Defocus Media Eyecare and Optometry Podcast Network

A painful, red eye may seem like an isolated problem, but for some people, it can be a sign of inflammation connected to the immune system. On the Eye-Q Podcast, Dr. Rudrani Banik and uveitis specialist Dr. Deep Parikh explain how autoimmune disease can affect the eyes, which symptoms deserve attention, and why early diagnosis and treatment matter.

Uveitis is inflammation inside the eye. It can affect the front, middle or back of the eye, or involve the entire eye. According to Parikh, the location of the inflammation helps determine a patient’s symptoms and treatment.

Uveitis can occur alongside autoimmune conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus and Crohn’s disease. Sometimes, eye inflammation appears before a person is diagnosed with a systemic condition. In other cases, an autoimmune diagnosis comes first.

Infections can also cause uveitis, Parikh notes, making a thorough evaluation important.

Uveitis symptoms can vary depending on where inflammation occurs. Inflammation at the front of the eye may cause pain, redness and light sensitivity. Inflammation farther back can cause new floaters, blind spots or vision loss.

Floaters can be difficult to distinguish from those caused by other conditions, Parikh says. Banik recommends having changes checked, especially an increase in floaters or floaters accompanied by blurry vision or light sensitivity. Significant eye pain, blurry vision or vision loss requires immediate attention.

A thorough eye examination can reveal inflammation that isn’t visible in a mirror. Parikh uses a slit-lamp microscope to look for inflammatory cells and examines the back of the eye, sometimes using imaging to provide additional information. He cautions that photographs alone may miss subtle signs.

Uveitis treatment depends on the location and severity of the inflammation. Steroid eye drops can help treat inflammation at the front of the eye. Inflammation affecting deeper structures may require oral medication, injections or medications that suppress the immune response.

Because uveitis can be linked to conditions elsewhere in the body, Parikh emphasizes communication among eye doctors, primary care physicians and other specialists, such as rheumatologists.

Some patients notice possible food triggers, but Parikh says evidence for eliminating specific foods to reduce eye inflammation is limited. He and Banik encourage patients to discuss supplements with their doctors, particularly if they take blood thinners.

For people with a history of uveitis, Parikh recommends regular follow-up appointments, a manageable stress-reduction routine and prompt care when a flare is suspected.

The takeaway: don’t ignore changes in your eyes or vision. Early evaluation can help identify inflammation and guide treatment before it causes lasting damage.

A killer doll might seem an unlikely starting point for a conversation about compassionate eye care. But in this Halloween episode of OD’ing on Movies, Dr. Jacobi Cleaver and Dr. Jacob Wilson welcome Dr. Maciel Cruz for a discussion that moves from Child’s Play to the realities of hospital practice. Between the laughs and movie critiques emerges a thoughtful look at access, collaboration, and finding a meaningful place in optometry.

For Cruz, who grew up watching horror movies, choosing Child’s Play meant revisiting a childhood favorite. The original film follows a boy whose new doll carries the spirit of a serial killer—and whose warnings initially go unbelieved.

Rewatching it, Cleaver found unexpected comedy in Chucky’s profanity and frantic movements. Wilson appreciated how the premise gave the familiar slasher formula a different shape. Their reactions capture the film’s peculiar appeal: a villain who can be unsettling and ridiculous within the same scene.

The movie’s eye injuries provide a natural bridge to Cruz’s work at Metropolitan Hospital in New York City. There, her day can include comprehensive examinations, diabetic eye care, emergency referrals, and patients presenting with double vision or foreign bodies.

Some arrive for their first eye examination with advanced disease. Cruz describes encountering proliferative diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma among patients facing barriers such as lack of insurance or difficulty obtaining medication.

Care also requires patient education. Explaining what an A1C measures, she notes, can be essential when someone assumes that individual blood sugar readings tell the whole story.

As Cleaver observes, the complexity of these encounters cannot be understood through appointment numbers alone.

That clinical variety is part of what Cruz values about her career. Her VA residency and experience working alongside ophthalmologists helped prepare her for hospital practice, although she emphasizes that hiring requirements vary.

For students considering their options, the conversation broadens beyond practice ownership. Cruz prefers concentrating on patients without the added responsibilities of running a business. Wilson encourages evaluating benefits and time off alongside salary.

Collaboration matters just as much. Cleaver describes optometry and ophthalmology working toward the same goal, with patients moving between clinicians as their treatment needs change.

That patient-centered approach extends to Cruz’s leadership of the Academy’s Salud Special Interest Group. Its work includes Spanish-language examinations, farmworker eye care, and mentorship for Hispanic and Latino students and residents.

Discussing cultural home remedies, Cruz advocates understanding patients’ beliefs rather than dismissing them outright. Compassion begins with listening to what people already do and why.

