Eyeworld

108 | EYEWORLD | MARCH 2020 O UTSIDE THE OR Contact Boling: HBoling@BolingVisionCenter.com recruiting staff and doctors since launching the mobile eyecare unit. Pearls for other practices Think a mobile unit might work well in your market? Ms. Boling shared a few pearls for other ophthalmic practice leaders. 1. Go deep with your research. Identify potential partners, gauge community interest and the market, and determine your start-up and ongoing budget. Whatever that budget is, add a contingency fund to it, Ms. Boling advised. 2. Don't plan on a cash cow. Although Boling Vision has gotten a sizable business boost from the mobile unit, that won't be the case in all circumstances. In fact, practice leaders are still looking for an insurance company that will cover the mobile unit as a site or place of service. "This means that everything we have been able to do on the for-profit side has consisted of free screenings and cash-pay services and consultations," she said. 3. Have a point person on staff for the mobile unit. Adding a mobile unit to the already-busy practice has been a challenge, although Ms. Boling said it's been worth it. "Our work on the front end makes for a suc- cessful back-end operation," she said. Make sure you have a designated person on staff for the program before any wheels ever hit the ground. 4. Plan where to keep the mobile unit. At Boling Vision, the mobile unit is kept in the employee parking lot during warmer months, and in cold months, they use a bus/semi garage storage area. 5. Learn how to hit the road right. "The biggest challenge we've identified so far is navigating the big rig," she said. They've trained several people on how to drive the unit and have developed an operation manual to ensure best practices when driving or set- ting up the mobile unit for use. To help track the mobile unit's effective- ness, Ms. Boling and practice leaders decided to work for the first year with a group that tracks data collection and management and performs predictive analytics. In addition to insights for the practice, these types of numbers could help other practices or healthcare systems make a case for doing this type of outreach in the future, Ms. Boling said. Program effectiveness The Kindness to Prevent Blindness mobile exam unit launched in September 2018, visiting schools and community centers three to four times a week in its busiest season to provide eye exams. In the 2018/2019 school year, the mo- bile unit served more than 4,000 students and dispensed approximately 1,000 pairs of glasses. So far in 2019/2020, the program has grown more than 400%, Ms. Boling said. "Not that this kind of growth is always go- ing to happen, but it definitely shows the need for this program in the community," she said. Local schools and teachers have noticed a difference among school-aged children. "We received 240 surveys back from teachers and educators, and the surveys documented a 30% increase in reading scores and a 45% decrease in behavior issues," she said. The use of volunteers to help from both inside and outside the practice has moved the Kindness to Prevent Blindness program along. These volunteers include doctors from inside and outside the practice, employees and their families, community volunteers (including retired teachers, coaches, and engaged parents), and members of local nonprofits. The chance to help with the mobile unit has also boosted morale for practice team members, Ms. Boling said. Ms. Boling was surprised by how the mobile unit has garnered publicity and more business for the practice. "We've had a variety of organizations reaching out to us to see how they can partner with us because they want to support a practice that invests in the commu- nity and is committed to bettering the lives of vulnerable populations," she said. The practice has had record-breaking new patient rates while maintaining established patients. In addition, it has had more success in Relevant disclosures Boling: None continued from page 106 Features of the Kindness to Prevent Blindness mobile unit •Two examination lanes and related equipment •An optical finishing lab for onsite glasses dispensing •A small pre-testing area •An optical display area •Two bathrooms •Handicap accessibility •Surround sound music •Large television screens for entertainment

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