O.D. Scene

THE ENTERTAINING SIDE OF OPTOMETRY

O.D. Scene creator, writer and editor Jack Schaeffer, O.D.

Last month, I discussed the enjoyment of having two of my children, Brooke and Mark, join me in practice. I always like when patients say, “Hey, Dr. Schaeffer, I remember when your children were just kids playing in the office.”

There is a great feeling of pride that I, as well as those I have included in the last two issues, feel when a patient expresses their part in our children’s past and future. This is especially the case when a patient has a serious medical condition, and I introduce my daughter and son as part of their medical team.

Enjoy the dialogue between two more optometric families I have known my entire career, the Castellanos and Winstons. And when you’re finished, be sure to read Dr. Smick’s best restaurant list for Atlanta. SECO is right around the corner; perhaps you and a family member can catch up at one of these eateries.

Family Coworkers Weigh in…

Carmen F. Castellano, O.D., F.A.A.O., and Joseph C. Castellano, O.D., St. Louis, Mo.; Barry A. Winston, O.D., and Samuel A. Winston, O.D., Knoxville, Tenn.

Q: Why did you decide to become an optometrist?

CC: I always had an interest in the healthcare field, and I was persuaded by an optometrist and family friend to consider optometry.

JC: I knew I always wanted to work in the medical field, but the thought of optometry school didn’t sink in until I started working at my father’s practice during my college summers. The idea of helping patients, earning a decent living and maintaining a work-life balance was appealing.

BW: It runs in the family. My father was an optometrist. He started our practice in downtown Knoxville in 1942. And my older brother is an optometrist. So it was a natural fit to go into the family business.

SW: I was a business major my first year of college at Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, and I went home that summer to shadow my father and uncle for one week. Although I had worked in the practice as a technician, I never followed them into the exam room. I grew up thinking doctors spend their workdays around people who are sick, in pain or miserable. But that week taught me that most optometry patients are friendly, healthy and appreciative. It was a really positive experience that redirected my career path toward optometry.

Dr. Sam Winston with wife, Lea, and their children, Noah and Lydia.

Q: What was the biggest issue facing the profession when you graduated from optometry school?

CC: Expansion of our scope of practice to include first DPAs and then TPAs. All of this led to Medicare parity, and the rest is history, as relates to medical eye care.

JC: In my opinion, a surplus of optometrists in big cities was and is a problem. I had multiple classmates sign up for residencies only because they could not find a job in private practice, and then they still could not find a job after completing a residency.

BW: I graduated in 1974. We were a refractive profession at the time; we weren’t really using diagnostic or therapeutic drugs. The state attorney general said we could not use drugs at all. We knew that had to change. And we knew it would take some legislative effort. So, I was introduced to the legislative side of the profession pretty early on.

SW: I graduated from SCO in 2011, when ABO certification was the hot topic.

Q: What did your schools focus the most on, in terms of education?

CC: At the time I attended ICO, there was a strong emphasis on contact lenses (thanks to optometrists Jan Jurkus and Neil Gailmard) and an ever-expanding emphasis on ocular disease and management.

JC: Ocular disease was definitely the focus of our education.

BW: It was a different era. The school’s focus was mostly refractive services, contact lenses and diagnostics.

SW: The medical model of optometry. I felt the Southern College of Optometry more than prepared me for any medical problem that I might encounter in the exam room.

The Winston Family of Optometrists (l to r): Drs. Jerry Winston, Harold Winston, Sam Winston and Barry Winston.

Q: What was it like growing up with a parent who is an optometrist?

JC: It had many perks. My favorite was all the family vacations that we were able to go on. My brothers and I would go to the AAO and AOA meetings, enjoy the benefits of the cities but not have to attend the classes.

SW: It was great, but I could not take full advantage of it because I never needed my vision corrected. So, I never got the benefit of free glasses. But Oakley sunglasses were insanely popular when I was a kid, and I persuaded my dad to give me at least one free pair.

Dr. Joseph Castellano with wife, Erin, Sue (his mom) and dad, Dr. Carmen Castellano.

Q: What was your reaction when your child told you he/she wanted to become an optometrist?

CC: At first surprise and then pride. I never pushed the issue with any of our children so when two (our third son Nick is in his third year of optometry school) decided to follow in my footsteps, it was very gratifying.

