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Education

The Clear Choice in Austin Eye Care

Dr. Javier Zamora and Dr. Debbie Zamora opened Advanced Eye Care & Surgery six years ago in Round Rock, Texas, just outside Austin. Home to technology companies such as Dell and Cirrus Logic, it seemed the perfect area for eye care practitioners looking to develop a practice offering patients the best in eye care technology.

“The challenge in any business is how to set it apart from its competitors,” Javier Zamora said. “I followed the iZon^® High Resolution Eyeglass Lenses for a year and a half and, once the progressive lenses were introduced, I knew this would be a product that would distinguish my practice as offering the finest in eyeglass technology.”

Zamora was the first in the Austin area to purchase a Z-View^® Aberrometer from developer Ophthonix in November 2006. The instrument was installed in a matter of weeks, and the staff was immediately eager to be educated about the Z-View and the iZon Lens technology.

It was important for Zamora not only to train his staff on the technology, but also to make sure they had personal experience from which to speak when discussing the benefits of iZon Lenses with Advanced Eye Care’s patients.

“It was never a question for me of should the staff have iZon Lenses. It was a question of how quickly I could get everyone to wear them,” Zamora said. “Some of the contact lens wearers were a bit hesitant to jump back into eyeglasses, but once they made the switch over to the iZon Lenses, they were amazed by the increase in their vision quality.”

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The staff’s first-hand experience has proved quite helpful, because Zamora has found his patients are inquisitive about the lens technology offered by the practice.

“Patient education has always been a cornerstone of our practice, and it must start in the exam room with the doctor,” Zamora said. “We can use the Z-View portal software in the exam room to educate the patient on the wavefront technology so they are aware that iZon is not just a different brand of lens, but that the design is unique and unlike anything else currently on the market. Patients are fascinated by the iPrintTM and how is drives the customization process.”

The staff at Advanced Eye Care & Surgery acknowledges that a piece of the educational process is discussing the cost of the lenses with patients. A pair of iZon Lenses costs slightly more than most other lenses Zamora offers. The cost has not deterred patients, and he often has patients who come to the practice specifically requesting iZon Lenses.

“If the patient has all of the information on the technology and how it can transform their vision with eyeglasses, they do not experience that ‘sticker shock,’” Zamora said. “After hearing the full profile on the iZon Lenses, some patients have even remarked that they thought the price on the lens would be higher than I quoted.”

Zamora has found the time invested in patient education leads to sales of iZon Lenses, which has translated to a strong increase in revenue for the practice. Advanced Eye Care & Surgery saw a 72 percent growth in optical revenue in the first six months after purchasing the Z-View Aberrometer.

Zamora cautions that one cannot simply purchase a Z-View and expect sales to skyrocket. He believes success is directly related to how you use this superior technology once it is installed in your practice.

“We were somewhat surprised by how much our revenue increased,” Zamora said. “I believe it is due to a combination of many factors, including our staff’s wonderful communication with patients, the support of the Ophthonix team and the high interest level of our patients.”

Marketing to Austin residents, both existing patients and the general public, played a part in Zamora’s success with the iZon Lenses.

“Marketing and advertising are tools we utilized, as brand recognition and word of mouth can drive growth in sales,” Zamora said. “We even had a local radio talk show personality come to the office for the lenses, and he loved them so much he did some testimonials on his popular morning radio show.”

Zamora immediately took advantage of the stable of marketing materials Ophthonix has available to Z-View practices.

“We make maximum use of the marketing tool kit, Publicize, that is available on the Ophthonix Web site,” Zamora said. “The kit is easy to use as it includes a wide variety of ready-to-use materials, as well as a very strong co-op advertising allowance to help us promote our practice and the iZon Lenses.”

Advanced Eye Care & Surgery displays the patient education materials developed by Ophthonix in its waiting room and on its website.

“Austin is a city with a foundation in the best in technology,” Zamora said. “It was easy to communicate the benefits of the iZon Lenses to inquisitive patients who could understand the concept of high definition vision based on their experience with high definition television.”

The response from his patients is all the proof Zamora needs to know he is providing his patients with the most advanced eye care technology.

“I have one patient who had made every effort to correct her vision, trying seven or eight different pairs of eyeglasses and contact lenses,” Zamora said. “No product was giving her the results she was looking for, until I got her into a pair of iZon Lenses.”

Drs. Javier and Debbie Zamora prescribe an average of 25 pairs of iZon Lenses each month. He believes that number will continue to grow as awareness about iZon Lenses spreads throughout the Austin community.

“With the iZon Lenses, we are introducing a new era of personalized vision care to our patients,” Zamora said. “When I am constantly hearing from patients they are experiencing improved color vision, increased clarity and crispness and less light distortion at night, I am satisfied knowing that we are offering the best on the market to our patients.”