Published June 23rd, 2025
From Hiring Struggles to Success: A Tele-Optometry Solution
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| Dianne M. Talley (second from left), LDO, and licensed operator at Pearle Vision in Milledgeville, Georgia, faced a major challenge—recruiting and retaining optometrists. When she and her brother opened their Pearle Vision location on December 13, 2019, they initially had an in-person doctor. However, the practice struggled to see enough patients. In 2021, after COVID-19 restrictions allowed them to see more patients, they hired a younger optometrist, but attendance issues made it difficult to maintain patient flow. “The doctor missed 31 days,” Talley recalls. “Not seeing patients was killing our business.” By the summer of 2022, Talley started exploring alternatives. She looked at all the tele-optometry platforms, and at Vision Expo West that fall, she saw DigitalOptometrics in action. The seamless experience and high-quality refractions convinced her that tele-optometry could be the answer. With Milledgeville being a college town, Talley had difficulty attracting ODs despite offering competitive pay. In December 2022, Pearle Vision Milledgeville launched its first DigitalOptometrics lane. By October 2023, Talley and her brother had added a second. “Patients had no problems adjusting to being in the room with a technician and talking with the doctor on screen. Even older patients found it fascinating,” Talley says. |
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| Equipment Updates |
 She didn’t have to do much to equip the two lanes. “It was just a $34,000 initial investment, and we recouped it in no time,” Talley explains. “We traded and upgraded our equipment, including adding a video slit lamp. It definitely paid for itself, and it’s been agame-changer.” |
| For example, through DigitalOptometrics, the practice operates two full digital lanes, allowing the location to take walk-ins—a service they couldn’t previously offer. Talley even considered adding a third lane due to increasing demand. “We’re the place to go,” she says. The community response has been overwhelmingly positive, earning them the title of #1 optometrist in town and boosting their Google ratings. The irony of not having an on-site optometrist but earning that accolade shows how much patients enjoy the overall experience. |
 The operational model has also been a success. As a licensed optician, Talley employs the technician facilitators who work on site, and she contracts with DigitalOptometrics, which hires and provides the doctors. “We know who is covering us in advance, and we schedule accordingly,” she says. |
| The practice performs retinal imaging and can refer to ensure that diabetic patients receive necessary dilated exams. “I feel confident in the quality of care,” she adds. The results speak for themselves, she adds, noting that remake rates are less than 1%, and accuracy remains high. |
Not Going BackWith Milledgeville attracting retirees, Talley sees an ongoing demand for quality eye care. “We’ve got 75-year-old patients wearing Ray-Ban Meta frames—so it’s not just young people embracing new technology,” she says. Her team fully supports the model, and their enthusiasm translates to patients. “My techs love it. They sell it,” she says. The days of wondering whether an optometrist would show up for a scheduled shift are long gone. We’re never going back to the old way—we’re doing this forever. DigitalOptometrics is the future, and we’ve seen it work firsthand. Schedule a no-obligation virtual demo at your convenience. We can answer your questions, help you determine equipment needs, provide monthly lease costs, and calculate your estimated return on investment. |
| This article initially appeared in the SNAPP Insider monthly newsletter, February 2025©2025 DigitalOptometrics. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy |