What’s your biggest summer office challenge?

Nazanin Galehdari, OD, Salt Lake City, via ODwire

No shows. As the days get longer and weather sunnier, we see a surge in the number of no-shows, despite our best efforts of calling to confirm, etc.

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Marta Fabrykowski, OD, FAAO, New York City

Fitting in everyone's cataract surgery and post ops before they leave NYC for their summer homes!

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Tiffany Zair-Yalda, West Bloomfield Township, MI, via ODs on Facebook

Staff wanting to leave early just because it’s nice out.

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Steve Silberberg, OD, Matawan, NJ, via ODwire

Trying to fit in all the last minute calls for appointments for kids going to college and students who need exams before school starts. We don't allow vacations the last three weeks of August to help a bit but it’s always a problem.

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Alan Glazier, OD, FAAO, Rockville, MD, Optometry Times Editorial Advisory Board member

Summer is so busy; I'd have to say patient flow and office efficiency.

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Cindy Kish, Grand Blanc, MI, via ODs on Facebook

Work life balance for everyone in the practice. Childcare for some staff plus vacation scheduling and covering. Sales slumps. Trying to reach families to fill the gaps before the “back to school” rush.

Whitney Hauser, OD, Memphis, TN

My biggest challenge is covering the absence of my clinical coordinator when he’s on vacation. He takes care of patient communication, patient refills, and troubleshoots equipment problems. His vacation makes for a long week at the office.

Ken Elder, OD, Wallingford, CT, via ODwire

Trying to find replacements for the three pregnant ladies about to go on maternity at the same time.

Tracy Schroeder Swartz, OD, FAAO, Madison, AL, Optometry Times Editorial Advisory Board member

Vacation time amongst a staff with three pregnant women (an OD, a tech, and an optician).

John Boer, OD, Harrisburg, SD, via ODwire

Balancing beer league softball with my evening hours at the office. Spoiler alert: beer league softball wins every time.

Greg Ray, OD, Clarksville, TN, via ODwire

Finding a balance between league baseball, travel baseball, softball, other family adventures, and work. Also, just going in to work on those pretty days can be tough sometimes.

Ben Casella, OD, Augusta, GA, Optometry Times Editorial Advisory Board member

Making sure all my employees don’t take the same long weekend.

Scott Blahnik, OD, New Orleans, LA, via ODwire

Here in South Louisiana that's an easy one: keeping up with the AC bills. We even need to keep the AC on during the weekends when the office is empty or it takes forever to cool it down on Monday mornings. It's one of my excuses for being late on Mondays during the summer!

Katherine M. Mastrota, OD, FAAO, New York City, Optometry Times Editorial Advisory Board member

Making sure all pre-scheduled recurring meetings are cancelled.

Terry Connor, OD, McMinnville, TN, via ODwire

I am having to prepare for transitioning to a new EHR. And as of yesterday, my golf swing seems to have left me.

Bryan M. Rogoff, OD, MBA, CPHM, Baltimore, MD

Summer is tricky time of the year. Not only does the staff want extra time off to be with their families, but patients schedule their vacation time, and then suddenly it is back-to-school season. It is challenging to strategically schedule staff, as well as patients, to give the best patient care and customer service.

Matthew Mitchell, OD, Bluffton, IN, via ODwire

Keeping staffing levels adequate/juggling many overlapping vacation requests.

We also have a few more no-shows, but we overbook anyway during back to school season so it pretty much evens out.

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