BW: I was excited someone would be able to keep the practice in the family. It’s been in the family for 70 years, and it now seems likely to hit the century mark that way.

Q: What is the best advice your optometrist mom or dad ever gave you about practicing?

JC: Never be content. In order to have a progressive practice, you need to be proactive and continually try to improve, even if you are satisfied with the way things are.

BW: Pay your bills on time, and save 10% of your earnings.

SW: Take care of your patient first and foremost, and treat all of them the way you would want to be treated, and the rest will work out pretty well for you.

Q: What individual concerns did you each have about working together?

CC: Though I am aware of the numerous potential pitfalls often encountered in family businesses, there was never a concern when Joe joined our practice. We are both pretty practical and easy to get along with.

JC: Family events, such a weddings, funerals or trips, are difficult to manage with just the two of us in practice.

BW: I wanted to see that he was interested in growing the practice. Sometimes, you see a third-generation family-owned business rest on its laurels and stagnate. But that has not been the case at all with Sam. He has brought a lot of positive energy, knowledge and innovation with him. He understands web and social media promotion. So, he is opening new doors and attracting patients who might otherwise have gone elsewhere.

SW: I was concerned about money and providing for my family. I knew very little about the practice, and I was not quite sure [about] what I was buying into.

Q: Were you ever worried that other optometrists would mention nepotism when you told them you work together?

CC: I never considered nor saw this as an issue from my perspective.

JC: Of course. I had classmates joking with me about it before I graduated from optometry school. It has motivated me to work hard and prove I deserve the position that was given to me.

BW: I work with my brother, and he has been great about welcoming my son into the practice. We both wanted a young optometrist to come in. It was a nice coincidence that the best candidate turned out to be in our family.

SW: No. We are a three-doctor practice, and we are all family. So who would mention it?

The Castellano sons — Joseph, Nick, Paul and Eric — on a hunting trip.

Q: What kinds of things do you do to keep your relationship professional when in the office?

CC: When we are in the office, it is all about patient care and the business aspects of the practice. Away from the office, we are father and son.

JC: I try not to cry when he gets mad at me — at least not in front of patients. Other than that, I think it is important to hold each other to the same standards as everyone else.

BW: I don’t know that I am qualified to say what’s “professional,” but one of my staff members recently sent me a note that might shed light on how we operate. The note read: “Thank you for giving me an opportunity to work in such an amazing office!” That note embodies the goal of our practice. We aim to cultivate an environment where everyone feels respected and fortunate.

SW: We wear bow ties.

Q: What has been the biggest surprise about working together?

CC: I was surprised by how much joy there is in working with your child and also by how much Joe brought to the table in a very short amount of time.

JC: The biggest surprise to me is how well we get along. Of course, we have disagreed on things, but I’m not sure if we have argued once in the last four years. Before working together, people would ask with apprehension, “How is it going to be working with your father?” Even now that I’m practicing, every day a patient asks, “How is it practicing with your father?” The idea of a family feud had never crossed my mind, but you do start to think about it when everyone is asking.

BW: I am surprised by how much he has taught me. I love the medical element he brings to the practice. Optical coherence tomography is like a new language to me, but Sam grew up speaking it. He has a lot of medical knowledge and technological savvy, and Jerry, my brother, and I both lean on and learn from him from time to time.

SW: He can’t surprise me. I’ve known him too long.

Dapper Drs. Sam and Barry Winston.

Q: How do you determine work responsibilities, in terms of how many patients you see, etc.?

CC: At this point, patient care is very much equally divided. There are some patients who prefer to see one of us, but we work hard at making the majority of our patients “patients of the practice” and not assigned to a particular doctor. I have also involved Joe in various management aspects of the practice, including training and staff issues.

BW: First, we gave Sam all our old problem patients — hypochondriacs and the like. Just kidding. Sam is still building his patient list, so he sees a lot of our new patients. And again, because Sam has a lot of medical knowledge, he sees a lot of patients who suffer from glaucoma. Sam also handles all our pediatric eye care.

Q: What have you learned about each other since you’ve been working together?

