Eye Give a Damn! – Details, episodes & analysis

Melissa Barnett, OD, FAAO, was involved early in the development of scleral lenses and is now considered a legend in specialty contact lens fitting. In fact, she was one of the authors to publish the first contemporary scleral lens textbook in 2017. She also spent four years in an ophthalmology practice, where she became certified in California to treat glaucoma. Currently, she serves as the Director of Optometry at UC Davis in Northern California. She believes every optometrist should get involved with their local and state optometry associations. Today, she is clearly passionate about discussing keratoconus with colleagues and patients on her Clearly KC podcast. After authoring 300+ publications and delivering numerous lectures, Dr. Barnett is honored that she is now able to advocate for colleagues, diversity and the industry, which resonates well with her personal why: “To elevate others through the power of connection.”

Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media.

For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/

Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media. 

Viola Kanevsky, OD, was born in the former Soviet Union, but after a family “adventure” they settled down in New York City when she was a child. Like most optometrists, she worked in several modes of practice early on, but today, she owns a specialty pediatrics practice in Manhattan. She loves seeing children and considers it “play time” rather than an exam. Her advice for working with kids is to think outside of the box, be patient, and follow their lead. She shares her tips on how to fit infants and small children with specialty contact lenses (psst... The secret is keeping the parent calm). Her practice does not take vision plans or medical plans (other than Medicare) because she wants to be able to prescribe what is best for each patient. She also discusses her family’s passion project called “The Ship of Tolerance.” You may have seen her witty posts and comments as a group expert in ODs on Facebook, but now it’s time to get to know Dr. Viola Kanevsky better.

Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media.

For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/

Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media. 

While optometry school was a last-minute decision for her, Dr. Julie Rodman knows it was the best decision she ever made. During her residency at the VA, she discovered her passion for working with students and watching them grow. Today, as a professor at Nova Southeastern University, she teaches the retina course and serves as the Chief of the Broward Eye Care Institute, exposing her students to a wide variety of pathologies in the real world. She also spent several years as the residency education coordinator and now runs a resident case report contest for the Optometric Retina Society. Her early introduction to OCT supercharged her passion for retina, so much so that she wrote a book about OCT-Angiography in 2019. Currently, she is working on two studies focused on geographic atrophy and diabetic retinopathy. 

Key Moments:

1:37 Dr. Julie Rodman’s path to optometry

3:38 From residency to academia

4:57 Teaching retina and running the clinic

6:55 The ‘sexiness’ of retina

9:30 Dr. Rodman’s research in retina

11:05 Why she loves optometry

13:59 A shout out to the power of OCT-A

18:38 The role of optometry

21:52 Residency programs

25:28 Dr. Allen’s learnings from his own residency

30:10 Dr. Rodman’s two current studies in geographic atrophy and diabetic retinopathy

Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media.

For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/

Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media. 

Dr. Sherrol Reynolds has three key passions: diversity and representation, mentorship, and high-quality eye health care. This has led her to become a strong voice in optometry focused on advocating for the profession’s role in overall healthcare with a goal of increasing communication and collaboration between optometrists and other members of their patients’ healthcare team. She has won numerous awards and held several key leadership positions for the National Optometric Association, Optometric Retina Society, the National Eye Institute, Prevent Blindness, and the Florida Optometric Society. As a leader in diabetes and diabetic retinopathy education, she is changing the narrative for patients with diabetes and their healthcare providers so that no one unnecessarily loses their vision due to diabetes like her aunt did. Ultimately, she wants every human to have access to high-quality healthcare. 

Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media.

For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/

Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media. 

Dr. Joshua Davidson has a clear passion for eye care and his patients as an optometrist, which has led him to help solve their problems through innovation and product development. He has become a national expert on Dry Eye Disease and specialty contact lenses. While seeing 30-50 dry eye patients a day and discussing the importance of drinking water, he realized there was a hole in the market. He pulled together a few doctors to formulate a drink mix specifically to help dry eye patients. He discusses the entrepreneurial journey with Dr. Joseph Allen and shares the lessons he learned along the way … from idea to product development to bringing it to market. 

Learn more about the Dry Eye Drink here: https://dryeyedrink.com/ 

Key Moments 

1:59 How Dr. Davidson got into optometry 

3:56 Where/how Dr. Davidson practices optometry today 

5:29 His path to focusing on specialty lenses 

8:07 The origins and development of the Dry Eye Drink 

12:52 Collaborating with five doctors on product development 

14:15 Bringing a new product to market 20:40 Flavor preferences. Does orange Dry Eye Drink taste like Tang? 

22:22 Adding a night-time version to Dry Eye Drink 

24:44 The research behind melatonin 

28:22 The importance of having a mentor as an entrepreneur 

30:25 The need for front-line doctors to create products that improve patients’ lives 

33:30 Where the best ideas come from 35:49 Future research on the Dry Eye Drink 

37:10 Thoughts on uniform licensing nationally

Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media.

For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/

Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media. 

