Spotlight of the month : The evolution of Airdrie Eyecare Centre

Not many clinics can say they have been operating independently in the eyecare industry for over 30 years, however, that honour is held by Airdrie Eyecare Centre in Alberta. Founded by Dr. Larry Kanters in 1983, they are now one of the leading optometry clinics in the fastest growing community in Canada. Airdrie Eyecare has continued to evolve with ever-changing industry and patient needs, caring for families over multiple generations and forming an extremely loyal patient base. Dr. Kanters originally joined OSI as a sole owner with one single staff member, now the clinic has 4 partner optometrists, 3 OD associates, 20 staff and will expend again in 2018 to accommodate 5 exam lanes.

When asked about the biggest obstacle the clinic has had to face amidst their growth, Dr. Jared Long explained, “As with many clinics, staffing has been a chalenge. When the unemployment rate was lower, it was hard to get and hold onto team members that had transferable skills to oil & gas. Some were quick to move on or had to move when a family member took on a job in another community. Now that unemployment rates are a little higher we get lots of applicants, with many that are overqualifi ed, which is a different problem. Finding team members that are a good fi t with the clinic, our patients and our team is rewarding when it works out.”

Dr. Long recently enrolled in OSI’s Leadership and Management Program which was launched in December of 2016 and enrolled his lead staff members as well. Coached by his practice advisor, he and his team completed the 10 week educational course in optometry clinic management which included human resources as well as fi nancial and dispensary management modules.

In 2017, with the help of their Regional Account Manager, the clinic enrolled in the Inventory Management Evaluation. After carefully analyzing the clinic turn rates, brand performance, profit margins and merchandising, the clinic received a professional report that is helping them plan the renovations of their new dispensary, market their products and optimize what they carry as well as help their team better monitor dispensary success.

Airdrie Eyecare is also employing OSI’s Expand Your Eye-Q program to get clinic staff up to speed efficiently and with trustworthy information. Being an office that values staff education where most employees have a minimum CCOA, they felt that this was a good first step to get new staff introduced to key concepts before taking additional courses, or help them brush up on their medical and optical knowledge.

OSI would like to wish Airdrie Eyecare continued success!