Burnout is something many optometrists experience but rarely talk about openly. The long hours. The unpredictable staffing. The paperwork that waits after your last patient. But in a recent conversation with seasoned optometrist Dr. Leslie Coffee Gallagher, she shared how hiring virtual assistants, specifically Optometry Virtual Scribes, transformed her practice, her team, and her day-to-day life.
Here’s what we learned:
Burnout is Quiet But Expensive
The road to burnout isn’t always a dramatic one. Sometimes it’s just the slow, constant pressure of admin tasks creeping into evenings and weekends, or the stress of an unpredictable schedule.
Dr. Gallagher 1 brought on a virtual team member at a time when her practice was facing a familiar struggle: hiring high-quality staff during the pandemic. Local recruitment was falling flat. The solution came in the form of a remote assistant trained for the optometry field.
What started as a quick fix soon became a permanent shift that helped sustain her business, energize her team, and preserve her own mental health.
A Simple Workflow Change Can Free Up Your Focus
Integrating an Optometry Virtual Scribe into your daily patient care doesn’t require a tech overhaul. In fact, it can be as simple as using a tablet and a secure video link.
Each morning, a HIPAA-compliant Zoom 2 link is activated. The doctor logs in, props the tablet nearby, and the virtual scribe is on for the full clinic day. When introducing the assistant to patients, it’s often as simple as a one-line statement about having someone on the call to take notes.
This setup allows optometrists to stay present with their patients. No switching between eye contact and charting. No hours of notes at the end of the day. Just clean workflow and clear minds.
Your Team Works Better When Admin Tasks Drop
While the initial benefit might be time-saving for the doctor, the ripple effect on the rest of the staff is equally important. Many optometry teams are stretched thin, with opticians handling paperwork, front-desk teams managing phones and insurance, and back-end teams chasing prior authorizations.
Adding a virtual assistant alleviates this burden. One example: training a virtual scribe to handle optical paperwork, which allowed the opticians to focus solely on patient interaction and sales.
The result? An extra 2–4 patients per day, without increasing headcount.
Dr. Gallagher summed it up with a bold statement, saying: “I’d cut off one of my fingers before I go back to doing all the things that I used to do before having a VA.”
That kind of team buy-in doesn’t happen unless the change truly improves their day-to-day experience.
You Can See More Patients Without Feeling Rushed
One of the most tangible benefits of hiring a virtual assistant is the ability to see more patients without increasing hours.
After integrating her Optometry Virtual Scribe, Dr. Gallagher was able to add three more full exams per day. That added capacity didn’t come from longer shifts or faster exams. It came from eliminating wasted time between patients.
The best part? While productivity increased, labor costs actually decreased.
Hiring a Virtual Scribe Can Reduce Costs (Even After Raises)
A surprising byproduct of having an Optometry Virtual Scribe is a drop in overall staffing expenses. Despite offering her in-house team significant raises, Dr. Gallagher reports a 4% decrease in labor costs since hiring a virtual scribe.
The explanation is simple: you can get more things done with less. As Dr. Gallagher put it, “It’s the best decision I’ve made in 21 years of practicing.”
The right assistant reduces the need to backfill multiple support roles. Instead, one well-trained virtual team member can carry out scribing, billing, prior authorizations, and even patient communications.
Want to estimate how much you could save? A cost savings calculator lets you compare your current staffing model with one that includes an optometry virtual scribe.
They’re Remote, but Still Part of the Team
Many practice owners fear that remote workers won’t feel like “real” members of the team. But virtual scribes are most successful when treated like full team members.
This means involving them in team huddles, keeping them looped in communication, and even the occasional shout-out. Their presence helps reinforce a culture of shared responsibility and team pride.
What matters most is not where they sit, but how they contribute.
Getting Started is Easier Than You Think
What You’ll Need to Begin
Having a Virtual Scrive doesn’t mean you need to revamp your entire infrastructure. You can start with:
- A basic tablet or laptop
- A HIPAA-compliant video call platform (Zoom works well)
How to Introduce Your Virtual Scribe to Patients
Many optometrists have found that a simple, confident explanation is all it takes to put patients at ease.
Some optometrists, like Dr. Leslie Coffee Gallagher, have made the process feel as natural as greeting a patient. Each morning, her virtual scribe joins the clinic day through a secure Zoom link on a tablet. As she moves from room to room, the scribe stays present, not as a distraction, but as quiet support behind the scenes.
What makes the experience smooth is how it’s framed. Dr. Gallagher simply lets her patients know that she’ll be giving them her full attention while her assistant handles the documentation.
This small shift sets the tone: the visit is about them, not the screen.
- Keep it professional and brief
- Reassure the patient that they now have your full attention.
- Don’t overthink it
Once your scribe is integrated, their scope of work can grow naturally. Many optometrists start with live scribing during exams, then expand to other admin support like insurance verification, billing, lab ordering, or messaging, depending on your practice’s needs.
With improved onboarding tools and training resources now widely available, it’s easier than ever to bring someone up to speed. And with a thoughtful introduction, your virtual scribe becomes a visible part of the care experience, without being disruptive to it.
Final Thoughts: One Small Shift Can Protect Your Practice
If you’re seeing signs of stress on your team, or if your own evenings are lost to catching up on admin tasks, it may be time to explore help beyond your in-house staff.
Getting external help isn’t a luxury or a trend. The reason why every doctor should consider a healthcare virtual scribe is clear: they’re a scalable and sustainable solution for practices that want to:
- Protect their staff from burnout
- Provide a better patient experience
- Operate with financial efficiency
- Increase revenue without overwhelming the team
And most of all, they help you get back to what you love: practicing optometry.
