11835 Carmel Mountain Rd. Suite 1304-211
San Diego, CA 92128
May 2024
It's hard to believe, but the year is quickly approaching its halfway point, and I am excited about all that is going on at SDCOS. Last month's Continuing Education (CE) session with Drs. Schanzlin and Echegoyen was fantastic. Dr. Schanzlin's talk on how AI will enhance the way we practice Optometry, and Dr. Echegoyen's Glaucoma update were both outstanding. The next CE will be on Thursday, July 18th, with Dr. Kim Cockeram, followed by our 5-hour CE on Sunday, August 11th, with Dr. Paul Karpecki. Really great CE sessions are coming up... Hope to see you there.
There are two projects happening at SDCOS that I am very proud of. Dr. Bev Bianes has been instrumental in helping the Linda Vista Innovative Center get off the ground. I visited a few weeks ago, and it was incredible. 'Remembering Diversity is our Strength' – the Board of Education has classrooms for K-12 graders where they learn about different career options. One of the rooms is dedicated to Optometry/optical. In this room, children can sit in an exam chair, look through a phoropter, and use a slit lamp. They can see what it will take to become any of the 3 O’s: Ophthalmologist, Optometrist, or Optician. It's really great... You need to go check it out.
The newest project is going to be huge. Marti Emerald, the former TV newscaster, is now on the School Board of South Bay. Along with the South Bay Lions Club, school nurses, VSP, and the entire board, she has partnered with SDCOS to conduct school screenings on every school-age child in all 20 schools. As other Lions clubs and school districts get on board, this project will change the lives of many children, ensuring they have the vision to succeed in school. Stay tuned for more information about this in the upcoming months. Projects like the Linda Vista Innovative Center and the South Bay school screenings are why SDCOS is always considered the best of the best. Thank each and every one of you for making this possible. Have a great month and see you at the next CE meeting.
Take care, and God bless each of you,
Eric
OD Relations Liaison
Please contact Dr. Ananya Jalsingh, OD, Society Optometrist Relations Liaison at odjobs@sdcos.org to be put on an official list for the following:
fill-in/part-time work
full-time work
purchase/partner in/sell a practice
This service is offered free of charge to SDCOS members.
Volunteer Outreach
In late April, San Diegan Eric Delucien and Dr. Melody Tavakoli joined Dr. Bob Meisel for a LionsInSight (LIS) vision clinic in Oaxaca. The southern Mexican tropical city, home to nearly 300,000 people, is renowned as the 'culinary capital of Mexico' and is known for mezcal, chocolate, and especially various moles. Sitting at over 6,400 feet, the World Heritage Site of Monte Alban, featuring Zapotec ruins, is located a short distance outside the city and dates back to a civilization from 500 BC to 600 AD. Oaxaca is also the location of the world's largest circumference tree, measuring 138 feet around the 1500-year-old specimen.
The clinic team consisted of 5 ODs, 2 UC Berkeley fourth-year students, and 11 techs from California, Nevada, and Mexico. Assisted by the local Lions club, over 1000 patients were seen in two days, and donated glasses were dispensed to the majority of them. It was a satisfying and extremely successful event. Oaxaca is a wonderful area to visit and explore!
If you are interested in applying for a future clinic with LIS, please contact Dr. Meisel at rmeisel47@gmail.com or visit LionsInSight.net.
Meet a Member
Dr. Jason Tu
1. Which Optometry School did you attend?
SCCO baby!
2. What year did you graduate?
Party like it’s 1999
3. What is your favorite specialty?
I love me some Dry Eye Treatment
4. What do you like to do for fun?
Sharing a meal with family/friends is the absolute best! At the end of the day, relationships are all that really matter.
5. What is your favorite thing to do in San Diego?
San Diego is great for golf
6. What is something people might not know about you?
My family and I survived a year in a Malaysian refugee camp (like thatch huts on dirt ground) before being able to immigrate to the US.
Retina Corner
Treat an Eye, Save a Life
By Michael J. Ammar, MD
Co-Director, Clinical Research, Retina Consultants San Diego
Chief of Ophthalmology, Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla
Dear SDCOS friends,
For this month’s Retina Corner, I will be sharing an interesting case from my clinic this past week.
