Where did you attend optometry school? Do you have any school advice/study tips?

• I attended SCCO. My advice is to attend lecture, find a study/practice group and keep up with the material daily.
  

Which one thing that you learned in optometry school do you use the most in your daily practice?

• Providing excellent care and top notch service is the key to success in practice.
  

Did you do a residency? If yes, what area and would you recommend it to others?

• My residency is in pediatric optometry and vision therapy. I think the year of residency provides valuable experience and maturity that takes many years to develop in practice without a residency.
  

Where do you practice now? Pros & cons? How did you end up there/make the choice to be there?

• I am a full time educator and work in my practice part time. I ended up in education because I enjoy the challenge of teaching and the interactions with other educators both at SCCO and other schools. My private practice keeps me up on current trends in optometry and makes me a better teacher.
  

What state do you practice in? What are the benefits and drawbacks of practicing there? 

• I practice in Southern California. The benefits are the prosperity of the area I practice in. The drawbacks are that Southern California is saturated with OD's and there are some limitations to practice and reimbursement as compared to other states.
  

Do you have a specific patient demographic that dominates your area and if so, how have you adapted your practice to serve them better?

• We mainly serve affluent blue collar families. Our patients expect excellent service in a friendly and non-rushed atmosphere. We work hard to maintain that at our office.
  

Do you own your own practice? How did you join/open it? How long have you been there?

• I own the practice. I bought it from the previous owner. I have owned the practice for eight years.
  

What was your most valuable resource when getting involved in your initial private practice setting?

• The advice I received from the bank and trusted friends.
  

What outside services do you use to help manage/elevate your practice (patient recall services, social media, buy-in groups, CPA, financial advisor, lawyer, etc.)?

• We use Web X patient management. We also have a financial advisor.
  

What is one thing you wish you knew before you started practicing?

• Managing staff is the most difficult. I wish I had more experience with that before I started practicing.
  

Do you have more than one location? What factors went into that decision? How soon after your first location was open did you open your subsequent locations?

• I only have one location.
  

What tips do you have for hiring/training staff and how do you motivate them?

• To hire I think asking reps, asking current employees and job postings are the best. We motivate them with incentives based on productivity and by always treating them with respect.
  

What have you done to set yourself apart from other eye care professionals near you?

• We have created homey atmosphere in the office and we treat each patient like they are family.

If you have any further questions for Dr. Catherine Heyman, her email is: [email protected]