Imagine this...
A 67-year-old lady with a history of diabetes, hypertension, atrial fibrillation, and prior coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) wakes up one morning to sudden total vision loss in one eye.
Her panic is immediate. Her heart races. She stumbles for her phone, gripped by the fear of blindness - and knowing deep down this could be a stroke...or worse.
Now ask yourself...who will she call first?
Will she call "where she gets her glasses"? Does she call the cataract surgeon down the street? Urgent care? Her PCP? Will they know what to do? Does she have any idea who to call?
She must make an urgent choice...will she call you?
In her mind, do you represent a medical physician of the eye - someone prepared to fully understand and manage her problem immediately?
If not, why not?
In today’s fractured landscape, the truth is patients often don’t know who to call. This confusion is a result of fragmentation via "specialization", self-commoditization with ODs now lumped in as "ECPs", and growing corporate refract & refer disguised as "affordable and accessible care". Mix this in with purely surgical ophthalmology today and it's just an empty void.
When vision loss or one of infinite medical emergencies occur, patients need a trusted authority. Not to mention, very few physicians truly understand the integration of medicine with the eye and visual system. This void represents a huge opportunity to take care of people the right way.
There is an obvious need for a new medical specialty. Creating a Doctor of Ophthalmic Medicine (OMD) pathway for eligible Doctors of Optometry will build trust, authority, continuity, and integration within medicine. Not referrals. Not Refractions. But whole-person care as it should be.
You can support the mission here:
đź“– This cornerstone book is both a call to action for creating the Ophthalmic Medicine specialty and a focused clinical guide. Your support fuels this movement:
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✍️ Add your name to the petition supporting the creation of this new physician class, the Doctor of Ophthalmic Medicine (OMD).
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This cannot happen purely by newsletters and emails...or just one person. We need strong support. This book and petition is a start to change the future of eye care.
Thank you,
"John"
John R. Martinelli, MD, OD, FAAO
Founder, The Ophthalmic Physician
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