Her closing advice to students is similarly direct: “Be yourself.” Beneath the Halloween costumes and Chucky jokes, the episode’s lasting message is about connection—finding work that fits, respecting patients’ experiences, and bringing an authentic human presence into the examination room.

A job offer may look appealing on paper, but salary tells only part of the story. Paid time off, health insurance, retirement contributions and professional expenses can all shape the value of a position—and an optometrist’s experience in it. On the Depth Perception Podcast, Dr. Douglas Akidi and Dr. Jasdeep Singh explore how doctors can assess benefits and negotiate for what matters most to them.

Early in his career, Dr. Jasdeep Singh recognized that time away from patient care could support his development as a doctor. In his first job, he negotiated three weeks of paid time off and an additional week for continuing education, along with a continuing education allowance.

He encourages doctors to clarify exactly what a time-off policy includes. Are holidays paid separately? Are sick days part of the same bank as vacation days? Can a doctor request unpaid time off with sufficient notice? The answers can make a meaningful difference when comparing offers.

Even a policy described as “unlimited” deserves a closer look. Dr. Singh described one practice where doctors had flexibility to take time off, but a significant portion of their compensation depended on production—meaning time away could reduce their earnings.

The expenses of practicing optometry extend beyond the office. License renewal, malpractice insurance, association dues, required uniforms and continuing education can add up. Dr. Singh suggests asking whether an employer covers any of those costs. A former employer also contributed toward language training that helped him communicate with patients.

Health insurance is another major consideration. Both doctors described paying for their own coverage, and Dr. Singh noted that a higher daily rate can help offset that expense. The key is to calculate whether the overall compensation makes sense after those costs are considered.

For Dr. Douglas Akidi, student loan repayment was an especially attractive benefit when evaluating jobs. Dr. Singh agreed that assistance with loan payments can be valuable, particularly when it reduces the balance on which interest accrues. Both noted, however, that some opportunities may require a longer commitment, making it important to consider whether the position is a good long-term fit.

Retirement matching is another benefit Dr. Singh did not fully appreciate when he started practicing. Dr. Akidi added that relocation assistance and the possibility of buying into a practice could be significant, depending on a doctor’s circumstances and goals.

Rather than asking for every possible benefit, Dr. Singh recommended identifying a few priorities and learning what is realistic for the market by speaking with mentors, recruiters and other knowledgeable professionals. He encouraged doctors to explain the reasoning behind their requests and approach the conversation respectfully.

For Dr. Akidi, the central lesson was to know—and communicate—your value. A thoughtful review of the full offer can help optometrists choose a position that supports their financial needs, professional growth and life outside the exam room.

Before patients enter an optometry practice, they may already have formed an impression through its website, social media or emails. In an episode of 4 the Record, Tyler Kemp and Marketing4ECPs content strategist Rachel Topp explore how those impressions shape trust—and why a clear brand strategy helps practices communicate what makes their care worth choosing.

“You already have a brand,” Topp says. The question is whether patients associate the practice with what its owner actually wants to convey.

Answering that requires looking beyond design preferences. Topp describes reviewing patient feedback, websites and social media while asking owners about their interests, ideal patients and long-term goals. A practice seeking to expand dry eye services may need different messaging from one focused on eyewear.

Words and visuals should reinforce that direction. Warm, family-oriented language, she explains, should feel consistent with the imagery and design patients encounter.

Branding decisions also depend on where a business is headed. For an owner considering a sale within a decade, Topp suggests thinking carefully about making the doctor the entire face of the practice. An identity closely tied to one person could complicate its transition to another owner.

For new practices, establishing that direction early can simplify later marketing decisions. It may also help avoid replacing signage and other materials when an initial logo no longer fits.

Kemp adds that rebranding involves changing an audience’s established perception, making a thoughtful rollout another consideration.

A brand’s message needs to make sense inside the office, too.

Drawing on her restaurant experience, Topp contrasts attentive wine recommendations with the fast turnover expected at a breakfast restaurant. Both approaches served a purpose, but employees needed to understand which experience they were delivering.

The same principle applies to eye care. As Kemp observes, previous experience working for an optometrist does not mean an employee automatically understands a new practice’s priorities. Clear direction helps staff translate the practice’s identity into patient interactions.

The strongest stories often begin with an owner’s personal motivation. Topp recalls a client whose commitment to eye care was rooted in her father and the importance of protecting families’ health and quality of life. Understanding that connection gave the brand narrative emotional substance.

For independent practices, she encourages embracing distinctive qualities, including being a small team. Kemp connects that distinction to the limited opportunity a practice has to catch a prospective patient’s attention.

