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About Dr. Jade Coats

Dr. Jade Coats is a 2016 of the Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, TN, and since graduation has worked in an OD/MD cataract/refractive surgery practice (McDonald Eye Associates, Rogers, Arkansas) in which she dedicates the majority of her clinical practice to ocular disease, comprehensive eye care, and contact lenses. 

Honored as a Contact Lens Institute Visionary in both 2023 and 2024, Dr. Coats is also a board member for Women in Optometry, the Intrepid Eye Society, and YoungODsConnect. She is an active member of the American Optometric Association as a graduate of the AOA Leadership Institute 1.0 and 2.0 programs, and was also elected in 2024 to serve as a Director on the Arkansas Optometric Association board.   

In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Coats serves on the advisory board and/or as a speaker for over ten pharmaceutical companies and is an editorial board member for numerous publications.  She also regularly contributes to leading industry publications, with her work appearing in Advanced Ocular Care, Primary Care Ocular News, Healio, Review of Optometry, Optometry Times, Optometric Management, and Modern Optometry, to name a few. 

Receiving several local, state, and national awards for her dedication to philanthropy and her profession, Dr. Coats has also recently been honored as one of NWA Celebrate Arkansas Magazine's 'Ones to Watch' in 2023.  https://digitaleditions.walsworth.com/publication/?m=9337&i=805683&p=80&ver=html5.   

In Dr. Coats’ spare time, she serves on the Board of Directors for Hope Cancer Resources and Circle of Life Hospice in Northwest Arkansas and has established a non-profit organization known as “Caton’s Cubs” that works in coordination with Arkansas Hospice. 

You may find Dr. Coats enjoys calling the Hogs at Razorback games, scuba diving, traveling the world, or volunteering in her community. (Or, hanging out with her husband, Jeff Coats, who is also an Optometrist!)

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About Dr. Jade Coats

Dr. Jade Coats is a 2016 of the Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, TN, and since graduation has worked in an OD/MD cataract/refractive surgery practice (McDonald Eye Associates, Rogers, Arkansas) in which she dedicates the majority of her clinical practice to ocular disease, comprehensive eye care, and contact lenses. 

Honored as a Contact Lens Institute Visionary in both 2023 and 2024, Dr. Coats is also a board member for Women in Optometry, the Intrepid Eye Society, and YoungODsConnect. She is an active member of the American Optometric Association as a graduate of the AOA Leadership Institute 1.0 and 2.0 programs, and was also elected in 2024 to serve as a Director on the Arkansas Optometric Association board.   

In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Coats serves on the advisory board and/or as a speaker for over ten pharmaceutical companies and is an editorial board member for numerous publications.  She also regularly contributes to leading industry publications, with her work appearing in Advanced Ocular Care, Primary Care Ocular News, Healio, Review of Optometry, Optometry Times, Optometric Management, and Modern Optometry, to name a few. 

Receiving several local, state, and national awards for her dedication to philanthropy and her profession, Dr. Coats has also recently been honored as one of NWA Celebrate Arkansas Magazine's 'Ones to Watch' in 2023.  https://digitaleditions.walsworth.com/publication/?m=9337&i=805683&p=80&ver=html5.   

In Dr. Coats’ spare time, she serves on the Board of Directors for Hope Cancer Resources and Circle of Life Hospice in Northwest Arkansas and has established a non-profit organization known as “Caton’s Cubs” that works in coordination with Arkansas Hospice. 

You may find Dr. Coats enjoys calling the Hogs at Razorback games, scuba diving, traveling the world, or volunteering in her community. (Or, hanging out with her husband, Jeff Coats, who is also an Optometrist!)

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About Dr. John D. Marvin,

John D. Marvin is a visionary entrepreneur, acclaimed columnist, and influential leader dedicated to empowering others to unlock their full potential. As President and CEO of Texas State Optical, John has cultivated a thriving business network while spearheading initiatives in health and wellness consulting and eyecare partnerships. With a steadfast commitment to personal growth, John has spent years studying the transformative power of mindset and the “inner game” in achieving success. Beyond his entrepreneurial endeavors, Through his unwavering dedication to making a difference, John D. Marvin epitomizes the essence

of leadership and empowerment, making him a compelling guest f
or any podcast seeking to inspire and motivate their audience. TSO brings in around 110M$ in revenue annually.

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About Dr. Kalfayan

Dr. Nona Kalfayan is a leading expert in her field of primary eye health, and a highly sought-after physician specializing in treating dry eye disease nationwide. She holds a Doctor of Optometry Degree from Nova Southeastern University (NSU) College of Optometry, specializing in advanced ocular surface disease. Dr. Kalfayan’s dedication lies in holistic and preventive eye care. As the founder of Atlantic Eyecare & Spa in Pompano Beach, Florida, she specializes in Dry Eye, non-surgical ocular aesthetics, specialty contact lenses and myopic control. Atlantic Eyecare & Spa is renowned for its cutting-edge diagnostic technology and drop-less treatments for dry eye condition. Dr. Kalfayan was honored as one of “America’s Top Optometrists” in 2012 and is a frequent public speaker, healthcare consultant, and advisor to some major institutions in the eye care industry. Additionally, she serves as the treasurer for the Broward County Optometric Association and is a member of the Florida Optometric Association and the American Optometric Association.

