Optometry board reviews outreach strategy; directs staff to explore QR codes, marketing options and stakeholder partnerships

Alex Clemens, chair of the Consumer Protection, Public Relations and Outreach Committee of the California State Board of Optometry, opened the committee’s teleconference by reviewing the board’s adopted outreach pillars and inviting discussion on ways to increase public and licensee engagement.

The committee discussed three main outreach channels — social media (LinkedIn, X and Facebook), the board newsletter (the Spectacle) and the board listserv — and asked staff to explore specific steps to expand reach. “There’s no legal mandate that we have a social media presence,” said Greg Bridal, executive officer for the California State Board of Optometry, adding that social accounts are voluntary but “there’s a lot of opportunity” to increase engagement.

Why it matters: the board licenses roughly 17,000 professionals in California and staff said board posts reach only a small fraction of that population. The committee emphasized that better outreach could improve consumer protection, distribute time-sensitive guidance (for example, about recalls or emergency orders) and help licensees stay current with regulatory changes.

Key discussion points

- Social media: Staff reviewed platform statistics and proposed three near-term opportunities: 1) encourage board members to follow and engage with the board’s accounts to “tweak” algorithms; 2) add a QR code on mailed renewal notices that links to social accounts and the listserv; and 3) partner with stakeholder organizations (for example, the California Optometric Association) to share board posts across larger membership networks. Bridal said a recent Sac City College optical program tour post produced above-average engagement and cited that example as evidence that partner content and board-member engagement help reach more people. “If we only have one board member following our LinkedIn and only one board member following our Facebook, that’s… a lot of opportunity there,” Bridal said.

- Listserv and email collection: Bridal and staff said the listserv (the board’s primary distribution channel for the Spectacle and urgent notices) has far fewer subscribers than the talent pool of licensees. Staff reported that roughly 6 people were added to the listserv in 2024 and that about 235 optometrists were newly licensed last year — illustrating the low voluntary signup rate. Bridal noted the board’s sunset review includes a recommendation to require licensees to provide an email address; until that statutory change occurs, staff will explore interim options such as extracting voluntarily supplied emails from the Breeze licensing system and uploading them to the listserv (with unsubscribe options available).

- Newsletter (Spectacle): Staff described “Spectacle” as a rebranded, regularly scheduled newsletter with content for both consumers and licensees. Suggestions from committee members included soliciting guest articles and interviews, adding short continuing-education (CE) opportunities tied to schools or guest authors (which may require legal review for CE credit), and including reader prompts that are more specific (for example, asking for contacts who practice in rural areas) to increase responses.

- Audiences and content strategy: Members noted the board serves two partly overlapping audiences — licensees and consumers — and suggested tailoring messages by audience. Member Bragg observed that consumer-facing notices and licensee-facing regulatory updates may attract different readerships and that a single message strategy may not reach both groups equally. Member Bragg (board member) said, “The public’s probably not gonna be too interested in [regulation items],” while urging the board to find ways to address both audiences.

Committee directions and follow-up (staff commitments)

- Staff will continue exploratory work on adding a QR code to the renewal notice and will report back on feasibility, timing and whether the change requires a Breeze maintenance release.

- Staff will explore interim options to increase listserv coverage by using voluntarily provided Breeze emails (including an analysis of the number and quality of emails available) and will return with an update.

- Staff will investigate options for producing a comprehensive marketing plan (contractor, volunteer, or academic partnership) and will report on potential costs, legal constraints and plausible approaches.

- Staff will pursue outreach to stakeholder associations (for example, California Optometric Association and California optician and optical organizations) and seek partnership opportunities for cross‑posting and newsletter distribution; board members volunteered to participate in those outreach calls.

Formal action: approval of minutes

The committee unanimously approved the minutes from the April 5, 2024 Consumer Protection, Public Relations and Outreach Committee meeting. Roll call recorded votes of Aye from Member Bragg, Member Clepa, Member Pruitt and Chair Alex Clemens. (Motion text: “Approve the minutes.” Mover/second not specified in the transcript.)

Quotations (selected)

- “There’s no legal mandate that we have a social media presence. There’s no legal mandate, of any of that,” Greg Bridal, executive officer, said when members asked whether social media is required by law.

- “If we only have one board member following our LinkedIn and only one board member following our Facebook, that’s, I think, a lot of opportunity there,” Bridal said in support of asking board members to engage with posts.

- “So I think it is difficult… we would almost have to have basically, like, two separate things if we’re wanting to get information to licensees,” Member Bragg said, urging different messaging for consumers and practitioners.

Ending

Staff will bring updates on the QR-code feasibility, listserv enrollment options and stakeholder outreach at a future committee meeting or the full board. The committee adjourned at about 10:51 a.m.