The application is a series of five open-ended questions designed to help identify the ways in which your practice is innovative. Questions are focused on key areas such as: your approach to enhancing the patient experience; trends in technology, products and business; your role in the advancement of fellow eye care professionals and the profession, and your leadership in areas including advocacy, community, clinical care and/or sustainability.

To apply, you must first register online at https://apply.eyecarebestpractices.com/. Once registered, you will receive a link to the digital application. Registration allows you to save your application and revisit, which enables you to complete it over time (if desired). Once your responses are complete, you must click "submit" to complete the process. To improve your chances of being selected check out our tips for a more successful application, which include real responses from winning practices.

CooperVision’s Best Practices program celebrates the innovative ways that U.S. optometric practices deliver exceptional patient care and advance the profession. Honorees not only gain widespread recognition in the industry but are given exclusive opportunities to collaborate with and learn from other creative and motivated practices that have forged their own pathways to success.

Each year, new honorees are announced publicly in March via a news release to industry media, email blasts, and social media posts. In Spring, honorees are brought together at the annual Best Practices℠ Summit—a two-day event that provides opportunities for education and collaboration on a variety of practice management and clinical practice topics. CooperVision also coordinates additional peer-to-peer engagement opportunities for the honorees.

Additionally, honorees are presented with speaking opportunities throughout the year, including the annual Best Practices℠ media roundtable discussion. During the media roundtable, practices are encouraged to share their own personal insights and experiences on a variety of topics with representatives from top-tier optometric media—and each other. As a result of this roundtable, many honorees are invited to contribute to articles in optometric trade publications including (but not limited to) Contact Lens Spectrum, Optometric Management, EyeCare Business, Vision Monday and Review of Optometric Business.

No, you do not need to be a CooperVision customer in order to apply. Any practice within the United States—regardless of affiliation—is eligible to submit an application. However, applicants must offer contact lens fitting at their practices to be considered.

Applications are reviewed by a panel of judges including past Best Practices℠ honorees and industry experts. The combination of peer-to-peer and third-party judges enables fair, unbiased evaluation of all applicants.

Yes! Every year, we receive an abundance of applicants who are deserving of the Best Practices℠ recognition and we are unable to honor them all. As a result, we always encourage practices to reapply. You never know when it might be your year to shine. We do have Best Practices℠ honorees who were not selected the first time they applied, yet they are part of this prestigious group today.

We believe this is a story best told by our honorees. Here are a few examples:

“The whole program from start to finish has been rewarding. I would encourage any practice to apply if they’re interested in learning new things and moving forward in an innovative way.” – Dr. Roxanna Potter, 2018 Best Practicess℠

“What I found in Best Practices℠ is a group of practitioners always trying to find the next best way to meet their patients’ needs and build their practices. It’s a very exciting program.” – Dr. Stephen Cohen, 2018 Best Practices℠

“Since being part of CooperVision’s Best Practices℠, my vision for the future of optometry has changed for the positive. I’ve changed the way I do things in the office, I’ve changed my staff around, and changed some products. I’m really making a lot of changes to be able to better prepare for the future with all these challenges coming into the healthcare field now. It’s really become a group of true friends and colleagues that we can bounce ideas off and learn from each other.” – Dr. Carrie Alfieri, 2018 Best Practices℠

“For me, I know Best Practices℠ is going to be part of my life for the rest of the time I’m in practice. There’s no doubt about it.” – Dr. Jennifer Branning, 2019 Best Practices℠

We recently developed a Best Practices℠ flipbook that can be viewed at www.coopervision.com/practitioner/best-practices/the-best that includes contact information for most of our honorees. Feel free to reach out and connect—it’s what this program is for!

Honorees will be notified in January 2023.