The episode’s central takeaway is that branding connects a practice’s purpose with what patients actually experience. When its messaging, appearance and staff interactions consistently express that purpose, patients have a clearer sense of why they might choose it and return.

An expensive piece of office equipment breaks down, but the monthly payments keep coming. For Dr. Adam Ramsey, that experience raises a question about what optometrists should expect when investing in their practices. In an episode of Play Chess Not Checkers, he argues that equipment purchases deserve closer scrutiny beyond the advertised price: reliability, warranty coverage, and service when something goes wrong.

The frustration began with a machine that had worked reliably for seven years. According to Ramsey, its Windows software needed updating, but the manufacturer would not allow an operating-system replacement. Concerned about patient data security, he purchased a new machine.

It came with a one-year warranty. Extended coverage was available, but Ramsey says its monthly cost exceeded the equipment’s monthly payment. He declined it.

Eighteen months after purchase, the replacement broke. Shipping it back would cost several thousand dollars, he recalls, with an estimated two- to three-month turnaround. A repair price would come only after the company received and assessed the equipment.

For a practice still paying for that machine, the arrangement felt unreasonable.

That experience anchors Ramsey’s distinction between a low purchase price and lasting value. A machine’s financial burden, he argues, includes the coverage and support needed to keep it working.

“You guys are competing on the wrong thing,” he says of manufacturers focused primarily on price. “What about competing on service?”

His proposed benchmark is straightforward: warranty protection should last as long as the equipment payments. If a purchase requires 60 months of financing, he believes it should include 60 months of coverage.

He also questions the disconnect between sales pitches describing equipment as essential and service arrangements that could leave a practice without it for months.

A growing list of capabilities does not necessarily make a machine a better investment. Drawing on older equipment that continues working in his office, Ramsey argues that durability deserves the same attention as new functions.

The challenge for manufacturers, in his view, begins during design. Decisions about components and complexity should account for repair needs and sustained use.

Support also needs to outlast a relationship with an individual sales representative. A helpful contact may leave the company; the practice’s need for dependable service remains.

Individual offices may struggle to negotiate stronger terms. Buying groups, Ramsey suggests, have greater influence and should use it to secure meaningful warranties and timely service alongside purchase discounts.

He would accept a higher upfront price if it included longer protection across purchases, rather than leaving each practice to buy costly coverage separately.

The episode closes with an invitation to practitioners and manufacturers to respond. Ramsey’s central request is simple: stand behind the equipment for a reasonable period, and make that commitment part of its value.

The examination ends with a diagnosis, a treatment recommendation and a patient who appears ready to act. What happens afterward is less certain. Instructions compete with work, family responsibilities and established routines, leaving a gap between the care recommended and what a patient actually does. In a Defocus Media conversation with Dr. Darryl Glover, optometrist Dr. Kerry Reeves explores that disconnect through his book, The Follow Through Gap. The discussion connects patient follow-through in optometry with the systems, communication and leadership that support care beyond the exam room.

After years in practice, Reeves recognized that his recommendations were not consistently producing the outcomes he wanted. That realization prompted him to examine how his clinics could better help patients carry out treatment.

Suggesting warm compresses and artificial tears identifies a treatment, but does not necessarily establish how it will become part of someone’s day. Glover brings that distinction into everyday patient communication, emphasizing conversations about morning and evening routines. Understanding those habits can help doctors accommodate treatment within a patient’s lifestyle and make the next step more manageable.

Reeves’ understanding of systems developed partly in Haiti, where he served as a medical missionary and helped with rebuilding efforts after the earthquake. During a fishing trip, his friend Roger saved dead bait fish in case his children needed them for dinner. Although they caught two large sailfish, finding a buyer proved difficult. Their effort had produced a catch without resolving the larger problem.

That experience informs the approach explored in The Follow Through Gap by Kerry Reeves. Within an eye care practice, recurring interruptions, missed appointments and patients who do not return can reveal weaknesses in supporting processes. His recommendation is to choose one repeated frustration and trace it backward. A bottleneck, unnecessary friction or missing feedback may be sustaining the same outcome.

Understanding those problems requires perspectives from across the practice. Scheduling, testing, examinations, eyewear selection and follow-up involve different people, each encountering a different part of the patient journey. Reeves encourages straightforward conversations about what keeps happening, why it happens and what could change. Doctors must examine their own contribution as well; sometimes, he acknowledges, the doctor is the bottleneck.

Glover connects this responsibility with the need for leadership preparation during optometric education. Reeves likewise encourages professional development beyond clinical knowledge, describing four areas of growth: mastering yourself, leading people, building systems and scaling the organization.

As practices grow, their supporting processes must evolve. Drawing on his experience raising eight children, Reeves explains how expanding responsibilities require changes in communication, finances and daily routines. The same principle applies when a practice adds patients, staff or locations.

