Healthy InSights®
Back-to-School Tools

The arrival of fall means it's time for school-age children to start fresh, get focused and embrace new opportunities. In this issue of Healthy InSights, we'll share how you, too, can take advantage of the back-to-school groove.

Don't forget to sign up for new professional education to help you reach kids about the importance of UV and trauma protection. And this school year, you can also create and customize kid-focused materials through the Transitions Online Marketing (TOM) tool - letting your patients know you're committed to their healthy sight both in and out of the classroom.

Are your young patients missing out on the benefits of photochromics like Transitions® lenses because their parents' insurance plans don't cover it? We'll tell you about the latest vision plans that include photochromic coverage for all children under 18 - and the movement to make protection from ultraviolet (UV) light a standard benefit for young eyes. Plus, find out how your patients could win a pair of frames fitted with Transitions lenses!

This summer, vintage race car drivers from across the country had the chance to take Drivewear® lenses Activated by Transitions™ for a test drive. Read on for more. And don't forget to stop by the Transitions Booth at Vision Expo West (#10053) for the latest education available from Transitions to help you meet the needs of your young and Hispanic patients.

As always, thank you for reading. If there is something you'd like to read more about, e-mail us at healthyinsights@transitions.com.


TOM Tool Offers Eye-Catching Options
for Back-to-School

Kid-Focused Materials Available at Transitionstom.com

You can use the Transitions Online Marketing (TOM) tool to create and personalize a number of kid-focused point-of-sale materials - plus download useful management tools - to help you connect with your youngest patients and their parents.

Download these tools and more at www.TransitionsTOM.com

  • Back-to-School Postcard - Send these personal reminders to parents, encouraging them to bring their children in for a routine eye exam. Available in English and in Spanish, the postcard includes statistics on healthy vision and its effect on classroom performance. Choose from our wide selection of colorful images and designs!
  • Dr. Bio - Let patients know who you are! Upload your practice logo and personal photo, and add information about your education and credentials. Show your commitment to preserving your patients' vision with information on healthy sight and the importance of regular eye exams.
  • Sight Line patient newsletter - This customized publication helps you stay in front of your patients with messages about healthy sight. Choose from a library of articles and upload your practice information. Send it to your patients quarterly, use it in counter card displays or include it with patient invoices.

Don't forget that the TOM tool allows you to customize community ads, statement stuffers, photochromic lens demo cards and more!
Visit www.TransitionsTOM.com to get started.

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Transitions Launches Healthy Sight Counseling and Children Education

New Paper and Courses in Time for Back-to-School

Just in time for the back-to-school rush, Transitions is introducing new education to help you promote healthy sight and UV protection to even the youngest of patients.

While Healthy Sight Counseling is a concept for all ages, certain aspects of healthy sight - such as the importance of UV and trauma protection - are especially important for children. Don't forget to contact your local Transitions representative to sign up to receive new professional education on this topic, including the new Healthy Sight Counseling and Children paper, and accredited courses. Or, stop by the Transitions booth (#10053) at Vision Expo West for more.

The paper and courses overview the basics of healthy sight (which involves both vision care and vision wear), and include information and statistics on the importance of screening children for ocular disease, as well as refractive error, at an early age. Information on the quality of vision and the consideration of lens-enhancements - such as impact-resistant lenses, anti-reflective coatings, photochromic lenses and polarized lenses - to address the individual needs of children is also provided.

A Skills Workshop offers a quick practical overview of Healthy Sight Counseling and children for the whole office.

We hope you take advantage of these new resources in practice - and be sure to remind your patients to schedule annual eye exams for their kids!

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Children's Vision Coverage Includes Photochromics

Feature Promotes UV and Glare Protection for Kids

We all know that children's eyes are developing - and because they spend so much time outdoors, they often need UV and glare protection even more than adults!

Recognizing the role of preventive vision wear for children - and the healthy sight benefits that photochromic lenses can provide - several insurance groups are now including coverage of photochromic lenses for children in their vision plans.

