Medical Optometry America (MOA) announced today their first practice location is now officially open and accepting new patients. The practice is located at 781 Far Hills Drive, Unit 100 in Shrewsbury, PA and is led by MOA’s Regional Clinical Director Leslie O’Dell, OD, FAAO. As the first national Optometric brand focused exclusively on medical eye care, MOA is launching a practice management system and franchise model that stands for exceptional medical eye care as the demand for those services increases.
“The need for non-surgical medical eye care is accelerating and yet most patients, their primary care physicians, and other health professionals, are not fully aware they can access this level of care from a highly-qualified medical Optometrist,” said Jim Thimons, OD, MOA’s Chief Medical Officer. “This trend has created a market void and MOA is well-positioned to serve those patient needs locally from our first location in York County, but to also work with Optometrists on a national level to meet this demand.”
An official grand opening and community celebration is being planned for Spring 2021.
Dr. O’Dell has been serving the medical eye care needs of patients in York County for more than a decade. As a residency-trained Optometrist and Fellow in the American Academic of Optometry, Dr. O’Dell offers a strong depth of knowledge in a number of eye-related disease states, including dry eye, glaucoma, diabetic eye care, and more. Prior to joining MOA she was the director of the Dry Eye Center of PA. Joining Dr. O’Dell will be Dr. Melissa DeBello, another residency-trained Optometrist with experience in medical eye care. Dr. DeBello will serve as Associate Doctor of MOA’s Shrewsbury location.
New Model Based On Best Practices
MOA has created, trademarked and copywritten an industry-leading set of best practices covering a wide range of non-surgical eye health conditions. These guidelines represent the best of academic research and clinical practices and were developed via a collaborative effort between MOA’s Advisory Board, which is comprised of both Optometrists and Ophthalmologists, along with MOA’s Chief Medical Officer.
MOA best practices include standards for identifying, diagnosing, and treating medical eye diseases and conditions including, but not limited to:
MOA Annual Eye Physical
The cornerstone of the MOA model is the Annual Eye Physical, a first-of-its-kind comprehensive medical eye exam that not only addresses eye-related health, but also addresses potential medical problems that can be detected by a thorough examination of the eye.
“While we are accustomed to getting an annual physical from our primary care doctor or an annual mammogram or visiting our dentist for a bi-annual check-up, we are not conditioned the same way when it comes to eye health,” said Dr. O’Dell. “People of all ages need to take their eye health seriously and the Annual Eye Physical allows us to not only set a baseline and future benchmarks for eye health, but can also reveal significant health issues like cardiovascular problems and neurological disorders.”
“The saying goes: ‘your eyes are a window to your health’,” added Dr. O’Dell. “Even if you are not having any symptoms or problems with your eyes, you can have other ocular health issues developing that can be best managed when diagnosed in early stages.”
Following an MOA Annual Eye Physical, patients receive a personalized ‘report card’ that provides a comprehensive overview of their eye health status and tracks the state and progression of and treatment recommendations for numerous diseases and conditions.
MOA enters the market at a time when the Optometry profession is undergoing tremendous transformation in response to the increasing eye care needs of the aging population and a growing number of non-traditional competitors, including online retailers selling glasses and contact lenses.
“MOA has developed an innovative practice model and is building a national eye care brand identifiable to patients, referring doctors, insurance companies, and vendors as a transformational force in the field of Optometry,” said MOA CEO Ken Krieg. “We are thrilled to open our first practice in York County under the direction of a committed medically-focused Optometrist, Dr. Leslie O’Dell, and look forward to continued growth and new MOA practices opening throughout the region and the country in the near future.”
Practice Layout and Flow Built Around COVID-19 Protocols
While the opening of MOA’s first practice location comes during a paradigm shift in Optometry, it also comes at a time of fundamental change in how patients in all areas of medical care engage with providers. As MOA leadership designed the layout of the initial practice in Shrewsbury, PA, they incorporated best practices and procedures to keep patients safe and comfortable. MOA’s first location will serve as a protype for future office layouts and protocols in a post-COVID-19 world.
In addition to the Shrewsbury, PA office, MOA expects to open several other company locations this year, including one in Northern Virginia.
Affiliation with New England College of Optometry
MOA has also solidified an academic affiliation with New England College of Optometry (NECO) to help guide training for future doctors and to expose students to a more medically-focused model of Optometry.
“Our partnership with MOA offers NECO an in-depth early look into an emerging practice model and a glimpse at where our field is headed,” said Howard Purcell, OD, NECO president and CEO. “We are eager to provide exposure to a variety of clinical settings for our students and more options in terms of future career paths for our graduates.”
About Medical Optometry America
Medical Optometry America (MOA) is catalyzing change in the optometric profession by providing a turnkey system for forward-thinking optometrists to shift more completely to a sustainable medical model. The first national optometric brand in the country focused on medical eye care, MOA provides independent optometrists the opportunity to participate in a brand and practice management system that stands for exceptional medical eye care and inspires consumer confidence and demand for those services.
