Louise A. Sclafani, OD, FAAO, a 1989 alumnus of ICO, began her career at the University of Chicago in 1993 where she was an Associate Professor of Surgery and Director of Optometric Services until 2017. Her main interests include contact lenses, corneal disease, trauma, dry eye, ocular aesthetics and corneal surgery co-management. She will apply her many years of experience of challenging hospital based care in her new role as Vice President of Professional Affairs for SynergEyes. Training young doctors and providing quality services to her patients will always be her passion so she will continue patient to see patients at SOLO, a private practice in the South Loop, as well as at the Illinois College of Optometry where she is a Clinical Associate Professor.
She was awarded the status of Diplomate by the American Academy of Optometry in the Cornea and Contact Lens and Refractive Technology section and is a frequent lecturer on these topics. She is the 1998 recipient of the Illinois Young Optometrist of the Year, earned the Residents excellence in Teaching Award in 1995 and the Outstanding Lecturer Award in 2001 from the University of Chicago, the 2002 Roger Kame Contact Lens Award, the 2004 Excellence in Education Award from the Illinois College of Optometry, 2009 ICO Alumnus of the Year and was invited to be a Distinguished Practitioner in the National Academies of Practice. She is a frequent contributing author for Review of Contact Lenses, Contact Lens Spectrum, and Primary Care Optometry News.
In 2008 she received the Illinois Optometrist of the Year and was selected by Review of Optometry as one of the Top 10 Females at the Forefront of Optometry. She has served on the Illinois State Board, is a Past-President of the Illinois Optometric Association, and Past Chair of the Cornea and Contact Lens Section for the AOA. She is an advocate for women in the profession and serves as the chair of Women of Vision, an organization dedicated to mentoring female ODs and educating on women’s ocular health issues. She is on the professional advisory panels and speaker bureau for several drug and contact lens manufacturers and has served as one of team eye doctors for the NHL Chicago Blackhawks. This year she is being honored by the Joint Civic Committee of Italian Americans with the Impresa Award given by the Women Division She resides in Chicago with her husband Jeff McClimans (Optos, North America) and son, Liam. She is a hockey mom who enjoys travel, entertaining, wine tasting, triathlons, paddle boarding and sailing with her family.
