Member in Focus: Kara Kopolow, O.D.
Kara Kopolow, O.D.
Combine constant sunlight, low moisture, and a rapidly growing aging population, and Las Vegas poses challenges for any optometrist. Kara Kopolow, O.D., knew what she was getting into—when she graduated in 2023, she became a second-generation optometrist, following in the footsteps and into the practice of her father, H. Kenneth Kopolow, O.D.
As a doctor at Kopolow & Girisgen, the younger Dr. Kopolow dove into one of the busiest optometry groups in Las Vegas. With 14 locations in the Las Vegas Valley, she often sees 30 patients per day, as the sun and wind take their toll on residents’ eyesight.
“I’m thankful to work in a practice that is very progressive when it comes to technology and equipment. It allows me to practice to my full scope and monitor diseases,” Dr. Kopolow says. “I feel comfortable [treating] patients that, if I didn’t have the support and technology, I would have to refer to an ophthalmologist.”
Practicing now, thinking about tomorrow
Even as she handles a full patient caseload, Dr. Kopolow carves out time to volunteer with the Nevada Optometric Association. Her involvement with the NOA Next Gen OD Committee focuses on identifying and curating the next generation of optometrists—those with five years or fewer of practice—to continue leading the profession's expansion.
“I look at the Next Gen Committee as two separate goals. One is to increase membership and get optometrists who just started practicing involved in the NOA,” Dr. Kopolow says. “The other is to find the people I’m going to work with in the future on advocating for our profession.”
Dr. Kopolow acknowledges that current NOA board members, including her father and other senior leadership, have made significant contributions, and she’s working to build a team that can continue their work.
The committee also reaches out to students, both those in optometry school and in high school, through informal mentoring. Connecting optometry students with rotations at the Las Vegas VA and local ophthalmology practices also provides hands-on learning.
Advocacy efforts move the needle
In addition to cultivating the next generation of optometrists, Dr. Kopolow says the committee works at the state level to advocate for the profession. They are currently advocating for adequate insurance coverage for optometry patients and to expand the profession's scope, especially in glaucoma treatment.
Dr. Kopolow says her father has always stressed the importance of advocacy, but she sees it now more than ever.
“When you see 30 patients a day, five days a week, it’s hard to get involved,” she says. “But joining your local AOA chapter is a low lift that makes a big difference. We are not asking everyone to be the president, but we need some level of involvement to protect the future of our profession.”
And The Winner is..
Congratulations to the Optometrists, community leaders, and state legislators we honored this past Saturday, March 9, 2024, at an Evening with the NOA event at The Blind Center of Nevada in Las Vegas.