In September 1974, I opened offices in Overland Park and Gardner after graduating from the University of Houston College of Optometry. The first month in business I saw only one patient with charges of $187.00. Needless to say at that rate it took quite some time to build a busy practice. Thanks to great staff members such as Connie Baum, who has been our contact lens manager for 35 years, and Drs. Besler, Rogers and Stoppel we have developed a practice with the technology and dedication that allows us to provide the type of quality eyecare that every patient deserves.
With our motto of “see better...live better” we strive to provide eyecare and eye wear that will help our patients live a better life. Whether it is providing a nearsighted child with their first glasses so they can see the leaves on the trees; diagnosing a brain tumor in a young woman and getting her immediately to surgery; detecting early signs that can lead to macular degeneration and providing nutritional counseling and blue light blocking lenses for prevention; providing glasses for a homeless patient through our 20/20 Vision Foundation, that allows them to get a drivers license and a job; seeing an emergency patient on a Sunday afternoon with a retinal detachment and getting them into surgery that day; fitting a nearsighted child with Corneal Molding lenses(CRT) so they can see all day without contacts or glasses and help slow their deteriorating eye sight, or just being there for a patient to listen to their problems, that may not even be eye related, and to help console them, has been a wonderful experience.
I have been blessed to work with such a great staff and partners, and to have seen such development in technology over forty years, that has allowed us to truly help our patients “see better...live better.”
Terry Hawks, O.D.