This episode was made possible with the support and partnership of CooperVision. 

For many practitioners, a passion for serving pediatric patients grows after we get out into real-world practice and see just how much children need our care. Building out a pediatric focus even within a primary care practice can be a valuable service to the community, and incredibly rewarding as you see the immediate impact that clear vision can have on social, emotional, and school performance. Our guests on this episode are two leading experts in the field of pediatric optometry. Dr. Nathan Bonilla-Warford, OD, FAAO, FCOVD, is the private practice owner of Bright Eyes Tampa and Bright Eyes Kids. Dr. Yos Priestly, FAAO is an optometrist who works in an OD/MD hospital setting in Durham, North Carolina. 

Despite their different paths to pediatric specialty, both Dr. Bonilla-Warford and Dr. Priestly are big supporters of the experience of pursuing an optometric residency for interested students. “But there are many different paths you can take,” Dr. Priestly explains for doctors who are entering pediatric care later into their careers. “One year of residency is equivalent to about five years of experience,” Dr. Bonilla-Warford states. “Absolutely you can get that experience in your own clinic outside of a residency, but [with a residency] you will get there faster.” One of the other advantages of the residency experience they both shared was building a network of colleagues to learn from and lean on for guidance in tough cases, and the knowledge of how to interact with pediatric specialties outside of optometry. Creating a network of doctors for referral – from strabismus surgeons to retinal surgeons to pediatricians – is essential for caring for this population. 

A referral network is just one step for building a pediatric practice. “We were really proactive early on with building a social media presence,” Dr. Bonilla-Warford says. He utilized Facebook moms groups to help spread the word, and now has embraced TikTok to help communicate with young patients about ocular health on the platforms they are most using. By creating a separate brand identity and location for his pediatric clinic, Dr. Bonilla-Warford has been able to really cater his practice to children.  Children have to feel welcome and comfortable in a space, and branding specifically to them is important to show parents that this space was especially made for the care of their child. The waiting room furniture is child-sized; there are Legos on the wall. If you build a practice with kids truly in mind, the space will speak to parents for you. 

A vital part to growing their pediatric practices has been embracing myopia management. Dr. Priestly shares that even in an OD/MD hospital setting, myopia management has really grown quickly over the last two years. The biggest thing to move the needle has been the FDA approval of myopia management treatment options and the publication of major peer reviewed studies and scientific evidence to validate the science of myopia management. “I feel fortunate that I work with pediatric ophthalmologists who recognize myopia management as an area of need, and an area that is becoming a standard of care for children,” Dr. Priestly shares. Her practice has embraced the medical aspects of myopia management and prevention with a program that includes routine follow-up care and axial length measurements throughout the year. 

Dr. Bonilla-Warford brought myopia management to Bright Eyes Kids about 12 years ago, but at the time it was a very small part of his practice due to the limited treatment options available. “Slowly the pieces came together,