mass blue light protection lenses with AR. The practice can provide patients cost-effective, high-quality AR options.
FROM 0 TO 95
The relationship with ABB has also helped the practice streamline operations and improve patient satisfaction. As ABB brought in more business pillars to help support independent practices, the doctors took advantage of those. For example, when ABB introduced Abby, its online contact lens ordering platform that practices and patients can use, “we went all in,” says Sarah Velazquez, Practice Manger. “Now, 95% of our contact lens orders go through Abby, making it easier for both staff and patients.”
Dr. Madison and the two other doctors mention Abby generally during exams as a convenient and reliable way of ordering their contact lenses. Then the optical staff reinforces the benefits when discussing insurance benefits and purchasing with patients.
Velazquez says everyone appreciates the convenience that Abby provides. “Patients who are hesitant to purchase in-store can still buy from us online later,” she says. “Offering free shipping on all orders and the ease of reordering through Abby has been a game changer.”
TIME-SAVER
Saburova notes that because Abby sends patients reminders that it’s time to reorder or renew their prescription, she can track that information without having to scan patient records manually for who might be due for such a reminder. It has also minimized the amount of time that she spends on tracking where orders are and needing to call with updates. Abby offers patients the chance to see and track their own orders. “The tracking capability through Abby versus phone calls and hold times has improved patient satisfaction,” she says.
Velazquez points out the time and cost savings. “Staff time is a significant expense, and having a system like Abby cuts down on the need for additional staff,” she says. First, patients don’t become frustrated trying to reach the busy office for an update—and staff members can focus on the patients in the office rather than these kinds of disruptions to the day.
Although the practice has not been measuring the impact of capture rate specifically, it’s likely that it has increased. Saburova says that she routinely sees the notifications from Abby that patients placed an order over the weekend, for example.
DEPENDABILITY
As a business owner, Dr. Madison appreciates ABB’s comprehensive approach. “We want to work with businesses that support us and provide better services for our patients,” she says. “ABB has been there for us, helping with various challenges.”
For example, she can hand off the details of her specialty contact lens orders to Saburova, knowing that ABB’s specialty vision products consultants will help her identify which initial lens to order for patients. She also values ABB’s dependability and input. She meets regularly with her ABB Account Manager Tina Howell. “The regular Business Reviews help us identify areas for improvement. The reports are beneficial, allowing us to fine-tune our practice.”
Velazquez agrees that ABB’s reporting helps the practice track metrics that matter. Over the past several years, the practice has used different electronic health record systems. “They’ve each had their own functionality and reporting aspects,” she says. Yet ABB’s Business Review provides a consistent look at key metrics such as contact lenses sold across all the vendors and annual supply rates.
All of these staff- and time-intensive tasks are easier to manage. From having contact lenses shipped directly to the patients, receiving in-depth reports on how the business is trending and knowing that stock lenses that keep the in-house lab humming are on track means that the doctors and staff have more time to focus on the patients themselves.
“Our partnership with ABB has been integral to our growth and success. ABB’s innovations, support and reliability have allowed us to focus on providing the best care for our patients,” Dr. Madison says.
Read other WO stories on practices that use ABB Optical Group services.
