Specsavers has announced its winners of the Doug Perkins Medal and Dame Mary Perkins Award for 2024.
A news release on the announcement, which was made during the company’s annual Specsavers Clinical Conference on the Gold Coast on September 14-15, said the awards showcased its “continued focus on outstanding excellence in clinical performance and patient care within the optometry field”.
Stores in Port Lincoln, South Australia, and Blenheim in New Zealand were awarded the Doug Perkins Medal.
And the winners of the 2024 Dame Mary Perkins Award, presented to two optometrists who demonstrated “an exceptional commitment to patient care, going above and beyond to make a positive difference” were Ms Sarshia Hua, from Specsavers Toowong, in Queensland, and Mr Kevin Chen from Specsavers Mt Wellington, in NZ.
Mr Nick Gidas, Specsavers’ head of clinical performance, said the Doug Perkins Medal was awarded to one Australian and one New Zealand store each year that consistently upheld the highest standards of clinical excellence.
“To select the finalists, we analyse nationwide data collected through our clinical reporting, combining this information with patient feedback and health outcome data.”
The winners are those stores that have shown consistent excellence and exceptional data in the areas of patient outcomes, patient experience, store processes, accessible eye health, and workplace culture.
The Dame Mary Perkins Award for Outstanding Patient Care celebrates and recognises “the extraordinary impact our optometrists have on the lives of their patients”.
This award was judged by industry professionals including Professor Peter van Wijngaarden, on behalf of KeepSight, a respected ophthalmologist and medical scientist with significant contributions to optometric research; Dr Audrey Aumua, CEO of The Fred Hollows Foundation New Zealand, renowned for her advocacy in eliminating avoidable blindness in the pacific; Dr Sonya Bennett, on behalf of Glaucoma New Zealand, an ophthalmologist, cataract surgeon and glaucoma specialist; and Ms Carly Iles, CEO of Vision 2020 Australia, recognised for her leadership in promoting vision care initiatives.
Reflecting on the significance of the award, Professor van Wijngaarden said: “The recognition of excellence with the Dame Mary Perkins Award is so important. It helps us to reflect on the extraordinary impacts that optometrists have on the lives of the people they care for. It is a chance to celebrate outstanding members of the profession and it also serves to inspire others.”
Dr Aumua added: “It’s important to celebrate the people who are at the heart of eye healthcare systems and ensure they are supported and acknowledged for the vital work they do in helping to eliminate avoidable blindness and vision impairment.”
Specsavers also announced its Graduate and Early Career Optometry (ECO) Program winners.
These awards recognise optometrists who have excelled in both programs.
They acknowledge the contributions of our graduate (first and second year of practice) and early career (third and fourth year of practice) optometrists to their stores and communities across Australia and New Zealand.
The winners are: Mr Sam Wang, Specsavers Rotorua, New Zealand (Graduate Optometry Excellence Award) and Ms Elle Carson, Specsavers Ipswich, Queensland (Early Career Optometry Excellence Award).
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