Beth Coleman of the Minnesota Optometric Association paid Uptown Eye Care a surprise visit in late August. Dr. Mary Gregory of Clear Lake was chosen as the 2019 Minnesota Optometrist of the Year! She was recognized as an exceptional optometrist who practices at the forefront of technology and innovation. 

Mary Gregory is a member of the Becker/Clear Lake community, as she lives in Clear Lake.  Her kids go to Becker High School, she attends church at the Becker Catholic church, she’s co-lead the Shooting Stars 4H club for the past five years and many of her patients are from the surrounding communities – Becker, Clear Lake, Clearwater, South Haven, Annandale, St. Cloud and Santiago. 

Dr. Gregory is one of only a few optometrists in Minnesota who has additional board certification in optometry. This means that she has demonstrated a level of knowledge, skill and experience that exceeds entry level requirements and that she actively works yearly to maintain her skills to provide quality eye care.

She has also invested much time and energy to achieve her Fellowship in the College of Vision Development (COVD) which has provided her additional Board Certification and specialized training in pediatric optometry. Currently Dr. Gregory is working on her fellowship in Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation, where she is focusing on brain injury awareness. She is part of a network of providers trying to enhance the way we treat patients suffering from a brain injury or concussion. 

Dr. Gregory has a passion for educating members of our community about how vision affects reading and learning. She regularly devotes time to speaking at local schools, MOPS groups, home school co-ops and therapy groups on pediatric vision development. Both of her clinics, Omni Vision & Learning Center (owner) and Uptown Eye Care (co-owner), are devoted to providing the best quality education and care.

The criteria for being selected as Minnesota’s Optometrist of the Year includes not only being an exceptional provider but also for contributions to optometry at a state and national level. Dr. Gregory has served the optometric community by sitting on the Minnesota Board of Optometry, chairing the Pediatric Committee and helping to write grants that promote pediatric optometry in Minnesota. 

She is also currently on the American Optometric Association’s InfantSEE and Children’s committee, working to promote infant and children’s eye exams across the US. In 2014, she was awarded the national Dr. David Sullin InfantSEE Award for her dedication to providing eye care to infants.  Dr. Gregory was also awarded the 2014 Minnesota Health Care Provider of the Year due to her work in children and infants’ vision.  In addition to this, she serves on numerous optometric and community boards and committees.  

In 2016, the entire Gregory family traveled to Panama to assist in providing eye exams to under-served families there. They enjoyed the experience so much that they are headed to Belize this month to serve families that have never had access to eye care or glasses. 

We are proud to have Dr. Mary Gregory as part of our family here at Uptown Eye Care and at Omni Vision and Learning Center and are thrilled that her efforts to promote eye care on a state, national and international level has been recognized by being awarded the 2019 Minnesota Optometrist of the Year!