Dr. Marla Hayden shares how her family-focused community has benefited from her commitment to myopia management.
September 15, 2025
By Marla Hayden, OD
Four years after I purchased Heinsight Eyecare in Milford, Michigan, I was ready to diversify beyond the glaucoma and dry eye that dominated my schedule and better serve my community. I found my answer in myopia management.
I had already worked with orthokeratology lenses for kids who wanted to be glasses-free or played sports. This foundation plus the debut of MiSight 1 day lenses in 2019 offered the perfect opportunity to formalize my practice’s myopia management program. I completed CooperVision’s training and earned my certificate just as the pandemic hit, but it didn’t stall my ambition.
Once I learned how to talk to parents about myopia, I realized that it should be the standard of care. Two of my three children are myopic, so I understand that the need is there. We need to offer solutions, not just tell parents that their child’s prescription has increased and hand them new glasses.
Expanding for More Access
Growing patient demand and new associate Janiece Mattice, OD, prompted me to expand and remodel my clinic, which wrapped up in October 2024. I partnered with an architect to double the square footage by building into the side yard. We added a third exam room and expanded the optical to four stations and a new kids’ section. The bigger space not only lets both Dr. Mattice and I serve more patients but also allows for enough space to accommodate my practice’s full range of services.
I manage every myopia appointment myself so I can track patients’ progress and build strong relationships with their families. The more patients I talk to, the easier it gets. It’s become routine to have this conversation with every single nearsighted child and their parents. I also lead all patient and family education myself, though I’ve considered adding a dedicated myopia champion to my team. In addition to this in-person counseling, I give every family an informational brochure to review at home.
One of three exam rooms at Heinsight Eyecare. Photo courtesy of Dr. Marla Hayden.
Connecting with parents and ensuring they understand the condition and its treatments is essential for me. Parents who are nearsighted usually get it, but it’s often tricky for parents who aren’t. This is why I always stress that catching it early is good—and I strongly urge starting some type of treatment. I also offer payment plans to help families manage the expense of these therapies.
Myopia Management Treatments
We offer three myopia management therapies at Heinsight Eyecare: orthokeratology, low-dose atropine and MiSight 1 day contact lenses. Most families choose the one-day lenses because they’re easy. All the patient has to do is put them in and enjoy clear vision all day without worry.
My MiSight patients return every six months for an exam that includes axial length measurements and refractions. These objective data points help me clearly demonstrate treatment effectiveness to parents. Because I stock a six-month supply of lenses in-office, parents simply pick up their child’s next supply at each visit. I have no problem keeping patients in MiSight because both kids and parents are satisfied. It’s a big market, and there are a lot of children out there who aren’t receiving the care they need.
Getting the Word Out
I even speak with my adult nearsighted patients about myopia management. I tell them that myopia is genetic, so if they have children, they should bring them in for an exam. Many adults don’t even know you can treat myopia.
Word-of-mouth is Heinsight’s strongest marketing engine, followed by advertising at schools, school events and the YMCA. I’ve also built a referral relationship with a nearby optometrist who sends me myopia cases.
With consistent follow-up, community engagement and a growing referral network, Heinsight Eyecare has become Milford’s all-in-one vision hub for patients of all ages.
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Marla Hayden, OD, is the owner and lead optometrist at Heinsight Eyecare in Milford, Michigan. She attended the Illinois College of Optometry, and she specializes in preventative health care, dry eye treatment, myopia management, multifocal contact lenses and more. Her decades of experience have allowed her to treat generations of patients who benefit from an accurate diagnosis of and innovative solutions for all vision issues. |
*Indications for use: MiSight 1 day (omafilcon A) soft (hydrophilic) contact lenses for daily wear are indicated for the correction of myopic ametropia and for slowing the progression of myopia in children with non-diseased eyes, who at the initiation of treatment are 8-12 years of age and have a refraction of -0.75 to -4.00 diopters (spherical equivalent) with ≤ 0.75 diopters of astigmatism. The lens is to be discarded after each removal.
