Description

Optometry Profits Reveal with Tony Sommer

Peter Precht speaks with Tony Sommer, the recently promoted CEO and CCO of Treehouse Eyes, about pediatric myopia management, category education, and how the eye care industry is evolving around early intervention. They also dig into contact lens history, online eyewear ordering, insurance, and why patient access is not the same thing as patient care. In this episode, Tony shares how Treehouse Eyes operates, why myopia management should be treated like a disease, and how education from optometrists, pediatricians, and even schools could change outcomes for children. They also explore the tension between convenience, business models, and clinical responsibility in modern optometry.

Key topics

• Tony explains Treehouse Eyes as a mission-driven myopia management organization focused on helping children get better vision for life.
• The company owns three clinics and also supports a broader partner network with coaching, mentoring, accountability, and operational guidance.
• He breaks down House Resolution 2527 and why a federal framework for early vision screening could mirror the success of early auditory screening in children.
• Tony discusses the medicalization of myopia, including the AMA resolution that declared myopia a disease and why that could eventually influence reimbursement.
• Peter and Tony compare monovision, multifocal, and the practical challenges of contact lens fitting, especially for presbyopia.
• They talk through Treehouse Eyes’ global fee model, including why the practice does not take insurance and how that gives clinicians more freedom to adjust therapy.
• Tony emphasizes that insurance improves access, but does not guarantee care, and that trained clinicians are what ultimately matter.
• The conversation covers how parents often know very little about myopia, even though screen use, low outdoor time, and genetics all play a role.
• They examine the gray area around online eyewear ordering, including the benefits and problems of direct-to-consumer models like 1-800 Contacts and Warby Parker.
• Tony shares how a strong in-person optical experience changed his own frame selection for decades, reinforcing the value of skilled opticians and personalized care.
• They close by returning to category education, pediatric referrals, and the importance of getting in front of families earlier before myopia progresses.

Timestamps

00:00 - Introduction to Tony Sommer and Treehouse Eyes
 01:00 - What Treehouse Eyes does for pediatric myopia management
 02:20 - Why early vision screening matters for children
 03:30 - House Resolution 2527 and the auditory screening model
 05:00 - Tony’s contact lens background and presbyopia history
 06:20 - Monovision, multifocal, and fitting challenges
 10:25 - How Treehouse Eyes uses a global fee model
 12:27 - Why the AMA calling myopia a disease does matter
 14:10 - Pediatricians, screens, and early family conversations
 16:20 - Myopia prevalence and the limits of single-vision correction
 18:20 - The challenge of online ordering for myopia management patients
 20:40 - Insurance improves access, but not care itself
 23:03 - 1-800 Contacts as a convenience-first technology shift
 26:15 - Warby Parker, showrooming, and the return to physical retail
 31:15 - Consumer ordering stories and why convenience drives behavior
 35:26 - Tony’s own frame selection experience with a skilled optician
 39:34 - How HR 2527 could create infrastructure for broader screening
 44:48 - Treehouse Eyes’ category education and new patient intake model
 47:40 - Why myopia education is still the biggest missing piece
 51:33 - Tony’s Appalachian Trail story and the value of recharging

Key frameworks

• Global fee model - A bundled care approach that simplifies the experience for parents and preserves clinical flexibility.
• Category education - Teaching the public, pediatricians, and local providers that myopia is a disease and should be addressed early.
• Referral matrix - Building stronger referral pathways between optometry, pediatrics, and other care providers.
• Locus of control - Tony’s way of emphasizing that practices should focus on what they can directly influence, like local education and referrals.

Notable quotes

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“Insurance helps with access, but insurance in and of itself is not care.”

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“Myopia is the disease and should be treated as such.”

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“What I loved was I got my eye exam and the optician looked at my face and said, we’re going over here because these will look better on you.”

Tony’s links

• Treehouse Eyes: https://treehouseeyes.com
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/tsommerjr/?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base_contact_details%3ByRMefR4mQeyL0%2B3yAZOiKA%3D%3D

Talk with Peter Precht: https://calendly.com/peter1-1/60min