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Annual Report 2013-14

02 | Who we are & Our mission

03 | Our rebranding

04 | Our achivements

05 | President’s report

07 | Treasurer’s Report

09 | Chief Executive Officer’s Report

1 1 | Snapshot of the profession

13 | Our leaders

15 | Our policy & advocacy engagement

17 | Our professional services

19 | Our communications

22 | Our marketing

25 | Our operations

28 | Member participation in working groups

29 | Committee memebership at 30 june 2014

30 | Contact details

Optometry Australia is …

•The member-based professional organisation that actively strengthens, protects and promotes the profession of optometry and eye health, on behalf of all optometrists.

•The influential voice that unites and advances the profession.

•Optometrists for Optometry.

Our mission is to lead, engage and promote optometry, optometrists and community eye health.

Optometry Australia believes …

•All Australians deserve the best in primary eye health and vision care.

•The best way to achieve this is with a strong and progressive profession that upholds and promotes the highest professional standards of patient care.

•The interests of individual optometrists are best served by a strong and progressive profession, with a representative organisation that actively leads, engages and promotes on behalf of all professionals.

Optometry Australia …

•Values the vibrant profession that we are part of.

•Respects our members, our people and our stakeholders. We are responsive to their needs and to the eye health and vision needs of the Australian community.

•Uphold the highest levels of integrity, ensuring that we act responsibly, honestly and openly.

•Is strategic in our thinking with our eye to the future; always challenging ourselves to do things differently.

•Collaborates and shares our knowledge and our experience.

•Understands that our actions shape the optometry sector and we have the resolve to stand by our decisions and the courage to change them.

Who we are and Our mission

Optometry Australia mission is to lead, engage and promote optometry,

optometrists and community eye health.

“”


Our organisation has helped shape the Australian optometry profession for over 100 years. Together with our members, our profession’s leaders and stakeholders we have been instrumental in making Australia a world leader in the delivery of vision and eye health services and patient care.

Australia, and indeed our workplace, is rapidly changing and we recognised that to ensure our brand’s endurance we needed to review our performance and relevancy in supporting the profession. The emergence of Optometry Australia in May 2014, along with a revised business direction, is a reflection of how seriously we took this review.

A key part of our review was listening to our members who told us that the best way to progress the interests of optometrists is for us to focus our resources and efforts on advancing the profession in critical areas such as government lobbying and advocacy, raising the standing of optometrists as eye-health experts in the community and putting eye health front and centre of Australian health care. We have heeded this and this annual report reflects our achievements in delivering this refocused business direction.

Underpinning our revised brand framework are our new beliefs and mission (see page two) which define who we are by giving us a clear framework for our decision making.

Our brand review has also given us a much deeper understanding of the value that we strive to deliver to our members, stakeholders and the heartbeat of our organisation – our staff. This value has been encapsulated in three new videos that are available for viewing on Optometry Australia’s YouTube channel.

We have always had a strong organisation and voice – and through our brand review, and our decision to listen to market forces and importantly, garner feedback from our members and key stakeholders, we believe that we have strengthened our foundation for continued success. And our success means an on-going strong and influential voice for the optometry profession.

Our rebranding“We have strengthened our foundation for continued success”

Our achievements

Most significantly for patients, the Optometry Board of Australia released in March 2013 revised guidelines for the use of scheduled medicines permitting qualified optometrists with the relevant equipment and scope of practice to initiate glaucoma treatment without first having a formal comanagement plan in place with an ophthalmologist. Regrettably, this has led to litigation by RANZCO and the ASO against the Optometry Board of Australia, which is still continuing but the reform remains operational unless modified by the courts.

The reforms to prescribing continue the very important evolution to our scope of practice for the benefit of patients. The reforms are a clear demonstration of the intent of national registration adopted by all jurisdictions in both the Intergovernmental Agreement for

National Registration and in the founding legislation for national registration adopted in every state and territory in Australia.

The Association supported this reform for a number of reasons, most importantly because it will benefit patients and the community.

First, we note that the changes do not suddenly mean every optometrist must now undertake this work. Second, the reforms are appropriately targeted to eligible optometrists—the 33 per cent who are legally able to prescribe after undertaking therapeutic training; those who have the equipment and those with the scope of practice.

Third, despite now not requiring a formal comanagement agreement between optometrists and ophthalmologists, the Association does not envisage that the professions will suddenly stop talking. On the contrary, it is likely the reform will strengthen communication between the professions without the formal structures imposed previously. Excellence in patient care requires a strong relationship between treating practitioners and these changes are unlikely to damage that interaction that occurs every day between optometrists and ophthalmologists.

Second to prescribe after undertaking therapeutic training; those who have and those with the scope of practice.


President’s Report

“We will continue to do everything in our power

to share with key decision makers the importance

of fully utilising the professionalism and

expertise of optometrists”

This year the organisation addressed many significant events, making it a watershed year for both the profession and our organisation.

A new coalition government in Canberra in September 2013 presented us with the opportunity to deepen our engagement with key politicians, to create a new relationship with shadow health officials and to explain the value our profession provides to the community and government.

In the public policy arena however, the May 2014 Budget caused celebration and challenges. The promise to remove the profession’s fee cap by 1 January 2015 exemplifies the work of our organisation in partnering with the profession to meet a key profession objective. The removal of the fee cap

– after 39 years – was significant and we thank all members who joined us in this campaign which means that we, within the profession, can now decide its fees, not the government.

Conversely, the cuts and indexation freeze announced in the Federal budget and then in December 2014, were not welcomed – and we are actively opposing these decisions. We will continue to do everything in our power to share with key decision makers the importance of fully utilising the professionalism and expertise of optometrists to meet the growing eye health needs of the Australian community and how these changes are likely to impact this outcome.

The court case challenging the Optometry Board of Australia’s decision to facilitate the initiation of

glaucoma prescribing to endorsed-optometrists was thankfully settled in late 2013-14. Optometry Australia actively supported this clinical guideline as imperative to patient care. While the settlement reached by OBA, RANZCO and ASO in November did not necessarily support our position, it does provide much clarification on diagnosis, treatment, timelines and referral timeframes.

