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Come work with us!

Lisa P. — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 15:51:45 +0000

We’re looking for qualified candidates to join our family. VSP Global offers exceptional benefits, competitive compensation, and robust training and development programs. Here’s a sample of the current open positions.

Director of Education and Training
Executive Director of Product Management
Lab Production Supervisor
Eye Health Management Team Analyst
Account Executive

Here’s some information about us. VSP offers world-class products and services to eyecare professionals, employers, and more than 56 million members through a group of leading companies providing comprehensive eyecare coverage, access to cutting-edge frame styles and brands, design of custom interiors and merchandising systems, innovative e-commerce and practice management solutions, and technologically advanced lab services.

Check us out online and explore other open positions.

How far would you go to get the perfect gift?

David C — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 21:00:17 +0000

How about all over the country and into Canada? That’s exactly what VSP provider Jared Younger, MD, did in cahoots with his brother. During trying times, their father had to sell his classic Chevy, and these guys were determined to get it back for him. But did the car even still exist? Watch their journey unfold below, and click here for the full story.

Make a Difference through the VSP Eye Pledge Campaign!

Alex — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 21:20:27 +0000

Since the Eye Pledge campaign kicked off three months ago, more than 47,000 people have made the promise to care for their eyes! In return, VSP has provided free eye exams and glasses to Boys and Girls Clubs of America for each Eye Pledge taken. But we are still in need of more pledge-takers in order to reach our 50,000 goal.

See how your Eye Pledge helps children in need:

-Watch (below) how the VSP Eye Pledge campaign, with the support of a local VSP optometrist, helped Atlanta-area children improve their eyesight and performance in school.

-Boys & Girls Club members in Tampa, Florida, have also benefited from pledge-takers like you through the campaign. See how the life of one young student in particular has changed (below).

Take the free VSP Eye Pledge now and help us reach our goal of providing 50,000 kids a free eye exam and glasses. You can make a difference!

Your red swollen eyelid could be a sty

Lee Anne P — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 14:00:50 +0000

My son is obsessed with keeping his hair long. As long as I can still see his eyes, I’m good with it, but I came home from work the other day and it was in fact right in his eyes. It was time for a haircut.

I scooped up his hair just so I could see him. Staring back at me was a swollen and red eyelid. “Hey!” I exclaimed, “What’s up with your eye?” He told me he thought he got bit by a mosquito.

In my past career as an optician I had seen this type of angry eye before and knew it was something more than a bug bite. I was 99.9% sure it was a sty. I quickly washed my hands and held up his eyelid to take a closer look. Gross! It looked like a pimple on the inside rim of his eyelid.

What causes a sty?

Sties are usually caused by obstructed oil glands in the eyelid and are infected by bacteria. Reasons include:

Hormone changes
Stress
Outdated or infected cosmetics
Hygiene

Symptoms

Swelling of the eyelid
A lump on the top of bottom of eyelid
Pain
Redness
Crusting of the eyelid

Treatment

Warm compresses several times a day are the most common treatment for most sties. Your optometrist may prescribe antibiotics or pain medicine depending on the situation. In some cases, the eye doctor may have lance the sty to help it heal faster. It is not recommended to squeeze the sty, as this can worsen the infection. Makeup and contacts can also spread infection during treatment.

I immediately set up an eye appointment with my VSP doctor. I wanted to make sure my assessment was correct, and if it was, my eye doctor would know how to treat it.

After our visit he prescribed the normal home remedies and gave us a prescription for some eye drops to help the process along. Within a couple days, he was good as new. The long hair is still there, but now he keeps it just above his eyes.

Trend Alert: Orange Crush

fashionmaven — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 11:00:52 +0000

Eyeconic.com

I don’t know about you, but I get seriously bummed when I have to put away all the colorful stuff I wear all summer just because I don’t live in a sun shiny place like Maui. Yeah, black is eternally epic. Gray is awesome. But can’t I hang on to my “crush” on color all year round?

Turns out – I can! At least this season. I did some serious research—getting stuck in the longest line in the supermarket can come in handy—and there it was. In magazine after magazine. Bags, scarves and boots in some really strong colors, like orange! Oh yes, I’ve got a crush. An orange crush. Now, no one wants to look like a pumpkin or gigantic can of soda, so key word…moderation. But warming up all the gray, brown and black outfits was splashes of orange, yellow and magenta.

