Bio: Kenneth (Ken) E. Woodworth, Jr., COMT, COE, (F)ATPO, FASOA has been continuously involved in ophthalmology in various capacities since 1971. Ken is a dual-certified ophthalmic medical technologist (COMT) and ophthalmic executive (COE). He has sat on and chaired the National Board for the Certification of Ophthalmic Executives (NBCOE) and has been an At-Large member on the ASOA Governing Board of Directors. Besides ASOA, Ken is a Fellow Member of ATPO (now AAOP) and KATPO. He is the recipient of the JCAHPO Statesmanship Award, the ASOA Pinnacle Award for volunteerism, ATPO’s Special Presidential Award and President’s Award of Recognition and he’s an Eagle Scout. He is a JCAHPO, ATPO and KATPO Past President. He has given numerous presentations on clinical optics, administrative ophthalmology and AOP issues and has authored, co-authored and co-edited publications in those areas. Ken is retired from a 43 year career with a Lexington, KY based multi-office, multi-provider private ophthalmology practice. His last position there, spanning about 20 years, was COO. Currently, he is owner and consultant for Ophthalmic Consulting Services, where he concentrates his efforts on a variety of practice management issues. In his spare time, he likes to do home repairs and yard work, family-related things, and follow his University of Kentucky Wildcats.
Advice I would have given myself when I started my career: Treat your fellow employees with respect. Compliment frequently. When you need to criticize, do so in private. Lead by example. Prioritize what you will accomplish each day. Set and achieve goals; “a person without goals is like a ship without rudders.” Handle patient complaints with respect, “seek first to understand then to be understood.” Remember who pays your salary. You can’t manage effectively without data. Surround yourself with the right employees and get out of their way. (i.e., don’t micromanage except when certain projects require it, then explain why).