Our membership model could have been challenged this year when a competitor insurance policy was offered to a number in our profession. Our response was calculated and clear when we launched our new strategic brand and business direction in May highlighting that as a profession we can achieve more as a collective than as individuals.

During the year we farewelled Dr Phil Anderton PhD (NSW) and Tim Powell (Tas) and welcomed Michael Jones (NSW) and Andrew Hogan (Tas) to the National Board. I wish to sincerely thank them, and all Directors, for their contribution in leading the optometry sector during the year.

Our Finance, Audit and Risk Subcommittee, chaired by Treasurer Gavin O’Callaghan, met periodically during the financial year to provide detailed oversight of the

organisation’s financial, audit and risk responsibilities. I thank Gavin for his continued leadership of our finances and risk management, as well as all fellow directors who participated actively in the governance of Optometry Australia during 2013/14.

I would like to thank Genevieve Quilty for her leadership of the Optometry Australia team, as well as all team members, for their outstanding and tireless contribution throughout the year.

Throughout the reporting period, the National Board and National Office provided active reporting to all State Divisions – who make up the membership of Optometry Australia – and this report provides a brief snap shot of these key events.

Andrew Harris

National President of Optometry Australia, November 2014

Collectively we represent around 90% of the profession – one of the highest known membership levels within the Australian professional association sector. This annual report demonstrates the power of this unity in five key areas: policy and advocacy; communications; marketing; professional services and operations – all which provide the foundation for an enduring organisation.

“” Finally, a word on our governance; the National Board met six times during 2013-2014.

The Board consists of seven optometrists who are appointed by the State Divisions:

Michael JonesNSW

Darrell Baker WA

Andrew HoganTAS

Kate GiffordDeputy Chair, QLD

Allison McKendrickAssoc Prof PhD, VIC

Gavin O’CallaghanTreasurer, SA

Andrew HarrisNational President and Chairman of the Board

I’m pleased to report that Optometry Australia had a positive financial year with a surplus reported in the profit and loss. The portfolio returned 12.35% net of fees. Although the rate of growth has eased this reporting period compared to 201213, it was a solid result given the current level of economic uncertainty. Operating results were positive and exceeded budgeted expectations.

The organisation’s forecast negative budget position for 2013-14 was exceeded. The positive result was due to a combination of tight budget constraints, sensible financial management and monitored through monthly reporting to the organisation’s Finance Committee, Audit and Risk Committee and the National Board as well as the steady growth of the equities market boosting the value of the organisation’s investment portfolio.

Operating results

With membership fees from State Divisions accounting for 80 per cent of the organisation’s income, efforts continued to secure revenue from other sources including sponsorship, advertising and commissions. Reflecting market conditions and plateauing stakeholder spend, access to alternative revenue remained flat.

Overall expenses for the year were contained at 5.6 per cent below budget. Examples of cost containment include a significant reduction in meeting travel expenses due to an increase in the use of internet and telephone conferencing.

I’m pleased to report that the IT database and website projects are nearing completion which is resulting in increases in intangible assets. These projects have created a modern website experience through www.

optometry.org.au as well as significant enhancements to CPD points’ collation, online access to our publications.

Total expenditure on salaries was 13 per cent lower than budget due to the longer than expected timeframes for recruitment processes and the reassessment of vacant roles. The upside has been the opportunity to employ more experienced and well suited staff for key positions.

The organisation’s budget also contributed $254,552 to assisting our smaller State Divisions deliver services to members in line with the organisation’s State Funding policy.

While the purchase of professional indemnity insurance and financial support provided to our smaller State Divisions represent significant outlays during the year, this expenditure was necessary to support and empower the profession and our members.

Statement of financial position

For 2013-14 there was an increase in total equity for the year of 3.75 per cent. This figure is reflective of the increase in the organisation’s investment portfolio value as well as operating profit generated.

The asset allocation policy, modified by the National Board in May 2012, establishes the investment parameters for the organisation’s investment portfolio as managed by First Financial (formerly known as WHK). Optometry Australia maintains a balanced portfolio, allocating 27% to defensive assets and the remainder in equiries and managed investment funds. This diversification provides a risk based approach to the portfolio while still allowing opportunity for the realisation of increased investment returns. Over the investment cycle

these returns have historically been higher than investing these funds in standard bank accounts or term deposits.

The organisation’s cash holdings are up 40 per cent from last year, reflecting an increase in savings and higher than forecast interest payments on cash holdings, carefully managed to maximise term deposit returns. These savings are budgeted to be invested in additional member services during 2014-15.

Financial management and the future

As noted above, Optometry Australia has a significant portion of its assets in shares and managed funds. This position is monitored closely at each National Board meeting and by the Board’s Finance Committee. The Finance Committee comprises of: the Treasurer, Chair, the National Chief Executive Officer and National Chief Operating Officer, as well as an external independent business adviser, Terry Wakefield.

The National Board is acutely aware of the need to support the State Divisions so they can deliver the level of membership benefits demanded by members in order to meet their own business and career objectives and to fulfill their role within the Australian health care sector. As a result, we continue to manage our financial position conservatively and while the new financial year will see further investment in member services, and while the Board has forecast a deficit budget for the 2014-15 financial year, Optometry Australia’s overall financial position is forecast to remain positive.

XXX Gavin O’Callaghan National Treasurer Optometry Australia

“The new financial year will see further investment in member services”

Annual report 2013/14 Optometry Australia | 08

Treasurer’s Report


This year not only marks our 97th year of operation but a period of consolidation and positive evolution of the organisation. As we edge towards our centennial, Optometry Australia needed to ensure that we have the right structure in place and vision to meet the demands of a new century. To facilitate this, we gained frank and honest feedback from our members that lead to our rebranding and refocused attention on strengthening our voice and promoting the role of optometrists and community eye health and vision care on behalf of the profession.

I am excited about the way that our organisation is embracing this new ethos and how the new branding platform is propelling us forward.

The profession

The optometry profession is as busy as ever. Throughout the year, our 4,300 members delivered over 7.9 million Medicare rebatable optometry services with Medicare funding exceeding $385.5 million. This averages out at 0.33 services per person per year, up 0.01 from 2012-13.

