The MOD Pod

Marc Bloomenstein, OD, FAAO, talks with Gina Wesley, OD, MS, FAAO, who owns a private practice in Medina, Minnesota. Dr. Wesley cold-started her clinic almost 20 years ago with an initial focus on contact lenses that shifted to dry eye management. She notes that dry eye treatment works in tandem with ocular appearance improvement—a win-win for patients. In this episode, she covers ocular aesthetic treatments ranging from dynamic muscle stimulation and radiofrequency to intense pulsed light and low-level light therapy, emphasizing the importance of proper lid hygiene and habits.

Podcast host Cecelia Koetting, OD, FAAO, Dipl ABO, talks with Sierra Tisdelle, OD, FAAO, and Alison Mercer, OD, about their upcoming article, "Is It More Than Dry Eye Disease?" Specifically, the pair discusses the tips, tricks, and tests to keep in mind when you may be dealing with an autoimmune rheumatic disease, as well as the related treatments and therapies. Dr. Koetting wraps up the episode by introducing Modern Optometry’s new Editor-in-Chief Jen Kirby, who answers questions about what readers can expect from Modern Optometry moving forward.

In this episode, Jacqueline Theis, OD, FAAO, speaks with Marc Bloomenstein, OD, FAAO, about her work in neuro-optometric care. She describes the types of patients treated at her practice, including those with traumatic brain injuries, concussion, or stroke. Her practice also manages patients with eye movement problems associated with neurodevelopmental conditions. Listen to gain insights on how primary care optometric practices can collaborate with neuro-optometry.

In the first half of this episode, podcast host Cecelia Koetting, OD, FAAO, Dipl ABO, and Carlo Pelino, OD, FAAO, discuss metabolic syndrome and the many ways it can affect the eye. Next, Dr. Koetting interviews Brandon Runyon, OD, FAAO, about the changing landscape of geographic atrophy management, including imaging and comanagement pearls.

In the first half of this episode, podcast host Cecelia Koetting, OD, FAAO, Dipl ABO, and Jill Gottehrer, OD, discuss the best ways to comanage patients with age-related macular degeneration. In the second half, Dr. Koetting talks with Steven Ferrucci, OD, FAAO, about new tools to help manage patients, including home monitoring, photobiomodulation, AI, and more.

In the fourth podcast episode, Jacob Lang, OD, FAAO, leads a discussion on functional vision testing, workflow integration, and real-world cases with Paul Hammond, OD, and Jason Compton, OD, FAAO, that demonstrates how advanced diagnostics improve outcomes and strengthen patient trust. The panel also gives expert insights into practicality and how to best incorporate new equipment with both practice staff and patient conversation.

Marc R. Bloomenstein, OD, FAAO, invites Brianna Rhue, OD, FAAO, to review current treatments for pediatric myopia control and share insights into how to talk to patients and their parents about this condition. Dr. Rhue also describes a calculator to help physicians predict myopia in children and slow progression.

Marc R. Bloomenstein, OD, FAAO, invites Ryan Corte, OD, to the podcast to share his experience launching his podcast, building his personal and practice brands, and facilitating the education and mentorship of younger optometrists. Dr. Corte shares advice for how young optometrists can gain advantages in the evolving field of optometry, stressing the importance of live meetings, integrating new technologies, and more.

On this month's episode of The MOD Pod Cecelia Koetting, OD, FAAO, Dipl ABO, welcomes guests Eugene Shifrin, OD, FAAO, and Thomas Chester, OD. Dr. Shifrin shares tips and best practices for enhancing patient outcomes with light adjustable lenses, which he details in a recent article in Modern Optometry with Christopher Kuc, OD, FAAO. In the second half of the episode, hear Drs. Koetting and Chester discuss the article Dr. Chester co-wrote with Abinaya Thenappan, MD, on innovations in IOL technology that optometrists need to know.

This month's episode of The MOD Pod features host Cecelia Koetting, OD, FAAO, Dipl ABO, speaking with Sulman Hans, OD, MS, FAAO, Dipl ABO, about his article in the July/August issue of Modern Optometry, "Keeping Eye Care Where It Belongs," which offers helpful steps to steer patients away from ERs and urgent care centers and into OD practices. Dr. Koetting also has a conversation with Rebecca Miller, OD, about her article, which walks through the various corrective options available to patients as their visual needs evolve over their lifetime.

In this second episode of the EMPOWER series, Ashley Tucker, OD, FAAO, FSLS, Dipl ABO, and Jessica O. Yu, OD, FAAO, FSLS, sit down with Jacob Lang, OD, FAAO, to discuss how to tackle the most common causes of contact lens dropout. With a focus on practical, evidence-based strategies, this conversation offers insight into improving long-term patient success with contact lenses.

Mike Cymbor, OD, FAAO, joins Marc R. Bloomenstein, OD, FAAO, to discuss collaborative glaucoma care. He shares how he helps manage patients with glaucoma in his practice, what he looks for when making a diagnosis, and how he discusses the treatment journey with patients. He also comments on the use of selective laser trabeculoplasty as first-line treatment and the use of MIGS.

Walt Whitley, OD, MBA, FAAO, joins Marc R. Bloomenstein, OD, FAAO, to discuss patient communication strategies. The two share techniques for how to educate patients about their conditions, treatment options, and management by being direct and relatable. They also stress the value of making it a team effort with the patient when it comes to improving their condition.