Becky DeRuyter, OD, believes that it’s time for optometrists in all practice settings to join forces for the future of optometry. “While not all states are the same, there is one thing that rings true anywhere, and that is that we all need to work together to move our profession forward,” she says. “There are some real, and many more perceived differences, between our practices in the Vision Center and the more traditional private practices. Being an active part of organized optometry, particularly on the state and local level, is crucial to help upend some of those perceived differences and help us to all work together.”
Dr. DeRuyter, whose practice, Advanced Eye Health, is inside the Le Mars, Iowa, Walmart store, still encounters many private practice doctors who are surprised by how many things they have in common. “Many traditional, private practice doctors are shocked to hear that such a large percentage of patient encounters in my office are medically based, and that we bill nearly as many claims to medical insurance as we do to vision insurance,” she says. The fact that she also has an optical coherence tomography unit and retinal and anterior segment cameras often catches doctors off guard.
Over the past three years as a member of the Iowa Optometric Association’s (IOA) Board of Trustees, Dr. DeRuyter has helped to bridge the gap and connect with doctors who may not know much about her setting. “I’ve learned so much, and there is so much that goes on behind the scenes,” she says. She’s proud that the IOA is a strong state association with more than 90 percent of ODs in the state as members, and together they have made leaps and bounds in the past few years. In 2012, the IOA successfully clarified Iowa’s practice act so that optometrists no longer face discrimination by insurance companies as to which procedures they are able to perform and get reimbursement. “Over a year of hard work and grassroots efforts by our members, and with plenty of opposition by organized ophthalmology, our bill passed unanimously through the state legislature,” Dr. DeRuyter shares. “Now we are really diving into public relations, working hard to educate the public about who optometrists are and what we do.” The IOA recently produced a video to be shown in various places, including members’ offices. Dr. DeRuyter looks forward to continuing in this role with the IOA.
