That much closer (pinching thumb and index finger together, barely touching)...

Hello everyone,

Well, by this time next week, I'll be halfway through our first official open week of business. A lot of progress to talk about, though AND still a lot of things to sort through before then as well. Unfortunately, the office did look neat and tidy. My cousin Pam stopped over her Christmas break and cleaned most of the office...and then more shipments and equipment got installed, so it's now back to an unsightly mess (Sorry, Pam.). However, I promise, pictures of the finished (and cleaned) product will be taken and posted for all to see. I'll even compare "before" and "after" photos, which will be fun top see the drastic difference.

The tedious and most boring part of entering all frame and contact lens information that I will be offering has been completed, thank goodness!!! Entering lens styles and coatings still need to be completed, but that can get done in an evening. Also, with Laura's father's help, all of the eyeglass frames have been tagged and ready to go up on the walls, which will happen as soon as the track and pendant lighting is completely installed, which should be completed tomorrow. Once all of the 550+ frames and sunglasses are up on the board, then some major cleaning is in order to get all of the contractor dust and dirt out of here!

I've also written a press release that I'll be sending to the local papers for some hopeful coverage of the practice opening. I'll also be advertising by postcards, newspaper ads, billboards and a local and online grassroots campaign. But you know what? The ABSOLUTE BEST advertising is word-of-mouth. So open your mouths--friends, family, acquaintances, previous patients--and tell everyone you know by every means possible that Dr. Weaver and Weaver Eye Care Associates is "where it's at."

Take care,
Dr. Weaver

OPENING MONDAY JANUARY 3, 2011

Hello everyone,

The office is coming around quite nicely, and it seems that our open for business date will be in the new year. Memorize it:

MONDAY JANUARY 3, 2011

Our HUMONGOUS shipment (three pallets, 15 plus boxes) of equipment came yesterday, and I just finished unpacking and breaking down those boxes. And boy, is my back aching like crazy! (Oh! If anyone needs boxes for shipping or moving, please contact me ASAP! I hate to throw them away, but I will be throwing them out ASAP as well to make room for getting around.) I had operational training on the HRT II instrument this morning, which is a scanning laser that measures the optic nerve for changes in the fine retinal nerves that lead from your eye to your brain. The HRT (Heidelberg Retinal Tomograph) II is one of those handy-dandy instruments used in my glaucoma management and diagnosis regimen.

Everything is completely finished with the office, except for track lighting to highlight the frame displays and pendant lighting over the reception desk. Also, a sign of our logo will be added behind the reception desk at some point. I'd post pictures of the office, but in it's current state, it looks like a whirlwind caught hold of a cardboard box and bubble wrap factory and blew everything about in the reception area. So, I'm going to wait a little while until I can clear out some of this garbage.

We got plenty of trials to start fitting contact lens patients immediately: Acuvue Oasys, Acuvue Oasys for Astigmatism, Biofinity and Biofinity Toric, Purevision 2, SofLens Daily, 1 Day Acuvue Moist, etc. Ciba Vision products should be arriving soon so that we can add Air Optix Aqua and Focus Dailies products.


Shipments were counted of our sunglasses and frames, which leaves entering all of the information into our practice management software, tagging the frames and placing them up on the board for everyone to see. This will get done before Christmas, leaving cleanup, setup, logistical business operations, training and everything else that I can't possibly plan ahead for to be done the last week of 2010!

On December 29th, installation and setup of the equipment will take place. After that, I'll officially be setup to give an eye exam in my new office!

I also wanted to thank those many patients who have reached out to me before I have even started to advertise...before I'm even open for business! It means a lot that you trust your eyes in my care and made that extra effort to find out where I am and how to contact me. I know that you will be impressed with the new office. As expected, things will be a little shaky as we start out, but things should get smoothed out in the first 2-3 months. I do my best to prepare (Eagle Scout) for things as much as I can, but there's just those things you have to deal with as they happen. I promise to set up appointments shortly, as soon as the ins and outs of my practice management software is learned. Who knows?

Our phone system is working, so please call our office number at (610) 488-5315 to set up an appointment or just to chat. From now on out, I'll be here every day until I open, because there is just so much to do. remember: www.weavereyecare.com for practice information.

Take care,
Dr. Weaver

Treating Lazy Eye with Needles?

HealthDay has a new article regarding treating amblyopic (lazy eye) young children with acupuncture...seems to help more than just eye patching alone...but OUCH! Original article here => http://tinyurl.com/2aucw23

Office progress update...12.06.10...

