How I Grew My Practice from Two Exam Lanes to Four, and Then Some

Flexibility is what drove me into private practice. After having my second child, work-life balance became paramount, and I liked the idea of making my own schedule so I could build a thriving business and be there for my kids. So, ten years ago, I purchased Stanford Ranch Optometry. We had two employees, including myself, and two exam lanes. Over the next ten years, the practice grew so much that we recently moved into a significantly larger location with ten employees, four doctors, four exam lanes, and a dry eye suite for our subspecialty clinic.

Specializing in dry eye has been a great differentiator for our practice. We conduct advanced dry eye treatments in-office, including low level light therapy and intense pulsed light, and we individualize the dry eye treatment plan for each patient. Dry eye is a very multifactorial disease, and every patient is unique—when you pick apart the disease and you’re able to help that patient, it’s extremely rewarding, and having that expertise sets our practice apart. 

Our partnership with VSP has been extremely beneficial to our growth. We have relationships with representatives from all the different areas of the company and greatly appreciate that they are not trying to sell something, but rather to help us grow. They facilitate education for the staff, connect with us regularly to answer questions and check in, and have a genuine interest in helping us succeed. VSP Premier Edge has supported our practice greatly by helping us attract more patients and offering products and resources that benefit both us and our patients.

Two months ago, we held a ribbon cutting celebration for our new location. Several VSP representatives were there, as was the mayor, the Chamber of Commerce, and several members of our community. But, As Eye See It, the most important attendees were my two daughters helping me to cut the ribbon—daughters I raised while growing this successful practice. It was a true testament to our profession that we achieved this accomplishment without sacrificing what’s most important.