Lee Anne P. is a VSP Wellness Coordinator.
VSP has been following the Health Care Reform debate and is making sure vision is a part of that conversation. Today, Rob Lynch, VSP’s CEO, was on Fox Business to state our position. Watch Rob and let us know what you think.
Dr. David Kisling is a VSP doctor practicing in Fort Collins, CO.
Dr. David Kisling, a VSP network doctor, returns for his second guest blog. Today’s post addresses one of the most challenging portions of an eye exam—dilation of your eyes.
Does an hour appointment with your optometrist turn into a full day of discomfort due to the pupil dilation? Have you wondered why you have to endure this glaring assault on your eyes? If you have ever tried looking through a peephole in your front door to see if it is a friend or foe knocking on the door, you have some idea of the difficulty of looking inside an eye. You have to get very close to the tiny peephole, squeeze one eye shut, and even then you have a very limited view. Think how much easier it the would be if there were holes for both eyes the size of a silver dollar! When examining the retina, the tissue lining the back of your eye, having the equivalent of a silver dollar size opening allows a much more thorough check of your eye health.
Jill N. is a member of VSP's Corporate Public Relations team.
We boarded a plane in Sacramento early Sunday morning ready to spread our wings and go where neither of us had ever gone before … to Milwaukee. The land of brats, brews and cheese. Three of my favorite things. However, I quickly reminded myself this was not a trip about me. This was a trip about people I hadn’t yet met, but were looking forward to us being there in more ways than I could ever imagine.
SeeZar arrived at the Northside YMCA in Milwaukee early Monday morning with our Mobile Clinic staff transforming him from an RV into a fully functioning doctors office just in time for our first patient of the day at 9am. For VSP Doctors John Warren, O.D. and Chap Leffinwell, O.D. it was revolving door of patients for rest of the day.
Patti S. is a member of VSP's Ophthalmic Services team.
Conventional ophthalmic lenses might be described in many ways, depending on a person’s point of reference. Many years ago, while working as a sales representative for a progressive lens company, it was not uncommon to hear people refer to my wares in terms suggesting they were not of the “conventional” variety. Progressive lens designs, after all, employed sophisticated engineering techniques to create a lens with a gradual increase in plus power so that my lifeblood, the presbyopic population, could enjoy distance to near vision (and everything in between) without lines. This was still considered cutting edge then, but now generally regarded as “conventional.”
In spite of the fact that progressive addition lenses have been commercially available since the 1950s, with the first patents appearing in the early decades of the 20th century, they were just gaining noticeable use in the 1980s and 90s. At this time, the technology used in their design rendered this category of lens a genuine visual benefit versus a mere cosmetic enhancement. Nevertheless, the model on which progressive designs were created was based on a molded blank containing the aspheric surfaces that induce power change with a back surface traditionally ground to create the actual prescription. Researchers developed better ways to manipulate the front surfaces through the years through refinements and advancements in engineering technology, but the basic model remained the same.
Lee Anne P. is a VSP Wellness Coordinator.
Companies are looking for ways to cut costs. One area that’s getting a lot of attention is the health of employees.
At VSP we have a GetFIT Program that has helped inspire employees to lose over 10,915 pounds! The program started back in 2005 and encourages team participation and support. It helps to share your goals with a group, and facing your bad habits together is a great start.
We’re all trying to meet the demands of work, family and life. How can we possibly fit in exercise?
By the time we get home from work the last thing we want to do is exercise. It’s time for dinner, cleaning, school work with the kids, and maybe if we’re lucky some down time.
The reality is that as we get older the importance of exercise goes from a choice to a necessity. How do you want to face your golden years? Walking gingerly or running to meet all the possibilities?
Did you see my post about protecting kids eyes with sunglasses in the sun or the one about Tamiko’s Favorite Sights? We asked for your photos and here are some that we received! Send us yours… We’ll repost with additional photos.
Enjoy!
Lillian protecting her eyes at Daffodil Hill.
April's grandparents transformed into children on the 4th of July.
Karen blowing bubbles at the Great Wall of China.
April's daughter playing dress up.
Karen standing in front of miniature Buddha statues at the Jade Buddha Temple in Shanghai.
Sara P. is part of the Altair sales team.
They meet behind closed doors, talking in low tones about tonight’s strategy: Who should start? Who is the closer? How are they going to maintain their average without sacrificing a single pin? After all, they do have a record to maintain and there’s no way they’re going to risk it all by making one single mistake. Their name: Balls of Fury. Their game: bowling. The team: Altair employees Oscar Martinez, Sara Shults, Matthew Gibson and Bianca Castellanos. The record they keep: 10 wins, 22 losses in the VSP bowling league. And until one day ago, they held the honored position of Dead Last Place.
