September 1, 2025
By Mariam Hermiz, OD
Photo Credit: Dreamstime Photos
I’ve been leading the myopia management segment of Dundas Optometry in Dundas, Ontario, for the past five years. As one of our three practice partners, I was excited to take on this role and introduce a new set of services to our patient base. We have a generational practice—originally established in 1989—and we see everyone from pediatrics to geriatrics. We do have many families moving into our area, so our number of young patients is on the rise.
Here are my best practices from starting from scratch to finding success with your myopia management services.
Start small
At first, I thought I had to do everything at once. But then I started thinking about how I could make a big impact with a smaller start. I started simple with soft contact lenses and glasses before eventually moving into orthokeratology as the demand grew.
Train the whole team
Don’t overlook training for your staff. They are fielding questions from patients before they even get to the exam room. Keep this as an ongoing educational initiative until the staff is comfortable. Eventually, they can step in to help train patients and parents.
Get staff involved
Have staff attend presentations when representatives visit to showcase new technologies. Their confidence and positive efforts can help parents more easily make decisions when they come in.
Build a referral network
In our small community, we have a great connection with other local optometrists. I designed a pamphlet on Canva for marketing. We send it out to new doctors and as a reminder to our existing network. I send back a report to every referring doctor. It’s a gesture showing that I will send patients back to them. We are augmenting the patient’s care, not taking away from their regular provider.
Share your knowledge
During our quarterly meetings with all our doctors, we take time to talk about advances in myopia management and share knowledge learned at recent CE meetings. This way, we can all benefit from the education.
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Mariam Hermiz, OD, is a partner at Dundas Optometry. |
Are you getting started with myopia management? Check out our Getting Started guide for practical advice from colleagues around the country.
