2023 Para Optometric Schedule

MARY E. SCHMIDT, ABOC, CPO
You’ll Laugh, You’ll Learn, You’ll be Challenged

Mary E. Schmidt is the President of EyeSystems, a leadership development firm
specializing in the eyecare field.

Mary has over 40 years’ experience within the eyecare field. The last 30 years have
been focused on leadership and staff development. She has trained thousands of
practice leaders and paraoptometrics.

Her passion is the professional development of new and emerging practice leaders and
team members.

She was voted one of Vision Monday's 50 Most Influential Women in Optical.

Friday June 9th, 2023

(Please note the para program is single track)

8 – 9 am: Light Pastries and coffee                                                                             Atrium

9 – 11 am: Dealing with difficult people, how to prevent problems                    Grindelwald

• Description: How can you deal with the impossible-to-please patient, what about the staff member who
gives the lion’s share of the workload? Or can we add the doctor, who may have a last-minute task that
takes a half-day to complete? This course will prepare staff members to deal effectively with difficult people
within the practice.

11 – 12 pm: Leadership, 10 things great leaders do every day                            Grindelwald

• Description: Leading is great until it isn’t. Leading a great team doesn’t happen by accident and it takes
conscious effort to stay focused and prevent problems. This course will walk you through simple steps to
make your leadership a success.

12 – 1 pm: Installation Lunch, Sponsored by Hoopes Vision                                    Matterhorn

1:30 – 4 pm: Exhibit Hall                                                                                          Bernese Center

4 – 6 pm: Frame adjusting, the devil is in the details                                            Grindelwald

• Description: Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have the perfect system for adjusting frames? Would you love to
know what to do to make a frame fit and when to do it? Attend this course and develop greater confidence
and efficiency when dealing with patients who demand that perfect fit.

6 pm: Dinner Sponsored by Monson Vision                                                              Matterhorn

Saturday June 10th, 2023

7 – 8 am: Breakfast for ODs and Paras Sponsored by Waite Vision                      Matterhorn

8 – 9 am: Making work fun, no kidding                                                                     Grindelwald

• Description: Everyone wants to make a difference on the job, and cultivating an upbeat environment goes
a long way in making work fun. Positive morale equals a positive impact on your bottom line. This course
is designed to give managers the ability to improve working conditions, motivate, and inspire staff to give
their all.

9 – 10 am: Professionalism, Be the best at your job                                               Grindelwald

• Description: Be more confident in communicating information to patients and Increase their level of
professionalism. Learn how to exceed the expectation of patients. Be able to prevent problem situations.
Better understand their role in patient retention and practice growth.

10 – 1 pm: Exhibit hall, Lunch, and prize giveaway                                                  Bernese Center

Optional with your Doctor in the Main Ballroom
1 – 3 pm: The Independent Practice In The Age Of Healthcare Reform Part2     Matterhorn

• Description: Abstract: This course will present the most current and updated information on learning how
to comply with the CPT and ICD rules and regulations to properly code and bill encounters, ophthalmic
procedures, surgical procedures, and clinical lab testing. The legalities of creating and maintaining a
medical record are a complex mix of regulations, contractual requirements, and ethical obligations.
Many may not understand that there are specific laws that govern how a medical record is created and
maintained, and penalties associated with violations can be as significant as imprisonment and loss of
license to practice. Understanding the areas of greatest vulnerability in creating the medical record and
how to create and maintain one properly is essential to clinical practice today.

3 – 5 pm: Medicare and Commerce Insurance Audits                                             Matterhorn

• Description: This course will discuss coding and billing audits and investigations of healthcare providers.
The presentation will address what causes these audits, what happens during an audit, the process for
appealing overpayment (i.e. clawback) determinations, and best practices to avoid audits. Kevin West is
an experienced healthcare attorney who has represented providers in over 1,500 audits during the past 25
years.

5 – 6 pm: HIPAA: What We Have Learned in the Past 20 Years                              Matterhorn

• Description: Twenty years ago, HIPAA became the law and it revolutionized the world of healthcare.
Unfortunately, many myths and misunderstandings persist among healthcare providers about exactly
what HIPAA does or does not require. This presentation will provide insight and perspectives on HIPAA
compliance from an experienced healthcare attorney who has been intimately involved with HIPAA since
its inception, and has helped numerous providers develop HIPAA policies and procedures.

6:30 – 9:00 pm: Utah Optometric Association Family Carnival                               Matterhorn
Sponsored by Utah Eye Centers