CEO Report

Membership input

We continue to draw on our membership in both governance roles through State Division Boards and Council as well as our own National Board. Simultaneously we lead numerous working groups in such areas as key clinical, policy and advocacy platforms and represent the sector on the domestic and international editorial Board of our clinical Journal Clinical and Experimental Optometry.

I wish to warmly thank all members who donate their time so generously to assisting the organisation establish key policy and advocacy platforms; contribute to stories; and who share their knowledge and passion for the profession. A list of members who formally contributed to policy formation can be found on pages 28-29 of this report.

Thank you also to Professor Barry Cole, Chairman of Clinical and Experimental Optometry and the journal’s editor, Professor Barry Collin as well as Associate Professor Mark Roth, editor of Pharma. Your contributions have made these some of the best scientific publications in the optometry sector worldwide.

During the year Optometry Australia attended all major State Division conferences enabling us to spend valuable time with members and corporate partners. We also consolidated a new member-facing IT platform and finalised negotiations for key services such as Professional Indemnity Insurance and Continuing Professional Development accreditation, advocacy and regulatory advice.

Governance

I have enjoyed working with our National Board and I thank the Directors for their guidance. I would particularly like to thank our National President Andrew Harris, who has been unrelenting in his commitment to the profession during his presidency, for his personal support of me.

My sincere appreciation to all State Division Boards and their Chief Executive Officers for their collaboration and support. During the year we farewelled Cristy Ross, Chief Executive of Optometry Queensland and Northern Territory and Terri Smith, Chief Executive of

Optometry Victoria and welcomed Cathryn Baker and Peter Haydon respectively as their replacements.

The State Divisions make up the membership of Optometry Australia and we work together closely to ensure that we are advancing the sector in line with the profession’s expectations.

Staff

It would be remiss of me not to reflect on the talented, amazing group of people who work within the National Office and who provide the range of quality services that are so seamlessly delivered to the profession,

members and our State Divisions. A summary of their outputs are reflected in this annual report. I am privileged to work with this committed team and I am very proud of their achievements. I thank each one of my staff for their dedication to advancing the provision of eye care to the Australian community.

We invite you to reflect on the 2013/14 year through this important report.

National Chief Executive Officer Optometry Australia

Interaction with the sector

Optometry Australia continues its active involvement in all aspects of Vision 2020’s committee processes, participating regularly in key advocacy events, chairing the prevention and early intervention committee and sitting on the global, low vision and Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander eye health sub-committees.

Strategic objectives 2012-15

This year marked the final year of our three year strategic plan and the outputs are summarised below under two major themes:

Work is well advanced on the development of our 2015-2018 Strategic Plan. This plan will be embraced by the National Division and all State Divisions, representing a new paradigm in collaboration across our federated structure.

Our 4,300 members delivered over 7.9 million Medicare rebatable

optometry services with Medicare funding exceeding $385.5 million.

VISION Member: Excellence in eye care and vision care

Public: See life. See your optometrist

MISSION To advance, promote and support the profession of optometry

THEMES Advancing the practice of optometry and its standing via:

Providing optometrists with professional support and services via:

Sustainable flexible remuneration.

A well balanced, well-educated and well distributed workforce.

Increasing the number of optometrists with therapeutic endorsement.

Communicating to the community and other health professionals why they should see optometrists first

The provision of member information to enhance their clinical practise.

Member services to support members’ practises.


The optometry sector continues to provide increasing numbers of optometric services in almost every community in Australia making it a diverse, competitive and dynamic, career choice.

The optometry sector is the largest eye health and vision care profession in Australia providing 75 per cent of all primary eye health and vision care. There are almost 4,800 practicing optometrists in Australia working closely with all health care practitioners but most significantly with General Practitioners, Pharmacists and Ophthalmologists.

Optometrists completing a graduate certificate in ocular therapeutics continued to increase during the year with over 1,750 within our profession now holding discrete prescribing rights to the benefit of patients. By December 2014 every newly graduating optometrist will have therapeutics as required by the new entry level standard for optometry

Source: Medicare and CPI figuresMedicare Indexation compared with CPI from 2004–2014

Change from December quarter to December quarter

Fee with different CPI adjustment

YEAR

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

10900 Schedule

fee

60.25

61.45

62.75

64.15

65.65

67.15

68.35

69.7

71.00

71.00

85% (bulk-bill amount)

51.25

52.25

53.35

54.55

55.85

57.10

58.10

59.25

60.35

60.35

Medicare increase for

10900

2.10%

2.00%

2.10%

2.20%

2.30%

2.30%

1.80%

2.00%

1.90%

0.00%

CPI all groups

2.60%

2.80%

3.30%

3.00%

3.70%

2.10%

2.70%

3.10%

2.20%

2.70%

CPI Health

5.00%

4.20%

5.30%

4.10%

4.90%

4.70%

5.00%

3.60%

7.70%

4.40%

If CPI all groups

applied

64.2

66.0

68.1

70.2

72.8

74.3

76.3

78.7

80.4

82.6

If CPI Health applied

64.32

67.02

70.58

73.47

77.07

80.69

84.73

87.78

94.50

98.70

Source: AHPRA, June 2014 dataThe Optometry Profession as at 30 June 2014 (Registrations)

OPTOMETRY PRACTITIONERS – REGISTRATION TYPE AND SUB TYPE BY STATE OR TERRITORY

TOTAL

4,654

3

1

2

131

4,788

ACT

74

-

-

-

-

74

NSW

1,592

3

1

2

37

1,632

NT

28

-

-

-

1

29

QLD

934

-

-

-

16

950

SA

246

-

-

-

-

246

TAS

86

-

-

-

-

86

VIC

1,199

-

-

-

25

1,224

WA

377

-

-

-

9

386

No PPP

118

-

-

-

43

161

Optometry Practitioner

General

Limited

Postgraduate Training/Supervised Practice

Training or Research

Non-Practising

TOTAL Practitioners

Source: AHPRA, June 2014Optometrists able to prescribe therapeutic medicines as at 30 June 2014

