New franchise model helps OD practices transition to medical care
Optometry practices nationwide provide a wide level of eye care, but only a small percentage have implemented a pure medical model.
Increased competition from online eyeglass and contact lens retailers and growing numbers of individuals requiring surgical ophthalmological care have created an opportunity for optometrists to change the way they practice.
“I constantly hear doctors saying they really like the medical part of their practice, but they haven’t figured out how to move the needle within the practice to convert to medical model and move away from reliance on a more traditional optical model,” J. James Thimons, OD, chief medical officer at Medical Optometry America (MOA), said in an interview with Primary Care Optometry News.
MOA is an optometric concept that focuses exclusively on medical eye care, founded by a diverse team of leaders in dry eye, glaucoma and cataracts. The group stated in a press release that this team brings together clinical best practice guidelines, experts in billing and coding, and marketing and development veterans.
“I see this as the next natural evolution of optometry, to move into a purely medical provision model,” Thimons said.
According to a press release from MOA, the organization serves as a resource for primary eye care clinicians, providing the latest testing and treatment technologies, seen in the success of its first practice opened in January 2021 in central Pennsylvania, led by clinical director, Leslie O’Dell, OD, FAAO.
MOA is continuing to pioneer efforts and forge relationships through its franchising model, with several more practices scheduled to open soon, according to the release.
“We’ve envisioned this from the beginning to be a tool to transition an existing practice that has a desire to grow its medical footprint,” Thimons said. “MOA provides the clinical, marketing, office management and development tools necessary to help them expand that service while the doctor maintains the ownership of the practice.”
According to the release, MOA’s specialized medical eye care will assist in the optometric field’s success in the changing health care system.
“I think what MOA is going to bring to the future of optometry is really a great place for the medically minded optometrist to find their home outside of an integrated practice,” O’Dell said. “So much of what we’re doing is chronic care for diseases that do not always have a surgical need. I think that’s where optometry is well positioned to keep surgeons doing surgeries and help deliver care to patients in communities we’re serving.”
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