TLC CEO Discusses Support of Optometry

Post date: Feb 05, 2014 2:59:39 AM

While I personally dislike both peas and carrots, I sure do agree with the message of the TLC Chief Executive Office George Neal detailed below. - jw

Our Relationship with Optometry

By George Neal, Chief Executive Officer

The history, the trust, and relationship between TLC & Optometry is like Forrest Gump said, "Jenny and me was like peas and carrots, we just go together". Our heritage in the LASIK industry and refractive market started together. TLC & Optometry have co-managed patients for 20 years and it has been a great marriage.

Our business model is built on Optometric Co-management and we have no intention of changing that model or our relationship with Optometry. In the last few years, as we were inwardly focused on rebuilding TLC's infrastructure we never forgot about Optometry and patient co-management but we did not actively engage Optometry to the level we did early in our partnership. Today, we are more active and visible than any period in the last 10 years.

We conduct hundreds of Continuing Education (CE) events annually with Optometrists throughout the US and Canada, which provides us the opportunity to engage with our Optometric partners on key patient

treatments and therapies. We have large and diversified booths at major Optometric events like AOA, SECO, and others. In fact we are the only company EVER to have both VISX Excimer Lasers and IntraLase Femto-second lasers in our exhibit booth at many of these major conventions. We conducted "wet labs" at these meetings so any and all Optometrists could sit behind the laser and gain the experience of what we do every single day. Many of our prominent surgeons attended these events and worked closely with University Presidents, students, and practicing Optometrists as they sat behind the laser. No company has invested more and trusted Optometry as we have done over the years. We are driven to continue this strong relationship as we move into the future together.

We believe in patient co-management and unlike many of our major competitors (LVI & LCA) we are proud of this relationship and together we are focused on patient outcomes and safety. One of the primary drivers for our outstanding outcomes and safety profile (Pillar One) is the close working partnership between our Clinical Directors and affiliate Optometrists. Our affiliate Optometrists are confident when they send their patient to our centers and know we will provide Gold Standard service, great outcomes, a safe procedure and most importantly, they know the patient will be right back in their practice for care.

Finally, the practices we work with every day have the same goals as we do and the Four Pillars of our organization will reflect their philosophy also! We both want a great outcome and safety profile, we

both want to provide a great patient experience, we believe in each other, and technology is just as important in their practice as it is in ours.

Like Forrest said, "just like peas and carrots".