OPTOMETRY PRACTITIONERS – ENDORSEMENT BY STATE OR TERRITORY

TOTAL

1753

37.67%

ACT

21

28.38%

NSW

387

24.31%

NT

13

46.43%

QLD

320

34.26%

SA

119

48.37%

TAS

58

67.44%

VIC

687

57.30%

WA

128

33.95%

No PPP

20

16.95%

Optometry Practitioner

Scheduled Medicines

% of general registrants who are endorsed

Snapshot of the

profession

STANDING (L-R):

Cathryn Baker, CEO Optometry Queensland and Northern Territory; Libby Boschen, CEO Optometry South Australia; Andrew McKinnon, CEO Optometry New South Wales

and Australian Capital Territory; Sandra Shaw, National Communications Manager Optometry Australia; Jared Slater, National Professional Services Manager Optometry

Australia; Skye Cappuccio, National Policy Manager Optometry Australia; Peter Haydon, CEO Optometry Victoria; Kerry I’Anson, National Brand & Corporate Relations Manager Optometry Australia. During the year Terri Smith, CEO Optometry Victoria and

Cristy Ross, CEO Optometry Queensland and Northern Territory resigned.

SEATED (L-R):

Tony Martella, CEO Optometry Western Australia; Kirsten McMahon-Cook, Chief Operating Officer Optometry Australia; Genevieve Quilty, CEO Optometry Australia; Geoff Squibb, CEO Optometry Tasmania.

Our leadership team has been instrumental in driving the

organisation throughout 2013-2014, putting the foundations in

place to support the profession strongly into the future.

Our Leaders

Our policy & advocacy

engagement

Optometry Australia advocates

strongly for fair remuneration conditions for

optometry services

Optometry Australia is delighted with the

advancements made this year as a result of our advocacy

and policy initiatives, many achieved after several years

of continual effort to effect change. We celebrate these

successes while recognising that challenges remain within

the policy area which will require our ongoing attention

to facilitate solutions.

Commitment to remove Medicare fee cap

Following a member-based advocacy campaign spearheaded by Optometry Australia to remove the cap on fees optometrists can charge under Medicare, the previous Government announced a market review of the optometry sector. This review confirmed that high levels of competition would likely ensure clinical fees remained low and Optometry Australia was pleased when, in May 2014, the Abbott Government upheld this commitment. We have since been working closely with the Government to help ensure the 1 January 2015 timeline for the removal of the fee cap is met.

Visiting Optometrists Scheme maintained

Optometry Australia responded swiftly when rumours surfaced that the Government might be considering ceasing funding of the vital Visiting Optometrists Scheme. Our efforts, focused on ensuring the new Health Minister understood the significance of the scheme to safeguarding primary eye care access in the bush, helped in protecting the scheme’s funding.

Self-education expense cap thwarted

We supported a cross-sectoral advocacy campaign opposing a tax amendment to cap the annual amount that optometrists can claim as a tax deduction for self-education at $2,000. The amendment would have penalised optometrists’ professional development as required to maintain their registration whilst also adding a further cost burden to those based in regional and rural areas who must travel for training. Our efforts resulted in these reforms not progressing.


Optometry Australia’s CEO Genevieve Quilty and Minister for

Health, the Hon Peter Dutton.

Remuneration and patient access

Optometry Australia advocates strongly for fair remuneration conditions for optometry services under Medicare. Notwithstanding the Abbott Government’s intention to limit spending, we made a comprehensive proposal to the Department of Health to modernise and refine existing items and to improve domiciliary loading items. Work towards implementation of many of these recommendations continues.

The most significant changes in this area came via the Federal Budget in May 2014 when the Government announced: a reduction in the rebate for optometry services from 85% to 80% of scheduled fees; an extension of the freeze on indexation of item fees (this freeze has unfortunately now been extended to 2018); and the alteration of frequency that patients can access a comprehensive eye examination. While we welcomed changes to increase the frequency with which asymptomatic older patients can access care under Medicare, we have raised strong objections to other proposed changes.

The Government has made it clear that that it will not reverse these measures despite reviewing a number of alternative proposals that we tabled. In response, we have commissioned research to inform a planned campaign directed at ensuring service access does not diminish.

Improved patient access and health system efficiency advanced this year with our successful appeal for therapeutically endorsed optometrists to be able to prescribe Homatropine eye drops under the PBS. We are also progressing an application to support the removal of an imbedded corneal foreign body by an optometrist.

We actively involve members

in informing our policy and

advocacy agenda

Optometry Australia’s President Andrew Harris with the Hon. Bruce Scott, MP at our inaugural eye health screening day for politicians and

senior bureaucrats held at Parliament House on 25 June.

Our policy & advocacy

engagement(continued)

Political engagement

We have a significant roll-call of meetings that we have held on behalf of the sector including those with the Minister for Health, the Hon Peter Dutton and his Assistant, Senator Fiona Nash, the Shadow Minister, the Hon Gary Gray, and the Greens’ spokesperson for health and Senator Richard Di Natale. We concentrated our efforts on ensuring all major political parties have a good understanding of the key issues effecting eye health and patient access to primary eye care.

To support this focus Optometry Australia hosted an eye health screening at Parliament House in June 2014 which was attended by the Minister for Health and over 35 politicians, and advisers. This event provided us with the opportunity to launch our key advocacy platform, Line of Sight: sustainable primary eye care for all Australians.

Evidence-supported advocacy

Throughout the year we:

1. Commissioned Monash University to undertake detailed projections of supply and demand for optometry services whilst simultaneously proposing a cap be placed on the number of students undertaking entry-level education.

2. Commissioned an independent consultant to survey members to determine the cost of providing clinical care with the aim of developing recommendations to support fee setting structures.

3. Partnered with the University of Melbourne and Deakin University to undertake a survey of members regarding their perception of extended clinical placements which will inform the development of extended placement schemes.

4. Implemented research to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the barriers and challenges in providing primary eye care to older Australians. Our response to these results is underway.

Policies, standards and guidelines

In consultation with members Optometry Australia released revised entry level competency standards for the profession in April 2014. These standards define the basic competencies the profession expects from new graduates and significantly they now include therapeutic practice. We have also undertaken a number of clinical guidelines including, in concert with a select group of members, the assessment and management of patients with diabetes.

Optometry Australia’s President Andrew Harris and the Shadow Minister for Health, Catherine King inspect a case study of member Susan Kalff during the Parliamentary Friends Group dinner organised by Vision 2020 to support World Sight Day 2014.

Annual report 2013/14 Optometry Australia | 16

We have a significant roll-call of

meetings that we have held

on behalf of the sector

Submissions and consultations

Optometry Australia actively represents the interests of the profession through participation in relevant Government and stakeholder consultation including:

1. Comprehensive input to the Optometry Board of Australia and the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency’s review and development of standards and guidelines for optometrists.

2. Detailing perspective policies impacting eye health and optometry through numerous submissions to Government consultations and inquiries including the Skilled Occupation List, Personally Controlled eHealth record, demand-driven university funding and competition law and application.

Member policy and advocacy input

We actively involve members in informing our policy and advocacy agenda. Key outputs have included: a paper published in Clinical and Experimental Optometry from the Low Vision Working Group identifying priorities and barriers relating to optometric engagement in low vision care; publication of a position paper on visiting eye care teams for Indigenous eye care developed by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander eye health working group; and strong representation of rural optometry on the National Rural Health Alliance through the Rural Optometry Group.

Member material and support

Optometry Australia provided a range material this year to support members. This included:

1. A suite of resources to support members adapt to removal of Medicare fee cap changes.

2. A suite of resources to support members adapt to Medicare indexation freezes and the reduction in rebate from 85% to 80%.

3. The revision and development of clinical guidelines for patient care and practice development.

These are available to download from Optometry Australia’s member portal.

We undertook an extensive risk review to ensure that members would be covered by the most comprehensive policy available, but without recourse to increasing costs

Professional Indemnity Insurance

With the finalisation of the current contract, Optometry Australia undertook an extensive risk review to ensure that members would be covered by the most comprehensive policy available, but without recourse to increasing costs. This review resulted in the successful extension of the AVANT PII master policy for members. Significant improvements were negotiated to include areas of privacy breeches, telehealth, advice on goods sold, actions by other and continuous cover.

In addition, throughout the year, we provided active risk management advice to members while also assisting members to drawn on the policy when required.

Medicare compliance

The professional services team regularly responded to members’ requests to assist in their understanding of Medicare and in particular, the use of the optometry MBS schedule. The team further provided specific advice to the Department of Human Services’ audit of Medicare usage and improvements in Medicare compliance.

Private health insurance

Optometry Australia is the main interface between the profession and private health companies and we are very active in ensuring the optometry sector remains high on their agenda for rebates and improvements.


Optometry Australia’s profession services section is one the most visible to the profession, offering a combination of problem

solving and advice to members and the application of clinical knowledge. Our professional services team also provides

optometric input to submissions developed by the policy and advocacy team, presents a clinical voice within the media on

behalf of the profession and negotiates key contracts.

“”

Our professional services

Regulatory bodies

We were very active in the regulatory arena through our involvement in:

1. The support Professor Stephan Dain and Annette Hoskin in their roles representing the optometry sector on a number of Australian Standards committees. We also maintain an active role with the ACCC contributing to their compliance activities in relation to sunglass labelling.

2. The delivery of a range of Optometry Board of Australia (OBA) activities including:

•Development of submissions to support continuing professional development; advertising and mandatory notification; recency of practise and professional indemnity insurance registration standard.

•Assisting between 350-400 members who were routinely audited by the profession’s registration board.

•Participating on OBA’s continuing professional development subcommittee.

•Heading a small team of staff responsible for administering OBA’s accreditation of continuing professional development (CPD) and the collation of CPD points for all members whilst also providing advice to members on action required to meet the registration requirements for CPD.

3. The development and delivery of the CASA credentialed aviation course to upskill members interested in the delivery of aviation ocular examinations.

Continuing professional development

In November Optometry Australia announced it had won a three year competitive tender initiated by OBA to accredit and audit optometry sector CPD trainers and training. It is a goal of the organisation to respond to member demands to improve training standards. We launched Eye on CPD as the new business arm to facilitate this program of work.

Media

The head of our professional services team assumes the role of Senior Resident Optometrist when responding to media inquiries. With a renewed focus on promoting the sector, the number of media calls from print, broadcast and online journalists has steadily increased with a range of topics being discussed. One of the most prominent campaigns saw our Senior Resident Optometrist appear on the Today and Channel Nine news nationwide to highlight children’s eye health and vision issues.

Optometry Australia won a three year

competitive tender to accredit and audit

optometry sector CPD trainers and training

Our professional services

National Services Manager, Jared Slater represented optometrists in raising awareness of children’s eye

health issues with Today’s Tim Gilbert

Optometry Australia

supports a range of digital

publications and is increasing its presence in the

digital space


Our member communications

Optometry Australia’s experienced communications team continued to produce high-quality topical sector information across print, online and digital platforms throughout the year – all which are available via optometry.org.au’s publications portal. We remain committed to delivering timely and informative content through a range of channels.

Digital communications

Optometry Australia supports a range of digital publications and is increasing its presence in the digital space thanks to the organisation’s new website, the delivery of new apps and an increase in social media activities.

Australian Optometry Online

The main web-based portal is Australian Optometry Online which was launched in October 2013 bringing with it our ability to deliver news with immediacy and reinforcing Optometry Australia’s role in keeping our members informed of breaking news and information that might impact them or the sector.

This breakthrough digital resource enabled us to cease print publication of Practice, Contact Lenses, Lenses and Guide4Grads and offer them exclusively online.

Practice, Lenses and Contact Lenses

With its new format in the digital space, Practice continued its role as a leading business and management resource. It provides handy links to important documents, together with articles that explain the relevance of documents, and profiles of members’ personal experiences in practice management.

The informative Progressive Lenses Buyers Guide and the RGP and Soft Lenses Buyers Guide were also published online in January 2014.

Electronic newsletters

eNews is Optometry Australia’s fortnightly alert to important news and information. It is delivered exclusively to members and its relevancy is highlighted by an outstanding open rate of 46 per cent.