After getting her first pair of glasses at age 12 and seeing the individual leaves on trees for the first time, Pam knew she’d be an optometrist. As an adult, she struggled with her own dry eyes, which led her to focus on helping others alleviate their symptoms. Today, Dr. Pam Theriot advocates for 4 simple steps for a daily hygiene routine: Hydrate, Harmonize, Heat, Heal. Listen in to hear how Dr. Theriot is sharing her knowledge with the masses through her clinic, her book and now the metaverse: https://theomniverse.city/dry-eye-metaverse/

Learn more about Dr. Pam Theriot

Find her book "Alleviate Dry Eye"  

Key Moments 

0:48 Dr. Allen introduces Dr. Pam Theriot 

2:05 How Dr. Theriot found optometry 

3:17 Moving around as a military spouse 

5:38 Creating a dry eye clinic 

8:43 The path to self-publishing 

13:48 Preparing patients prior to initial consultation 

14:40 post-appointment follow-up communication 

16:43 Dr. Theriot’s 4 simple steps for daily eye hygiene 

18:11 Recommending nutritional supplements with Omega fatty acids 

20:57 Dry eye technology and treatments 

23:03 The future dry eye treatments 

25:48 The first dry eye clinic in the Metaverse 

33:07 Eye care should be part of your daily health care

Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media.

For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/

Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media. 

When it comes to overcoming obstacles, Dr. Cecelia Koetting likes to tackle them head on. In her mid-thirties while training for a marathon, she was diagnosed with Stage 4 colorectal cancer right before the world shut down for COVID. Luckily, her attitude has always been to never ask “why me?” but to find a path forward and roll with it. Her experience battling cancer led her to try to connect with each patient on a more human level. As for optometry and patient care, if Dr. Cecelia Koetting doesn’t have an answer to a question, she dives in to figure it out. This often leads to the creation of her CE lectures, including those on hormone replacement therapy and limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD). This has also led to her current pursuit of a Master of Public Health in epidemiology and biostatistics which she hopes will allow her to find opportunities to further improve the profession of optometry.

Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media.

For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/

Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media. 

Michael Cymbor, OD, FAAO, radiates with a passion for optometry, especially when it comes to the connection between exercise, muscle mass, and ocular health. He discusses the research and how different types and intensities of exercise should be considered for different conditions. He knows each patient will have a different reaction to “you should exercise more,” so he makes sure to meet them where they are regarding their exercise routine. Dr. Cymbor truly enjoys mentoring optometry students, as well as tapping into his creative side, which led to the creation of hid video: “Night of the Living DEModex.” 

Key Moments: 

2:49 Dr. Cymbor’s path to a career in optometry 

5:13 What brought Dr. Cymbor to State College, PA (“Happy Valley” … home of Penn State University) 

6:20 The story behind his video: “The Night of the Living Demodex” 

11:46 Dr. Cymbor’s passion for glaucoma care and how it led to The Glaucoma Institute in partnership with his ophthalmologist partner 

14:55 The types of optometrists who gravitate towards a glaucoma specialty 

19:09 Current views on glaucoma research 

21:08 Dry eye and ocular surface disease 

27:30 Finding your sense of purpose 

30:00 The value and importance of mentorship 

33:10 Exercise and ocular health 

38:09 How muscle mass impacts blood sugar levels 

41:29 Exercise and eye pressure as it relates to glaucoma 

44:05 Research into exercise and stress management 

48:10 “Meeting patients where they are” regarding exercise 

51:55 The Pickleball effect 

54:00 The importance of earlier intervention to improve outcomes

Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media.

For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/

Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media. 

Jeffry Gerson always knew he wanted to be in the medical field, but having an aversion to blood and finding a positive role model led him to pursue optometry. Today, he practices at a collaborative OD/MD practice and is a prolific lecturer and writer who enjoys encouraging young people to explore optometry. He also partners with industry to help advise on new products and technologies, treatment protocols, and patient care. Over the years, he has developed a clear passion for the retina, especially caring for patients with age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. When it comes to patient education, Dr. Gerson is most excited about finding disease early so that he can start the conversation with his patients to put them on the right path. He and his wife also prioritize volunteering and giving back to their community, from going on missions and providing free eye exams to co-chairing a charity event that focuses on helping people with addiction.

Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media.

For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/

Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media. 

If you’ve ever dreamed of owning your own optometry private practice, developing a niche, inventing a new product, or giving back to the community, then take some time to be inspired by Dr. Janelle Davison’s story. Like many others, she found her path to optometry by speaking to her own optometrist then finding a mentor who was doing everything she wanted for her own life – owning a practice, growing a family, teaching, and loving life as a doctor. In 2010, She cold opened her own practice in Georgia and has never looked back. She and her business partner, who is also her husband, invented PARADEYEM software to help ODs take control of optical revenue, increase efficiency, and reduce costs. Today, Dr. Davison is known as the “Dry Eye Mentor” and enjoys customizing treatment plans for each patient by listening to their needs and addressing their goals.  As a natural extension to treating dry eye disease and based on a suggestion from a patient, Dr. Davison has evolved her clinic to provide full-service ocular aesthetics with an in-office spa. Finally, her true passion is mentoring high school students. She and her sister (a dentist) created S.C.O.R.E. INC. to “pay it forward” and encourage minority high school students to pursue careers in dentistry, optometry, or ophthalmology, as less than 6% of doctors in the US are African American or Hispanic American.

Discover more about Dr. Janelle Davison and her passions:

https://brillianteyesvisioncenter.com/

https://dryeyeinstituteofga.com/

https://thedryeyementor.com/

https://wescore.org/

https://paradeyem.com/

Eye Give a Damn hosted by Dr. Joseph Allen is produced by FluoreSCENE Media.

For more information on Dr. Joseph Allen visit https://doctoreyehealth.com/

Visit https://odcommunity.com/ to learn more about FluoreSCENE Media.