When I was a student at Idaho State University, I was fortunate to work as an optician in an optical center that was part of a national chain. I gained a lot of experience in customer service and optics and was mentored by a great optometrist and friend. Since then, I have always worked and been comfortable in that type of eye care setting, which I think has many benefits for both patients and providers.
Since graduating from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, I have had the opportunity to work with other great doctors and opticians in different settings. Working relationships, locations, business arrangements and branding have evolved over time and these changes have sometimes been confusing to friends and patients. Many have asked recently about my new practice but the most recent change I've made only involved a new logo and name (Valley Eye Care). The constant is that I have been practicing at the Sam's Club Optical in Idaho Falls for 11 years now and I still enjoy it very much.
I like being a problem-solver so my business model in this setting is based on doing all I can to make getting excellent eye care convenient, efficient and cost-effective for patients. The Optical staff is very friendly and helpful and they work to provide me support in patient care as well as work directly with patients in the sale of glasses and contact lenses. This division of labor, along with other aspects of this setting, allow me to spend more time talking with patients, performing eye exams, prescribing corrective lenses for vision-related issues and providing eye care for medical conditions, rather than in sales or performing other operational and administrative tasks.
There are many great optometrists in our area and each provider and different type of practice model helps to meet the demands of patients in our area. There are also several great ophthalmologists in our fair city and I enjoy working with them in cases where I need to refer a patient for LASIK surgery, cataract surgery, retinal surgery and so forth. I have been working in the field of eye care in one form or another - optician, optometry student/intern/optometric physician - for 19 years now. I guess that means I like what I do. I also love the simplicity of being an independent optometrist in a corporate practice location. For me, keeping things simple is important - not necessarily because it make some things seem easier, but because keeping things simple means being able to give proper attention to the most important things.
Since graduating from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry, I have had the opportunity to work with other great doctors and opticians in different settings. Working relationships, locations, business arrangements and branding have evolved over time and these changes have sometimes been confusing to friends and patients. Many have asked recently about my new practice but the most recent change I've made only involved a new logo and name (Valley Eye Care). The constant is that I have been practicing at the Sam's Club Optical in Idaho Falls for 11 years now and I still enjoy it very much.
I like being a problem-solver so my business model in this setting is based on doing all I can to make getting excellent eye care convenient, efficient and cost-effective for patients. The Optical staff is very friendly and helpful and they work to provide me support in patient care as well as work directly with patients in the sale of glasses and contact lenses. This division of labor, along with other aspects of this setting, allow me to spend more time talking with patients, performing eye exams, prescribing corrective lenses for vision-related issues and providing eye care for medical conditions, rather than in sales or performing other operational and administrative tasks.
There are many great optometrists in our area and each provider and different type of practice model helps to meet the demands of patients in our area. There are also several great ophthalmologists in our fair city and I enjoy working with them in cases where I need to refer a patient for LASIK surgery, cataract surgery, retinal surgery and so forth. I have been working in the field of eye care in one form or another - optician, optometry student/intern/optometric physician - for 19 years now. I guess that means I like what I do. I also love the simplicity of being an independent optometrist in a corporate practice location. For me, keeping things simple is important - not necessarily because it make some things seem easier, but because keeping things simple means being able to give proper attention to the most important things.