We also produce separate monthly email alerts to promote the latest news and features from Australian Optometry to connect recipients with content on optometry.org.au. An open rate of 53 per cent provides excellent evidence that these communications have been welcomed by members and other stakeholders in the profession and industry.

Email alerts for our scientific journal Clinical and Experimental Optometry also achieve an excellent open rate of 40 per cent. Sent every two months, they are aimed at engaging members and 1,200 optometry and vision science academics and researchers worldwide while providing direct links to the papers published on Wiley Online Library.

We also deliver important messages from Optometry Australia’s President and Chief Executive Officer to members via email when we believe timely delivery is imperative.

Social media

Optometry Australia has amplified its efforts towards social media during the year. With a dedicated team now in place and an agreed strategy for increasing our online social presence and engagement, we are seeing positive results.

Our initial priority was our member Facebook page and through increased posting and careful content curation, we have steadily built our followers by 21 per cent over a six-month period. Most notably, engagement—indicated by a steady increase in shares, comments and likes of posts—has risen significantly. We recently launched our consumer Facebook page – Good Vision for Life – and our own YouTube channel where we

upload videos aimed at members and consumers.

We have embraced Twitter for regular updates and conversation starters around our advocacy efforts. Increasingly, we intend to use this platform as an integral part of our strategy to progress some of our policy priorities.

Australian Optometry

The aim of Australian Optometry is to remain the authoritative voice for the optometry sector. To support this and the organisation’s concerted push into the digital space, we redesigned the print publication, launching a new masthead and page layout design. Additional changes saw the removal of page two CPD activities in lieu of a comprehensive listing online and the promotion of State Division conferences on the back page.

This year we supported a false front cover to promote the benefits and features of the organisation’s new and improved integrated website, and a four-page wrap-around to launch the new brand.

The annual Contact Lenses feature was also published in the May issue of Australian Optometry.

We have amplified our efforts towards social media

Our member communications

Print and digital

communications

Clinical and Experimental Optometry

We continue to produce this leading scientific publication six times per year in association with journal publisher, Wiley. Leading sector luminaries, led by Editor Professor Barry Collin and Editorial Board Chairman, Professor Barry Cole are responsible for delivering this world-leading journal.

Chairman, Professor Barry Cole and Editor Professor Barry Collin are responsible for delivering this world leading journal.

The year was a technology watershed for Clinical and Experimental Optometry with Wiley introducing the ‘Anywhere Article’, which makes reading online a better, more productive experience. The responsive HTML article will adapt to any device—desktop, tablet or smartphone.

In another exciting development, Wiley also launched an intuitive iPad journal app which allows members easy, direct access to the journal’s content using their Optometry Australia log-in. Issues from January 2013 are also available on the app archive. An android app is now in development.

Full-text downloads for Clinical and Experimental Optometry increased 30 per cent, from 157,140 in 2012 to 204,177 in 2013. Most full-text downloads were in the USA (29 per cent) and China (28 per cent) followed by Australia (six per cent), which indicates the world-wide standing of the journal.

The journal is available in 4,481 institutions worldwide via Wiley licensed sales. Due to philanthropic initiatives, the journal is also available in 3,593 institutions in the developing world.

The journal is published in partnership with the New Zealand Association of Optometrists, the Hong Kong Society of Professional Optometrists, and the Singapore Optometric Association.

Pharma

During the year Pharma continued to explore the clinical aspects of modern optometric practice, in print and online, with case reports and topical contributions from highly-regarded practitioners and researchers. A new design and layout enriched its unique status—positioned midway between a magazine and a scientific journal.

The Pharma Low Vision Primer was published with the aim of expanding optometrists’ knowledge of this topic and offering a chairside reference. Publication of the Efron, Morgan and Woods annual survey of Australian contact lens prescribing trends moved to Pharma, in recognition of the importance of maintaining the survey analysis in hard copy.

Pharma included a series of articles on ocular nutrition, which expressed the differing and sometimes controversial views of the findings of AREDS2, and the updated PBS list of medicines for optometrists.

Pharma is distributed to all members of Optometry Australia and of the New Zealand Association of Optometrists.

Equipment

Equipment launched a new design and layout reinforcing its position as a unique magazine dedicated to ophthalmic equipment and instruments. A different approach was taken to content with the popular product reviews complemented by feature articles and industry news.

The Equipment Buyers Product Guide was published online.

Our member

communications


Optometry Australia



digital space

Our campaigns are being designed to raise the profile and

reputation of the optometry profession within the community.

Our Marketing

Optometry Australia’s on-going marketing campaign priorities are our public policy leadership and advocacy program, and on early detection and prevention as well as consumer education. In pursuing each priority area, we are seeking to establish a clear position of authority, recognition and respect amongst our targeted communities as the influential voice for optometry in Australia.

Brand

Marketing lead the review of the organisation’s brand performance and recommended a different naming convention and recalibrated business direction based on feedback from members and insights gained from demographic, association, sector and technology trends.

With all State Divisions agreeing to the revised direction, a framework to support the new brand – Our Aspiration Statement – was developed. This statement provides the “glue” for the National and State Division in terms of supporting a unified direction, mission and values. An extensive change facilitation program was implemented to support the embedding of the Aspiration Statement into the ethos of the organisation’s business philosophy. The Aspiration Statement subsequently forms the backbone of the new 2015-2018 Strategic Plan.

Work continues on developing the essence of the new brand and our visual identity.

Campaigns

Our campaigns are being designed to raise the profile and reputation of the optometry profession within the community with the goal that this will ultimately lead to changes in consumers’ eye-care behaviour. Our messaging is about preventative eye health and vision issues and the critical role of optometrists as primary eye health professionals.

To support this new direction we have taken a new approach to marketing by moving away from mass produced, costly printed materials to one of delivering timely messages directly to those responsible for their eye-health – consumers. This means finding channels that reach as many Australians as possible resulting in increased activities in mainstream media and digital conduits.

Reflecting this new approach was the delivery of our annual Children’s Vision campaign. This year, Optometry Australia partnered with two leading media houses – NewsLifeMedia and Kids Media – to deliver engaging and informative facts and stories on eye health to hundreds of thousands of parents, teachers and children.

