The Australian College of Optometry (ACO) has rebranded its patient services as ACO Eye Health, saying it is part of continued efforts to become a more patient-centred organisation.
“Carving out an identity that better reflects our role as a community eye care provider is an important step in ensuring our services are more visible and accessible to those who need them and helping us form deeper connections within the communities we serve,” explained ACO Director of Operations Kylie Harris.
ACO said the legal business name remains the Australian College of Optometry, and education, membership, research, and business support services will remain under this brand.
ACO Eye Health refers only to patient services, including in-clinic and outreach services.
Carving out an identity that better reflects our role as a community eye care provider is an important step in ensuring our services are more visible
“Although the name above our clinics and our outreach programs has changed, our mission is the same: to impact eye health outcomes at a local, national and international level through clinical care, education and research,” said Pete Haydon, ACO CEO.
“We are really excited about this next chapter for the Australian College of Optometry. Across our organisation, we are evolving to better support our mission and reach the communities that need us. This has meant adjusting our structure, improving our systems and refocusing our research. ACO Eye Health is an important part of this journey as there is a need to clarify our position as Victorian’s public health eye care provider.”
As a result of the branding change, the names of ACO clinics in Melbourne will change to:
- ACO Eye Health Carlton,
- ACO Eye Health Braybrook,
- ACO Eye Health Dandenong,
- ACO Eye Health Darebin,
- ACO Eye Health Hume,
- ACO Eye Health Knox, and
- ACO Eye Health Wyndham.
The Frankston clinic will close next month, but ACO said it expected to reopen a clinic in the Casey area next year. In addition to the clinics, the ACO Outreach Team attends over 300 sites each year to deliver comprehensive eye care to vulnerable people facing extreme barriers to care. This including dedicated services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, remote rural communities and First Nations communities.
For further information, visit the ACO website.
