EXCLUSIVE VIDEO – Transitions Optical Names Rachel Hill-Campbell Eyecare Professional of the Year

Transitions Optical, Inc. has honored Rachel Hill- Campbell – owner and optician at Personal Optical in St. Catharines, Ontario – with the 2012 Transitions Eyecare Professional of the Year award. Hill-Campbell was recognized for her outstanding efforts to promote eye health and the benefits of Transitions® lenses in front of more than 1,100 optical professionals from North and South America during the 17th annual Transitions Academy in Orlando, Florida.

Founded in 2004 by Hill-Campbell, Personal Optical first started as a mobile eyewear business, servicing senior homes and children who were too young or afraid to visit their doctor’s office. While Hill-Campbell continues her mobile outreach, Personal Optical now has a home base in St. Catharines, and she works alongside a team of optometrists with in the office.
“Rachel greatly believes in her profession. She has a flair and strong ability to use grassroots techniques to build trust with everyone in her community,” said Christine Underhill, business manager, Transitions Optical, Canada. “She continually challenges herself to inspire everyone around her to think about what they can do to improve their vision and how Transitions lenses can help.”

A long-time advocate for the Transitions® brand, Hill-Campbell incorporates Transitions lenses where ever possible when educating her patients about their options in eyewear.
Instead of focusing on pricing, she uses a “good, better, best” strategy to emphasize 2012 Transitions Eyecare Professional of the Year to patients that Transitions lenses with an AR coating is the best everyday option. To reinforce the benefits, she shares educational materials and demonstrates how the photochromic technology works by using the Transitions UV demo unit or by walking patients outside for a real-life situation demo. Because she personally wears Transitions lenses, she says it’s easy to make a confident recommendation and appeal to patients.
“I hope to never hear my patients say that I neglected to tell them about a product or solution that could enhance their vision,” said Hill-Campbell. “I educate, educate and educate so that my patients are aware of all of their options – and then I let them decide what recommendation they want. I always keep Transitions lens brochures handy so
that my patients can review them with me or take them home if they need more time to think about what we’ve discussed that day.”
Making Each Visit as Personal as Possible to fully understand her patients’ needs, Hill-Campbell spends time outside of the office trying different hobbies so that she is able give recommendations based on her own experiences. For instance, because many of her patients play golf, she took up the game to understand what is needed to play well out on the course. She often positions Transitions lenses as an ideal eyewear solution for golfers, because of the varying lighting conditions that golfers face.
“I want to understand my patients’ activities and hobbies so that I am able to make their everyday lives better through vision,” added Hill-Campbell. “As I continue to learn, I am finding that Transitions lenses can be a positive addition to anyone’s life.”
In 2012, Hill-Campbell also invested in growing her social media presence on Facebook to further connect with patients outside of the office. She posts about interesting eye health articles, lenses and frames that are available, and photos of her spending time in Pursuing her Passion for Kids’ Vision 2012 Transitions Eyecare Professional of the Year While a majority of her patient-base tends to be over the age of 40, Hill-Campbell actively reaches out to pediatricians in her community to offer her services and provide packages filled with educational brochures and activity booklets from Transitions Optical’s consumer-friendly Eye Didn’t Know That! program.
To further raise awareness among families, she speaks with Early Childhood Educators, Midwives and Prenatal Hill-Campbell was also recognized for her efforts to visit local 5th grade classrooms to give presentations about vision, since their curriculum covers the eyes, ears and throat.
She always makes it a point to address any bullying issues related to wearing glasses and will talk about the “magical” technology behind Transitions lenses. To support Hill-Campbell in continuing her healthy sight efforts in 2013, Transitions Optical will provide her with a $1,000 grant through the Transitions Healthy Sight for Life™ Fund.

During Transitions Academy, Lunetterie New Look Eyewear was also named the 2012 Transitions Retailer of the Year for Canada.