Celebrating Our First 80 Years

Our optometric practice celebrated its 80th anniversary in December, complete with cake, bubbly, and special recognition from the City of Manassas, VA. While I’ve only been with the practice for 42 (!) years, I attribute our longevity to the philosophies passed down from our predecessors to me and our future success to those same ideals I’ve passed on to my successor. 

Eighty years ago, our founder, Dr. Cole, taught everyone to welcome patients into the practice as if they were guests in their home—no matter how rushed you think you are or how many issues you have that day, treat everybody the same, give them the same amount of time, and most importantly, be kind. He passed those ideals onto his successor, Dr. May, who passed them along to me. Patients became family; they brought in their own families; they brought in their friends; and 80 years later, we have a thriving practice as a result. 

Practice success aside, the most rewarding impact of this philosophy has been the patients who come back to me and thank me for solving an issue that no one had taken the time to uncover. In my 42 years of practice, I have found nine brain tumors previously undetected. One patient who had been trying for years to have a child, came in with minor visual symptoms, and after a visual fields test, we detected a tumor that upon referral turned out to be a pituitary tumor that was impacting her hormones and preventing her from getting pregnant. No one had detected it or taken the time to do a blood test. Eighteen months later, she came to my office with her new baby, beyond grateful that I took the time to listen and investigate. 

VSP has supported our practice in so many ways. They have put bodies in my office that I couldn't have, and we all need patients. They have supported me by moving the practice forward, requiring back in the eighties and nineties that all doctors be certified to the highest extent of the law. We use Eyefinity to streamline operations and enhance the patient experience; we dispense Marchon and Altair frames and Unity lenses because our patients love them and get more from their benefits by choosing them; and we leverage our relationships with all our VSP reps, who have been extremely helpful with advice and suggestions to continuously move the practice forward. 

We’ve been part of VSP Premier Edge since its inception, and have benefited from the increased visibility, the discounts we get on products and equipment we wouldn’t otherwise be able to afford, and the education and training we can access through Premier Edge Training and Education. I strongly recommend Premier Edge to other practices—it costs nothing to join, and the discounts, education, and resources will help you with your bottom line and to run your business.

As we celebrate 80 years in business, I’m optimistic about our next 80 years. As Eye See It, I’d like my legacy to be that I listened and tried my best to figure out patients’ problems and make them well—just like Dr. Cole and the others after him did, and my successor does. With these values at our core, the next 80 years look equally bright, and I’m confident the practice will continue to move forward and flourish.