What does it look like to build a full-spectrum myopia management program inside one of the country’s top pediatric hospitals — and what can every optometrist learn from it?

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In Part 1 of this special episode of the Myopia Mindset podcast, host Matthew Herzberg sits down with Drs. Magda Stec, Noreen Shaikh, and Shelby Johnson from the ophthalmology division at Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital in Chicago.

The doctors take us inside a program that’s been building for nearly eight years — starting with low-concentration atropine and evolving into a full toolbox that includes MiSight, Ortho-K, Biofinity toric multifocal, and now FDA-approved Stellest lenses.

You’ll hear how Lurie’s philosophy of offering myopia management to every patient — including those on public aid — came together, and how the division created a collaborative culture where ophthalmologists, optometrists, nurses, and pediatricians all speak the same language. The panel also covers what a solid baseline workup looks like, how to approach pediatricians for cross-referrals, and how they navigate the conversion conversation with parents in a time-efficient way.

If this episode fires you up about myopia management, subscribe — Part 2 drops soon and covers confidence-building, staff training, and whether Stellest glasses will finally blow open the category for optometrists everywhere.