WO Voices

As awareness of perimenopause- and menopause-related health concerns grows, Neda Gioia, OD, CNS, IFMCP, FOWNS says it is time for the eye care industry to recognize how profoundly hormonal shifts can affect vision and ocular comfort. Dr. Gioia said women experience hormonal transitions that differ significantly from men, yet health care systems do not consistently account for those biological differences. “Men and women are biologically different. We know this,” she says. “The discussion is why are we not actually navigating this difference with our health care system?”

When Dawn Pfingsten followed makeup tutorials by younger women to the letter, the results were often less than desired. That's when this U.S. Air Force veteran created Just Doing My Best, a lifestyle and beauty platform designed to help more mature women achieve great results—and confidence. 

In this edition of Visionary Voices, brought to you by Alcon, Kristen Brotherson, general manager, US Vision Care, and Dr. Kristin Anderson, director of professional education and development, US Vision Care, explore how leaders can implement the concepts of simplify, clarify, and magnify. These three inter-related and equally important elements work together to create a workplace culture of empowerment and satisfaction. 

Jessica Haynes, OD, of Charles Retina Institute, stresses that primary ECPs play a decisive role in early intervention for patients with geographic atrophy (GA). “First, the patient has to get a diagnosis,” she says. “Everything starts at that point.” This editorially independent content is sponsored by Astellas.

 Jennifer Martin Maples, OD, FAAO, Dipl. ABO, suggests some strategies for setting--or resetting--goals for the year ahead. Scheduling rest and relaxation is essential to the effort, she notes. 

Be the kind of leader that people want to follow. Join this special episode of Visionary Voices, brought to you by Alcon. Kristen Brotherson, general manager, US Vision Care at Alcon, and Dr. Kristin Anderson, director of professional education and development, US Vision Care, discuss how distilling leadership principles into a mantra helps the team's understanding and focus. Kristen Brotherson details what works for her: Simplify, Clarify, Magnify.

In this special edition of Visionary Voices, brought to you by Alcon, Carla Mack, OD, MBA, FAAO, FBCLA, and Kristin Anderson, OD, FNAP, FAAO, discuss how mentors can help your journey of lifelong learning. Both share the experiences of how they've leaned on mentors and also become mentors to others in turn. Surrounding themselves with people who complement their skills and strengths has allowed them to become stronger leaders.  They also discuss the challenges, such as learning to say no so that they can focus on the essentials. 

This editorially independent content is sponsored by Astellas. Carolyn Majcher, OD, FAAO, FORS, Director, Residency Programs and a professor at Oklahoma College of Optometry, notes how the conversation about geographic atrophy has changed with the introduction of complement inhibitor therapies. As most primary care optometrists have access to OCT technology, the opportunity to detect and potentially start treatments creates the opportunity to preserve vision for more patients.  This editorially independent content is sponsored by Astellas.

Two integrative eye care giants, Julie Poteet, OD, MS, CNS, FOWNS, and Millicent Knight, OD, FAAO, FAARM, sat down at Academy 2025 Boston to chat about nutrition and eye health.

In this episode, Diane Hilal-Campo, MD, a New Jersey ophthalmologist and founder of twenty/twenty beauty, tells Melissa Barnett, OD, FAAO, FSLS, FBCLA, that her goal in creating Twenty/Twenty Beauty was to change the narrative about eye health and beauty products. From seeing patients with dry eye exacerbated by their make up and removers to reading beauty editors' advice that went against good eye hygiene practice, Dr. Campo created a line of cosmetics that are not only eye-safe, but beneficial for the delicate eye area. Learn more about in-office inventories and an affiliate program at trytwentytwenty.com. 

Driven by her experience on the front lines of surgery, Anahita Dua, MD, MS, MBA, FACS, founded Healthcare for Action, an organization to train and empower healthcare workers to run for public office. As underfunded systems strain patient care, Dr. Dua argues that those who understand medicine can craft the most effective health policy—and she’s on a mission to send more clinician-candidtates into government over the following years.  Healthcare for Action has already helped healthcare professionals win local and state seats, and 

As a young woman, Jade Coats, OD, FAAO, faced a cancer diagnosis that made her fully aware of the fragility of life. The experience forced her to re-evaluate what matters and led her to prioritize a work/life balance that works for her. This cycle—of being fully present at work and careful self-care and participation in things that bring her joy—allows her to show up to patient care and what is important to her in her private life more completely. 

Rachael Wruble, OD, has built a career defined by leadership and community engagement—all while balancing the demands of family life. Her story highlights the value of being proactive in local optometric communities, forming meaningful connections and redefining what success looks like. Through her continued support of young ODs and her advocacy for inclusivity in the field, Dr. Wruble is helping shape a progressive future of optometry.

Co-owner of Econologics Financial Advisors Eric Miller understands the financial burden of optometry school—and he's here to help new ODs manage their debt with confidence. Juggling one or more loans while launching your career can feel overwhelming, but Miller offers practical, sustainable strategies for managing it all.

Dr. Maples explains how patient feedback—including not feeling rushed, being listened to and receiving clear explanations—inspired her to deconstruct what makes an eye exam feel meaningful. She shares how mindfulness and reflexive listening can help providers build trust, improve outcomes and reduce burnout. The goal, she says, is to help more patients feel seen and heard—even on the busiest clinic days. 

Jade Coats, OD, FAAO, of Rogers, Arkansas, wants patients to feel like she's in their corner, inside and outside of the exam room. She's ready with a list of resources to help patients who need some emotional support as caregivers or patients undergoing treatment. Being empathetic, she says, costs her no additional time but creates mountains of goodwill and can contribute to better outcomes. 

Interprofessional collaborative practice involves health care providers from different specialties working together beyond traditional referral models.  "It's not just referring someone out and saying you're working with them, but actually working with those professions to bring the best outcome for the patient," says Amy Moy, OD, FAAO, CPCO, FNAP.  Other fields, particularly in hospital and community health settings, already embrace this model, with professionals coordinating care plans and sharing patient management responsibilities, but optometry has some catching up to do, she says.

Julie Poteet, OD, MS, CNS, FONS, says that a new FDA-approved therapy, photobiomodulation, for treating dry aged-related macular degeneration (AMD), could be a game-changer for optometrists and patients. For those with a family history of AMD, the implications of this new therapy are especially important. Genetic predisposition plays a role, but environmental factors can influence whether those genes lead to disease. If research continues to support photobiomodulation’s effectiveness, Dr. Poteet believes it could become a critical early intervention tool, helping to preserve vision before irreversible damage occurs.

 Brianna Rhue, OD, FAAO, FSLS, wears two hats—practicing optometrist and co-founder of Dr. Contact Lens. In a 23-minute podcast, she reminds both doctors and sales reps that they are the “sharks” in the industry, holding the key to patient relationships. Through The Eye Pitch Book and her “three-frog strategy,” she encourages better communication between vendors and optometrists. The next big boost for a practice, she says, might be in one of those pitches—if people take the time to listen. 

Melissa Barnett, OD, FAAO, FSLS, FBCLA, an internationally recognized expert in eye care, and Tanya Gill, OD, founder of We Love Eyes, discuss cosmetic eye product safety, the downside of false eyelashes and talking eye hygiene with your patients on this episode of WO Voices.