Top row (l to r) Dr. Shelby Brogdon, Andrew Bruce, Dr. Ariel Cerenzie, Dr. Angelica Cifuentes, Dr. Jade Coats, Dr. Sabrina Gaan.
Middle row (l to r) Dr. Lisa Hornick, Dr. Klaus Ito, Dr. Mila Ioussifova, Dr. Essence Johnson, Dr. Inna Lazar, Dr. Jennifer Lyerly.
Bottom row (l to r) Diana Mejia, Patrick Sayo, Dr. Mark Schaeffer, Dr. Dana Shannon, Dr. Jennifer Tsai.
 
  
WASHINGTON, D.C.—More than a dozen established and emerging eyecare community leaders have been named as Contact Lens Institute (CLI) 2023 Visionaries. The diverse group represents a range of practice settings, research interests and specializations with members based in cities and towns across the U.S. The diverse group of winners offers insights to promote contact lens benefits and healthy wear and care habits among their U.S. colleagues. Each Visionary has demonstrated a commitment to raising awareness of recent advances in contact lenses and prescribing benefits to the patient and practice.

Selected in part for their ability to connect with professional colleagues, they will participate in initiatives that promote best practices, tools, data, and clinical and practice management insights through the Contact Lens Institute’s The EASY Way and See Tomorrow initiatives.

This year’s 2023 visionaries list includes:

● Shelby Brogdon, OD, McFarland Eye Care, Little Rock, Ark.
● Andrew Bruce, LDO, ABOM, NCLE-AC, ASB Opticianry Education Services, Vancouver, Wash.
● Ariel Cerenzie, OD, FAAO, FSLS, Charlotte Contact Lens Specialists, Charlotte, N.C.
● Angelica Cifuentes, OD, Blinking Owl Eyecare, Marino Eye Care and Bye Dry Eyes, Miami, Fla.
● Jade Coats, OD, McDonald Eye Associates, Fayetteville, Ark.
● Sabrina Gaan, OD, Eyes on Plainville, Plainville, Mass.
● Lisa Hornick, OD, FAAO, Stanford Ranch Optometry, Rocklin, Calif.
● Klaus Ito, OD, FAAO, Ocean Park Optometry, Santa Monica, Calif.
● Mila Ioussifova, OD, FAAO, South Waterfront Eye Care, Portland, Ore.
● Essence Johnson, OD, FAAO, Black Eyecare Perspective, Dallas
● Inna Lazar, OD, Greenwich Eye Care & Pro Eye Care, Greenwich, Conn.
● Jennifer Lyerly, OD, TrueVision Eye Care, Raleigh, N.C.
● Diana Mejia, Bellaire Family Eye Care, Bellaire, Texas
● Patrick Sayo, Drs. Farkas, Kassalow, Resnick and Associates P.C., New York, N.Y.
● Mark Schaeffer, OD, MyEyeDr, Birmingham, Ala.
● Dana Shannon, OD, FAAO, Vision Salon Eye Care Associates, Blue Island, Ill.
● Jennifer Tsai, OD, Line Of Sight, New York, N.Y.

“Now in its third year, our Visionaries program has been instrumental in advancing the role of soft contact lenses in eyecare practices throughout the nation. Peer-to-peer sharing of practical advice stemming from personal familiarity is invaluable, and our honorees have demonstrated a mastery of that indispensable skill,” said Stan Rogaski, CLI’s executive director. “For 2023, we have also invited members of the opticianry and technician community to join the program, affirming that providing patients with optimal contact lens experiences extends to everyone on the eyecare team.”

The Contact Lens Institute advances the latest innovations in safe and effective contact lens and lens care products and services that provide unique benefits to patients while satisfying the evolving needs of eyecare professionals. CLI undertakes activities that properly assess, enhance, promote and balance contact lens and lens care industry welfare and growth, including the safe use of products in the marketplace.

Its members include Alcon, Bausch + Lomb, CooperVision, and Johnson & Johnson Vision. For more information, visit contactlensinstitute.org.