CC: I have been impressed with Joe’s ability to quickly pick up on the business side of the practice and the many excellent suggestions he has made. At the same time, I have also been impressed by his caring and devotion for and to patients. Mostly, I have learned that somewhere between high school graduation and optometry school graduation, Joe has evolved from a boy into a man I respect very much and who has made our practice significantly better since he joined.

JC: My father is one of the hardest workers I know. He is 30 years older than me and still bounces in and out of exam rooms like it is his first day on the job.

BW: He is clinically well trained and productive. But most importantly, he is fun to be around. Sam makes coming into work more enjoyable for our entire staff.

SW: He is responsible for the welfare of a lot of people. He is the primary manager of our day-to-day business activities. I am one of many who depend on him to keep the business running smoothly. And I learned that I rock the bow tie better than he does.

Q: What is your favorite book, movie, band and adult beverage of choice?

CC: Book: The “Killing” series from Bill O’Reilly; Movie: The Godfather Parts I and II; Band: Any band as long as Frank Sinatra is singing in front of them; Adult beverage of choice: Almost any microbrew IPA.

JC: Book: I haven’t read a book for fun in years; Movie: Braveheart; Band: Jimmy Buffett; Adult beverage of choice: Sam Adams OctoberFest.

BW: Book: “Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff: Simple Ways to Keep the Little Things From Taking Over Your Life”; Movie: Caddyshack; Band: I like the singer Jamie Cullum; Adult beverage of choice: Miller Lite.

SW: Book: Whichever one will make my three-year-old fall asleep. I haven’t found it yet; Movie: Fight Club; Band: I like many styles of music. Taylor Swift’s latest album is a big hit at my house; Adult beverage of choice: Old Fashioned made by my friend and cocktail connoisseur Michael Goldsborough.

Travel, Food & Wine

Dining During SECO: My favorite Atlanta Restaurants

Kirk L. Smick, O.D., F.A.A.O., Morrow, Ga.

In mid-January, my phone starts ringing off the hook with requests from several of my friends asking where they should dine during SECO — long considered one of the finest clinical optometry meetings in the country — in Atlanta. First of all, let me make sure you understand the cardinal rule of dining in Atlanta: Reservations are a must! Atlanta offers many choices, though for spacing reasons, I discuss just a few of my favorites by cuisine.

American

• Aria. (www.aria-atl.com) Described as, “an avant-garde take on fine American cuisine,” this restaurant is known for its braised, simmered, stewed and roasted meats as well as its award-winning desserts.

• Bacchanalia. (http://bit.ly/1C9doU6) Known for its contemporary cuisine, it boasts organic ingredients and is consistently rated as one of Atlanta’s top 10 restaurants.

• 4th & Swift. (http://4thandswift.com) This eatery is described as a modern slant on “traditional American comfort food.”

Southern

• Restaurant Eugene. (www.restauranteugene.com) Known for its Atlanta cuisine, the menu changes nightly. An example of a menu item: Capon, chestnut, Matsutake mushroom, spinach and cranberry.

Italian

• Antica Posta. (www.anticaposta.com) Known for its Tuscan fare, this restaurant offers meat, fish and homemade breads and pastas.

• Pricci. (www.buckheadrestaurants.com) This eatery offers a variety of desserts, meats, pasta, pizza and salad.

• Sotto Sotto. (www.urestaurants.net) It offers Italian classics, such as pasta and risotto, and an exclusive Italian wine list.

French

• Bistro Niko. (www.buckheadrestaurants.com) This restaurant provides an authentic French bistro experience.

• Le Bilboquet. (www.buckheadrestaurants.com) Described as “simple, classic French cooking,” this is my new favorite restaurant.

Steak/Seafood

• Bones. (www.bonesrestaurant.com) The winner of the Best of Atlanta Steakhouse for 16 years, it also offers fresh seafood accompanied by southern region specialties.

• Chops Lobster Bar. (www.buckheadrestaurants.com) This restaurant is known as a top 10 steakhouse in the U.S. and for its fresh daily seafood, including lobster and Dover sole.

• Kyma. (www.buckheadrestaurants.com) A first-class Greek restaurant that has excellent fresh fish.

• New York Prime. (www.newyorkprime.com) This spot offers an assortment of USDA prime steaks, such as a double rib veal chop.