The channel of choice within NewsLifeMedia was its hugely popular online parenting destination, kidspot.com.au. Here, we partnered to build the “Are they missing out?” campaign page and worked with some of Australia’s leading bloggers to create interesting editorial for our page. Combined with a successful consumer competition, this approach enabled us to attract higher than average interaction with our audience.

Through Optometry Australia’s partnership with Kids Media, we made available to schools nationally, a comprehensive suite of Australian-curriculum appropriate education materials. At the core of this content is The Eye Guy, a new bespoke cartoon character aimed at appealing to children and who features as part of lesson ideas, activity sheets and classroom visual displays.

Optometry Australia also produced a short video to support the Children’s Vision campaign and has uploaded this to our own YouTube channel. YouTube is one of four social media engagement sites owned by Optometry Australia. We have two Facebook pages – one which

allows us to interact regularly with our members and the second, with consumers – while our Twitter page provides us with the opportunity to deliver bite-sized updates and conversation starters – on key eye health and advocacy issues.

In partnership with leading consumer public relations agency, Greenlight PR, we delivered a comprehensive public relations program to support the Children’s Vision campaign which resulted in excellent national television, radio and newspaper media coverage.


We delivered engaging and informative facts and stories on eye

health to hundreds of thousands of parents, teachers and children

Our Marketing

Optometry Australia



digital space

Public relations/media

We have further partnered with leading corporate affairs agency Royce, to create a comprehensive nationwide public relations and awareness campaign on key eye health issues. Key results to date include strong print and radio publicity generated to support Optometry Australia’s launch of its policy platform – Line of Sight – while our World Sight Day hero campaign profiling optometrists working in the community also achieved mainstream media cut-through.

Awareness campaigns are being ramped up around key eye health issues such as fake contact lenses, damage caused by eyelash extensions, workplace incidences and key summer eye health problems caused by UV and glare. Concerted children’s’ campaigns are also being initiated.

Added attention is being focused on rural and regional media outlets to lift the profile of the profession amongst residents in selected towns and regional centres where optometrist visitation is below the national average.

Sector promotion

In addition to external profiling, we have reviewed Optometry Australia’s brand presence at our State Division conferences to provide members with better access to our leaders and a greater understanding of the work that we are implementing on behalf of the optometry sector.

Strategy

A comprehensive marketing strategy is now under development which will provide a solid framework for profiling the sector, the role of the optometrist and the tremendous work of Optometry Australia.

Our Marketing

...we are seeking to establish a clear position of authority, recognition and respect amongst our targeted communities as the influential voice for optometry in Australia.

People

To enable Optometry Australia to be the influential voice of Optometry we recognise that our people are our greatest asset. The National Office comprises 23 committed staff members – or just or just under 16 FTE staff – who deliver a suit of activities and programs that support the interests of our State Division and optometry members.

We support two offices – one in Drummond Street, Carlton in Victoria where the majority of our staff are located, and a second office in Canberra which supports our Chief Executive Officer and National Policy Manager.

Durng the year we farewelled several valued staff members including Jules Baggoley, our Canberra-based policy adviser; Jenny Kellett, Online Communications Coordinator, Ekyka Skilvas, Marketing Campaigns Manager and more recently, Jared Slater our Professional Services Manager.

As one door closes, others opened as we welcomed Simon Hanna, clinical policy adviser, Kerry I’Anson, Branding and Corporate Relations Manager and Trinity Scarf, Marketing Campaigns Manager to the Optometry Australia team. We are equally proud that we have a number of our staff still with us after 10 plus years, some more than 20 years. They bring stability to a team that comes from all professions and that offer diverse backgrounds, skills and experience to our organisation.

Optometry Australia aims to attract and retain staff with the right capabilities and the right fit with our values and culture. To maintain a high level of staff retention we strive to create a collaborative work environment that challenges and rewards and which provides all staff with opportunities to develop their professional skills and to achieve their full potential.

Along with supporting the professional development of staff through individual and team-based training programs, we have reviewed our foundational workforce tools, policies and processes. Our annual performance appraisals and periodic management feedback sessions, combined with bimonthly staff meetings, have provide regular opportunities for staff and managers to celebrate successes and to focus on developmental opportunities.

Our commitment to supporting new recruits align to our ethos and culture is reflected in our revised induction process which now includes a Buddy program to accelerate the smooth transition into Optometry Australia. In line with workplace legislative changes we have also implemented new policies embracing Bullying in the Workplace and a Dispute Resolution along with a new website policy and revised work, health and safety policies.

Our Operations team provides the engine that fires Optometry Australia as an organisation. Responsible for the backbone of operational matters, this team delivers projects involving human resources, web site development and membership services. It has been instrumental in delivering significant workplace efficiencies and a stable working environment that has attracted high calibre personnel to join the organisation.


Our Operations

Optometry Australia



digital space

We have delivering significant workplace efficiencies and a stable working environment that has attracted high calibre personnel to join the organisation

Workplace health and safety

Optometry Australia is committed to providing a safe and healthy work environment for our staff. To achieve this, our staff members take responsibility for their own and others’ health and safety by complying with all health and safety instructions and policies.

In addition, we promote the health and wellbeing of our staff by offering a variety of group and individual activities through a moderate Social Club program. In addition, we introduced an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for all staff and immediate family through an external, independent health and wellbeing counselling service. This program further promotes wellbeing in the workplace and especially through times of change.

We continue to commit to a safe working environment with equipment and tools that enable staff to perform productively.

National-wide integrated IT platform

Throughout the year our IT project team worked collaboratively with the State Divisions to implement a new and integrated nation-wide IT platform. This platform comprised of four unique, yet integrated elements, is built on a SAPB1 foundation. The backend comprises finance, member data and customised elements, and the frontend website is built in an Umbraco Content Management System. The implementation has been a phased approach across the seven entities with all member data now held on a centralised platform that synchronises back to the Member Hub of the new website. This Member Hub is where members can log in and update their member details including addresses, email contacts through to their practise/skills specialities.

The Optometry Australia website now supports a Find an Optometrist search option along with a Google map locator. These options have been designed for our community to easily find the optometrist within a specific location, who speaks a specific language or one who provides a specialised service such as a home visits or children’s vision.

