David Way, OD.
Community outreach offers significant advantages to optometry practice owners and staff, regardless of whether they are launching a practice in a new location or have served as a long-standing pillar of the local community. By building patient trust, community outreach fulfills the profession’s responsibility to expand vision care access for underserved populations. Additionally, it functions as an effective, low-cost marketing tool that boosts patient acquisition while enhancing the overall patient experience.
A primary benefit of community outreach for both eyecare professionals and patients is that it allows optometrists to connect with people directly within their own environments and communities. This approach serves as a powerful gesture of trust and demonstrates a proactive dedication to local engagement.
David Way, OD, founder and former owner (the practice was acquired by MyEyeDr. in 2017) of Spring Klein Vision Center in Spring, Texas, is a good role model for other practices who are interested in upping their community outreach efforts. Since 2011, Dr. Way has partnered with schools in the Klein Independent School District (ISD) to provide free eye exams and glasses to students who might otherwise lack access to vision care. Each year, he works with school nurses and district leaders to identify students in need and coordinate care, either by examining students at the school using portable equipment or arranging care at his office.
“I find it deeply fulfilling to use my skills as an optometrist to serve those in need and give back to the community where I live and practice,” Dr. Way said. “Community outreach can come in many forms, like mentorship and developing young minds. As a healthcare provider, optometrists can play a pivotal role in developing policies for communities and positively impacting patient populations.”
Following the eye exams, students can select frames, and their completed glasses are returned to the school for distribution. Through this outreach, Dr. Way has provided eye exams and glasses to approximately 180 students each year, and he said the practice plans to continue supporting the district and exploring opportunities to expand access to vision care for more students and families in the future.
“Community outreach is very important because our practice serves families who are connected across the entire Klein Independent School District, which includes both affluent and underserved areas, creating meaningful opportunities to support students and families with vision needs,” said Dr. Way. “Our outreach efforts are recognized and valued by our patients; many of whom work throughout the district and see firsthand the positive difference this support makes in the community.”
Marketing Your Practice
As far as its value as a marketing tool, Dr. Way noted that community outreach builds trust and strengthens a practice’s reputation in ways traditional advertising does not. “Many of our patients work in Klein ISD, where my vision outreach is well-known. Over the years, teachers and district employees have referred many families to our practice. People want to support businesses and healthcare providers who invest in their communities, and those relationships have helped grow our patient base more effectively than many paid marketing efforts.”
Providing outreach in the community can also go a long way toward enhancing the overall patient experience. “Patients have a stronger sense of connection with me, even during a first-time visit, if they know that I have done outreach in the school district that they attend or live in. Patients place a lot of trust in me and my advice because they know that I give of myself freely to those in need—it gives them a sense of security knowing that their doctor uses his skill set for more than just a job.”
In addition to his community outreach in the Klein ISD, Dr. Way also travels outside the U.S. to offer eye exams and glasses to those in need in Honduras through the mission, Hope for Honduras, a charitable and faith-based non-profit working to improve living standards, health, and education in Honduras. Dr. Way has also been involved with vision care missions in India and South Africa.
“There are opportunities in every community to use your professional expertise to serve those in need. In optometry, the impact can be immediate and tangible and getting started does not have to be complicated,” he advised. “One practical first step is to contact the lead nurse in your local school district and ask how you can help address students’ vision needs. Local churches and established community outreach organizations can also be valuable partners because they already understand where the greatest needs exist.”
