Today we’d like to introduce you to Aliona Radzinsky.
Aliona, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
It all started when I answered a job ad for a receptionist position at a local optometrist’s office. At the job interview, I met one of the doctors who was in his late 80s. He had the opportunity to retire long ago, but he continued to work part-time because he truly loved his job. I remember thinking how rare that was, and it got me very interested. It wasn’t long at all before I, too, fell in love with the field. Having never worn glasses or contacts, I wasn’t very familiar with optometry. I still recall how fascinating it all seemed to me in those first weeks at my new job. There was such a diversity of patients and situations. More than anything, I remember being inspired by the immense feelings of pride that all the doctors had in their work. I learned early on that there really is no better feeling than helping a person to see the world. For most people, all of our interactions with the world around us – every person, thing and place that we experience – starts and ends with vision! I truly believe that it is the one of the most valuable gifts you can give someone. To this day I know I chose the right field because that excitement I felt those first weeks is still something I get to experience every single day when I see my patients. How lucky am I?!
Has it been a smooth road?
One of the biggest challenges I’ve faced thus far has been establishing a loyal patient base. Healthcare is a unique field in that even the most appreciative patients often do not need to return to see you for 1-2 years. It has only been 2 years since I started working at my current practice location, so I’ve been working very hard to establish a following. This includes providing education on the value of regular vision exams and keeping an open line of communication in order to earn my patients’ trust. While I’m still waiting to see some of my patient’s return for their exams, I’ve definitely seen many patient referrals coming in, and have read some truly flattering reviews of our business on Yelp. I’m happy to say that I feel confident about my practice and optimistic that the hard work I’ve been putting in will pay off in the near future.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Rad Optometric Care story. Tell us more about the business.
My optometry practice is called “Rad Optometric Care.” I’m the managing optometrist, known as “Dr. Rad” to all my patients and staff. The nickname started as an abbreviation of my last name, but stuck because it’s little more rad, as well. We are located inside LensCrafter’s at the Sherman Oaks Fashion Square Mall. We are a full-scope family practice offering vision exams for all patients over 6 years old, as well as contact lens fittings (cosmetic and prescription contacts), eye-related medical exams, diabetic vision exams, LASIK and cataract surgery co-management and specialty evaluations of Dry Eye and Macular Degeneration. Having attained a bachelor’s degree in Health Promotion, my background and my passion has always been in holistic health management, with a strong emphasis on prevention as opposed to treatment. I take pride in the eye exams our office offers our patients. We’ve worked hard to set ourselves apart from other offices in that our goal is not to simply send our patients off with a prescription for glasses and/contacts, but rather to take the time to discuss all of the aspects of their lifestyle which may affect their vision. At Rad Optometric Care, a good portion of the visual evaluation involves open discussion between patient and doctor regarding lifestyle needs (i.e. heavy computer use), dietary recommendations, possibility of ocular vitamins, and so on. We strongly believe that caring for our patients’ vision entails much more than just determining a prescription. Our doctors aim to educate and empower our patients to make the best decisions they can for their vision needs.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
Absolutely! Although Los Angeles is a saturated market for many business owners to tackle, the vision needs of Angelenos have never been higher and will undoubtedly continue to rise in the future. On one end of the spectrum are millions of aging baby-boomers who are surely starting to experience the effects of age-related vision changes. On the other end, young adults and children who spend countless hours straining their vision by working on computers, phones and tablets consistently. Many of these people are scraping by with sub-par over-the-counter reading glasses and living with the constant ailments of digital eye strain. These are the people that need our help the most.
I believe our biggest future challenge eye care professionals is to educate the population on all the ways vision exams improve not just sight, but overall quality of life. My personal philosophy in patient care has always focused on prevention rather than treatment. Myself and my fellow doctors at Rad Optometric Care are strive to evolve our practice as new research comes to light or new methods in patient care prove to be effective. When we see our patients, we evaluate more than just their eyes, we actually see the bigger picture – what is their lifestyle today and what will it be 20 years from now, what are their hobbies, their challenges, their health history, and most important what can we do today to assure our patients have healthy eyes in the future. I believe the optometrists which are most equipped to meet the eye care needs of future generations will be the doctors which evaluate patients in this degree of depth and involvement. Establishing this type of unwavering loyalty with patients is surely what reflects on our success as business-owners and will continue to do so well into the future.
Pricing:
- $74.95* Comprehensive Eye Exams (we offer AAA and AARP discounts!)
- $39 Digital Retinal Imaging (health assessment of the inside of the eye)
- $49 Digital Retinal Imaging + Macular Scan (health assessment as above, plus assessment of macular damage from screens, macular degeneration, aging, etc.)
- $55 Standard Contact Lens Fitting
- $75 Astigmatism Contact Lens Fitting
- $95 Presbyopic Contact Lens Fitting (for progressive/bifocal wearers)
- $55 / $75 / $95 Eye-Related Medical Office Visit (pricing based on exam complexity)
Contact Info:
- Address: Rad Optometric Care
14006 Riverside Dr., Ste 274, (inside LensCrafters)
Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 - Website: www.radeyes.com
- Phone: 818-461-0595
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.rad_radeyes/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/radoptometriccare/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/DoctorRadEyes
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/rad-optometric-care-sherman-oaks-4
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