Four U.S. and Canadian eye care professionals have been named Contact Lens Institute (CLI) Culture Award winners, recognizing their impact on fostering contact lens cultures that enhance patient experiences and business success. The honorees regularly exhibit behaviors and actions reflected in CLI’s recent See Tomorrow reports, which are available for free download at https://www.contactlensinstitute.org/resources/see-tomorrow/.

“We congratulate the recipients, who represent a variety of practice sizes, geographies and points in their careers. 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,” said Stan Rogaski, executive director of the Contact Lens Institute.

The 2024 Contact Lens Institute Culture Award honorees are:

• Jennifer Liao, OD, FAAO, FSLS, New England College of Optometry (NECO) Center for Eye Care, Boston. Through her teaching and clinical responsibilities, Dr. Liao inspires students and staff alike to deliver an optimal contact lens experience during every patient encounter.
• Chandler Mann, OD, Stone Oak Vision Source, San Antonio. Dr. Mann is a recent graduate and owner of a cold start, rapidly growing practice, and regularly implements new methods to champion contact lenses across a variety of patients in his community.

• Wes McCann, OD, Central Optometry & Upper Richmond Optometry, London, Ontario, Canada. Dr. McCann owns nine optometric clinics staffed by 17 doctors across the Greater Toronto Area, and regularly speaks with colleagues and industry professionals to advance contact lens prescribing.
• Jennifer L. Stewart, OD, Look New Canaan, New Canaan, Conn. An industry consultant who recently returned to clinical care by opening her own practice, Dr. Stewart is focused on improving patient lives through customized care and innovative technology.

All honorees are now featured on the CLI YouTube channel, with individual video interviews describing replicable initiatives and patient stories that contribute to their practices’ success with soft contact lenses. These can be viewed at youtube.com/@thecontactlensinstitute.

CLI’s See Tomorrow initiative explores perspectives and behaviors that can influence contact lens fitting and wear. Its latest, no-cost research report, “Disrupting the Dropout Dilemma: Practical Steps to Keep Patients in Contact Lenses,” indicates that higher contact lens retention rates are well within the reach of eye care practices, with corresponding long-term wear and widespread patient satisfaction.