Julie Helmus, OD, has seen firsthand how investing in staff training can elevate patient care and boost her practice’s efficiency. At her longstanding, large single-location practice—spread across two floors with a team of five optometrists and 23 full-time staff—Dr. Helmus has created a model that allows her to delegate essential tasks to her staff, empowering them to take on more responsibilities. One standout initiative was certifying her lead medical assistant, Francisco Navarro, NCLE, to manage contact lens fittings and follow-up visits, tasks traditionally handled by optometrists.
Helmus Optometry, in Davis, California, was founded by Dr. Helmus’ parents, Mark Helmus, OD, and Joann Helmus, OD. Both retired about five years ago.
“We’ve always been a busy practice, and as we’ve grown, we’ve needed to delegate more components of the exam,” says Dr. Julie Helmus. “When you’re working with insurance plans and managing a higher patient load, it’s important to find ways to disperse the workload. Plus, our team deserves vertical channels for growth.”
EMPOWER STAFF
While Dr. Helmus employs a full-time certified technician for contact lens fittings, she acknowledges that this is not possible for every practice. “Not everyone has the capacity to do this, but there are still ways to expand the role of your staff in contact lens care,” she says. Practices can empower their medical assistants to handle more routine tasks, such as pretesting, visual acuity and basic contact lens assessments. Opticians can also play a bigger role in educating patients on the benefits of daily disposables, toric lenses and multifocals, ensuring that patients are getting the care and attention they need, even when the doctor’s time is limited.
For Dr. Helmus, the payoff has been significant. Navarro has become an integral part of the practice, managing contact lens follow-ups, freeing up valuable chair time for Dr. Helmus and her associate ODs. “As I take on more practice management, I’ve reduced my patient care hours from 1,000 to 400 hours annually,” she says. “Francisco handles most contact lens fits and follow ups, and our multifocal sales went up 19% last month because of his involvement.”
As an NCLE-certified technician, he is also helping manage more complex cases, including myopia management patients and those needing specialty lens fittings. Dr. Helmus credits this delegation with improving not just the practice’s efficiency but also patient satisfaction. “Patients love the convenience of not having to wait weeks to see the doctor for a simple follow-up,” she says. “And our capture rate has improved because we have more touchpoints with patients who might otherwise buy their lenses elsewhere.”
For practices unable to fully certify a technician, Dr. Helmus suggests integrating staff into the follow-up process. “Even having medical assistants or opticians handle the more straightforward follow-ups, like for daily disposables, can make a big difference,” she says. Training staff to educate patients on the importance of doctor-driven refills and offering competitive pricing can help retain more contact lens patients in-house.
NOVEL ONE-WEEK REPLACEMENT OPTION
It’s important that all staff members are aware of novel and unique contact lens offerings. For example, when it comes to Alcon’s PRECISION7® one-week replacement lenses in the WaterInnovations™ family, Dr. Helmus is enthusiastic. “It’s been a big leap for patients moving from monthlies or biweeklies to dailies, and PRECISION7 offers a great mid-point option,” she says. She’s also noticing that her environmentally conscious patients appreciate the reduced waste while still being able to replace their contact lenses on a schedule that feels natural to them.
Simply having staff members discuss developments in the contact lens field opens the door to expanded conversations with patients. “We’re fitting more first-time wearers who are presbyopes, and that’s translating into increased revenue and higher patient satisfaction,” she says. “It’s exciting to see our team step up and support these advancements, allowing us to offer even better care for our patients.”
Dr. Helmus says that a key takeaway from her experience for other practices is simple: investing in staff training and empowering them with more responsibility can enhance the patient experience, boost revenue, and lighten the load on doctors.
Dr. Helmus is a paid consultant of Alcon.
Important information for PRECISION7® (serafilcon A) contact lenses: For daily wear or extended wear up to 6 nights for near/far sightedness. Risk of serious eye problems (i.e., corneal ulcer) is greater for extended wear. In rare cases, loss of vision may result. Side effects like discomfort, mild burning or stinging may occur.
See product instructions for complete wear, care and safety information. Rx only.
