Member Testimonials

"Membership in the OOPA has been the cornerstone of my professional career and my personal life.  I have been a member of OOPA for over 25 years and treasure my experience serving our profession and Association as a member, Director and Past-President.  I appreciate that our Association has provided a direct benefit to my ability to practice at the highest level of my license, own a private practice and serve my community.  I am also very thankful for the life-long friendships that have resulted from being a member of the OOPA!" - Douglas Walker, OD 

"Being an associate member of OOPA is so rewarding. I really enjoy getting to know the amazing eye care providers who practice in Oregon on a personal level. As a member you can ask questions and hear the stories of how each doctor’s personal journey brought them to the field of eye care.  It is great to be able to do this in a relaxed atmosphere away from the hustle of everyday in the office." -  Linda Cole, X-Cel Contacts

“Since joining the Optometric Physicians Association of Oregon in 2022, I’ve found it to be an invaluable resource for both professional growth and industry advocacy. The meetings consistently offer high-quality education, keeping our staff well-informed and engaged. The association’s leadership is dedicated to advancing the profession and supporting its members, and I’m proud to contribute by serving on two of their committees. Being part of this organization has been a rewarding experience, both personally and professionally.” – Brandy Yeack, Para

"I knew from my experience with a vision therapy practice in Illinois the importance of statewide advocacy organizations in maximizing reimbursement and coverage for optometric services.

I became a member of OOPA shortly after acquiring my practice in Southern Oregon in 1995.

 Effective July 1, 2022, Oregon Health Authority (OHA) changed the reimbursement for optical dispense fees for Oregon Health Plan patients (OHP) under 21 to broaden the selection that OHP patients would have in terms of access to optometric physicians. I confirmed with OHA that the new rules applied to Coordinated Care Organizations (CCO) in addition to OHP patients with DMAP (open card). While DMAP and another local CCO (Allcare) were relatively quick to implement the increase, Care Oregon was not. I reached out on multiple occasions to Care Oregon with no result, and pursued a complaint with the OHA which was still in process with "legal review" after a year. In the meantime, I was forced to transition my practice for health reasons, and had given up any thought that this would ever be resolved.

 Then OOPA reached out with a survey requesting information on problems affecting optometric practices today, and I referenced the inequity of Care Oregon failing to comply with this legislative mandate.

 OOPA was successful where my efforts failed. 

 Instead of my singular practice, OOPA brought to bear multiple practices including the OD who acquired mine. OOPA's win in getting Care Oregon to agree to the $130 dispense fee mandate RETROACTIVELY to July 1 2022 is of huge importance to me during a stressful time financially. More importantly, to quote another OD in the area,  this is a "game changer" for the ongoing success of this practice and for the options afforded OHP patients under the age of 21. The financial impact on the OD who acquired my practice is around $9K per month which is going to allow them to beef up their optician support staff and inventory, also favorably impacting wait times for patients.

 I suspect OHA and the coordinated care organizations will receive many inquiries as a result of this change, and significantly improve the access in this area, thus decreasing wait times at this practice and others in the area.

 This is a clear example of where OOPA membership pays off. Every OD should be a member of this invaluable organization." -  Gerald Starchvick, OD