Leslie E. O’Dell, OD, FAAO

With patients undergoing cataract or refractive surgery, optometrists ensure a stable ocular surface before the surgeon performs preoperative calculations.

Finding your purpose or calling within your profession can lead to a more fulfilling career. Leslie E. O'Dell, OD, FAAO, shares how one OD used her "why" to create a new CE event.

Dry eye disease (DED) has been historically underserved. Leslie E. O’Dell, OD, FAAO, summarizes what equipment is available today to help you begin evaluating your dry eye patients’ glands.

Work-related musculoskeletal disorders may be a pain in the neck and lead to reduced time in the office, chronic pain, and headaches. If you are experiencing pain, it is important to address it to prevent further injury.

As we continue to grow as a profession, remember we are treating the whole patient, not just the eye alone. Incorporating lab work and imaging into your comprehensive eye care will improve patient outcomes and continue to grow your practice.

Whether your Halloween makeup plans are glamorous or ghoulish, incorrect makeup practices are frightful for eye health.

Optometry Times Editorial Advisory Board members Leslie E. O’Dell. OD, FAAO, and Scott Hauswirth, OD, FAAO, discuss their recent lecture on inflammation and the role it plays in ocular surface diseases at the American Optometric Association’s Optometry’s Meeting in Washington, DC.

Social media is a great way to drive engagement from patients and word-of-mouth referrals. The same is true of the more conventional sources of media-local news, etc. The more you showcase your practice and skillset to your surrounding community, the more exposure your practice receives and the potential for new patients rises. This also helps to build you up as an expert in a specific area of eye care. 

A little over 18 months ago, I decided to follow my passion and take a leap of faith changing my career. I went from a bustling MD/OD group practice to a private group OD practice and launched the Dry Eye Center of Pennsylvania (PA).

Recently, much discussion has taken place within the dry eye community regarding the role of punctal plugs in the treatment of dry eye.

T’was the night before Christmas, and all through the towns, not an optometrist was stirring-not even an online retailer promising glasses at low cost.

In the past when you thought of Jennifer Aniston, the girl-next-door character Rachel from Friends would come to mind.

We think of Memorial Day as the unofficial start to summer, but more importantly, it is a day dedicated to remembering those who have made the ultimate sacrifice serving our country.

After many years as the sole optometrist in a busy ophthalmology practice, I found myself feeling isolated. I had excelled in my career managing many complicated ocular disease cases and making a difference in the lives of the patients whom I served; however, I was lacking the collaboration with my peers I had experienced during my residency and years in school.

After more than a decade of working in a MD/OD private practice, I found myself at a crossroads in my career. I spent this past year exploring many modes of practice to find the best fit for my next decade-or two or three.

Focusing on dry eye management is a great practice builder, but is not without challenges. These challenges lie in making the proper diagnosis, implementing new technology, properly training staff, developing an effective treatment plan and the time it takes to properly educate patients.

You diagnosed a patient and developed a treatment plan to improve the ocular surface. This is only the first (and often the easiest) step. The more challenging aspect is assuring that the patient follows through with the plan.

In lieu of improving diagnostic tests, symptoms have been shown to be more repeatable than clinical findings.