Hello again, everybody! Things are steamrolling right now with the build-out phase of the office. All of the flooring is installed, along with the majority of the cabinets. Everything looks really good, and I can't wait to get in there and open doors for business. We're still shooting for December 20th, but we'll see about the optical furniture, computer network, phone system and equipment installation. It could be done...

Depending on the employee search for an optician, I may also be looking for a front desk staff person as well. I will keep you informed on the status of that decision, and look for ads in the Reading Eagle, The Merchandiser, Facebook and online. As much I was hoping Craigslist would be cooperative, for some reason, it is not listing any of the help wanted ads that I create. If I get one to successfully post, I'll include the link on here, but right now, it's on my "naughty list."

Promotional materials and some optical supplies were ordered today. Still need to order more, as well as inventory all my darn frames (500+). I'm going to try to rope Laura or Kaylee to help with that one, we'll see how it goes...

Anyway...here are recent photos of the office interior from today, 12/6/10.

 

Above is the carpet installed in the reception/waiting area and the optical department. A second coat of paint still needs to go up, as well as the base board, which will be added after the reception desk and optical furniture is installed.

 Here is the entryway to the business office. The wood looks shiny, but that's just from the flash from the camera. The cabinets need handles installed. The second pic shows the optical lab from the optical department...no sliding window because we didn't want anyone to be disappointed if they tried to order any Chicken McNuggets with the top-of-the-line AR. The third photo is the interior of the optical lab. The shelving on the counter was not installed to make more room for the workspace.

 The first photo here is a bit of the lounge area, showing the flooring and cabinets now installed. The second is one of the exam rooms, with the wall cabinet yet to be hung on the wall. The third is from the back exam room, looking down the hall towards the front of the office.

The bathroom now has a functioning sink and toilet, along with ceramic tile as well. The second photo is from the back-most corner of the optical department looking into the reception area and the front windows.

So, the next few weeks are going to be CRAZY busy, finding employees, ordering supplies, calling people, filling out forms, faxing forms, dealing with insurance companies...I won't bore you with the mundane. But this will all be worth it once I open my doors, which I am very excited to do.

I realized this today, but it really feels "right" with opening this practice. Today, I met a rep at the office, and while I was there, the UPS guy dropped off a package...and I just felt this sense of calm around me, despite all of the craziness going on. I can't really describe it other than it was a good feeling, and although I'm not open yet, I'm glad that I made this decision to offer my professional services to Bernville residents, Berks County, old and new patients...pretty much anyone who seeks me out.

Anyway, I have some Christmas shopping that desperately needs to get done, as well as decorating. So keep in touch.

Dr. Weaver

Optician PT with experience wanted..and other progress...

Hello everyone,

The title pretty much says it all. Weaver Eye Care Associates is looking for an experienced optician for our optical department. There will be an ad running in the Reading Eagle starting either tomorrow or Saturday, but here is a little bit more detail about the position. I'm also posting it to craigslist.org, but "Craig" is having issues showing the ad in his "list" for some stupid reason. So, if you or anyone you know who may be interested, please do not call the office. The phones have yet to be installed. Instead, send the resume to wecajobs@gmail.com for review. Here's the ad:

"Experienced Optician needed for new rural optometry private practice in Bernville, PA. This is a part-time position for Mondays, Tuesday mornings, Wednesdays, Fridays and some Saturday mornings. Electronic medical records and computer practice management system will be used, so computer skills are required. A positive attitude and friendliness is a must.

Primary Duties:

• Make patient comfortable in the eyeglass frame, lens, and coatings selection process to facilitate the sale
• Troubleshoot patient eyewear complaints
• Adjust eyewear and minor repairs
• Take accurate optical measurements to eliminate unnecessary remakes
• Process, order, and dispense eyewear
• Assist doctor with maintaining inventory

Secondary Duties:

• Greet and Check-In patients
• Answer phones
• Garner referrals and new patients
• Verify insurance coverage
• Schedule/Verify appointments
• Place contact lens orders
• Check-Out patients, take payments, and schedule follow-up visits
• Maintain tidiness of optical and reception area

This is a great opportunity to become part of an exciting, new eye care practice in Berks County in a friendly and relaxed working environment. Resumes accepted by email only, no phone calls.  Please list references, work experience and asking hourly wage."

Other than finding the right employee, things are progressing very well with the practice. Shipments are coming in and the office space is shaping up quite nicely. Flooring and cabinetry should be completed in the next few days, while equipment and optical furniture will arrive in the next 2 weeks. I'll get photos up soon as well.

Take care,
Dr. Weaver