I first heard about the OAA through school, Raritan Valley Community College in New Jersey. Our professor, Dr. Thomas, has always urged us to be active in our state associations. He encouraged all of us to become OAA and state association members and to impart positive change within both our professions and communities.

From Review of Optometric Business

Opticians, like most employees, can be shy about pointing out areas of needed improvement to the boss, especially if those needed improvements require the boss to change their ways.  Mindi Lewis, MA, ABOC, FNAO, has some sage advice to share.  Many of the points likely echo the thoughts of your opticians, who may want to make these same suggestions, but haven’t felt comfortable enough to speak up about it.

As opticians, we take pride in knowing that the needs and wants of the patient are met and executed successfully. Sometimes that can mean multiple pairs of eyewear, or unforeseen services or treatments the patient wasn’t expecting. When I read Linda Conlin’s continuing education article, “Easy Steps to More Eyecare, Eyewear, and Patient Satisfaction,” I was excited to see this subject addressed. With a flexible payment option like Sunbit, the patient doesn’t have to think about what they may need to sacrifice because they don’t have the funds available that day. And the optician can feel more confident discussing solutions to all the visual challenges the patient is facing.

It's the time of year to reflect on the many things we are thankful for... 
As opticians, we can look to our profession for some of these:
• Job Security- Opticians are in high demand throughout the country 
• Easy Access to Certification- ABO-NCLE has made certification much more accessible. 
• Resilience- Many opticians fared very well during the pandemic, and many have never been busier. 
• Strong Leadership - Nationally and locally, opticians maintain strong leadership, which offers support and protection.