The Professional Eye Care Associates of America (PECAA) hosted more than 1,200 private practice professionals, vendor partners, and industry leaders at its Annual Meeting, held May 17-19 in San Diego. According to the organization, the event reached capacity more than 2 months in advance and exceeded last year’s record doctor attendance.
The meeting, themed “Connecting Your True North to What’s Ahead,” focused on topics including leadership, clinical care, patient experience and business development for independent eyecare practices.
During the event, PECAA announced several new initiatives, including the launch of its “A/Eye Certification Course: Intelligent Tools for Private Practice,” a COPE-accredited educational program centered on artificial intelligence applications in optometry practices. The 6-session course is scheduled to begin July 9 and will cover topics such as AI fundamentals, administrative efficiency, marketing, clinical applications, ethics, and future trends.
PECAA also highlighted the introduction of PECAA promise contact lenses, which had been previously announced.
PECAA President Jonathan Worrall addressed attendees alongside Cofounder and Chief Strategy Officer Lance Anderson, OD, and Chief Member Experience Officer Justin Manning, OD, MPH, FAAO, during a presentation recognizing the organization’s 20th anniversary. Speakers reflected on the evolution of PECAA and independent practice over the past 2 decades, as well as resources developed to support member practices.
The meeting’s educational programming featured multiple tracks allowing attendees to select sessions focused on strategic leadership, clinical excellence, patient experience, and sales. The event also included 30 peer networking sessions covering topics such as AI integration and long-term practice planning.
Keynote speakers included adventure racer and author Robyn Benincasa, who discussed teamwork and resilience, and professional skateboarder Tony Hawk, who spoke about navigating challenges and maintaining core values throughout his career.
Additional activities included a San Diego-themed kickoff event in the Partner Pavilion, networking opportunities with more than 62 vendor partners, and a member and vendor appreciation event held aboard the USS Midway.
PECAA announced that its 2027 Annual Meeting is scheduled to take place from April 23 to 25 in National Harbor, Maryland.
Registration is currently open for the A/Eye Certification Course, which is available to both PECAA members and nonmembers.