Eyeworld

28 | EYEWORLD | DECEMBER 2023 ASCRS NEWS Contact Odell: megan@asoa.org Rowland: laureenrowland2@gmail.com by Ellen Stodola Editorial Co-Director About the sources Megan Odell, MHHR ASOA Executive Director Laureen Rowland, CAE Previous ASOA Executive Director "When I think about being in the Executive Director role, I think about what our members need," she said. "I want members to know there is always a fellow member willing and ready to support them in both trials and triumphs." Practice administrators are the backbone and partners in the success of the practice, Ms. Odell said. "It's our job to elevate the business of ophthalmology by ensuring practice opera- tions are as smooth as possible. Whether you have 5 months of experience or 5 years of expe- rience, you can contribute to ASOA." Ms. Odell is filling the shoes of Ms. Rowland, who served in this role for 12 years. Ms. Rowland described her experience with ASOA as inspiring and rewarding, and she is confident that the Society will continue to thrive under Ms. Odell's leadership. "It's always good to have fresh eyes and new ideas. Megan brings the practice perspective to the Executive Direc- tor role and a desire to take the organization to the next level." Ms. Rowland is most proud of the team members she's worked with through the years and watching them grow and develop. "They're extremely passionate about the membership and what they do," she said. "[The Society] was set up for success with Lucy Santiago being the visionary who established it, so it was important to embrace that vision by providing relevant resources and expanding the mem- bership, which now includes a wide array of practice management professionals from clinical directors to CFOs, CEOs, COOs, and private equity partners." Ms. Rowland said there have been many important ASOA initiatives through the years. "We try and meet the needs brought to us by our committees and members," she said. "In our 2022 member needs assessment, the satis- faction rate with ASOA membership was 94%; ASOA Executive Director transition continued on page 30 I n November, Megan Odell, MHHR, officially stepped into the role of Executive Director of the American Society of Ophthalmic Administrators (ASOA), taking over for Laureen Rowland, CAE. In Ms. Odell's 15 years of healthcare experience, she worked at the Texas Medical Association in the practice consulting division and at Austin Retina Associ- ates where she organized many practice man- agement efforts, including marketing, training, improving the employee and patient experience, and leading community service projects for the practice. Ms. Odell joined the ASCRS and ASOA team as Associate Director of the ASCRS Foundation last year. "With my experience in nonprofit fundraising, it was a natural fit to jump into the role of Associate Director of the ASCRS Founda- tion to gain a better understanding of anterior segment surgery and how ASCRS, ASOA, and the Foundation work together," she said. "What was most attractive about becoming the Exec- utive Director of ASOA was the idea of being able to use my knowledge and passion to help practices nationwide improve their employee experience, patient care, and ultimately their organizational culture." Ms. Odell attended her first ASOA Annu- al Meeting in 2019. "I originally joined ASOA because I was newer to ophthalmology mar- keting and quickly realized what may work in other specialties didn't quite work in eyecare," she said. "I had heard I could get a lot of great information and resources by joining ASOA, but what I didn't expect was to be surrounded by so many incredible ophthalmic leaders who were not only willing to help me be successful but excited to walk with me. This warm welcome ignited my sincere appreciation and respect for ASOA and what they had to offer because there wasn't another association out there that was providing me the ophthalmic-specific scenarios, products, and resources I needed to transform my practice." Ms. Odell said the ASOA Annual Meeting is where her passion grew for culture transfor- mation. "A total game changer was when our entire team realized they played a role in saving sight."

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