A 68-year-old man was referred in as a new patient from his primary doctor with worsening vision in his left eye over the last month. The patient was 20/20 OD and CF OS. He was completely healthy other than 2 hospitalizations in the last 6 months for pneumonia. Figure 1 shows the patient’s fundus photo OS.
His slit lamp exam of the right eye was normal. The left eye showed a +APD, 2+ AC cell, 2+ vitreous cell and the exam findings in figure 1. He had scattered retinal hemorrhages in all quadrants, an ischemic appearance to the retina, and a large inferotemporal patch of retinal whitening. OCT (Figure 2) showed areas of inner retinal hyperreflectivity and thinning as well as vitreous cells.
Fluorescein angiography was normal in the right eye with good perfusion. In the left eye the patient sadly had severe 360 nonperfusion (figure 3).
Planning is a Team Sport: Which Teammates Do You Need?
This article describes which advisors are important for business owners who want to position themselves to create successful personal and business plans.
You are a talented business owner. It’s why you win in your market. But when it comes to long-term planning, having an intelligent team to support your talents can position you for even bigger wins, such as continued business success, financial independence, and a fulfilling retirement. Today, we’ll show you some of the experienced teammates with whom you’ll be working to help you focus on what you do best and win your planning championship.
The Coach and the Players
Experience in leading teams through a planning process is the key to a successful coach in this context. The coach goes by many names (Exit Planning Advisor, Business Planning Coach, Business Advisor, etc.). The key to a successful coach is the ability to extract the best that everyone on the team has to offer. This coach, by whatever name, coordinates and communicates. They move information, decisions, and implementation forward to help achieve your goals on your timeline.
Is it possible for the coach to also be a member of the team? Absolutely. A good coach can play multiple roles, sometimes acting as the team coordinator, and other times contributing their own technical experience and strategic problem-solving.
Is it possible for you to be the coach? Maybe. But is that the best and highest use of your time and energy? Maybe not.
Now let’s look at a few of the players. Your specific team will be comprised of the professionals who are right for your situation. Specific experience in business valuation, business purchases and sales, Employee Stock Ownership Plans, asset protection, or capital investment may have a key role to play on a team. But it can be helpful to look at a brief overview of the types of work that may need to get done to help you get a sense for how the team may look.
Financial Advisor and Insurance Professional
Your team may need the specialized skills of a financial advisor and insurance professional, who may be the same person or two different teammates. When the team comes up with a planning strategy, they may turn to the financial advisor to work toward your financial goals, or the insurance professional to help manage risk. The team may be going in any number of directions with its planning ideas, and these professionals contribute options that might take you across the finish line or protect you from harm.
The Certified Public Accountant (CPA)
What’s the role of a licensed CPA on your planning team? The CPA is an important teammate to have, for both short- and long-term planning. The CPA skill set may be called upon to help with tax analysis and mitigation or supporting business growth. A good CPA is always looking for options to help you manage taxes and improve cash flow.
The Attorney
The attorney skill set contributes an ability to document and implement some of the strategies that the team develops. The attorney team member may be working to protect you and your business from risk. They formalize decisions that you make during the planning process.
The attorney role can add value if you are getting the company ready for sale or managing requests from potential buyers. An experienced attorney can see potential problems and contribute ideas about how to avoid or overcome them.
The Business Consultant or Coach
Do you need another consultant or coach? Yes, you might. This consultant or coach role is very different from the coach who manages the collaboration among team members. A knowledgeable business consultant or coach may be involved helping magnify company strengths, on one hand, or minimizing company weaknesses on the other. If the team sees a need for process improvements, systems updates, management team development, or strategic planning, it’s likely the teammate with the consultant or coach experience will be called on to take the lead in those areas.
Is a Planning Team expensive?
The cost of working with a planning team will vary based on the complexity of your planning needs. A strong team delivers more value than it costs. Think of the specialized teams you may have worked with in the past – building a home or having major surgery. Those teams bring value in their wealth of experience and ability to get things done. Planning for the future of your business should be no different.
With the help of a distinguished team, you can work toward positioning your business, your family, and yourself for future success. Because teamwork and intelligence win championships.
