Episode 2 – Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: The OD/MD Collaborative Care Model

Special guests Vance Thompson, MD, John Vukich, MD, and Rick Van De Velde, OD, join Nick Bruns, OD, FAAO, to chat about the OD/MD collaborative care model and its benefits. The group shares their experiences with collaborative care, and how this symbiotic relationship creates balance for practices and clinics to give patients the best care possible. When both sides are willing to learn from one another, you’ll see that optometry and ophthalmology make a natural pair – like a corona with its lens.

The doctors share how an emphasis on collaborative care was foundational in the creation of their practices. Before establishing a collaborative model, the doctors would often find themselves overwhelmed. Now, with additional support, each doctor is able to focus on their specialty – whether it’s in the clinic or surgery center. Through this model, ODs and MDs can teach each other and learn new information, resulting in an overall improved experience for their patients. A successful relationship requires a willingness to learn on both sides, especially when unforeseen challenges arise in the early stages of collaboration. Also highlighted are the benefits of getting a residency and how it can set you up for success in collaborative networking.

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Featured Guests

Vance Thompson, MD

Vance Thompson Vision

Vance Thompson, MD is a board-certified ophthalmologist who specializes in refractive surgery including laser vision correction, implant vision correction, and advanced cataract surgery. As the Director of Refractive Surgery at Vance Thompson Vision, Dr. Thompson leads a collaborative team of medical professionals to surgically treat vision conditions with advanced technology and innovative techniques. A leading expert in refractive and cataract surgery, Dr. Thompson currently serves as a professor of ophthalmology in the Sanford School of Medicine at the University of South Dakota. He welcomes opportunities to share his knowledge of laser and implant vision correction with up-and-coming doctors, and he loves meeting and healing his patients.

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John Vukich, MD

Summit Eye Care of Wisconsin

John Vukich, MD is a board-certified ophthalmologist who specializes in presbyopia correction, refractive cataract surgery and the use of implantable collamer lenses (ICL). Dr. Vukich is a Wisconsin native and founder of Summit Eye Care with offices in Wauwatosa and Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. He attended Emory University and was granted early admission to Emory Medical School in Atlanta, Georgia, graduating with highest honors. Dr. Vukich completed his surgical residency in ophthalmology at the University of Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary in Chicago. He is an active teacher of surgical techniques and has taught, lectured to, and certified eye surgeons on five different continents.

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Rick Van De Velde, OD

South East Eye

Rick Van De Velde, OD is Director of Clinics at South East Eye. He specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases of the eye, including pre and post-operative care of ophthalmic surgeries, ocular infections, glaucoma, dry eye, diabetic eye examinations, and ocular emergencies. He completed his training at the Michigan College of Optometry at Ferris State University in Big Rapids, Michigan. Additionally, Dr.Van De Velde completed his internships at the State University of New York and at Grand Forks Air Force Base in North Dakota. He was an associate in a multi-specialty Ophthalmic practice in Michigan before relocating to Georgia. He is a member of the Georgia Optometric Association and the American Optometric Association. In addition to lending his expertise to the patients of South East Eye, Dr. Van De Velde lectures throughout the southeast on the treatment of eye disease.