For Your Eyes Only

2090CorydonAve. 204.889.7408 www.foreyesoptical.ca 212RegentAveW. 204.224.2254 www.transconaoptical.ca Theoptometricpartnershipof Dr.BruceRosner, Dr.StevenMintz, Dr.ElisaFiorentinoand Dr.AlissaBoroditsky aswellas Dr.KarenBlackie(associate) arepleasedtowelcome Dr.StevenMalo asapartner. WeareyourComprehensiveEyeCareCenters, featuringOptomapretinalscanning,ZeissOCT, andautomatedvisualfieldtesting. Ourofficesarefullyequippedtodetect,monitor andtreateyediseases. ReendersSquare Eye Centre • (204)421-9429 50-11 Reenders Drive or visit rseyecentre.ca Dr. Alison McMechan Optometrist Tues.,Wed.,Fri.9am-5pm•Thurs.9am-6pm•Sat.9am-3pm •ComprehensiveEyeExaminations •ContactLensFittingandTraining •GlaucomaandCataractEvaluation •DigitalRetinalPhotography •AWideSelectionofEyewear •SpecialPricingonChildren'sEyewear •DirectBillingtoBlueCross,GreatWest Life,Sunlife,Desjardinsandothers. reserve vision, eliminate eye injuries, increase visual performance in the Manitoba workplace – these are the goals of the Occupational Vision Care Program, offered through the Manitoba Association of Optometrists. Since the program launched about two years ago, 45 companies have jumped on board, and the numbers continue to grow. As president of the Manitoba Association of Optometrists, Dr. Neil Campbell explains how this initiative provides safety eyewear for businesses. "Our program currently goes directly to employers to provide as a benefit to their employees," he said. "We cover a broad range of workers. We're talking about anyone from mechanics to factory workers to people working on job sites — pretty much anywhere that you should be wearing safety eyewear. If you're drilling, hammering, sawing or welding, you're at risk. You need to have your safety eyewear." Through the plan, a dedicated staff member is available to provide information and answer questions for both employers and employees. Agreements are custom-tailored for each industrial environment. For participating companies, employees can book a comprehensive eye exam with an optometrist who is involved in the initiative. About two-thirds of the optometrists in Manitoba signed up under the program, which means participants are not obliged to go to a specific doctor's office to get their safety eyewear. "You can go see the doctors in Killarney, in Carman, in Morden, in Winnipeg," Campbell said. "There are several locations in Winnipeg all throughout the city, so it gives patients a lot of choice." These optometrists conduct thorough eye exams, with added consideration for the specific workplace needs of each employee. "We're not just trying to find out their prescriptions," Campbell said. "We will talk about what their profession is, what their occupation is and what they're doing. Then we can guide them." After their exam, patients can choose from a selection of sample frames. A Canadian lab then produces the product and ships it directly to the optometrist. Workers come back to the office for a final fitting of the eyewear, which meets Canadian safety standards. "The thing that employees like about our product is that it's prescription eyewear. A lot of employers only offer fit-overs or basic safety glasses, so they've got two pairs of glasses on or they're trying to wear their contacts," Campbell said. "Here they get a better product with their prescription built into the safety eye frames. You get full field of view with your prescription and you get the same safety lens that you get in your safety glasses." As a result, employers and employees can benefit from improved safety in the workplace. "The better you can see, the less likely you are to make a mistake and the more likely you are to wear the product," Campbell said. "A lot of times if patients wear glasses, they forget to wear their safety glasses because they have something on their face already. This allows us to improve their vision and therefore improve safety." As well, the eyewear can withstand industrial environments because it is built to last. "We have a high-quality product in terms of our lenses and our coatings so that we don't have to worry about the scratching. We have the scratch coatings built in so that we are protecting the lenses and making them stronger and better for patients," Campbell said. "The more comfortable and better the product, the more apt you are to wear it." The process is convenient for workers, since they can visit any optometrist that's part of the Occupational Vision Care Program. For now, only dispensing optometrists can be involved in the initiative. In the future, Campbell would like to see the options expand. "With some of the other programs, there are only select locations that you can go to," Campbell said. "We have the broadest base of coverage in terms of access to the program of any program that's out there." And as a perk for employers, the initiative aims to remain cost- effective. "We want the safest product at the most reasonable price," Campbell said. "The way that we run our program is to keep our costs down by having (higher) volume. The more clients we get on, the better our pricing will become." LARGESELECTION oftheNEWESTFASHIONS INBOTHEYEGLASSESANDSUNGLASSES. THREELOCATIONS:110-3025PortageAve. 