Tyreke sports orange

So, I decided the easiest way to keep my crush alive all winter was through a sunglass splash. And eyeconic.com has some hot orange sunglasses that look like me (or NBA star Tyreke Evans…yeah, I think he copied me). Ok, so, I used a webcam on my computer to try a pair of Nikes on live. It was fabulous, and since my style team was out of town I could confirm that my orange crush was real…Color rules.

Fashion Maven

VSP Mobile Clinic Stops at Loaves and Fishes

Kay — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 17:01:22 +0000

VSP Optometrist Wesley Umeda, O.D., examines a patient in-need onboard the VSP Mobile Eyes Clinic

I am constantly reading the blogs and articles from the VSP Mobile Clinic team and it always seemed like the people who participate have such rewarding experiences–I used to think it was just a marketing strategy. That is until I joined up with Lori F., Vicki A., and the Mobile Clinics team at the Loaves and Fishes event this month in Sacramento. Talk about an eye opener!!! I arrived at the location at 8:00 am to help set up and was immediately approached by numerous people from Friendship Park asking how they could get an appointment to see the eye doctor. I directed them to the event coordinator for Loaves and Fishes, but many of them were not seen at the clinic that day because patients had already been pre-registered.

Once the patients started arriving, I quickly realized exactly what the other Mobile Clinic volunteers had been blogging about. The people we saw are often overlooked in society–most of them carrying everything they own in a backpack. And yet, the energy and excitement they exuded was intoxicating. I heard more laughter and saw more smiles on their faces than at the mall on a weekend.

As the morning rolled on, the line continued to grow and it started heating up outside. There was really nothing we could do to speed up the process as so many patients were getting their eyes dilated and had to wait inside for the doctor to reexamine them. Jessie, a VSP Intern and fellow MRT, did such an amazing job with the people waiting outside and making sure all of the paperwork was in order so that we could focus on getting the patients in and out as quickly as possible. I will never forget one of the patients named Brandy. She was so tired of waiting to see the doctor and was getting incredibly grumpy, so we invited her to wait in the clinic in the air conditioning. She tried so hard to stay mad, but once she and I started picking out her frames there was nothing that could wipe the smile off of her face.

Dr. Umeda, Dr. Swan and Dr. Kim, VSP doctors who volunteered their time, all did such an amazing job with the patients. People kept telling me how nice they were to them. It is so easy to take the kind of care I receive from my VSP doctor for granted, and it was just one of many reminders I had that day of just how blessed I am. I feel kind of selfish for having gotten so much out of this experience when we were there to be giving to others, but I truly felt like I was doing something that made a difference. So many of the people I met during the event were so gracious and grateful to us for helping them to see. Without my glasses I can see about 6 inches from my face, so I cannot even begin to imagine how hard it is to have to go through life not being able to see what’s going on around me.

I would like to say a big thank you to Loaves and Fishes for everything they do for the people in our community. I have always known VSP was a special place to work and am so grateful that our company not only gives back to the community, but allows and encourages its employees to do the same. This event hit close to home for me and opened my eyes to so many of the things in life that I take for granted. I cannot wait for the next opportunity I get to volunteer with the Mobile Clinics!

What’s hot this summer? Sunwear, for guys, that’s what!

fashionmaven — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 13:00:56 +0000

Last month we reviewed what was happening in the fashion world regarding summer eyewear trends for gals. This month, we’re checking out what some of the hot ”guywear” trends are this summer. Here’s the scoop gentlemen…

Colors: Brown, sand, gray and clear or a combo of color and clear (all about neutrals)

Style: Small round (like John Lennon), small square or rectangle (think Johnny Depp), aviator or navigator (for sunwear)

Details: Keyhole bridges, two tone and for sunwear blue or white to make an impact

So, using all the scoop gathered for both gal and guy trends, I picked out my new frames. Going with what’s happening in “guywear.” Kooky. I know, right? Selected small, square, “geek chic” look for everyday and for sun, decided on navigator (squared off aviator) in shiny silver with “flash” mirror coating (this type of mirror coating still allows others to see one’s eyes through the lenses unlike the true mirror coating that shows one’s reflection).

