A spotlight on female optometrist Mary Anne Murphy, O.D.

This monthly column is a special collaboration between the Optical Women’s Association (OWA) and Optometric Management. The focus: enhancing opportunities and education for women in optometry. Learn more at opticalwomen.com .

Mary Anne Murphy, O.D., is a mother, an optometrist and an owner of Front Range Eye Associates, an all-female O.D. practice, in Broomfield, Colo.

A MOTHER

Dr. Murphy is a single mother of two children. She credits her strong, supportive staff with helping her juggle life’s demands. For instance, during hockey season her staff and her patients know that she doesn’t offer Saturday hours due to games, so she works extra Saturdays throughout the rest of the year to compensate.

She enjoys spending time with family and is passionate about fishing. One of her goals is to try every type of fishing. She most often enjoys fly fishing and spincasting, but she has tried bow and spear fishing. Next up: Noodling.

AN OPTOMETRIST

Dr. Murphy opted to pursue optometry based on her love of physics. Studying optics in college encouraged her to become a licensed optician, and optometry was a natural progression from there. She had always wanted to be in health care, and optometry was the perfect choice to blend her passion for health with lifestyle that would support raising a family.

AN OWNER FOCUSED ON FAMILY

At her practice, Dr. Murphy is dedicated to promoting a family centric workplace for the benefit of her staff. Employee doctors and many staff members work a three-day, flexible work week — and all share a passion for community service and charity. The three-day work week allows “free time” during the week to attend family events, volunteer for local community events and charities or just unwind. The schedule rotates every year, with each doctor taking a turn to work evenings and weekends. Weekend schedules are planned around kids’ birthdays, anniversaries and other personal commitments.

Dr. Murphy says: “It’s extra work to put it all together, but in the end it creates great camaraderie, and I feel it’s the right thing to do.”

SUCCESS

Front Range opened in 2006, at a time when there were few female-owned practices in the area. The AOA’s Survey of Optometric Practice shows that 34% of owner optometrists were women in 2013, a metric that slightly upticked in 2016 when 39% of respondents reported being female-owner optometrists.

To get started, Dr. Murphy first sought the services of a business consultant. This consultant told her she needed to add two years to the typical five-year plan simply because she was a woman.

Dr. Murphy forged ahead — without his services. She made it her goal to surpass the five-year targets, such as patient volume and year-over-year growth, which she did within the first three years.

CULTIVATING RELATIONSHIPS

Dr. Murphy actively seeks other women in the industry to network with and to learn from — women who are encouraging and available to share thoughts, ideas and struggles. She works on industry panels and industry boards, for example.

Dr. Murphy says these interactions — and joining the Optical Women’s Association — have helped to foster many new friendships. She appreciates the doors it has opened for her in meeting women from all areas of the industry. OM

— Yvette Carranza is vice chairwoman of the OWA communications committee.