Meet Dr. Mark Wade

Mark D. Wade, O.D. - Director of Professional Relations

Dr. Mark Wade attended Ohio State and Southern Illinois Universities and graduated with honors in 1987 achieving a Bachelor of Arts degree. He continued his education at the Illinois College of Optometry and received a Bachelor of Science in Visual Science, as well as, a Doctor of Optometry degree in 1991. Upon graduation, Dr. Wade left his position as a consultant with the Wesley-Jessen Contact Lens Corporation to become the Assistant Director of Professional Relations for the Illinois Optometric Associates. Dr. Wade has been a member of the St. Louis Optometric Society since 1997. 

Licensed in Missouri and Illinois, Dr. Wade has continued his advanced training with emphasis on refractive surgical care at Crown Laser Center.  He has been at the forefront of Surgical Optometry for over 15 years. Early in his career, Dr. Wade saw laser eye surgery as a vision of the future and has been committed to providing his patients with the most advanced, cutting-edge care ever since. 

Dr. Wade serves as the Chief Optometrist (Eye Doctor) at Crown Vision Center.  As one the most experienced Optometrist in the St. Louis, Missouri area, Dr. Wade presents various medical vision topics to peers in the Optical Management Group (OMG).  He also promotes education and technology to all Crown Vision Center Eye Doctors by conducting and organizing continuing education classes. 

The Healthy Vision Network 4 Kids (HVN4Kids) program, is one of Dr. Wade’s community outreach commitments.   HVN4Kids is a program that gives back to school children in economically distressed areas of St. Louis by providing free vision screenings, free eye exams, and free eyeglasses.  Dr. Wade not only serves as one the core HVN4Kids representatives, but also donates his time to examine children.  

Healthy Vision Network 4 Kids (HVN4Kids)

School is back in session and so is Health Vision Network for Kids.

Crown Vision Center will resume its successful HVN4Kids Adopt-A-School program within the St. Louis Public School District.  The program, which aims to eliminate poor vision and its lifelong consequences, focuses on helping underprivileged and uninsured children to receive needed vision correction.  HVN4Kids provides free vision screenings, eye exams and new glasses – featuring the latest styles in eyeglass frames - for children ages 4 to 12 who cannot afford vision care and do not qualify for other programs such as Medicaid. 

Crown Vision Center joined with University of St. Louis College of Optometry and Essilor Vision Foundation to help provide eye care services to the St. Louis Public Schools.   As part of the program, kindergarten to sixth grade students first undergo an initial eye screening; then, students who fail the preliminary eye test  meet with an eye doctor from Crown Vision Center for an additional eye exam; if glasses are needed for a student, the eye doctor will record the proper prescription and measurements; and lastly eye glasses are ordered and delivered to the student free of charge. Last year 17 St. Louis Public schools were visited by the HVN4Kids mobile clinic and 500 pair of glasses were dispensed.  In 2011 HVN4Kids set a goal to visit  25 schools and dispense 1,000 pair of eyeglasses!