It was an anxious moment, which left me feeling horribly exposed. But, a quick phone call to Optometry NSW CEO Andrew McKinnon allowed me to breathe easy again; secure in the knowledge I had nothing to worry about.For some in our profession, it ses Optometry Australia mbership is just an expensive insurance sche – but it’s so much more.Among other things, OA is also an industry advocate, sounding board, consultant, legal repository and CPD resource. During 16 years working as an optometrist, OA has been alongside me all the way and guided me through so many different situations.As a new graduate it helped me to get registered when I moved to another state. I then spent 10 years working as a locum in various practices around Newcastle, including a few years working within a refractive surgery clinic.When I needed advice on whether an optometrist could bill Medicare for pre-operative examinations when working alongside an ophthalmologist, I rang Andrew for advice. He quickly put me in touch with someone who knew the exact answer to my probl.{{quote-A:R-W:450-Q: In doing so, what these optometrists don’t realise is the damage they inflict on the rest of us, and the risk they are taking with their own future. Without our national professional association, we would be so much worse off. }}Then, when I decided to be a ‘grown-up’ and bought into a partnership in an independent practice, it was OA that steered me in the right direction for the most amazing legal advice – I felt totally reassured and cared for.More recently, I had reason to contact the association for advice on the annual leave policy we wanted to enact for our staff at work. Again, Andrew took the time to read our ideas and helped us with fine-tuning.But it’s not just me. I also have friends that have sought advice on ployment contracts and it’s always good to get a second opinion beyond your ployer’s human resources team. Meanwhile, another colleague once had an issue with lapsed registration and I know that OA was there to support him too.Whether it was legal assistance, personal development, ployment contracts, managent advice or succession planning, I knew OA was always available. To me, mbership buys peace of mind. I know they care, and I know they will have my back; OA is there for all of us!The level of professional advice and guidance it provides is immeasurable, which is why I get so frustrated when I hear of optometrists signing up with a corporate indnity sche instead of joining OA just to save thselves a few dollars in mbership fees.In doing so, what these optometrists don’t realise is the damage they inflict on the rest of us, and the risk they are taking with their own future. Without our national professional association, we would be so much worse off.OA is the only organisation that has optometrists’ best interests at heart and is prepared to actively advocate for the profession. For example, if it wasn’t for the national body, optometrists would never have gained the rights to prescribe therapeutic drugs or had the foreign body roval Medicare it finally introduced (after eight years of advocacy).They represent us to government and stakeholders, but they can only do that well if we pay our mbership fees, which help fund these projects, and if they represent the massive majority of the profession.In the past year alone, OA has made 12 separate submissions to regulatory bodies, standards committees and other government agencies. It’s also currently in the process of lobbying the federal health minister to ensure any benefits from re-indexing Medicare rebates are passed on to optometrists – a fight they have been pursuing since its inception.Which is why it isn’t fair when some optometrists choose to not be mbers and get cheaper insurance elsewhere, because they still get the benefits of my OA mbership when its comes to advertising and marketing of the profession, government lobbying, community promotion and everything else OA does for the industry.So stop being short sighted and think about the profession as a whole, now and into the future.
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Name: Heidi HunterQualifications: BOptom UNSW, Grad Cert Ocular Therapy, UNSWBusiness: Custom EyecarePosition: Optometrist DirectorLocation: Newcastle NSWYears in the profession: 16 |