A Blogger’s Event: Eye Exams, Lenscrafters and BlogHer

Dr Bearden is currently on the Lenscrafters Optometric Advisory Council (LOAC) with other Doctors and Lenscrafters leaders from around the country.  Dominque Simon is the Regional Director of Operations for Lenscrafters in New York and also a member of the LOAC.  Dominique (she’s in the back row, farthest to the right in the above pic) informed Dr Bearden of this really cool Blogger event hosted by Lenscrafters in NYC…

In August, LensCrafters hosted a private in-store event for BlogHer bloggers in the NY area to teach parent bloggers about the importance of eye health and style for themselves and their families. The event was held at the Lenscrafters flagship store in Manhattan on 5th Ave in New York City. Bloggers also received tips from LensCrafters on how to make the most out of eye exams and best practices in working with eye doctors.

The event was led by LensCrafters’ VP of Eyecare, Dr. Eliot Grossman and Dr. Shirlie Dowd. Additional LensCrafters’ Eye Doctors were on hand to mingle with Bloggers and conduct eye exams throughout the event.  Style experts were also on hand to help Bloggers to select the right style frames for their face and the best lenses for them.

BlogHer Reviewers take a closer look at LensCrafters:

On the August night in Manhattan, BlogHer’s gathered with the folks from LensCrafters to enjoy some good company, learn some things they didn’t know about eye health, try on new frames with the help of stylists and basically have a pretty good time doing it. They’ve captured the event in their blogs and we think you’ll be surprised by what they each took away from the experience.

Debi was amazed by what she learned:

“Did you know that 10 MILLION children in this country need glasses but aren’t wearing them!?! I had no idea. I was actually quite stunned.”

ChefDruck found a new appreciation for the importance of eye exams:

“Your eyes are valuable, being blind would be terrifying, so why avoid eye exams? They had my attention.”

Victoria appreciated the timing of the event:

“Our rockstar pediatrician dropped the bombshell at her all important 5 year check up that Miss Natalie succeeded at failing her vision test; he also recommended a follow up exam elsewhere. Lovely. Minutes later I saw a Blogher ad announcing their event with LensCrafters…”

Pretty Lady was impressed with the presentation:

“Pretty Lady is pleased to inform you that Lenscrafters has formulated a Serious Educational Agenda, which, unlike a great many commercial endeavors, actually managed to educate her.”

Kimberly found out that eye exams are incredibly important for your overall health:

“But what I didn’t know is that your eyes aren’t only the windows to your soul, they can also be the best windows to your health.”

Check Out the BlogHer Blogger’s Blogs……(try saying THAT 10 times fast!):

http://loveisnewadditionstothefamily.blogspot.com/2008/08/open-your-eyes.html

http://www.parentingourchildren.com/have-you-had-your-eye-exam-yet/

http://plwellness.blogspot.com/2008/08/vision-on-fifth-avenue.html

http://chefdruck.blogspot.com/2008/08/is-swag-overdose-possible.html

From enjoying gourmet treats to the personal attention from all of the LensCrafters staff at the event, all of the bloggers had a wonderful time learning about eye health and eyewear fashion!!

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Patient Testimonial for Child’s Eye Exam: Sofia and Laura Talpos

Vodpod videos no longer available.

5 year old Sofia Talpos is Dr Bearden’s patient.  She has come in to visit Dr Bearden at Visionary Eyecare  several times in the past few months so Dr Bearden can fine tune her glasses while she is adapting to her very FIRST pair of prescription eye glasses.

Little Sofia REALLY enjoys visiting our office – she always has lots of fun while visiting Dr Bearden and often does not want to leave!!

The video ABOVE features Sofia’s mom, Laura Talpos, talking about her experience with Dr Bearden and Visionary Eyecare.

Laura is such a fan of Visionary Eyecare…..that she has even been telling ALL of her friends who have young children about the importance of early and yearly eye exams…..one friend has even come in recently with her 5 year old son to have his first eye exam with Dr Bearden as well.

In the video BELOW, Laura and Sofia give away Dr Bearden’s SECRET to her success with Children’s eye exams and Peidatric vision care!!

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Back to School Eye Exams

Here is some GREAT information about the Importance of Back To School Eye Exams…taken from an email sent by Luxottica Corporate Headquarters to all of the Doctors affiliated with Pearle Vision and Lenscrafters

Alabama’s Clanton Advertiser (8/12) reported, “As parents send their children back to school, one of the most important things they can do to help ensure their child’s ability to learn is to take them for an eye exam.

The American Optometric Association (AOA) recommends comprehensive eye exams especially for children entering preschool and kindergarten.” In particular, “children entering preschool or kindergarten benefit the most from comprehensive eye exams,” although “they rarely receive them early enough”.

Currently, only 14 percent of children under age six have received a comprehensive EYE EXAM, according to the U.S. Center for Health Statistics.” During an eye exam, an optometrist can detect “common vision problems, such as nearsightedness and farsightedness, as well as more serious conditions such as amblyopia (lazy eye).”

In an opinion piece in Tennessee’s Chattanoogan (8/12), Jenny Pomeroy, CEO of Prevent Blindness Georgia, wrote, “Since about 80 percent of learning in a child’s first 12 years comes through the eyes, it is very important to ensure that…school-aged children can see properly.”

Across the U.S., “five percent of preschool children have significant visual impairment,” Pomeroy noted, adding that “many of these children will develop amblyopia, or ‘lazy eye’ blindness, if their eye conditions are not diagnosed and treated early.”

Studies have shown that “sight can be saved in 98 percent of children if treatment is begun by age four. At age six, only 20 percent of children’s sight can be saved, and if treatment is delayed until age ten, these children may be blind in one eye for a lifetime,” Pomeroy pointed out.

Therefore, it is very important for parents to make sure that their children receive EYE EXAMS (not just vision screenings at school or at the Pediatrician’s office) at an early age and yearly throughout their lifetime.

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