About Patricia's Team

Certified Ophthalmic Technician

Denise R. Cooper, B.S., C.O.T has over 27 years of progressive experience in ophthalmology, including 20 years of experience as a Certified Ophthalmic Technician. She has worked with The New York Eye Surgery Center as a C.O.A.; The MacKool Eye Institute and Laser Center as a C.O.T., a lead technician training all entry level personnel, as well as a Laser Vision Coordinator and Clinical Manager; Eastside Eye Associates as a C.O.T. and Laser Vision Coordinator; and Ophthalmic Consultants of Long Island (OCLI) as an Educational and Training Consultant and a Director of Technical Services.

Denise is a member of the Joint Commission of Allied Health Professionals in Ophthalmology (JCAHPO) and Allied Technical Personnel in Ophthalmology (ATPO).

Administrative Coordinator

Renee Faber spent her entire career as an Executive Administrator, working for a Fortune 500 Pharmaceutical Company, holding various positions including Human Resources, Finance, AG Crop Protection, Medical Devices, Advertising and, most recently, Consumer Healthcare.  Her vast experience includes mastering multiple systems, providing executive support in various disciplines and managing large meetings and events, all rewarding her with years of continued success.  Her natural gift of organization, along with a fine attention to detail, embracing a “team” environment and increasing levels of responsibility has been the cornerstone for longevity in the workplace.  Renee is a graduate of County College of Morris in Randolph NJ. 

Elaine Heffernan, is a former Practice Administrator in the healthcare field.  She specializes in all aspects of Practice Management, Profit and Loss, Marketing, Regulatory Compliance, Operational Analysis, Electronic Medical Records, Information Technology and Process Improvement and Implementation. She has been in healthcare for more than 30 years and held leadership roles with solo practices, multi-location practices and multi-specialty groups  with emphasis in Ophthalmology  for more than 13 years.  She is extremely self motivated, results oriented individual who works well under pressure and enjoys sharing her knowledge with everyone she works with. 

Elaine received her undergraduate degree from Appalachian State University, continued her education at University of Alabama with an emphasis in healthcare for special needs children. Elaine holds certificates as a Certified Medical Practice Executive from the American College of Medical Practice Executives, Certified Professional Coder from the American Academy of Professional Coders, Certified Medical Scribe from the American College of Medical Scribe Specialists and Certified Thermographic  Technician from the Southeastern Neuroscience Institute.

Elaine is an active member of American Society of Ophthalmic Administrators, where she has actively participated in  task forces, committees, mentoring and chair of the Administrative EyeCare publication. She is also an active member of her AAPC chapter where she previously held the position of Vice President.  She is a member of MGMA.

Shelley Tibbetts, B.A manages the social media strategy and community building for Excellence in Eye Care. She previously managed digital media efforts for GIRLS WHO ROCK, a benefit concert during Internet Week New York that was held in the past to fundraise for She’s the First, a non-profit that sponsors girls’ education in the developing world.  

Holly Van Auken, B.A is our resident communications professional, tasked with handling our clients’ sales and marketing needs.

Holly started her professional career in 1991, when she began writing and taking photographs for The Virginian-Pilot newspaper. Since then, she has been published more than 600 times in The Pilot and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette - both Top 100 newspapers in the U.S.

In 1997, she embarked on a 16-year sales career, landing territory manager, sales training and sales management positions at a handful of pharmaceutical and medical device manufacturers - including three Fortune 500 companies. For the past 11 years, Holly has worked exclusively in ophthalmology and optometry practices, allowing her to learn not only about the technical side of eye care, but the business side as well. She worked with practices on everything from recruiting staff and physicians to designing practice-specific patient education tools to implementing dry eye treatment centers.

Holly is available to assist practices with the design and implementation of marketing plans, set up and maintenance of social media accounts (Facebook and Twitter), special event planning (referral events and open houses) and any writing and/or photography needs (brochures, fliers, letters, web copy, publications, etc.). 

Bridget Smith Our Revenue Cycle Expert supports practices with billing deficiencies and staffing challenges.