For my third installment of the Best Practices in AmericaBlog, I was pleased to be introduced to Dr. Corinne Odieal's practice, In-Depth Vision. To effectively portray Dr. Odineal’s best practice, I first need to share a couple of background experiences that really make her practice stand out, at least in my mind.
Story #1: When I was in optometry school wanting to learn about vision therapy, I visited some VT practices. A particular practice I visited was very successful. This practice had a beautiful office with state-of-the-art technology for pathology and primary care; their optical had the highest end frames. All of this combined portrayed a sense that this practice had their act together. You can understand then how much anticipation I had to see their VT room. The therapist had me follow her up some stairs, down a hallway, to what appeared to be a neglected preschool room. There were charts taped all over the walls, games and activities were stuffed in every nook and cranny, and all of the equipment looked as if it came from a museum. I was so disappointed. I promised myself at that moment that my practice would be different. My VT practice would look every bit as professional, high end, and high-tech as the best primary care practices out there.
Story #2: Fast forward a few years and I was looking for spaces to lease to start my first VT only practice. I found a space that I was going to get for a steal. It wasn’t in the best part of town, but it was around the corner from some very nice medical offices and it would only take a couple years for me to obtain a preferable location. I brought a good friend of mine to see the space I was looking at. I showed him how we were going to move this wall and fix things up here and there. I looked at him with the excited anticipation of any soon to be business owner, and said, “What do you think?” He hesitated and then looked me in the eyes and said, “Do you really think that someone is going to trust you as a doctor when you are next to a dog training facility?”
For good or bad, we live in a world where perception matters. Fortunately, I never moved into that location. Instead we worked hard to find and design a location that I am proud of to this day. When people came to our clinic, they not only received world-class care, but they perceived they were getting that quality of care too.
So, when I saw that Dr. Odineal was practicing out of what appeared to be a home, I was a bit concerned. However, I was pleasantly surprised to see that she had struck a wonderful balance between the warmth and comfort of a home, but also the sophistication and professionalism of a distinguished practice.
When you walk into the entry way you are greeted with the now obligatory COVID screening station, but as you can see in the photos below, it is inviting and fun. The decor is matching throughout the clinic. She has cute but professional dog pictures throughout her practice reflecting one of her personal loves, but one I’m sure she shares with many of her patients.
Her VT room is organized and the technology is well-displayed. I think it is very important that VT offices have good technology. Yes, brock strings and marsden balls should always be the mainstay of vision therapy, but technology helps to engage patients. It also comes with the added bonus that patients perceive the therapy they are receiving is cutting edge. Importantly, I didn’t find any curled and scotch taped hart charts taped to the walls. The charts that were hung were of good quality and professional. In sunny California, you have almost 365 days of sun to take advantage of. She has a nice outdoors area for her patients to go to do motor activities.
Thank you Dr. Odineal and staff for a wonderful visit. Here is a clip of what Dr. Odineal thought of the visit.