In Spring 2007, Blue Shield of California and Blue Shield of California Life & Health Insurance Company became the first insurance carriers to enhance their newer vision plans with photochromics coverage for all children under the age of 18. Members will receive an additional coverage reimbursement of up to $65 to allow for photochromic lenses - including popular brands, like Transitions® lenses - for their children.

We hope that you will speak with your patients to make sure they are taking advantage of vision coverage plans that include photochromic lenses - and thank you for making Transitions lenses the #1-recommended photochromic lenses worldwide.

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Family Circle Giveaway

Five Readers Will Win Complimentary Pair of Transitions® Lenses

As part of its promotion of healthy lifestyle practices that help consumers and their families "sleep better, stay fit and live longer," the editors of Family Circle magazine selected Transitions lenses as one of 75 product giveaways for its 75th anniversary issue.

In addition to $13,000 worth of health-related prizes, the giveaway includes JC Penney Optical frames fitted with Transitions lenses (up to a $500 value) for five lucky readers. The article, featured in the September issue of Family Circle and posted online, will reach more than six million consumers about the need for UV protection and the benefits of Transitions lenses.

Encourage your patients to log on to familycircle.com/win75 to enter - and be sure to pick up your copy of the Family Circle September issue today!

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Drivewear® Lenses Activated by TransitionsTM Praised By Race Car Drivers

Sponsorship of Pittsburgh Grand Prix Reaches Thousands of Car Enthusiasts

Teaming up with local Pittsburgh retailer Eyetique, Transitions Optical, Inc. and Younger Optics promoted Drivewear® lenses Activated by Transitions™ to spectators of and drivers in July's 2007 Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix, the nation's largest vintage race staged on public roads.

As a platinum sponsor of this 25th annual, two-week-long series of events, the Drivewear team also educated Grand Prix spectators about the lenses at several race events - including the Schenley Park race, which attracted more than 250,000 attendees. The lenses were also visible on the track itself with the Drivewear-branded pace car.

For more information about Drivewear lenses Activated by Transitions, visit www.Drivewearlens.com

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Transitions to Offer Hispanic, Kids Educational Materials at VEW

Visit Booth #10053 to Learn More!

Stop by the Transitions booth at VEW for the latest on all the upcoming tools and initiatives from Transitions - including Hispanic eye health and outreach materials and new education about proper vision care and vision wear for children.

This is your chance to sign up for a new Hispanic roundtable consensus paper, staff education and more! Use the tools below to engage your Hispanic patients and encourage them to adopt healthy sight habits that will last a lifetime.

  • The Hispanic Roundtable Consensus Paper discusses the key takeaways from a recent Transitions-sponsored event, Factors Impacting the Vision Care and Vision Wear of Culturally Diverse Groups: Focus on Hispanics. The roundtable, which was attended by a panel of eyecare professionals and Hispanic association members, explored obstacles in providing quality eyecare to this group - including language and communication barriers - and identified strategies that eyecare professionals and the optical industry as a whole can embrace to overcome them.
  • A Bilingual Optician Course is now available in DVD format to help you effectively communicate with Hispanic patients - with and without a language barrier. Called Dispensing to Your Hispanic Patients, the course includes information about the health and cultural differences of the Hispanic population; tips for communicating with your Hispanic customers; helpful resources to assist in the communication process (including a bilingual glossary of technical terms; and insight into how to be successful dispensing Transitions lenses to this group.
  • Share the Bilingual Pocket Card with your Hispanic patients to get a better understanding of what they want from their eyewear. The card features a side by side translation of eyeglasses options and an explanation of terms.

Targeting the youngest eyecare consumers, the Transitions booth will also offer eyecare professionals a chance to sign up for new professional education on this topic, including the Healthy Sight Counseling and Children paper, and accredited courses.

We hope to see you at VEW!

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