Protecting Margin When Reimbursement Tightens and Costs Keep Rising
A practice profitability panel on protecting margins when reimbursement tightens and costs keep rising — diagnosing what is really driving shrinking margins, making operational changes that improve profitability without burning out teams, plugging the places revenue leaks after patients enter the system, and deciding which investments to protect versus reduce under financial pressure.
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Sharon Alamalhodaei, COMT, OSC, CEP
CEO & Founder · Eye Tech Training
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Carol Olvera, MHA, COT, COE
Practice Administrator · Retina Specialists of Colorado
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Emilio Justo, MD
President · Paradise Valley Management Group & Arizona Eye Institute
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Mandy Cansler, COMT, COE, LSSGB
Owner & Principal Consultant · Mandy Cansler Consulting
Reserve your free spot
Complimentary to attend. The replay is sent to everyone who registers.
What we'll cover
How ophthalmology owners should determine whether shrinking margins are being driven primarily by reimbursement pressure, staffing costs, inefficient workflows, or preventable revenue leakage.
Which staffing, scheduling, or workflow changes have actually improved profitability without increasing burnout, reducing patient access, or placing unrealistic productivity expectations on clinical teams.
Where ophthalmology practices most commonly lose revenue after the patient enters the system, and which operational fixes tend to produce the greatest return.
When financial pressure increases, which investments practices should continue protecting, and where owners should be willing to reduce, redesign, or stop spending altogether.
Protect the margin without burning out the team
Join the Ophthalmology Business Academy for a focused discussion on protecting practice margins when reimbursement tightens and costs keep rising. The panel will explore how owners diagnose what is driving shrinking margins, which operational changes actually improve profitability without burning out teams, where revenue most commonly leaks after patients enter the system, and which investments to protect versus reduce under financial pressure.
This discussion will examine how to separate reimbursement pressure from staffing costs, inefficient workflows, and preventable revenue leakage; which staffing, scheduling, and workflow changes have improved profitability without reducing patient access or overloading clinical teams; where revenue is most often lost once a patient is in the system; and how to decide what to keep funding, what to redesign, and what to stop spending on altogether.
This panel is for you if…
- You own, lead, or manage an ophthalmology practice
- Your margins are shrinking and you're not sure what's really driving it
- You want staffing and scheduling changes that don't burn out your team
- You suspect revenue is leaking somewhere between check-in and collection
- You need to decide what to protect, redesign, or cut before the next budget cycle
Who's on the panel
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Sharon Alamalhodaei, COMT, OSC, CEP, is the CEO of Eye Tech Training, which she established in 2011, and a nationally recognized leader in ophthalmic technician training and education. IJCAHPO certified since 1994, she brings more than thirty years of clinical and administrative ophthalmology experience as a Certified Ophthalmic Medical Technician, Certified Ophthalmic Surgical Assistant, Clinic Manager, and Practice Manager. Through Eye Tech Training she works with practices on in-office training, live and remote courses, and IJCAHPO exam preparation, and she has served as an ASOA LEAD Program faculty member since 2021. Sharon is the author of three books — How To Be The Tech Your Doctor Can't Live Without, 10 Steps to a Phenomenal Patient Experience, and A Practical Guide to Extraocular Motility Assessment for the Ophthalmic Medical Assistant.
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Carol Olvera, MHA, COT, COE, is Practice Administrator for Retina Specialists of Colorado, a seven-location, physician-owned retina practice, where she leads operations, revenue cycle, and clinical research. She has spent more than fifteen years in retina practices, rising from technician to executive leadership. Along the way, she has guided practices through expansions, acquisitions, and system transitions while giving physician partners the financial and productivity data they need to protect margin.
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Dr. Emilio Justo is a Cuban-born comprehensive ophthalmologist with over 37 years of clinical experience and over 50,000 surgical procedures performed. Dr. Justo is a renowned CO2 laser blepharoplasty expert and instructor, author, clinical assistant professor, medical expert witness, and 3x international TEDx speaker. He resides in Phoenix, Arizona with his wife and 3 children.
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Mandy Cansler, COMT, COE, LSSGB, is the Owner and Principal Consultant of Mandy Cansler Consulting, bringing over 25 years of ophthalmology experience — from technician to Chief Clinical Officer. She helps eye care practices strengthen operations, develop leaders, and improve workflows through practical solutions grounded in the day-to-day realities of patient care. Her approach connects performance with clear accountability, supported teams, and an excellent patient experience.