Attendees of this year’s Industry Collaborative at Artists for Humanity in Boston spanned a range of the profession, industry, associations and students.

  
BOSTON, Mass.—The New England College of Optometry (NECO) welcomed over 120 guests spanning the eyecare industry, professional organizations, health care, academia, and media to its Beacon Street Campus on August 21 and at Artists for Humanity on August 22 for the third annual NECO Industry Collaborative. The event brought together people who typically compete or may not otherwise interact, to connect, debate and deliberate the challenging topic of supply and demand in optometry. Dr. Gary Chu, NECO vice president for professional affairs, welcomed NECO’s guests and opened the session by reminding attendees, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, from 2021 to 2031, demand for optometrists is expected to grow 8 percent to 10 percent and demand for ophthalmologists is expected to grow 4 percent to 7 percent.

“This is a staggering increase in demand for medical eyecare and while the number of colleges of optometry has increased and ASCO has implemented the 'Optometry Gives Me Life' campaign, the applicant pool of prospective optometry students has remained nearly flat,” said Dr. Chu. According to Dr. Richard Edlow, The Eyeconomist, the number of ophthalmologists will increase 0.5 percent per year and the need for medical eye exams will increase by 25 percent, that’s 15 million additional eye exams that will need to be performed per year. This data, along with the current difficulty many companies face filling optometrist positions, highlights the imbalance between supply and demand."

NECO president and CEO, Dr. Howard Purcell, shared his concerns about the impact the recent Supreme Court ruling overturning affirmative action will have on eyecare. “While NECO will absolutely adhere to the law, we also remain committed to continue to close the gaps for optometrists of Black, Latino, Indigenous, and other under-represented people in optometry so we can best meet the needs of patients,” said Dr. Purcell.

The event included two student panels, one for students early in their academic journey and a second panel of students in the final years of their education, residency or early in practice. A third panel pursued the topic of admissions to graduation, covering applicant pool expansion, board exams, and the quality, quantity and diversity of students applying to optometry schools today.

The final panel of the event pursued the potential of telehealth to address the gap between supply and demand for eyecare. At last year’s Industry Collaborative, the debate was focused on refraction and telehealth. Dr. Chu said, “There was quite a bit of tension as we debated the topic last year. This year, the discussion centered around imaging vs. dilation in telehealth and the responsibility in leveraging technology to deliver care that is appropriate to meet the demands while ensuring accessibility.” The American Optometric Association rewrote their position statement regarding telemedicine in optometry in October 2022.

Several other topics were addressed including mentorship, student debt, scholarships, the breadth of careers for Doctors of Optometry, business acumen, mental health, opioid addiction, food insecurity, license portability and the need for rural optometrists. NECO will further explore these topics with students and industry professionals over the coming months, "as we see this as one way to fulfill our mission to Change the Way People See the World," said Dr. Chu.

NECO is a private, nonprofit and internationally recognized optometry school, preparing the next generation of eyecare providers, educators and innovators through rigorous curriculum, extensive clinical experiences, state-of-the-art facilities and a strong support network. Founded in 1894, NECO is the oldest continuously operating optometry school in the U.S. and is an independent optometry school, focused solely on optometry.





NECO president and CEO Dr. Howard Purcell welcomes guests as he kicks off day two of the Industry Collaborative at Artists for Humanity.
NECO vice president for professional affairs Dr. Gary Chu addresses the attendees during a break at the Industry Collaborative.
(L to R) The first night’s student panel featured  moderator Dr. Erik Weisberg, Carissa Fleming, OD, 2025, Tia Vuu, OD, 2025, Olivia Wynn, OD, 2026, and Michelle Vaca, OD, 2026.










(L to R) “Admissions to Graduation" featured NECO associate dean of student affairs Kristen Tobin, Dr. Susy Yu, director of strategy and operations at Vision Essentials by Kaiser Permanente and board member of the National Board of Examiners in Optometry, and ASCO president Dr. Mark Colip.
(L to R) The second student panel featured Zach Jost, OD, 2021, Sara Masood, OD, 2024, Jackie Kenney, OD, 2023, and Marilyn Tran, OD, 2024.
(L to R) The last panel of the event covered Teleretinal Imaging vs. Dilation and featured Dr. Chad Overman, COO of 2020 NOW; Dr. Terri Gossard, AOA trustee; Tom Mann, American Telemedicine Association; and Dr. Gerald Selvin, past director of National Ocular Telehealth.