by Nathan Anderson
John Essinger, OD, is celebrating the 20th anniversary of his practice, Vestavia Eye Care (VEC). An externship site for almost as long, training future optometrists has been rewarding.
“I never considered opening a private practice,” Essinger said. “I was content with the variety of modes of practice I found myself in prior to the clinic’s inception.”
In 1997, Essinger was an assistant clinical professor at the UAB School of Optometry, when he met a student that suggested that they co-create an optometry practice together. The student’s name was Jim Fisk, PhD, OD, who had returned to optometry school following a career as a professor of analytical chemistry. The two lived only 100 yards apart at the time.
However, it wasn’t until 2003 that they opened their clinic in Vestavia after years of preparation.
“We chose Vestavia Hills for two reasons: first, we both had lived in the Vestavia Community for over a decade and second, there was not a single eye care provider in Vestavia Hills in 2002,” Essinger said. “This was amazing news for us, considering that Vestavia is in the shadow of UABSO and its hundreds of grads over the years.”
Their clinic became an externship sight for optometry students in 2004 and provided doctors an opportunity to fulfill their desire to impart their knowledge to up-and-coming optometrists.
“If I could teach three values to students who commit to working an externship with us, it would be: provide excellent patient care, encourage a positive quality of life and ensure you receive a good financial return,” Essinger said. “To me, those are the most common measures of success and will serve future optometrists well in their practice.”
One of VEC’s first externs stood out from her peers. Calah Ray, OD, was distinguishable from the other externs due to her personality and intelligence. Essinger noticed over the course of her externship that her values matched VEC’s goals. After Ray’s externship had ended, Essinger and Fisk offered her a partner position in the clinic.
Building relationships is one of the many benefits that Essinger has enjoyed over his career, as he views his employees as an extension of his family.
“When you know you're going to enjoy your day because the people surrounding you are so good and so professional and so friendly, well, it makes it pretty easy to get up for work,” Essinger said. “I've been blessed to be intimately involved in the lives of many optometry and pre-optometry students over the years.”
By loving his work and those he works with, Essinger believes that it will be a long time before he retires. He loves to travel with his wife, play golf, work in his yard and go hiking, but what he enjoys most is being able to offer his knowledge to future optometrists.