For him, dependable systems also create room for family by allowing the clinic to function without his constant presence.

The practical challenge running through The Follow Through Gap begins with the next patient encounter: consider whether the patient is leaving with advice alone or a care plan they can realistically follow.

What happens when a bestselling psychological thriller makes the leap from page to screen, but leaves some of its most compelling details behind? On this episode of the OD’ing on Movies Podcast, Dr. Jacobi Cleaver and Dr. Jacob Wilson welcome special guest Dr. Eric Harris, an experienced optometrist, educator, and avid reader who recently joined CooperVision as Senior Advisor for Professional Education and Development. Together, they unpack Verity, the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover’s novel, exploring its shocking twists, complex characters, and the differences between the book and movie. Along the way, they uncover unexpected connections to clinical optometry, raising questions about perception, diagnostic uncertainty, and how easily appearances can be misleading.

At the center of Verity is Lowen, a struggling writer portrayed by Dakota Johnson, who is hired to complete a successful author’s unfinished book series. Her assignment takes her into the secluded home of Verity Crawford, played by Anne Hathaway, and Verity’s husband, Jeremy, portrayed by Josh Hartnett.

What initially appears to be a professional opportunity quickly becomes unsettling. Verity is believed to be severely incapacitated following an accident, while Lowen discovers a hidden manuscript containing disturbing accounts of the family’s past.

For Wilson, who entered the theater without reading the novel, the film’s atmosphere and suspense were effective. He particularly appreciated the uncertainty surrounding Verity’s condition and the increasingly disturbing events inside the house.

Cleaver and Harris, however, approached the film with a different perspective. Having experienced the novel, both felt the adaptation sacrificed important psychological details that gave the original story its power.

Harris, an avid audiobook listener who considers Verity one of his favorite recent reads, believed the film significantly reduced the complexity of its central characters.

In the novel, Verity’s emotional dependence on Jeremy receives considerably more attention. Harris explained that her sense of identity and emotional well-being are deeply connected to how her husband perceives her.

Cleaver emphasized another important omission: the novel portrays a family with three children rather than the two represented in the film. It also explores Lowen’s history of sleepwalking, a detail he believed could have strengthened the movie’s uncertainty and suspense.

The differences extend to Jeremy. According to Cleaver, the novel presents a more troubling version of the character, including details suggesting he deliberately sought out Lowen and had previously attempted to kill Verity.

For Harris, these omissions reveal a larger challenge in literary adaptations. A complex psychological thriller may struggle to preserve its character development within a film’s limited runtime.

He suggested that a four-part series could have provided more opportunities to explore the shifting relationships, motivations, and moral ambiguity that distinguish the book.

After Lowen discovers Verity’s manuscript, its disturbing contents appear to confirm that Verity deliberately caused her daughter’s death. Yet a letter discovered later offers an entirely different explanation: the manuscript was supposedly a fictional writing exercise, and Verity was innocent.

The competing accounts leave readers and viewers with a difficult question. Is Verity a calculating villain, or has she been tragically misunderstood?

Cleaver framed the debate as a choice between believing the manuscript or the letter.

Harris favored the manuscript, arguing that its extensive psychological detail made the last-minute explanation difficult to accept. Wilson agreed, questioning the plausibility of Verity’s actions if the letter were truthful.

Still, the discussion revealed how effectively the original story challenges audiences to reconsider what they believe about its characters.

For Cleaver, the film’s treatment of the ending was particularly frustrating. Without the novel’s additional context, he felt certain developments were less convincing, especially the circumstances surrounding Verity’s apparent incapacitation and death.

Verity’s apparent inability to move or communicate, despite the absence of an obvious structural explanation, prompted Wilson to discuss functional or non-organic vision loss.

Cleaver recalled encountering patients whose visual complaints remained unexplained after extensive testing. Harris added a residency experience involving retrobulbar optic neuritis, emphasizing the importance of recognizing conditions that may not present with immediately visible abnormalities.

Their clinical takeaway was clear: practitioners should avoid committing prematurely to a diagnosis without sufficient evidence.

Harris stressed the importance of appropriate imaging, careful documentation, and acknowledging diagnostic uncertainty. Cleaver reinforced that approach, noting that premature conclusions can undermine patient trust when additional testing reveals a different explanation.

Much like Verity itself, the clinical discussion underscored the importance of looking beyond initial appearances.

What if one of the greatest opportunities to grow a contact lens practice is already sitting in the exam chair? Some patients arrive specifically requesting contact lenses, while others have never considered how they might fit into their daily lives.

