Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Vetoes Bill That Would Have Banned Optometrists From Calling Themselves Doctors or Physicians

By Staff
Friday, June 2, 2023 4:30 PM TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed a bill today that would have prevented optometrists from calling themselves “physicians” or “doctors” in interactions with patients or advertisements. The governor vetoed Senate Bill (SB) 230. DeSantis’ official veto message does not explain why he vetoed either bill. The bill first passed in the House with a 111-13 vote on May 3 but was sent back to the Senate after the addition of an amendment that would have allowed optometrists to continue to use the term “physician.” However, the Senate refused to concur on the amendment, and the House passed it with a 79-34 vote.

An Aging U.S. Population Is on the Rise as Fewer Children Are Born

By Staff
Friday, June 2, 2023 2:01 PM The U.S. population is aging and having fewer children, according to a new report from the Census Bureau. The 2020 Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC) data report released in May found that the Baby Boom generation (born 1946-1964) and Millennials (born 1982-2000), the two largest U.S. cohorts in 2020, continued to age over the last 20 years, however, the number children born between 2010 and 2020 was significantly smaller. 

The current population pyramid shows the U.S. population now sits at around 330 million, up 22.7 million from 20120. It also indicates that the Baby Boomer population takes up a significant portion of the pyramid, while the number of Millennials and those in their early 20s and 30s have declined. The number of children under the age of 5 has also dropped due to a decrease in birth rates in the U.S.

Sports Vision: Helping Athletes at All Levels Reach Peak Performance

By Daniel Breeman
Friday, June 2, 2023 8:30 AM Imagine stepping into the batter’s box and attempting to hit a baseball coming at you at 90-plus miles per hour. According to the International Sports Vision Association (ISVA), the time it takes for a pitched ball to reach the plate is approximately 0.4 seconds. Baseball batters have about 0.17 seconds to decide to hit a pitch and choose where to swing. In that time, the batter needs to spot the pitch, assess the rotation and direction of the ball, and make a decision whether to swing or not. Now imagine attempting this sports scenario without your vision at its best. That’s where sports vision, the science of helping athletes reach peak levels of performance through enhancement of visual skills, is becoming more important in training for all ages and skill levels.

CooperCompanies Posts Q2 2023 Revenue Growth and Updates Fiscal Year 2023 Guidance

By Staff
Friday, June 2, 2023 12:33 AM CooperCompanies posts Q2 2023 revenue growth; Walmart investing in careers for over 7,000 opticians and pharmacists; Advancing Eyecare announces distribution agreement of Pure&Clean Vision hypochlorous acid products; VM's Influential Women in Optical nominations deadline extended; and VM explores how sustainability is taking root all topped this week’s VMAIL news feed. Click on the headlines below to catch up on anything you might have missed.

CooperCompanies Posts Q2 2023 Revenue Growth and Updates Fiscal Year 2023 Guidance

By Staff
Friday, June 2, 2023 12:30 AM SAN RAMON, Calif.—CooperCompanies (NYSE: COO) announced late yesterday financial results for its fiscal second quarter ending April 30, 2023. Revenue increased 6 percent year-over-year to $877.4 million. CooperVision (CVI) revenue was up 6 percent to $589.3 million, and CooperSurgical (CSI) revenue increased 4 percent to $288.1 million. Gross margin of 66 percent compared with 64 percent in last year’s second quarter. Operating margin of 11 percent compared with 16 percent in last year’s second quarter.

Bausch + Lomb Announces Executive Leadership Changes

By Staff
Friday, June 2, 2023 12:27 AM VAUGHAN, Ontario—Bausch + Lomb Corporation (NYSE/TSX: BLCO), a global eye health company, announced a reshaping of its executive leadership team, including the elevation of all business unit heads. Luc Bonnefoy, senior vice president, surgical; John Ferris, SVP, consumer; and Yang Yang, SVP, vision care; will join the executive management team of the company reporting directly to Brent Saunders, chairman and CEO. Concurrent with this change, Joseph Gordon, president, global consumer, surgical and vision care, will transition to the role of strategic advisor to Saunders.

