By Roger Mummert
Content Director, ROB
In my last column, I observed that business decisions often are affected by fear. I’d like to give equal time to courage.
I’ve seen a lot of courage lately, from optometrists with the courage to change.
The Vision Source Exchange, held in Tampa, Fla., in May, was a fertile ground for ODs in the midst of opening practices, expanding practices and refocusing practices. All of these efforts involve significant risk–and many of the ODs taking on such risks were doing very well just as they were.
The change agent common to all of these risk-takers is to do better: to provide better care and expanded services to patients, to succeed at a higher level of business and improve practice culture, and to retire with more security and financial independence.
In many cases, success drives expansion, success brought on from doing things right.
Nathan Bonilla Warford, OD, owns Bright Eyes Family Vision Care, a two-location practice in Tampa that he runs with his wife Christina, who is office manager. Nathan greeted us at his main office and walked us through a major renovation in full swing. In the time we were there, a wall went up in the new area, while patients were being seen in the completed half.
Other Articles to Explore
The renovation, which more than doubles space, comes on the heels of a second location Nathan opened 10 miles away, Bright Eyes Kids, a practice focused on pediatrics only. “We need to expand,” Nathan told me. “All of the promotions and marketing we did in our early years have worked out, and now we don’t have time to catch our breath.”
I asked Nathan if the renovation, along with the financial debt that makes it possible, is scary.
”Scary? Sure!” he said. “But I’m not the kind of person who just sits around thinking things are good enough.” He described with infectious excitement how the additional space will allow him and his associate to greatly increase their delivery of vision therapy, myopia control and other specialized services. And to keep trying new things.
“I’m only 45, but I know another doctor who is in his 70’s and who is opening a new location on top of several he operates.”
I tip my Panama hat to both. It takes courage.
Jason Ortman, OD, owns Castle Pines Eye Care, in Castle Pines, Colo., a booming practice–and one that he is expanding. “We’re bursting at the seams,” he said. The practice is located in an all-medical building that was built by, and is owned by, its occupants. Their plan was that varied practices within the building (pediatric dentistry, sports orthopedics) would provide referrals to one another. And that plan has proven out. Many patients schedule a dental appointment an hour before their eye exam across the hall.
Is Jason standing still and admiring his success? No way.
He recently acquired a second location from a retiring OD. He installed a gung-ho associate OD, bought new equipment and put the office on his management and purchasing system. And when he put marketing muscle behind it, the practice recorded growth of more than 25 percent in the first year.
Now he’s opening a third location, located seven miles away where a new housing development is adding hundreds of families in an already booming area.
“We’re excited by the opportunity, and we’ll settle for nothing less than success,” Jason told me. “My staff and I looked at our present capacity and saw we needed to expand to avoid maxing out. My staff is behind this all the way.”
I raise my Rocky Mountain hiking cap to Jason and his staff. Their journey takes courage.
The ROB Courage Awards list goes on. I recently visited Lakeline Vision Source, in Austin, Texas, where owner Laurie Sorrenson, OD, moved an already highly successful practice up the street, and built a totally new building where every aspect is geared to delivering a “Wow!” to patients. Her husband, Joel Hickerson, who designed the building, and her son Eric Hammond, OD, showed me around, and–from the computerized intake system, to the drive-up door, to the Austin-themed consultation rooms–I was the one wowed, and big time. They have grown to seven ODs and provide internships to students from University of Houston College of Optometry. Growth and improvement, it’s a way of life here.
I raise my Stetson to Laurie, Joel, Eric and their whole team. They show Texas-sized courage in always trying out new ideas.
Nick Despotides, OD, and Barry Tannen, OD, of Eyecare Professionals PC, in Trenton, N.J., haven’t just renovated their long-established practice; they have significantly refocused it. Contrary to common logic in optometric practices, they reduced the size of their optical. But they greatly expanded the areas dedicated to the advanced medical eyecare they provide to patients, particularly in myopia control, Ortho-K and rehabilitative eyecare.
Consider: They fundamentally altered their source of revenue away from yearly eye exams and toward referrals from patients whose lives have been dramatically improved by their services and from MDs who have learned of their success and expertise. A scary change? Had to be, but their plan is working. They are gaining referrals from neurologists and other health professionals they never had heard from before.
So to Nick and Barry, I raise my baseball cap. They got game! And they display the courage to change–even late in their careers–because they see a way to better serve their patients and they go for it. They’re optometrists.
ROB Videos on Optometry and Change
For more insights from the optometrists cited above, view the following ROB videos:
“The Major Renovation” with Nathan Bonilla-Warford, OD
“How to Capture Referrals in a Medical Building“ with Jason Ortman, OD
“Engineering the Wow!“ with Eric Hammond, OD
“Transitioning a Practice to Specialized Medical Services“ with Barry Tannen, OD
Roger Mummert is Content Director for Review of Optometric Business. Contact: rmummert@jobson.com.
