Our new reality

 When I sat down to write this editorial, I was struck by how similar all of us optometrists are, yet, how different our current situations may be. My office reopened a couple of weeks ago and began seeing the medical eye care patients whose visits were postponed due to the stay at home order. Reopening required attaining PPE and equipping the physical office with sneeze guards, signage, and more. Staff education took place, and the process of contacting our patients and rescheduling them continues. We began and still are at a reduced schedule due to the new disinfection protocol following each patient’s visit to the exam room and optical. My exams are taking longer than usual because every patient wants to talk and catch up on what the last three months have been like for them. Everyone is wearing a mask and all of us hope all of this goes away soon. For many of the elderly, their eye exam was the first they have been out in public since the Governor’s stay at home order. 

Advice on steps to reopen our offices is abundant in our professional journals and online. The POA has provided guidance on a multitude of topics concerning the pandemic and optometry. Like you, some of it makes sense in my personal situation and some of it doesn’t. Some optometrists are now wearing scrubs, I gave up my tie. Some offices are washing every frame after it’s touched, others bought disinfection units. The large group practice in a neighboring town is having patients wait in their cars till the office is ready to see them, we are attempting to have our patients go directly to an exam room and bypass the waiting room. 

Whether you are an OD in private practice, group practice, specialty practice, or commercial practice, please know that the POA is here to support you. We will continue to take steps to protect and promote our profession. We are adapting to the new reality that social distancing may be here for a while. Investment in platforms that allow the POA to provide online CE to our members and Zoom meetings that take the place of in-person events is complete. Our first Zoom Board of Directors meeting with local society presidents has been scheduled for Saturday, July 18th. Continuing education webinars have been very successful and should our fall meeting in Seven Springs not be allowed to take place, the House of Delegates and continuing education courses will still happen, albeit virtually. 

I wish each of you best of luck and success in reopening your practices. Through this pandemic, we have proven that we are essential providers. We should be proud of the contribution Optometry has made to the health and welfare of the citizens of Pennsylvania.