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In this episode of The OI Show, Dr. Dave Kading reconnects with Dr. Jennifer Stewart, a visionary in optometry and practice management. After selling her successful large group practice in 2022, Dr. Stewart took a leap of faith, stepping away from clinical care and embarking on a transformative journey of consulting, speaking, and self-reflection. Fast forward to 2024, she’s back with a cold-start boutique practice in New Canaan, Connecticut, redefining what it means to create a patient-centered optometric experience.

Key Takeaways:

• The challenges and rewards of stepping away from a large practice and starting fresh.
• How Dr. Stewart built a streamlined, patient-focused practice with no front desk, paperless systems, and a smaller but highly efficient team.
• Insights into controlling costs, balancing high-quality care with profitability, and creating a unique patient experience.
• Lessons learned from listening, observing, and taking inspiration from industry trends while crafting a personalized vision for her new practice.

Dr. Stewart shares candidly about her journey, from moments of doubt to the triumph of building a practice that aligns with her passion and values.

Looking for inspiration to start fresh or rethink your practice model? Tune in to hear Dr. Stewart’s actionable insights and innovative approaches. Don’t forget to subscribe to The OI Show for more episodes with industry leaders and leave us a 5-star review to help others discover these transformative conversations!

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About Dr. Elise Kramer

Dr. Elise Kramer is a residency-trained optometrist in Miami FL who specializes in ocular surface disease and specialty contact lens design and fitting.

Her Doctorate degree was awarded in Optometry from the Université de Montréal in 2012. During her fourth year, she completed her internship in ocular disease at the Eye Centers of South Florida and went on to complete her residency at the Miami VA Medical Center. Her time there included training at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, the nation’s top eye hospital. After her residency, Dr. Kramer became a fellow of the Scleral Lens Education Society (SLS) and now serves as the vice president for the SLS. Dr. Kramer is also vice president of Women in Eyecare (WiE), a member of the American Optometric Association (AOA), the International Association of Contact Lens Educators (IACLE), a Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry (AAO) and of the the British Contact Lens Association (BCLA). She is also the Delegate of International Relations for the Italian Association of Scleral Lenses (AILeS).  Dr. Kramer has published several important articles and reviews and is participates in clinical research trials. She enjoys lecturing all around the world in several different languages about ocular surface disease and specialty lenses. 

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About Zac Denning

Zac Denning is the Director of Scientific & Professional Affairs at ScienceBased Health (SBH), which he joined in 1999. Following his passion for science, Mr. Denning studied biology and biochemistry at Evergreen where he received his Bachelor of Science. Working alongside scientists, clinicians and researchers, he has helped SBH pioneer new categories of eye supplements that are now widely recognized and utilized in eye care. Zac travels and presents widely, educating eye doctors and medical groups about the scientific basis for eye nutrition.
Zac has also helped maintain the company’s focus on primary clinical research in areas like dry eye and glaucoma. As a leader in eye nutrition and dry eye, Zac serves on the Corporate Advisory Board for Dry Eye Access and other companies, and has been profiled or featured in a variety of eyecare publications.

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About Kaleb Abbott

Is an optometrist and assistant professor of ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He is faculty in both the Dry Eye Clinic and the Center for Ocular Inflammation where he specializes in complex ocular surface disease and participates in clinical trials/research pertaining to ocular surface disease. 

In addition to his clinical and research duties, he is on the board of directors for the Ocular Wellness and Nutrition Society; Vice Chair of the Nutrition, Disease Prevention, and Wellness SIG for AAO; on the advisory council for the Academic Medical Center Optometry AAO SIG; and on the editorial advisory board for Optometry360. He will be graduating from the AAO Flom Leadership Academy at AAO 2024. In 2024, he became host of the Dry Eye and Ocular Surface Disease section of the Clinical Podcast Series through the American Academy of Optometry Foundation. 

In 2019, Kaleb co-founded a start-up company called SunSnap Kids which took 1st place in the inaugural Bright Ideas Pitch Competition in 2022 and 3rd place in the Optometry Innovation Awards in 2023. Recently he sold the majority of this company to focus more on his clinical and research responsibilities at the University of Colorado. 

When not seeing patients, conducting research, or working on SunSnap Kids, Dr. Abbott lectures on ocular surface disease, writes articles, and is a medical reviewer for multiple medical journals including The Ocular Surface and Optometry and Vision Science. He resides in Denver, CO with his wife, daughter, and newborn twins.