Eye Focus December 2019 | Page 14

EYE FOCUS | FEATURE Maintaining a legacy of independent ownership By Denis Langlois OSI Group has provided Optomeyes with the tools and support needed to optimize the award-winning, dual-location eyecare business in southwestern British Columbia. Dr. Bart McRoberts, an OSI Member for 35 years, says Optomeyes has made use of multiple OSI Group services — from staff training and practice management to group purchasing and equipment financing. OSI Group was also there to deliver management support and advice while optometrists Dr. Sydney Davidson and Dr. Clark Bowden became partners in the business, as part of McRoberts’ plan to eventually have them take over. “Overall the OSI Group has been an excellent partner to drive our success,” McRoberts says. “I have been a member since 1983, so I’m probably guilty of not noticing it hum away in the background. Our dispensary costs are hugely reduced and we still make our own choices. “The Optosys software is fantastic — I was initially hesitant, but there is no way we would go back now. OSI’s Optosys software is probably the most effective on the market, yet the cost is extremely reasonable compared to comparable. The staff training provided by OSI is also extremely valuable to our offices. You can never get enough trained staff and it’s impossible to have too much training.” OPTOMEYES: Doctors of Optometry traces its roots to 1964. When McRoberts purchased the practice in Squamish, B.C., in 1974, it had only one doctor and one other staff member. A second practice was purchased in West Vancouver 11 years ago and, combined, the two sites now have six doctors, including an ophthalmologist, and about 30 staff. Drs. Clark Bowden, Sydney Davidson and Bart McRoberts of Optomeyes: Doctors of Optometry. 14 EYE FOCUS December Digital 2019 McRoberts says his personal preferences in practice are dry eye, glaucoma and macular degeneration, but he also does a fair amount of work related to ortho-K and ocular nutrition.