On the Defocus Media Podcast, Dr. Darryl Glover speaks with Dr. Sophia Visanji, founder of KUONA in New York City, about how an intentional contact lens patient journey can turn everyday appointments into opportunities for personalized care, clinical innovation, and lasting relationships. From welcoming first-time wearers to introducing advanced contact lens technology, their conversation offers practical strategies for improving the patient experience while building a stronger practice.

For Dr. Visanji, the patient journey begins before the eye examination. Inspired by luxury hospitality, she designed KUONA to provide a welcoming, comfortable, and memorable experience. Patients are greeted with beverages, surrounded by carefully selected scents and music, and guided through an environment that combines modern clinical technology with personalized eyewear styling.

Her predominantly millennial patient base connects with nostalgic music, including 1990s R&B. The atmosphere has become such a recognizable part of the practice that patients have mentioned the music and scent in online reviews.

Dr. Glover emphasizes that these details extend beyond aesthetics. A thoughtful patient experience creates opportunities to build trust, understand individual needs, and develop meaningful relationships. When patients feel comfortable and understood, conversations about new vision solutions become more natural.

This approach establishes the foundation for a successful contact lens patient journey, where personalized care begins with understanding the person behind the prescription.

One of the greatest opportunities for contact lens practice growth involves recognizing patients who may benefit from contact lenses but have never asked about them.

Dr. Visanji explains that some patients arrive specifically interested in contact lenses, while others may not realize they are candidates. Rather than waiting for patients to initiate the conversation, she explores their routines, interests, and visual demands to identify opportunities.

A patient who enjoys pickleball, travels frequently, or attends special events may appreciate the flexibility of contact lenses. Others may be interested in occasional wear rather than replacing their glasses entirely.

Dr. Glover reinforces the importance of asking thoughtful questions that reveal these opportunities. Understanding how patients spend their days lets optometrists introduce contact lenses as a relevant lifestyle solution rather than just another product.

For first-time contact lens wearers, the goal is not to persuade patients to purchase lenses. It is to educate them about options they may not have considered and help them determine whether contact lenses align with their needs.

Once a patient’s needs are understood, selecting the appropriate contact lens becomes the next step. Dr. Visanji describes how ACUVUE contact lenses from Johnson & Johnson Vision help her personalize recommendations based on comfort, visual demands, and preferred replacement schedules.

For new contact lens wearers, she frequently begins with ACUVUE® OASYS with HydraLuxe Technology. She emphasizes that comfort during an initial fitting does not necessarily predict how a lens will perform several hours later, so the patient’s overall wearing experience is an important consideration.

For existing wearers who spend significant time using digital devices, ACUVUE® OASYS MAX 1-Day provides another option. Patients who prefer monthly replacement lenses may benefit from considering ACUVUE® VITA®.

The conversation also explores patients with more complex visual needs, including astigmatism and presbyopia. Both doctors highlight ACUVUE® OASYS MAX 1-Day MULTIFOCAL for ASTIGMATISM as an important addition to their prescribing options.

Dr. Visanji discusses how Johnson & Johnson Vision’s ACUVUE Eye-Inspired Designs, including pupil-optimized multifocal technology, support personalized fitting. She also highlights the ACUVUE fitting calculator and the importance of accurate refractive correction, sensory dominance, and functional near addition.

With a structured fitting approach, she reports greater success on the first or second visit. These tools can reduce unnecessary adjustments and give practitioners more confidence when introducing multifocal contact lenses.

The broader lesson is that technology delivers the greatest value when it is matched to the patient’s individual needs.

Introducing contact lenses to a first-time wearer involves more than achieving clear vision. Patients must also feel comfortable handling their lenses independently.

Dr. Visanji encourages patients to review educational videos before their appointments and provides hands-on instruction using different insertion and removal techniques. Her team works with patients until they can successfully insert and remove their lenses twice before leaving the practice.

Dr. Glover describes a complementary approach. During the examination, he places contact lenses on patients himself, evaluates their vision and fit, and allows them to experience their corrected vision before transitioning them to a technician for training.

Both approaches recognize that confidence is an essential part of the contact lens patient journey. By preparing patients, offering reassurance, and allowing time to practice, eye care teams can help new wearers overcome uncertainty and develop the skills needed for successful independent wear.

A successful contact lens experience does not end when the fitting is complete. Clear communication about purchasing options, insurance benefits, and ongoing lens needs helps patients make informed decisions.

Dr. Visanji encourages doctors to discuss annual contact lens supplies before patients leave the examination room. She explains available manufacturer rebates, insurance benefits, and potential cost differences between smaller purchases and annual supplies.

When patients compare prices with online retailers, she welcomes the conversation. Rather than avoiding questions about cost, she reviews options openly and helps patients understand the value of purchasing through their eye care provider.

