They are eye care practices—big and small, new and established. They are run by practitioners from different walks of life. They are leaders in optometry, those who go above and beyond to find ways to differentiate their practices and deliver exceptional care to their patients, even in the face of increasing competition. They are the 2015 Best Practices, unveiled by CooperVision, Inc., one of the world’s leading manufacturers of soft contact lenses.

This inaugural class of 10 honorees was chosen after a nationwide search for eye care practices that thrive, to recognize and celebrate visionary, innovative and even unexpected aspects of care delivery that best serve patients and elevate the profession.

This year’s honorees are:

  • Advanced Eye Care Professionals, P.C. – Oak Lawn, Ill.
  • Coan Eye Care – Ocoee, Fl.
  • Eola Eyes – Orlando, Fl.
  • The Eye Doctors – Tampa, Fl.
  • Family Eyecare of Roswell – Roswell, Ga.
  • San Ramon Family Optometry, Inc. – San Ramon, Calif.
  • Somers Eye Center – Somers, N.Y.
  • VisionArts Eyecare Center – Fulton, Mo.
  • Vision Health Institute – Orlando, Fl.
  • Wilson Eye Center – Valdosta, Ga.

“We wholeheartedly congratulate our first 10 Best Practices,” said Michele Andrews, OD, Senior Director of Professional and Academic Affairs, North America, CooperVision. “It has been a true pleasure to learn about what makes each of them unique through their applications and in-person office visits. It is an honor to be given the opportunity to get to know them.”

All U.S. optometry practices currently fitting contact lenses were eligible to submit themselves for consideration in Fall 2015. Candidates were evaluated and honorees were selected by a panel of judges including Dr. Jason Compton, OD, FAAO, Compton Eye Associates and a member of the AOA Contact Lens & Cornea Section (CLCS) Council; Dr. Alan Glazier, OD, FAAO, Shady Grove Eye and Vision; Dr. Andrew Sacco, OD, FAAO, Sacco Eye Group; Dr. Gary Orsborn, OD, M.S., FAAO, FBCLA, CooperVision’s Vice President, Global Professional and Clinical Affairs; and Dr. Andrews. Evaluation was based on insights and experiences shared about the practices’ innovation, patient experience, and business culture.

“We received a wide variety of applications containing stories of great accomplishment from exceptional practices all over the country,” said Dr. Andrews. “These creative, innovative practitioners and their staffs are helping to deliver the best possible eye care to their patients, and building thriving practices in the process. These are exactly the experiences we hoped to uncover with the Best Practices initiative, and it’s truly inspiring. We look forward to partnering with our new Best Practices to share their stories across the industry to help educate others who strive to do the same.”

In the months to come, the 2015 Best Practices will be broadly recognized and presented with opportunities to help educate and elevate the profession through the telling of their stories across the United States. In addition, honorees attended an educational meeting last week at CooperVision’s research and development facilities in Pleasanton, Calif.

CooperVision will open 2016 Best Practices submissions later this year. The intention is to make the Best Practices program an annual event as part of CooperVision’s commitment to showcasing the dedication of eye care practitioners to their patients and communities. To stay up to date on this process and learn more about this year’s honorees, visit www.eyecarebestpractices.com and follow the initiative on Facebook and on Twitter.

About CooperVision

CooperVision, a unit of The Cooper Companies, Inc. (NYSE:COO), is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of soft contact lenses and related products and services. The Company produces a full array of monthly, two-week and 1-day lenses, all featuring advanced materials and optics. CooperVision has a strong heritage of solving the toughest vision challenges such as astigmatism and presbyopia; and offers the most complete collection of spherical, toric and multifocal products available. Through a combination of innovative products and focused practitioner support, the company brings a refreshing perspective to the marketplace, creating real advantages for customers and wearers. For more information, visit www.coopervision.com.

About The Cooper Companies

The Cooper Companies, Inc. ("Cooper") is a global medical device company publicly traded on the NYSE Euronext (NYSE:COO). Cooper is dedicated to being A Quality of Life Company™ with a focus on delivering shareholder value. Cooper operates through two business units, CooperVision and CooperSurgical. CooperVision brings a refreshing perspective on vision care with a commitment to developing a wide range of high-quality products for contact lens wearers and providing focused practitioner support. CooperSurgical focuses on supplying women's health clinicians with market-leading products and treatment options to improve the delivery of health care to women. Headquartered in Pleasanton, CA, Cooper has approximately 10,000 employees with products sold in over 100 countries. For more information, please visit www.coopercos.com.