I can’t leave you without tossing out a tiny word of caution. Please, please, please get UV protection on your prescription eyewear and/or sunwear. Consider polycarbonate lens material, if your VSP doctor feels it’s appropriate, which inherently has UV protection and can be tinted for sunglasses.

For those of you that don’t need a prescription, and are on the prowl for new shades, look for 100% UVA/UVB protection, it’ll be noted on the lenses. Every little precaution helps lessen sun damage…talk about other UV options with your VSP doctor.

Ruptured Corneas? Yikes!

Jessica G. — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 13:00:11 +0000

There I was, going about my business getting ready for work on Monday morning, when I hear it: ruptured cornea. What the…? NPR had struck again, and I was immersed in a story about a teenage girl whose cornea had ruptured due to keratoconus, an eye condition that impacts one in every 2,000 teens and young adults. Over a single weekend, the teen’s eyesight had deteriorated to the point where she couldn’t even see the whiteboard in class.

Keratoconus causes the cornea, which is usually bowl-shaped, to become conical. Normally, for cases caught early on, rigid contact lenses are used for treatment, but this case was too advanced: “…it was kind of like trying to put a plate on a peak. They just kind of wobbled, and didn’t fit.”

My goodness. I supposed there’s one benefit to being a relative old-timer. According to the article, “experts suggest that if you’re a teen or 20-something whose vision is changing so quickly that you find you need to switch the prescription of your glasses or contacts every few months, check with your doctor. You may need to have the shape of your eyes examined.”

So, if you fall into the age category, or have a loved one that does, please make sure vision care is top-of-mind.

Listen to the entire radio piece and accompanying article on npr.org.

A more affordable option is now available to treat Macular Degeneration.

Jessica G. — Mon, 02 May 2011 13:00:03 +0000

The every-increasing cost of healthcare is a concern for many Americans, but even more so for the elderly.

Many suffering from wet macular degeneration, an age-related condition, are treated with a once-monthly shot of Lucentis—costing upwards of $2000 per shot! So, it’s great news that an alternate drug, Avastin, has been proved an effective treatment for this condition, with costs as low as $50 monthly. Avastin has been used to treat certain types of cancer, and was not originally intended for ocular use.

Consider the potential savings of swapping the drugs, shared in the Philadelphia Inquirer: “Over the course of a year in the study, Avastin cost to $385 from $595, depending on the treatment regimen. Lucentis cost $13,800 from $23,400.”

And the audience for this is huge. The Associated Press quotes Dr. Paul Sieving, director of the National Eye Institute, the federal agency that paid for the study: “More than 250,000 Americans are treated for macular degeneration each year… About 1.6 million Americans have advanced macular degeneration and another 7 million are at risk of developing it.”

While testing still needs to be done before Avastin is officially approved to treat wet macular degeneration, this is a huge development for those struggling with the cost of care.

Read more about the results of the study in Associated Press and Philadelphia Inquirer articles.

Wondering about the difference between wet and dry macular degeneration? Learn more.

Why Not Diabetes?

Jessica H. — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 18:44:28 +0000

VSP is a member of the Diabetes Advocacy Alliance, we are excited to announce the launch of an Alliance- supported diabetes prevention campaign. Over the years, countless national health and safety prevention efforts have changed attitudes and behaviors around issues such as seat belt use, bike helmets, and flu shots. We can do more to change attitudes and behaviors around type 2 diabetes and limit the societal and economic burden of this disease. That’s why this April we are asking policymakers in Washington, DC to focus on diabetes prevention as part of our “Why Not Diabetes?” campaign.

Nearly 26 million Americans are suffering from diabetes and of those, an estimated 90 to 95 percent have type 2 diabetes. VSP, along with our network of dedicated doctors, is helping to detect signs of diabetes through a comprehensive eye exam, then referring those people to their primary care provider for additional testing and treatment.

Diabetes prevention is a smart investment and something VSP is on the forefront of promoting. That’s why we are asking Congress to fund the National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP) – a program of the Center for Disease Control, which makes available proven lifestyle interventions in local communities to help prevent type 2 diabetes. To learn more about this campaign and about preventing diabetesm, visit LetsPreventDiabetes.org .