Today when I look at how some ophthalmology practices view and speak about their own optical departments, I shudder. All too often, administrators and owners have abdicated the running of the department to a well-meaning optical manager, without providing them with the support they need, nor the requisite authority, for that person to make a true impact on revenue. All too often the department is even viewed as a nuisance and carved out as a separate entity, sometimes even located on a different floor or a long way from the clinic itself. And the optical team can feel that geographic separation from the clinic as well, where closer working relationships with the doctors, nurses, technicians, and customer service representatives are at play.