WesternU College of Optometry’s Dr. Ida Chung named OD of the Year

Western University of Health Sciences’ College of Optometry is a strong supporter of the California Optometric Association (COA). College of Optometry faculty continue to serve in leadership roles and faculty, alumni and students receive recognition for their accomplishments. 

COA named College of Optometry Professor and Associate Dean of Academic Affairs Ida Chung, OD, MSHE, FOVDR, FAAO, as California’s 2026 OD of the Year. She previously served as COA president in 2021.  

“Being named California Optometrist of the Year shows me that my peers recognize and value my advocacy and volunteer work. To me, that is the most meaningful part of this honor,” Chung said. “The fact that my peers recognize that what I’m doing has value to them, to the organization, to the profession of optometry, and the state of California is truly touching.”  

Chung said she has advocated for her profession for her entire career, first in New York and then here after moving to California.  

“When I moved to California from New York, I knew the importance of being a part of the California Optometric Association because optometry is and probably always will be a legislated profession,” Chung said. “Anything related to scope of practice, and what optometrists are allowed to do, must go through the legislature. We want students to understand how important it is to be involved in that process.”  

Every WesternU College of Optometry student is a member of the American Optometric Student Association, Chung said. The COA organizes Legislative Day in Sacramento, and the College encourages student participation. During the event, students meet with legislators and learn firsthand how bills are introduced, advocated for, and passed into law.  

“Being a member of an optometric association is not optional. It represents and advocates for doctors of optometry, helping ensure we practice to the full scope of our education,” Chung said. “Often, our education is ahead of our scope of practice. For example, about half of the states allow optometrists to perform laser and minor surgical procedures. California is not one of them. That’s why it’s so important to involve students and help them understand the role advocacy plays in advancing the profession.”  

Chung was nominated for Optometrist of the Year by the Inland Empire Optometric Society, led by College of Optometry alumna and society President Ashley Suplee, OD ’15, FAAO.    

“Dr. Chung is great. She is always very caring and open. You could always come talk to her and ask questions, even after I graduated,” Suplee said. “As a board, when we sat down to decide who we were going to nominate, she was the first name we thought of.  

“Everybody on the board felt the same way, that she really cares for everybody, but also cares for our profession, and wants us to all do the best that we can, and goes above and beyond,” Suplee added.  

The College emphasized the importance of advocating for the optometry profession when she was in school, Suplee said.   

“They talked a lot about how important it was to try to further our profession and fight for our licensure and the scope of practice, and to make sure that we didn’t get things taken from us because of the scope,” she said.  

Dr. Suplee joined the Inland Empire Optometric Society after graduation because she wanted to be part of a like-minded group.  

“Everybody had the same ideas, in the sense that we just wanted optometry to be the best it could,” Suplee said. “Being part of a group and networking with other doctors is really important and I truly see the value of what we do and how we try to just make this profession the best that it can be. And it’s great because we get to work with a lot of really awesome people like Dr. Chung and other doctors who have really paved the way for what we’re doing now.”  

Dr. Chung focused on children’s vision during her term as COA president. She created the COA’s Children’s Vision Team and chairs it. COA has a bill to collect data on vision care through the California Department of Health and Human Services.    

“WesternU has always been actively involved in our community by providing vision screenings for children. California law requires every student in public schools to receive a vision screening in kindergarten or when they first enroll in school,” Chung said. “The problem is that fewer than 10% of PUSD kids who failed a vision screening actually make it to an eye doctor. That is a problem. We check the box by meeting the screening requirement, but too many children never receive the care they need.”  

The bill also addresses access and reimbursement issues.  

“The reimbursement rate under the Medi-Cal program in California has not increased since 1980. We’re essentially being reimbursed the same amount as we were more than 40 years ago,” Chung said. “The cost of doing business and employee salaries has continued to rise. As a result, the wait time for appointments has become much longer. We have an access problem in that many optometrists and ophthalmologists can’t afford to participate as a provider.”  

Dr. Chung said her advocacy work is supported by College of Optometry Founding Dean Elizabeth Hoppe, OD, MPH, DrPH.  

“WesternU is truly a great place to work. I can’t do the things I’ve done without the support of the University and my College Dean,” Chung said. “I’m thankful WesternU has this emphasis on interprofessional education. They also want to develop future leaders. As faculty and administrators, we must lead by example so that we can serve as role models for the next generation of doctors.”  

“We are incredibly proud of Dr. Chung and the impact that she is making for our program, our profession, and the residents of California,” Dean Hoppe said. “We know that every day our students and faculty members are touching lives and improving the visual health, well-being, and quality of life for people in our community. Advocating at the state level makes a huge difference for us all!”