Dr. Glover connects this transparency to the trust established throughout the examination. When doctors understand their patients and communicate clearly, conversations about ACUVUE contact lenses, annual supplies, and pricing become a natural extension of personalized care.

Ultimately, improving the contact lens patient journey is about more than introducing new technology or increasing the number of fittings. It involves creating memorable experiences, identifying opportunities for first-time wearers, personalizing prescriptions, and building confidence through education.

As Dr. Visanji reminds her colleagues, the key is to “stay curious.” Sometimes, one thoughtful question can introduce a patient to an entirely new way of seeing while creating the foundation for a lasting relationship.

Explore more conversations on clinical innovation, patient experience, and practice growth at Defocus Media.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing healthcare, but for optometrists and practice owners, the biggest opportunity may not be replacing people. It may be helping good people perform their jobs better. That distinction matters especially as virtual assistants grow in optometry and eye care.

That idea shaped a recent Defocus Media conversation between Dr. Darryl Glover and Corey Pinegar, CEO of Teem, about human virtual assistants, artificial intelligence, phone coaching, denied claims, staffing, and the operational pressures facing eye care practices. Rather than positioning AI as a substitute for practice staff, Pinegar described a model in which technology enhances real people’s capabilities.

Teem provides human virtual assistants who support practices with administrative responsibilities, using AI-enhanced tools to improve how they perform certain tasks. Two examples stood out during the conversation: an AI phone coaching tool designed to help team members improve patient conversations and a claims copilot that can help employees analyze denied claims.

For eye care professionals, that distinction matters. Virtual assistants in eye care are people—not AI bots replacing the practice team. When those people have the right AI tools, they may work more efficiently, improve consistency, and reduce the administrative burden on doctors and in-office employees.

The bigger question for practice owners is no longer simply, “Should the practice use AI?” It is: How can people use AI to solve real problems without sacrificing the human experience?

Virtual assistants in optometry are remote human team members who support administrative and operational responsibilities within an eye care practice. Depending on the role and the practice’s needs, they may assist with patient communication, scheduling, insurance-related tasks, recare, claims support, and other nonclinical responsibilities.

That definition is important as AI becomes more prominent. An optometry virtual assistant does not necessarily mean an AI chatbot or automated system. In Teem’s model, the virtual assistant is a person. Artificial intelligence is a tool that can help that person perform certain responsibilities more effectively.

For Pinegar, the opportunity begins with a problem familiar to many practice owners: staffing has become difficult. Hiring, retaining, and training employees requires significant time, while the administrative responsibilities of running a practice continue to grow.

Teem’s model gives practices access to remote human talent that can take on some of this work. But the conversation with Glover went beyond traditional virtual staffing. Pinegar explained how Teem is layering AI tools onto its virtual assistant model to help good team members become even more effective.

The opportunity is therefore not simply moving a task from someone inside the practice to someone working remotely. It is identifying repetitive, time-consuming work and giving the person responsible better tools.

For optometrists already balancing patient care with payroll, staffing, insurance, scheduling, training, and other business responsibilities, this can have implications far beyond convenience.

Virtual assistants in eye care can help practices manage administrative responsibilities without keeping every task in-house. When paired with appropriate AI tools, human virtual assistants may also be able to complete certain processes more efficiently and consistently.

Pinegar described the economic challenge facing practices as a widening gap between the cost of operating a business and what practices are able to collect for services. Historically, one response has been to increase patient volume. But continually adding patients without improving the systems that support those visits can put more pressure on doctors and staff. Burnout then becomes more than a doctor problem.

Front-desk employees answer calls throughout the day. Team members verify insurance, manage schedules, work denied claims, handle recare, collect information, and respond to patient questions. When someone leaves, the practice has to recruit and train a replacement while remaining employees absorb additional responsibilities. That instability eventually reaches the doctor.

Human virtual assistants in optometry provide another way to distribute that workload. Teem’s approach adds a second layer: equipping those people with AI-supported tools that can help them improve specific areas of performance.

The goal is not simply doing more work. It is creating a better operating model around the work that already needs to be done.

AI should not replace the human connection in eye care. Its strongest applications may involve improving the processes surrounding patient care so doctors, virtual assistants, and in-office team members have greater capacity for meaningful human interactions.

Pinegar used commercial aviation to illustrate the concept. Modern airplanes contain extensive automation, yet pilots remain essential. Technology handles portions of the process, while people provide judgment, oversight, communication, and intervention when something unexpected happens. Healthcare carries a similar lesson.

Patients still want someone who listens when they call. They want a team member who understands their concerns. They want an optometrist who can interpret information, communicate recommendations, and build trust. As Pinegar explained:

That philosophy helps define how Teem approaches virtual assistants in eye care and AI. Rather than pushing artificial intelligence into every patient interaction, Teem uses technology behind the scenes to coach people, analyze information, improve processes, and reduce repetitive administrative work.

