When Katelyn Orslene, OD, was a child, she thought nothing of her blurry vision. “I knew leaves were something that fell off of trees, but I only saw green blobs before they fell,” she says. It wasn’t until she complained of headaches that she had her first eye exam and received her myopia diagnosis.
So when her optometrist in high school asked what she was doing after graduation, that experience came to mind. “Receiving vision correction was life-changing for me,” she says. “I saw the way my optometrists had impacted patients’ lives, and I wanted to do that for others, just like they had done for me.”
INSPIRED BY COLLABORATION
During optometry school, Dr. Orslene spent time shadowing at a LensCrafters location and was inspired by the staff’s patient care and teamwork. “I saw how they focused on building relationships with each patient,” she says.
After graduating from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry in 2016, Dr. Orslene joined a private practice but quickly realized she wanted more. “Less than a year into my journey, I wasn’t fulfilled in the way I expected,” she says. “I didn’t feel like a bigger part of the whole. It was just someone else’s practice that I saw patients in.”
Then she remembered her shadowing experience at LensCrafters. “I recall the optometrist talking about how he was able to spend time with every patient while providing personalized care,” she says. “Plus, the team worked together seamlessly and with one common goal—to help patients receive the best care.” She joined LensCrafters full-time in 2017.
EXPANDING HER IMPACT
Today, as a LensCrafters-affiliated managing optometrist in Greensburg, Pennsylvania, Dr. Orslene champions patient care while collaborating closely with her store manager. Expanding on her personal goal of professional growth, she became a Regional Mentor Doctor in 2024. Through this role, she offers virtual guidance and support to fellow doctors across her region.
“As a Regional Mentor Doctor, I’ve built relationships and made friends across the country,” she says. “We discuss the latest in the field and share insights into patient care. It’s been really rewarding.”
In February 2025, Dr. Orslene added a new leadership role with the LensCrafters Optometric Advisory Council to her repertoire. She attends quarterly meetings—including recent summits in San Diego and at the American Academy of Optometry in Boston. Members discuss new technology, workflow efficiency and ways to enhance the LensCrafters doctor experience. “It’s a collaborative discussion at these meetings,” she says. “The team encourages questions and takes suggestions seriously.”
Beyond patient care, Dr. Orslene says that LensCrafters also values each doctor as an individual. “Earlier in my career, I often felt like I was on a deserted island. There was no network of people to go to for support,” she says. “With LensCrafters, I get peer-to-peer support and guidance from the regional director. I never feel alone. It’s a much better experience for everyone.”
Dr. Orslene also appreciates the tools and programs that LensCrafters provides affiliated doctors. For example, the Business Acumen Tool helps track metrics and practice performance. Plus, LensCrafters provides weekly reporting on practice KPIs. Dr. Orslene says using these tools in conjunction with her store manager helps monitor business opportunities and success. “In private practice, I always wondered if we were completing enough exams or if we were growing or shrinking. There was no easy, comprehensive way to tell. LensCrafters makes it easy to understand my business.”
As a mom of two, Dr. Orslene says having work/life balance is equally important as growing professionally. LensCrafters gives her the flexibility to attend dance recitals and karate belt ceremonies, and she receives extra support on sick days. “There are people to support me if emergencies arise. As a mom, I know those situations are inevitable,” she says. “At LensCrafters, I have the autonomy to grow my business and take care of patients in a way that feels right to me, and there is always support when and where I need it.”
For Dr. Orslene, LensCrafters has provided more than a career—she’s found community, leadership opportunities and the flexibility to thrive personally and professionally.