We strive to help business owners identify and prioritize their objectives with respect to their business, their employees, and their family. If you are ready to talk about your goals for the future and get insights into how you might achieve those goals, we’d be happy to sit down and talk with you. Please feel free to contact us at your convenience.
The information contained in this article is general in nature and is not legal, tax or financial advice. For information regarding your particular situation, contact an attorney or a tax or financial professional. The information in this newsletter is provided with the understanding that it does not render legal, accounting, tax or financial advice. In specific cases, clients should consult their legal, accounting, tax or financial professional. This article is not intended to give advice or to represent our firm as being qualified to give advice in all areas of professional services. Exit Planning is a discipline that typically requires the collaboration of multiple professional advisors. To the extent that our firm does not have the expertise required on a particular matter, we will always work closely with you to help you gain access to the resources and professional advice that you need.
This is an opt-in newsletter published by Business Enterprise Institute, Inc., and presented to you by our firm. We appreciate your interest.
Any examples provided are hypothetical and for illustrative purposes only. Examples include fictitious names and do not represent any particular person or entity.
Registered Representative and Financial Advisor of Park Avenue Securities LLC (PAS). Securities products and advisory services offered through PAS, member FINRA, SIPC. Financial Representative of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America® (Guardian), New York, NY. PAS is a wholly owned subsidiary of Guardian. WestPac Wealth Partners LLC is not an affiliate or subsidiary of PAS or Guardian. Insurance products offered through WestPac Wealth Partners and Insurance Services, LLC, a DBA of WestPac Wealth Partners, LLC. CA Insurance License #0F54659. | 2024-172538 Exp. 04/26
Classifieds
Optometric Practice for sale, in National City. Owner wishes to retire after 40 yrs. Excellent location, 1200 sq ft. Priced to sell. Please call Jeff at 1-515-851-2280 or Greg at 619-477-4166. Please come by and we will be happy to show you the office. (5/24-6/24)
Optometrist needed for Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Located in Del Mar Highlands. Email info@atelieroptica.com. Ro (619)988-2102 (5/24)
Optometric Office in Escondido for lease. Three operatories, a lab, large front office area, testing rooms, dispensing optician area, large waiting room, contacts room, lounge, ADA restroom, and 2,044 square feet. Currently occupied by North County Eye Center and available May 2024. Contact Jim at jimlund08@gmail.com or at (760) 747-7800. (3/24-5/24)
Fully Equipped Optometric Office office for rent starting 1st June 2024 on a daily or weekly basis. Available Monday -Saturday. I work Sundays and Mondays doing vision therapy. I am relocating and still looking for a fabulous office space. I am looking In Old town and Bankers hill. Will be set up by June 1st 2024. Please contact Dana Dean 619-757-3937 if you’re interested to chat about options and costs.(5/24)
Price Reduced!! High Visibility High Traffic Optometry Practice Near Google Price Reduced!! Long-established, growing practice in close proximity to Google. This practice grosses approximately650K/year and is still growing. Nicely appointed pleasant, high visibility location. This one won’t last long. For more information contact Frank Sciabica at frank@omni-pg.com or call 425-985-8390. (CAO107) (5/24)
Orange County Optometry Practice. Ideal merger candidate. $340,000 gross. 30+ years of goodwill. Great location! Good visibility. Contact Frank Sciabica at 425-985-8390 or frank@omni-pg.com. (CAO105) (5/24)
New Optometry Practice in Temecula. Very modern date optometry practice in Temecula, California. Collections keep getting better every year. Lots of growth potential. Located in a beautiful area. The seller is very motivated. For more information Contact Frank Sciabica at 425-985-8390 or frank@omni-pg.com. (CAO112) (5/24)
Live Where Others Vacation! Live where others vacation! Well established Optometry Practice established in a very busy strip mall with major retailers. Located in the Palm Desert area. High-end clientele. Practice grossing $800K with great net income. For more information Contact Frank Sciabica at 425-985-8390 or frank@omni-pg.com. (CAO110). (5/24)
Looking to buy or sell a practice? We can help you with our years of experience and deep local knowledge, we make transactions smooth and stress-free. Currently, we have multiple optometry practices for sale in the states of Washington and Oregon. For more information contact Frank Sciabica at 425-985-8390/ frank@omni-pg.com or visit us at www.omnipg-opto.com. (5/24)
Associate Optometrist Needed - Part-time or full-time schedule available. Competitive daily salary and bonuses offered. Enjoy a flexible schedule and benefits including healthcare and paid time off. Work in our convenient sublease location inside Target Optical. Email drkellykeane@gmail.com to apply for this rewarding opportunity! (5/24)
Part-Time Optometrist Needed, Half Day Shifts: We are offering an excellent opportunity for a dedicated Optometrist to join our highly-rated and stress-free practice. Enjoy highly competitive pay, including bonuses, for working just 2 to 3 half-day shifts per week. Our environment is professional yet relaxed, as evidenced by our excellent reviews and the satisfaction of our patients, making your work hours a breeze. If you are motivated and passionate about eye care, we would love to hear from you. Fluency in Spanish is preferred. Please submit your resume to bnemati@earthlink.net or contact us via text at 858-504-2020 to apply. (5/24)
Optometrist needed any day of the week at the Mission Valley Costco. If interested please contact rslikker@san.rr.com or 619.977.7703 (4/24).
