Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008

Hollands settling in to new clinic

by Kenneth Lassiter

Just more than a year ago, they were sweating in the summer 2007 heat breaking ground, but Drs. Heath and Jeannette Holland are finding their new office along US-59 Highway in Oskaloosa to be well worth the wait.

The new Holland Eye Clinic officially opened to patients at the end of February, but the couple and their staff took some time settling in before holding an open house and ribbon cutting along with a chamber of commerce social event at the facility Aug. 21.

Jeannette Holland started the clinic at its former location on the west side of the square in Oskaloosa in 1996 after finishing her bachelor’s degree work at the University of Kansas and medical degree work at Northeastern University in Tahlequah, Okla. Two years later, Heath, who had met Jeannette at Northeastern, joined the practice and also became Jeannette’s husband. They now have two children, Brady, 5, and Taeh, 2.

The move wasn’t something the couple took lightly, as they had known space would eventually become an issue in the office on the square.

“We look at it like an investment,” Jeannette said. She is a native of Lawrence while Heath is originally from Springdale, Ark. “This was a huge leap of faith for us.”

“It’s also about having a nice place to work,” Heath said. “Our goal was to try to keep that some kind of hands-on, personal service, just in a newer, nicer space.”

The couple started the process by purchasing the lots along US-59 where the clinic now sits, between The Guidance Center and the county health department facilities. While they bided their time and mowed their lots, they kept planning for eventually building the new office. Heinen Custom Operations took on the job as contractor and the couple broke ground in early August 2007. The ceremony was an emotional one for Jeannette, who started the practice pretty much from scratch.

The new facility includes an office the couple shares, as they split time at the office. There are two exam rooms plus another room that could eventually be converted into a third if needed. There’s a room that includes the more specialized equipment, and all the equipment was purchased new for the new facility. There’s space for records storage and a bigger waiting area with room for frame displays, and the couple even had a small lab included that is currently used for “trace and transmits” but may eventually be upgraded to allow the couple to grind their own lenses. Trace and transmits allow the staff to electronically scan a frame shape and transmit it electronically to get lenses ordered with only a two- or three-day turnaround.

“We’re really pleased with it,” Jeannette said. “Heinen Custom Operations did a great job....really all the companies we used were great. We have quite a bit more space here, but it’s amazing how much the stuff you have spreads out.”

“Anything having to do with patient care is new,” Heath added. “I think the most rewarding part of all so far has been seeing patients coming in and appreciating it.”

The work on the facility went without any major stumbling blocks despite taking place over a harsh winter. The concrete parking lot and foundation were poured before winter set in and the doctors said workers spent most of the frigid winter laboring on the interior of the new offices. The full basement of the office is ready in need of expansion or if an opportunity to lease it out comes along, and the Hollands still own the space to the south of the facility, which could potentially some day house another new business in town.

With the work done and the office now operational, not much else has changed with the practice. The staff stayed the same and the clinic recently added Renee Masters to the crew.

One notable change is a new practice logo created by Jeannette’s sister, Joy Baze, who operates her own graphic design business, Joy’s Attic Studio. The new logo incorporates an eye as the ‘o” in Holland and is on the front of the new facility.

The office hours are the same and, most importantly, the prices are the same, although Jeannette acknowledges that will have to change at some point.

“Our prices haven’t changed in seven years,” Jeannette said. “We’ve really tried to avoid (raising prices with the move).”

“We don’t want people to think, ‘Oh, sure, they build this new office and now the prices go up.’” Heath said.

The year has also been a hectic one for the couple as Jeannette has been serving as the president of the Kansas Optometric Association, so has had to dedicate time to that work.

As they prepared to show off the new place on Aug. 21, the couple said they’ve been fortunate to come through the major project without a hitch.

“It’s finally starting to feel like we’re not just filling in for another doctor,” Heath said with a laugh. “We’re getting the routine down. Things haven’t sped up, which is good. We wanted to continue to give our patients the same attention they’ve always gotten. We baby-stepped this, and really, we have no regrets.”

“It’s just what I imagined it was going to be,” Jeannette said.