Dec. 5, 2024 — The Contact Lens Institute (CLI) has recognized four eyecare professionals from the U.S. and Canada with its 2024 Culture Awards, recognizing ECPs who have significantly contributed to fostering environments that enhance patient experiences and practice success.
The honorees were selected for their exemplary approaches to promoting contact lens use and embodying insights from CLI’s See Tomorrow reports, which address strategies for improving patient retention and satisfaction and are available for free.
“We congratulate the recipients, who represent a variety of practice sizes, geographies, and points in their careers,” says CLI executive director, Stan Rogaski. “Our 2024 winners are examples to their peers and the profession on how contact lens prescribing can improve the lives of patients and positively impact practice outcomes.
Meet the 2024 Culture Award recipients:
- Jennifer Liao, O.D., FAAO, FSLS – Based at the New England College of Optometry Center for Eye Care in Boston, Dr. Liao inspires students and staff through her dual roles in teaching and clinical care.
- Chandler Mann, O.D. – At Stone Oak Vision Source in San Antonio, Dr. Mann has rapidly grown his cold-start practice, leveraging innovative strategies to integrate contact lens use among diverse patient populations.
- Wes McCann, O.D. – Leading nine optometric clinics across the Greater Toronto Area (Central Optometry and Upper Richmond Optometry), Dr. McCann collaborates with colleagues to advance contact lens prescribing practices.
- Jennifer L. Stewart, O.D. – The founder of Look New Canaan in Connecticut and a 2022 #EBGameChanger awardee, Dr. Stewart blends her consulting background with clinical care, focusing on personalized patient solutions and modern technology.
The honorees’ achievements are highlighted in a series of video interviews available on the CLI’s YouTube channel, where they discuss replicable initiatives and share patient stories that underscore their practices’ success in contact lens fitting and retention.
The CLI’s See Tomorrow initiative has also published its latest report, “Disrupting the Dropout Dilemma: Practical Steps to Keep Patients in Contact Lenses,” which outlines strategies for improving contact lens retention rates and fostering long-term patient satisfaction.