Associate OD needed at the Vista Costco. 3-4 days per week available. Base pay + bonus. Hours: Mon-Fri 10-6:30 Sat 9:30-5. Email kmichel@vistaoptometry.net with resume and availability (5/24)
Build Ownership in a Growing Optometry Practice, Even as a New Grad. Growing Practice at the Heart of San Diego with a 25+ Year Veteran of the Optometry Profession, with a successful history of growing multiple practices, is seeking a motivated, self-starter, entrepreneurial optometrist to join a growing optometry practice in City Heights. Practice is in a custom modern office setting, with great visibility and a proven track record of success for medical practices. Working knowledge of Spanish is preferred. Opportunity to get involved (even as a New Grad) in a growing eye care practice from the ground up, earning equity toward part or full ownership. Please email your resume to spousti@live.com (2/24)
Looking for a motivated business-minded optometrist who is tired of the daily grind of a corporate practice, and wants to be their own boss while building equity. Our dynamic, high-potential private optometry practice is seeking an optometrist who is passionate about providing exceptional eye care and looking to take their career to the next level. With us, you won’t have to work 9 hours a day in a corporate practice, just to make a modest $500-$600 per day. Instead, you can earn much more and work just a quarter of the time you would have to spend in a corporate practice. Plus, you’ll have the opportunity to build equity in the practice, meaning your hard work will pay off in the long run. If you’re ready to add a second location or if you are a new grad, we want to hear from you. Please email us at: spousti@live.com (2/24)
Wanted: Used, good condition, Retinal Camera and Autorefractor. We are looking for a reliable non-mydriatic retinal camera and autorefractor for our optometry practice. If you have recently upgraded and no longer need your used one, we appreciate you reaching out to us. Thank you. spousti@live.com (2/24)
Exceptional Opportunity: Thriving Optometry Practice & Prime Medical Office Building in San Diego FOR SALE, with the REAL ESTATE. Unlock the potential of your optometry career with this golden opportunity! Highly profitable and growing optometry practice for sale in Central San Diego, together with its modern Medical Office Building. Discover the perfect blend of profitability and growth in this dynamic location (the second most active redevelopment zone, after downtown, in San Diego). Whether you're starting a new practice or expanding an established one, this is your chance to shine in a highly dense area, strategically positioned near more than 80 schools and 9 minutes from Downtown San Diego, and surrounded by 4 major freeways. Step into the future of healthcare with a contemporary medical office building, featuring three separate suites, that can be joined if needed into one big clinic and a total of 7 highly upgraded and move-in ready exam rooms. What sets it apart? Half of this impressive structure can be leased to other medical professionals, delivering a steady income stream, while the other half continues to house the thriving optometry practice. Seize the moment to drive your practice's growth while building equity in a high-potential, modern commercial real estate property. This isn't just an opportunity; it's a game-changer for those who dream big. For more details, please reach out via email (bnemati@earthlink.net). (2/24)
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