I admire this team and give them major credit for the fact that they keep going and won’t give up. They meet faithfully every week at Crestview Lanes with renewed conviction in the fact that they CAN, they WILL do better…only to be crushed in defeat again and again. Although they’ve only won 10 games, they are bonded in their cause and have built their team with laughter, camaraderie, and beer.
Is it possible this team could turn itself around and build a winning record? At this point in the season, very doubtful given the number of games left and the utter lack of bowling skills as exemplified by the following video of Sara “Twinkletoes” Shults.
Please enable Javascript and Flash to view this VideoPress video.At the time of writing, it’s been rumored that the team has splintered into 2 factions: those who believe that team shirts would have contributed to a winning record vs. those who think team shirts don’t equal bowling skills. Only time will tell what happens to Balls of Fury-the pressure of a long, losing season would be too much for most teams to handle. But, my hunch is that being Altair employees, this team will adhere to the Altair mantra of being the team that never gives up-even when they’re up against the longest of odds.
Renee Mc. is a member of VSP's Corporate Marketing & Brand Management team.
This past Tuesday, my daughter and I celebrated our birthdays (yes, they are on the same day but that’s a whole different blog post altogether). She turned 15, and I turned…well, let’s just say mid-30-something.
In our usual fashion, she and I stuffed ourselves with sushi then rolled over to Blockbuster Video for some post-dinner entertainment. While perusing the new release aisle, we saw that July 21st also marked the DVD release of “Coraline,” the story of an adventurous girl who discovers a secret portal into a world which turns out to be an idealized (but ultimately sinister) version of her own annoying home life. Sound familiar?
At the check out, we learned the DVD came in both 2-D and 3-D. So we opted for 3-D (because really who can turn down those cool glasses?) And, being the science lovers that we are, she and I decided to do an experiment to see if we could see a huge difference in the 2-D and 3-D versions.
Vernon D. is a member of VSP's Provider Services team.
Originally designed to closely examine engravings and antiques in the 1720s (!), the monocle didn’t find it’s way into the hearts of dandy men until the 1790s. Generally associated with rich upper-class men, the monocle served as one of the many shiny gems for the stereotypical 1890s capitalist. 
Being one of the earliest forms of corrective lenses, this masterpiece of mega-post modern history was able to make it’s way to all of the different socioeconomic classes – albeit in different forms. The first is seemingly the most basic, a simple metal loop with a lens fitted in the middle. The second much more elaborate, known for the “gallery.” This fine piece of monocular achievement was created with a raised edge around the frame to secure it in the socket while raising the lens slightly - allowing the wearer to blink ferociously without fear of having the eyelashes interfere with the lens. The third was frameless and 
more inexpensive, consisting of a simple lens with a serrated edge (really?) to secure it to the eye socket, drilled in the side was a tiny hole for the chain.
Now let’s have a collective vote on which style Mr. Peanut is currently sporting… But why no pants?
We welcome Dr. David Kisling, a VSP network doctor and guest blogger, as he demystifies parts of an eye exam. Today’s post addresses the unsettling eye-puff test; stay tuned next week as he discusses dilation.
Non-Contact Tonometer a.k.a the Eye-Puff Test.
Why do some people procrastinate on scheduling regular eye exams? That dreaded puff of air that makes you cringe in anticipation could be the reason. That little puff, (and it has become smaller and more gentle as technology has evolved) is measuring the fluid pressure inside the eye. There is fluid constantly being produced in your eye and a drainage system that ferries it back into the bloodstream. When the drainage system malfunctions, the pressure inside the eye starts to rise. We know from large-scale studies that keeping the eye pressure low enough helps prevent loss of sight. High pressure acts to dampen the circulation to the optic nerve and cause a slow, painless loss of vision. Over 50% of the nerve may be dead before you become aware of the loss of vision, so annual eye pressure checks are good, preventative medicine.
Instruments used to measure eye pressure are referred to as tonometers. The first tonometer was invented in 1861, but the introduction of the indentation tonometer in 1905 was the true beginning of measuring eye pressures. Patients who have had the experience of this type of tonometer pressing on their eye with small weights actually look forward to that puff of air. A new type of tonometer was introduced in 1951 that was much more accurate due to the lighter touch and lower tendency to alter the eye fluid’s normal distribution. This tonometer replaced the indentation tonometer and is still used today.
In the late 1950′s, Bernard Grolman, O.D., a member of the Research and Development Group at the American Optical Read more »
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