Oculis Announces Pricing of $40.25 Million Public Offering of Ordinary Shares

By Staff
Friday, June 2, 2023 12:24 AM ZUG, Switzerland and BOSTON—Oculis Holding AG, a global biopharmaceutical company, announced yesterday the pricing of a follow-on public offering of 3,500,000 ordinary shares at a public offering price of $11.50 per ordinary share.

opti Presents opti on Tour Concept

By Staff
Friday, June 2, 2023 12:21 AM MUNICH—After its successful January 2023 show, opti show organizers have announced that the opti team will spend the rest of 2023 attending numerous customer and industry events in Europe and the U.S.

Randolph Opens First-Ever Boston Seaport Pop-Up Shop to Celebrate 50th Anniversary

By Staff
Friday, June 2, 2023 12:18 AM BOSTON—As part of a year-long celebration of its 50th anniversary, Randolph has opened its first-ever retail location as a pop-up shop in The Current in Boston Seaport alongside Seaport Common.

New Look Vision Group Wins Excellence in Retailing Award in Omnichannel from Retail Council of Canada

By Staff
Friday, June 2, 2023 12:15 AM TORONTO—New Look Vision Group is among the list of 15 winners of this year's Canada's Excellence in Retailing Awards, honored in the category of Omnichannel. The awards are presented as a highlight of the Retail Council of Canada's STORE 2023 Conference here. "Retailers across Canada have once again showcased their remarkable innovativeness and leadership, raising the bar for excellence in the retail industry," the organization said. The competition for the group's Excellence in Retailing Awards saw an unprecedented 88 finalists contending for the top honors.

Anatomy of Eyewear: The Earth’s Bounty, an Exploration of Sustainable Eyewear

By Staff
Thursday, June 1, 2023 2:20 PM The majority of frames available in your average dispensary will be made from one of two materials, metal or a form of plastic. Eyewear is not limited to only these choices. There are many natural products used in the manufacturing of eyeglasses, including horn, wood, bamboo and even stone.

Jennifer Jones Joins Fighting Blindness Canada as New President and CEO

By Staff
Thursday, June 1, 2023 2:17 PM Fighting Blindness Canada (FBC) announces the appointment of Jennifer Jones as the new president and chief executive officer, effective May 23, 2023. A visionary, strategic, and empathetic leader, Jennifer has devoted over 20 years to social impact, advocacy, and fundraising across the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors.

Importance of Workplace Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Vary Among U.S. Workers

By Staff
Thursday, June 1, 2023 1:33 PM Workplace diversity, equity and inclusion efforts (DEI) are increasingly becoming part of national political debates. For a majority of employed U.S. adults (56 percent), focusing on increasing DEI at work is a good thing, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. But opinions about DEI vary considerably along demographic and political lines.

Most workers have some experience with DEI measures at their workplace. About six-in-ten (61 percent) say their company or organization has policies that ensure fairness in hiring, pay or promotions, and 52 percent say they have training or meetings on DEI at work.

Smaller shares say their workplace has a staff member who promotes DEI (33 percent), that their workplace offers salary transparency (30 percent), and that it has affinity groups or employee resource groups based on a shared identity (26 percent). Majorities of those who have access to these measures say each has had a positive impact where they work.

Walmart Is Raising Wages and Investing in Careers for More Than 7,000 Opticians and Pharmacists

By Staff
Thursday, June 1, 2023 12:27 AM BENTONVILLE, Ark.—As part of what it described as "Our ongoing effort to recognize the great work of our health and wellness associates while investing for the future," Walmart said it will be investing in the careers, training and in some cases, licensing for 4,000 opticians and 3,700 pharmacists. In an announcement and corresponding corporate Walmart blog post issued late yesterday, co-written by David Reitnauer, vice president, Walmart Health & Wellness, optical, and Kevin Host, senior vice president, Walmart Health & Wellness, pharmacy, the executives noted, "In many communities, Walmart’s pharmacy and vision center associates are the most accessible health care providers for busy families.

The National Average for Gross Revenue at ECP Locations Decreased for the Week of May 22–28, Jobson’s Latest Practice Performance Tracker Shows

By Staff
Thursday, June 1, 2023 12:21 AM NEW YORK—The national average for gross revenue at ECP locations decreased last week, May 22–28, when compared with the previous week at a rate of -2 index points. That places gross revenue at a level 7 index points above where it was at this point in time (Week 22) when compared with last year (2022), 12 points above the same period in 2021, 38 points above 2020 (when COVID stay-at-home restrictions were in place), and 31 points above 2019, according to Jobson’s most recent Practice Performance Tracker.