{"id":59105,"date":"2023-08-15T16:58:50","date_gmt":"2023-08-15T20:58:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.womeninoptometry.com\/?p=59105"},"modified":"2023-12-13T16:51:27","modified_gmt":"2023-12-13T20:51:27","slug":"passion-for-a-product-leads-to-new-professional-opportunities","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.womeninoptometry.com\/johnson-and-johnson-vision-honoring-our-eyes\/article\/passion-for-a-product-leads-to-new-professional-opportunities\/","title":{"rendered":"Passion for a Product Leads to New Professional Opportunities"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Dr. Olivares<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Gabriela\u00a0<\/strong>Olivares, OD<\/strong>\u2021<\/sup>, loves a challenge. And by saying \u201cyes\u201d to opportunities that have come her way, she is building her reputation as a savvy provider with an interest in contact lenses and empowering those in her home and professional community.<\/p>\n

Dr. Olivares is a South Florida native. Growing up with a Cuban father and a Chilean mother, she feels at home caring for the many Spanish-speaking patients in the community served by The Eye Center<\/a>, a six-OD practice in Pembroke Pines, Florida. After receiving her degree in molecular and microbiology from University of Central Florida, she attended Nova Southeastern College of Optometry, graduating in 2014. She found her niche at The Eye Center, where her areas of interest include contact lens fittings, dry eye and myopia management. \u201cI love the atmosphere. There\u2019s never a dull moment,\u201d she says of the busy practice.<\/p>\n

DOORS OPENING<\/strong><\/h4>\n

In January, Dr. Olivares was asked to bring some new skills to the forefront: speaking at industry events. Johnson & Johnson Vision<\/a> was conducting a series of sessions on empowering women, and Dr. Olivares was asked to be part of a panel for Hispanic Heritage Month. \u201cThis allowed me to view Johnson & Johnson Vision as a strategic partner that supports the profession and community,\u201d she says. \u201cI was able to represent the 5.2% of optometrists1<\/sup> who are Hispanic,\u201d she says. It also opened the door to an invitation to become a Professional Affairs Consultant (PAC) for Johnson & Johnson Vision.<\/p>\n

\"Dr.
Dr. Olivares at a Johnson & Johnson Vision session empowering women.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Dr. Olivares is no stranger to talking to groups. She is currently the president of the Broward County Optometric Association, which draws about 500 doctors to its annual conventions. She\u2019s delivered some CE sessions on ocular diseases, but speaking to doctors and staff members about contact lenses was a new experience. She\u2019s been welcomed into the fold by other PAC members, \u201cmany of them veterans who have been so helpful. It\u2019s also been nice to travel a little and be able to get to spend time with doctors and staff,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

These PAC doctors work with the Johnson & Johnson Vision professional education team to provide education to fellow eye care professionals through dinners, multifocal fitting labs and one-on-one conversations on Johnson & Johnson Vision\u2019s technology developments. The goal is to improve patient outcomes and allow doctors and offices to be more efficient and up to date on new technologies. \u201cBeing able to prescribe excellent lenses will help practitioners elevate the practice. Patients will refer friends and colleagues, and they\u2019ll continue to return to the provider who helped them,\u201d she says.\"\"<\/p>\n

LEARNING ABOUT THE LENSES<\/strong><\/h4>\n

When it comes to the latest innovations, such as ACUVUE\u00ae<\/sup> OASYS MAX 1-Day and ACUVUE\u00ae<\/sup> OASYS MAX 1-Day MULTIFOCAL\u00a0lenses, it\u2019s important to understand the nuances and to know the strategies for achieving the best fit. Often, the first step is the simplest: follow the fitting guide.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was one of those people who chose my initial contact lens fit by relying on what I thought I knew or what made sense to me,\u201d she says, laughing. Now that she has learned more about the design of the lenses and the work that went into creating the fitting guide, she\u2019s become a convert. So she\u2019s sympathetic when she hears a doctor say that a lens hasn\u2019t been working for them.<\/p>\n

She offers a few tips \u2013 ones that she has now employed as a result of learning about the development, technology, and manufacturing of these lenses.<\/p>\n