The Contact Lens Institute (CLI) announced in a press release that 5 US and Canadian eyecare teams and individuals have been named Contact Lens Institute (CLI) Culture Award winners.

According to CLI, the winners were recognized for their impact on fostering contact lens cultures that enhance patient experiences and business success. 

The 2025 Contact Lens Institute Culture Award honorees are:

• Sheila Morrison, OD, FAAO, FSLS, FCCSO, Mission Eye Care, Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Dr. Morrison has a deep passion for contact lenses that drives a culture of continuous staff training, with weekly sessions and hands-on learning that help her team understand the “why” behind patient care. Her commitment to developing skilled, confident staff makes a meaningful difference in patients’ lives and creates a culture where contact lenses are viewed as life-changing tools, according to the press release.

• Heidi Pham-Murphy, OD, Thuy Phung, OD, Thomas Murphy, OD, John Baskett, OD, Roman Goals, OD, and Jennifer Fong, OD, a team at Eye Designs Optometry and Visions Optometry in the Sacramento, California, area.The practices are focused on "saving eyes and sparking joy" through highly personalized care, tailoring soft contact lens solutions to individual lifestyles, visual demands, and long-term goals. Their team-centered approach emphasizes education, thoughtful follow-up, and real-world performance, ensuring contact lenses enhance both daily function and quality of life, says the CLI.

• Joshua Olson, OD, MA, Colorado Eye Center/Sunrise Vision Care, Boulder, Colorado. Dr. Olson says he considers every patient as a potential contact-lens wearer, ensuring his entire staff is trained to make the option accessible. By offering contact lenses to people of all ages and lifestyles, he says he helps patients experience added freedom, confidence, and improved quality of life, according to the press release.

• Scott Samples, FLCSA, NCLEM, CPOT, Dean McGee Eye Institute, Oklahoma City. Mr. Samples provides patient-centered care that demonstrates how contact lenses can be transformative tools beyond traditional vision correction. His example inspires his peers and demonstrates the power of contact lenses to help patients achieve life-changing outcomes, such as seeing a loved one clearly for the first time, says the CLI.

• Susanna Tamkins, OD, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, Miami. Dr. Tamkins’ work is profoundly life-changing, fitting infants and children in contact lenses to restore their sight after surgery and support their healthy visual development. Her commitment to pediatric care transforms lives and drives efforts to ensure every child receives essential vision care, according to the press release. 

According to CLI, all honorees are now featured on the CLI YouTube channel in individual video interviews describing replicable initiatives and patient stories that contribute to their practices’ success prescribing soft contact lenses. The Culture Awards playlist can be viewed by clicking here.

 “We congratulate the 2025 recipients, who represent a broad range of practice settings, career stages, and communities across the United States and Canada,” says Stan Rogaski, executive director of the CLI, in the press release. “Each honoree exemplifies how a strong contact lens culture can elevate patient care, while also contributing to practice growth and long-term success. Their impacts provide powerful examples for the profession alongside award winners from the prior 2 years.”

CLI says it expects to open nominations for the 2026 Culture Awards next summer. OM