Today we’d like to introduce you to Emily Peterson.
Hi Emily, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I fell into Ophthalmology. I started in medical billing when I was 19 in the back office of a durable medical equipment company. From there, I continued in billing and coding until 2006 when I moved from IHC to the University of Utah. Here, I took a big leap. A pay cut of $8 an hour, but I knew I wanted to work for the U. I began as a Patient Care Specialist and I checked in on patients. My manager knew I wanted more, and within a month I was a lead. They helped me continue to grow into bigger positions. In 2008 I became a Financial Advocate. I scheduled surgeries for 10+ doctors and did pre-authorizations for any in-office procedures as well as surgeries. My next move was to become an Ophthalmic Technician, this is when I moved out of the billing world and into the world of patient care. I continued to grow as a technician, earning my Certified Ophthalmic Assistant certification. 2 years later I earned my Certified Ophthalmic Technician. I was part of a large technician staff, that supported 30+ doctors, residents, and fellows. We saw upwards of 300 patients per day. I became a Lead Technician, and worked in all specialty clinics as a ‘fully floatable technician’. This means I could work with any of the Doctors in any of the clinics at Moran Eye Center. I finished my career at Moran as the Outpatient Clinic Supervisor over all of the technicians, a role I held for nearly 5 years. In 2019, I was approached by a doctor I had worked with previously, about a new venture. He wanted to open a new clinic in South Jordan, and because of my background, he wanted me to run it. That brings us to my current position as Clinic Operational Director of ClearVision Institute.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
No! It hasn’t been smooth. The decision to leave IHC and take a pay cut was extremely difficult. In 2008 my husband lost his job because of the recession. I had just found out that I was pregnant with my second child, and we decided to sell our home, move in with my parents, and for my husband to go back to school. Overnight I became the sole provider of many mouths. This was at the same time I became a Technician. This was terrifying! Why? Because I knew that if I didn’t do well, I would have lost my billing job. I became a certified technician in 6-months, which is the quickest a person is able to due to hour requirements for the certification.
Being a supervisor over a large staff was extremely stressful. Part of my role was to act as a liaison between the physicians and the technicians, a role I took seriously. That is a lot of personalities.
Building a clinic from the ground up is daunting, to say the least. To use the expression “drinking from a fire hose”, I’ve found it’s more like drinking from a fire hydrant. The University, since it was so large, was very compartmentalized. Here at ClearVision Institute, I have to learn all the pieces.
We’ve been impressed with ClearVision Institute, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
ClearVision Institute is an all-in-one clinic. We see families, and individuals of all ages. We have yearly exams, contacts and glasses. But, we also offer in-house treatments such as Dry Eye, LASIK, SMILE, Myopia Control, Scleral Lenses, and Intacs for Keratoconus.
We have state-of-the-art equipment, and place a huge priority in our education and patient care. Our goal is to have each patient walk away thinking that they had the most complete eye exam they’ve ever had, and that they learned something new about their eyes! We want our patients to be an active part of their own eye health.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
It’s hard to grow a clinic in the middle of a pandemic. Our clinic opened in 2021, and for a large portion of that, eye exams weren’t the priority for a lot of families. It’s also changed our care techniques. It’s pretty difficult to give an exam and not be close to a patient’s face.
Contact Info:
- Email: info.clearvisioninstitute@gmail.com
- Website: utah.pcvi.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clearvision_institute/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClearVisionSouthJordan
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ClearInstitute
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsHvxjA35bYm4AGSj9v4Avw
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/clearvisionutah
Image Credits
Corey Middleton
Billy Ward