130-1570KenastonBlvd. 2-1570RegentAve. AuthorizedOakleydealer Alltypesofcontactlensesavailable Optometristsareavailableatalllocations. Newpatientswelcome. 3rdflr#302,414GrahamAvenue Phone204.942.0838 AOOKTherapy ContactLenses Glasses,Sunglasses Glasses,Sunglasses QualityEyeCareForOver60Years QualityEyeCareForOver60Years www.contactlens.ca www.contactlens.ca NowOpen: MontoThur9am-6pm, Fri9am-5pm, Sat10am-2pm EYES FOR YOUR ONLY pROGRAM AIMS tO REDUcE wORkpLAcE EYE INJURIES BY JENNIFER McFEE For the Free Press DR. NEIL cAMpBELL, pRESIDENt OF thE MANItOBA ASSOcIAtION OF OptOMEtRIStS. PHOTO bY DARcY FINLEY FOR THE WINNIPEG FREE PRESS p Optometrists set their professional fees based on the time, responsibility and resources (technology, staff) required to provide a given service or test. You may expect to find variation in fees optometrists charge, as some may use different testing equipment or structure their fees differently. As part of Medicare in Manitoba, the Provincial Government insures basic optometric eye exams for children under 18 and seniors aged 65 years and older every two-year calendar block, starting with odd years. It also insures ocular health exams for Manitobans of any age with diagnosed eye disease or, preventively, for those Manitoba Health has defined as at risk for developing eye disease (for example, if you have diabetes). Ask your optometrist if you are eligible for an insured benefit. Note that Manitoba Health does not insure all diagnostic tests your optometrist may conduct to ascertain a diagnosis, monitor a condition or check for eye disease as part of a routine eye examination. So, even if you are eligible for an insured eye exam, there may be services the doctor cannot bill on your behalf to Manitoba Health and may bill to you. Most people are aware that Manitoba Health also does not insure corrective or therapeutic services (eyeglasses, contact lenses, visual training). However, private insurance group health plans will often pay for at least a portion of these costs. If you have extended health insurance, ask the plan administrator what is covered under your vision benefit. -SOURcE: MANITObA ASSOcIATION OF OPTOMETRISTS whAt IS thE cOSt OF AN EYE ExAM? V I S I O N F A Q S whAt cAN I ExpEct tO hAppEN DURING MY EYE ExAM? There are different levels of eye examina- tion, depending on the reason for the visit — whether you are attending for a routine, preventive examination, if you have indicated a specific concern or reason for the visit, if the doctor schedules a visit to monitor a con- dition or potential condition or if you are a new patient. Every optometric exam starts with a careful case history. This includes family history of diseases affecting eye health or vision, personal ocular history, medications, signs or symptoms of potential vision problems and activities that may affect an individual's vision needs. Ability to see near and far, with and without glasses is measured. As well, eye muscle co- ordination and movement is assessed. The refractive status (lens prescription) is determined. Because this can fluctuate with blood sugar levels, cataracts and other ocular or systemic conditions, it is important to consider information gleaned from the case history and conduct a full ocular health assessment – the reason for refractive error must be determined so that treatment is appropriate to the diagnosis. The health of the eyes is examined with a variety of lenses, lights and equipment and, depending on the doctor's findings, further diagnostic tests may be conducted. Your optometrist analyzes all informa- tion derived from the examination to deter- mine a diagnosis and, if appropriate, a treat- ment plan. Some people see their eye doctor with no complaints, but are surprised to find there may be an issue with their eyes. The opposite can be true where a patient is fearful of losing vision, but is reassured to find that these concerns are not vision-threatening. There is no substitute for regular, comprehensive eye examinations. -SOURcE: MANITObA ASSOcIATION OF OPTOMETRISTSADDITION TO GLASSES.

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