The patient can still interact with a human. AI simply gives that person another tool.

Teem’s phone coaching tool uses AI to analyze completed calls and provide feedback that can help human virtual assistants and other team members improve future patient conversations. This was one of the most practical examples discussed during the podcast.

After a new-patient, existing-patient, outbound, or recare call, the tool can analyze the recording or transcript. The phone coaching tool can evaluate whether the employee performed appropriate discovery, developed warmth and rapport, collected and clarified necessary information, and moved the conversation toward the appropriate outcome.

That creates an entirely different approach to staff development.

Rather than using AI to replace the person answering the telephone, Teem uses AI behind the human interaction. The patient still speaks with a person, but technology can help that person communicate more effectively.

This distinction matters most for practices evaluating virtual assistants in optometry. Hiring a virtual assistant can provide additional capacity, but coaching and developing that employee remains important. AI creates an opportunity to make that coaching more consistent and measurable.

The telephone remains one of the most important conversion points in an eye care practice.

A practice can invest in its website, Google presence, social media, referrals, and advertising, but those efforts lose value if a prospective patient calls and has a poor experience. Glover captured that opportunity during the conversation:

A prospective patient may have questions about insurance, appointment availability, contact lenses, symptoms, or what type of appointment to schedule. Answering the call is only the beginning.

Did the team member listen? Did they understand why the person called? Did they establish rapport? Did they collect the information required for insurance verification? Did they confidently guide the patient toward the appropriate next step? Practice owners cannot personally listen to and coach every conversation.

A phone coaching tool enables a more consistent feedback loop. A human virtual assistant can complete a call, receive structured feedback, identify opportunities for improvement, and apply those lessons to future conversations.

Pinegar gave the example of moving new-patient conversion from 64% to 68%. Four percentage points may seem modest in isolation, but across hundreds of prospective-patient calls, incremental improvements can become meaningful.

This is where Teem’s combination of human virtual assistants and AI phone coaching becomes especially relevant. The technology is not replacing the employee who speaks with the patient. It is helping that employee improve.

Teem is also developing AI-supported claims tools designed to help human team members understand denied claims and identify information that may require correction or clarification.

Denied claims represent a very different challenge from patient phone calls, but they illustrate the same AI strategy: use technology to help a person solve an administrative problem more effectively.

When a claim is denied, someone must determine why. That can involve reviewing the denial, comparing it with the original claim, identifying missing or incorrect information, correcting documentation, and resubmitting the claim.

Pinegar described a claims copilot that can analyze information from a denied claim and compare it with what was originally submitted. The tool can help identify potential problems, such as a narrative requiring clarification or documentation that may need to be reattached.

Importantly, the Teem tool described in the conversation is not automatically resubmitting the claim. Humans remain part of the process.

For practices using virtual assistants in eye care, this represents an important example of what AI enhancement can look like. Instead of expecting someone to manually work through every element without assistance, technology can organize and analyze the information so the team member can determine the appropriate next step.

Denied claims are ultimately a cash-flow and operational-efficiency issue. When a legitimate claim remains unresolved, the practice waits longer to collect revenue for services it has already delivered. Repeated denials compound the problem.

A team member may correct a claim, resubmit it, wait for another response, and discover that additional information is still required. Each cycle consumes employee time and delays payment.

For an optometry business owner, improving that process can affect more than the billing department. Revenue cycle performance ultimately affects cash flow, staffing, profitability, and the practice’s overall financial health.

There is also a patient-experience component. Administrative problems can eventually become patient problems when someone receives an unexpected or confusing bill.

A Teem virtual assistant supported by AI tools for denied claims represents one model for approaching this workflow. AI can help the employee analyze the information while the human remains responsible for evaluating and acting on it.

The philosophy is consistent with the phone coaching application: AI amplifies the person rather than replacing the person.

Optometrists should begin with a business problem, not an AI product. Pinegar acknowledged that earlier in his entrepreneurial career he sometimes chased new ideas because they were exciting. That experience shaped a more practical approach to technology: determine whether it actually solves a problem or improves performance.

Practice owners can apply the same thinking when evaluating virtual assistants in optometry, virtual assistants in eye care, and AI tools.

If prospective patients are calling but not scheduling, examine the phone process. If managers do not have enough time to coach staff consistently, an AI phone coaching tool may be worth evaluating. If employees spend too much time understanding denied claims, claims-support technology may add value. If the front desk is overwhelmed by repetitive administrative responsibilities, a human virtual assistant may provide additional capacity. The technology should follow the problem.

This is also why Teem’s approach matters in the broader AI conversation. Instead of treating artificial intelligence as one giant solution, AI is being applied to specific workflows real people perform.