A comprehensive online database supporting member CPD records and a new nation-wide CPD events calendar were recent member focussed additions to our IT platform along with a new classified ad pages on our website. Outstanding elements due soon to be released in the coming year include an online payments module, an online events registration module and a new online store. Work on these is well advanced.

Our Operations

Nation-wide member services

We continue to support members with easily accessible resources such as books, brochures and accessories that can be used in practises, as well as providing support for members with general calls and emails. Throughout the past year Optometry Australia’s operations’ team communicated, either by phone or email, with around 400 members per month. Queries related to a range of subjects such advice on CPD accreditation, professional indemnity insurance, marketing materials and member website login and general use. During the three months of the AHPRA Audit, we supported 2,688 member calls.

Our suite of patient brochures are continually reviewed and updated to ensure the content remains relevant. They are available to all members and promoted through all communications channels.

During the year we sold over 60,000 products to members – the majority of items relating to patient brochures followed by 3,700 accessories and over 400 books.

Advantage Program

The Advantage Program partnerships brings modest revenue to the organisation to supplement other income as well as providing discounts directly to members. We continue to reshape this program in line with member feedback and market movements.

This year we concentrated our program to provide maximum benefit to members in areas such as business and finance, travel and lifestyle and information technology products via deals and services that may not of be otherwise available to independent optometrists and students. During the year we supported a change of credit card partners whilst streamlining our promotional communications with members.

Optometry Australia communicates either by phone or email with around 400 members per month and sold over 60,000 products to members


Our Operations

Optometry Australia



digital spaceMember participation in working groups & ad hoc committees

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Eye Health Working Group

Gary CrerieRowan Churchill Prof Brian Layland OAMDr Genevieve NapperHelen SummersAndrew HarrisMitchell Anjou OADavid WelchAnna MorseDaryl GuestEmily ProcopisStephanie Bahler

Low Vision Working Group

Dr Sharon BentleyDr Alan JohnstonDr Genevieve NapperMae ChongKevin AdamsSharon ObersteinMartin HodgsonRobyn MainAndrew MaverIris HuangDr Stephen VincentSusan KalffAnthea CochraneDr May HoZeinab FakihPelayia BerdoukasDr John BoulosDr Grace SoongRosemarie KavanaghDr Jonathon JacksonLouica Calder

Rural Optometry Group

Phil AndertonBill RobertsonGary PageMitch HancockPeter McClurgSteven DavisKelly GibbonLara FosterAlex NorrisCameron DysonKatherine JorgySally Quirke

Diabetes Guidelines Working Group

Giuliana BaggoleyGraham FistSimon Hanna Eve Hsing Paula KatalinicJosephine Li Lisa PenroseRoman Serebrianik

Position Statement Advisory Group

Andrew HoganJanelle CoatesGiuliana BaggoleyJohn WarrenKurt LarsenDr Stephen Vincent

Entry-level competency standards review steering committee

Genevieve QuiltyKate JohnsonAlison McKendrickDaryl GuestPeter HendicottJared SlaterPatricia KielyEllen Kittson, OCANZ (first meeting only)Peter Grimmer/Wilson Sue, New Zealand Association of Optometrists (Observer)

Committee membership at 30 june 2014


Optometry Benefits Consultative Committee (OBCC)

Optical Advisory Committee of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs

ACCC’s Small Business Consultative Committee

VOS National Advisory Committee

GOVERNMENT CONVENED

Advisory committee which assesses the Optometric MBS

Advisory committee which assesses the provision of optometric service and appliances to DVA patients

An ACCC convened forum through which competition and consumer law concerns related to the small business sector could be considered and addressed collaboratively

To approve VOS applications and provide advice to government about visiting optometry services

Andrew Harris, Genevieve Quilty and Simon Hanna

Genevieve Quilty and Jared Slater; Optometrist Tony Lord

Genevieve Quilty

Genevieve Quilty and Skye Cappuccio

Optometry Board of Australia’s Regulatory Reference Committee

OBA’s CPD and accreditation Committee

OCANZ member

National Primary Health Care Partnership

National Rural Health Alliance

Vision 2020 Australia

Australian Blindness Forum

IRIS

VISION CRC Models of Vision Care Delivery for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Communities Project Steering Committee

COMMITTEE

Peak group of the sector providing views to Optometry Board of Australia

http://www.optometryboard.gov.au/Registration-Standards/CPD/CPD-Accreditation-Committee.aspx

To appoint the OCANZ Board and other governance matters

Promote collaboration across the primary health care sector, including between professional associations in pursuit of shared advocacy objectives

Peak advisory and advocacy body for rural health matters

Vision 2020 Australia engages with members to exchange views, share information, collaborate and develop policies, strategies and submissions to improve eye health and vision care for all Australians.

Peak body representing people who are blind or vision impaired in Australia; working on influencing the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)

Convened by the Australian Society of Ophthalmology (ASO) to further collaboration with eye care sector for the benefit of ATSI and rural health

PURPOSE

Genevieve Quilty and Andrew Harris

Jared Slater

Genevieve Quilty

Skye Cappuccio

Dr Philip Anderton on behalf of ROG

Genevieve Quilty, Chair of Prevention and Early Intervention committee; Optometrist Sharon Bentley, member of Low Vision and Rehabilitation committee; Optometrist Michael Knipe on the Global committee; Genevieve Quilty followed by Skye Cappuccio, member of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Committee.

Giuliana Baggoley

Genevieve Quilty Optometrist Rowan Churchill

Skye Cappuccio; Optometrist Genevieve Napper represents the Association on the associated Continuous Quality Improvement project working group and Eye care in primary health care working group

REPRESENTATION LEAD

Optometry Australia204 Drummond StreetCarlton Vic 3053T: 03 9668 8500E: [email protected]

CanberraOptometry AustraliaLevel 6, 39 London CircuitCanberra ACT 2601T: 02 6263 5920

Website: optometryaustralia.comFacebook Members: facebook.com/OptometristsAssociationAustraliaFacebook Consumers: facebook.com/UareVulnerableTwitter: https://twitter.com/ OptometryAus or @OptometryAus

Optometry Australia ABN 17 004 622 431

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