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Washington Academy of Eye Physicians & Surgeons

two hands holding a pair of glasses out away from a face that is blurry behind them

THE PROJECT

The Washington Academy of Eye Physicians & Surgeons (WAEPS) is a professional organization of medical doctors in the state of Washington, serving the educational and professional needs of ophthalmologists and eyecare patients.

Fearey was engaged to support WAEPS’ ongoing efforts to advocate for the health and well-being of Washington citizens through legislative advocacy, consulting, networking, training, and more.

OUR RESULTS

Features

In December 2021, Fearey began a communications campaign to oppose a senate bill introduced in the Washington State Senate. This bill aimed to expand the optometric scope of work, allowing untrained, non-medical doctors to perform surgeries on the most delicate human tissue, our eyes.

Through strategic outreach and messaging, Fearey built awareness among doctors, patients, and lawmakers about the difference between optometrists and ophthalmologists and the dangers of optometric scope expansion.

Performance

The advocacy campaign Fearey and WAEPS executed in 2021-22 was successful in stopping the bill from passing in the 2022 legislative session.

  • Media Outreach: Consistently pitched op-eds, letters to editors and proactive media angles that targeted priority news outlets—securing coverage in TNT, Olympian, Columbian, Spokesman Review, Tri City Herald, KING TV, and KIRO Radio.
  • Trainings: Identified and trained a core group of ophthalmologists to be thought leaders amongst stakeholder groups.
  • Patient Outreach: Designed and distributed informational rack cards to clarify the dangers of the bill and the difference between ophthalmologists and optometrists.