Specsavers 2024 Doug and Dame Mary Perkins Award Winners Announced

Specsavers Australia and New Zealand announced the recipients of the prestigious Doug Perkins Medal and Dame Mary Perkins Awards for 2024 at the annual Specsavers Clinical Conference (SCC) over the weekend, showcasing its continued focus on outstanding excellence in clinical performance and patient care within the optometry field.

Doug Perkins Medal for Clinical Excellence

This year’s Doug Perkins Medal winners are Specsavers Port Lincoln in Australia and Specsavers Blenheim in New Zealand.

Specsavers Head of Clinical Performance, Nick Gidas, who presented the awards, said the Doug Perkins Medal is awarded to one Australian and one New Zealand store each year that consistently upholds the highest standards of clinical excellence.

“Each year, the Doug Perkins Medal for Clinical Excellence is awarded to one store from Australia and one from New Zealand in recognition of outstanding patient care and exceptional clinical performance.

“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.

“We are delighted to crown Specsavers Port Lincoln and Specsavers Blenheim with this year’s award in recognition of their exceptional commitment to clinical care throughout the year”, he said.

Dame Mary Perkins Award for Outstanding Patient Care

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, Chief Executive Officer 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.

This year’s Dame Mary Perkins Award was presented to two optometrists who demonstrated an exceptional commitment to patient care, going above and beyond to make a positive difference: Sarshia Hua from Specsavers Toowong, QLD and Kevin Chen from Specsavers Mt Wellington, NZ.

Reflecting on the significance of the award, Professor Peter van Wijngaarden says, “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 Audrey 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.”

Graduate and Early Career Optometry (ECO) Program Winners

The 2024 winners of the Graduate and Early Career Optometry Excellence Awards were also announced at SCC.

These awards recognise optometrists who have excelled in both the Graduate Program and the Early Career Optometry (ECO) Program.

These awards acknowledge the exceptional 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 and highlight their dedication, professionalism, and positive impact on changing lives through better sight.

Cindy Nguyen, Head of Professional Development, Specsavers and Dr Natasha Fernandes, Senior Graduate Optometry Development Manager, Specsavers presented this years’ winners.

And the winners are: Sam Wang, Specsavers Rotorua, NZ (Graduate Optometry Excellence Award) and Elle Carson, Specsavers Ipswich, QLD (Early Career Optometry Excellence Award).