Practice owners can then evaluate meaningful outcomes: Did phone conversion improve? Did team members collect better information? Are denied claims easier to analyze? Is administrative work becoming more efficient without sacrificing quality? Are doctors and in-office employees spending less time correcting preventable operational problems?

Those questions are far more useful than simply asking whether a practice “uses AI.”

Virtual assistants in eye care may reduce burnout by providing additional human support for repetitive administrative tasks, while AI tools can help those assistants work more efficiently.

Burnout in optometry is often framed around the doctor, but Glover and Pinegar emphasized the need to consider the entire team.

A front-desk employee managing nonstop phone calls can become overwhelmed. A billing employee repeatedly working denied claims can become frustrated. A practice manager dealing with constant turnover can spend more time filling staffing gaps than developing the team. Eventually, those problems affect the optometrist.

Pinegar described a sustainable business as requiring balance between employees, customers, and healthy economics. If employees are not supported, turnover can increase. If the patient experience deteriorates, patients may not return. If the business cannot generate adequate profit, maintaining the first two becomes increasingly difficult.

Teem’s human virtual assistant model, enhanced with AI tools, is designed to address part of that equation. The virtual assistant provides the human talent; AI adds capabilities that help that person perform certain responsibilities more effectively.

It doesn’t promise that technology will eliminate burnout. It is a strategy for reducing some of the operational friction that contributes to it.

Virtual assistants in optometry and virtual assistants in eye care represent a growing opportunity for practices that want to improve efficiency without losing the human connection.

No one knows exactly how artificial intelligence will reshape optometry over the next decade. What is becoming clearer is that practices do not necessarily have to choose between people and technology.

What happens when a beloved children’s television mascot becomes a ruthless killer? In this episode of the OD’ing on Movies Podcast, Dr. Jacobi Cleaver and Dr. Jacob Wilson review Buddy, a horror comedy that transforms the cheerful world of 1990s children’s programming into a bloody nightmare. From its outrageous violence and dark humor to an unexpected discussion of ocular injuries, the two optometrists explore what makes this unconventional film both entertaining and unsettling.

At first glance, Buddy resembles a familiar children’s television show, complete with colorful characters, catchy songs, and an enthusiastic orange unicorn. But beneath the cheerful exterior lies a disturbing reality: Buddy demands unconditional love and eliminates anyone who threatens his happiness.

Wilson appreciated how quickly the film establishes its twisted premise. What begins as an innocent disagreement over dancing shoes soon reveals Buddy’s violent nature. Cleaver, meanwhile, recognized the film’s deliberate resemblance to Barney, particularly its nostalgic setting and revolving cast of children.

For Wilson, the combination of absurdity, gore, and unpredictable humor made Buddy one of his favorite moviegoing experiences of the year.

As the story unfolds, Buddy’s increasingly violent behavior transforms his colorful television world into a dangerous prison. Children disappear, familiar characters are replaced, and attempts to escape are met with gruesome consequences.

Both optometrists found humor in the film’s outrageous premise, although certain creative decisions divided their opinions.

Wilson felt the encounter with a cowboy and puppet in the woods introduced an unnecessarily uncomfortable element. Cleaver similarly questioned its relevance to the story and expressed disappointment with Buddy’s eventual transformation into a dragon-like creature.

Despite these reservations, the film’s willingness to embrace the ridiculous kept both engaged.

One particularly memorable scene provided an unexpected opportunity to connect horror with eye care.

After Buddy suffers severe facial burns, Cleaver draws attention to the damage surrounding the unicorn’s eye. Wilson explains that patients with significant facial burns can experience impaired eyelid function, leaving the ocular surface vulnerable.

Without adequate eyelid closure, the cornea may develop exposure keratopathy, potentially progressing to more serious complications, including corneal ulceration and perforation.

The conversation takes a humorous turn when the doctors question whether Buddy even has functional eyelids.

Their clinical observations highlight the podcast’s distinctive approach: finding meaningful optometric connections in even the most unconventional films.

The film’s final confrontation leaves Freddy battling Buddy after her mother sacrifices herself to help the children escape. Although Freddy ultimately defeats the murderous unicorn, her journey ends without the reunion Wilson had hoped for.

Rather than restoring everything to normal, the conclusion leaves unanswered questions about Buddy’s world and the possibility of other sinister television characters.

For Cleaver and Wilson, Buddy succeeds through its unusual blend of nostalgia, horror, and dark comedy, even when its storytelling becomes excessive.

Ultimately, this episode demonstrates how two optometrists can turn an outrageous horror movie into an entertaining conversation about filmmaking, childhood nostalgia, and the surprising importance of healthy eyelids.