From Ranchers to Scientists: Customizing Patient Care for 78 Years

I grew up in the Mojave Desert, the first person in my family to go to college. I chose optometry as my field of study because I had always been interested in the medical world, and like many of us, had a great experience with my optometrist growing up. It was a natural progression to optometry as a career, and, as they say, the rest is history. 

I'm one of seven optometrists at Livermore Optometry Group, practicing 40 miles east of San Francisco. Our office was founded in 1947 by a doctor who was involved in the initial development of California Vision Service, which ultimately became VSP. Ours is one of the longest continuously operating independent practices in California and in the country.  

Livermore is not only the oldest wine country in California (sorry, Napa!); it is close to several universities like my alma mater, UC Berkeley, and is home to one of two scientific National Laboratories. Our location sees a highly diverse patient base that ranges from scientists with PhDs in physics to fourth-generation ranchers running their family business. Each demographic has a unique set of requirements and expectations, and we pride ourselves on customizing our patient care accordingly. 

During our 78 years in business, our practice has partnered with numerous companies, and VSP Vision has been one of the few organizations to help us with whatever we’ve needed. In fact, VSP is the only vision care plan we participate in as in-network doctors because a) we have a lot of VSP patients in our area who appreciate maximizing their benefits with us, and b) VSP offers the most seamless experience for our staff so they can focus on other things that enhance patient care.   

Partnering with VSP Vision has offered numerous benefits to both the practice and our patients. When we were struggling with the management of our inventory several years back, the Marchon/Altair folks jumped in and helped us set up a program to modernize the inventory process and save us money (to the tune of $35-40K a year saved!). We implemented their Kaleyedoscope frame board management, which is fantastic, and meet with their support team quarterly to hear their recommendations for our inventory based on our claims and sales data. Our staff can now spend more time interacting with patients and having fun with frame styling, rather than learning how to return product or contact the right rep or company, and we doctors can focus on the bigger picture of running the practice and patient care. 

When VSP and PECAA became aligned, it was natural for us as an independent practice to be involved with PECAA and leverage the combined support. Aside from all the resources at our disposal, we benefit greatly from the collaborative Vision Exam Rebate—it would be crazy for us to not take advantage of such a unique opportunity to increase our margins on VSP patients and enhance our profitability. 

We believe our longevity is due in large part to the investment we make in the diverse community that is our home. Some students in Livermore are socioeconomically challenged, and as one of two locations in the community who take referrals directly from school districts, the schools know they can rely on us to see students in need who require vision care. VSP willingly jumps in to support that effort, providing products those students need. We are also one of only two practices in the city seeing Medi-Cal patients. And again, VSP is a big support with that because many of those Medi-Cal folks also have VSP under the Medicaid program. 

On the flip side, our proximity to higher education gives us access to a plethora of skilled optometry grads as well as students interested in the field. Twenty years ago, we developed our own in-house intern program to help develop young high school and college students interested in medicine of all types—over the years, we’ve had over 100 interns, which produced eight optometrists, five physicians, and numerous PAs and support staff. It’s a terrific way to staff the practice while supporting our community with the career potential for these highly qualified and experienced candidates.  

As Eye See It, connecting with and seeking to understand each individual patient is the key to success in optometry. Whether someone is looking for the sturdy high-quality eyewear they’ve always worn on the ranch, or they are a PhD with more optics knowledge than some of our staff, customizing care to the patient’s specific lifestyle and preference is what will keep them coming back… for 78 more years and beyond.