About two years ago, Summer Williamson, OD, set a goal: to work for herself. After five years with the U.S. Air Force, Major Williamson spent the next eight and a half years at a community health center. But she wanted the freedom—and responsibility—of calling her own shots. The months of dreaming and planning came to fruition in January, when she opened Vision Gallery 417, her boutique optometry practice in Springfield, Missouri.
Vision Gallery 417 occupies a 2,800-square-foot space in a 1930s-era building that once housed Aunt Martha’s Pancake House. “I wanted something with character,” she says. Older buildings can present lovely surprises, like the soaring rafters that the owners found when they lifted the 
old dropped ceiling. The renovation stripped the interior to its bones, then her contractors rebuilt. It had previously been a furniture décor space—a large open space with only a bathroom and storage room in the back. Today, it’s a far cry from the log cabin-style pancake house—where Willie Nelson once worked.
Today, front-facing windows flood the reception area with daylight, and a bespoke desk stands before a wallpapered accent wall bearing the practice’s coral-script logo. The 417 refers to the area code. Several local businesses use the 417 in their name to tie to the community.
Design is integral to Dr. Williamson’s vision. She drew inspiration from years of Women In Optometry design stories, from which she saved photos and ideas. Those helped her settle on a color palette of soft teal and white, lending the space a calm, inviting feel. The optical has two dispensing desks, and floating shelves showcase independent frame lines chosen for their style and accessibility. “These frames are pretty and available at a range of prices. Many are options my patients haven’t seen around here before,” she says.
 |
 |
FUNCTION AND FLAIR
Functionality sits alongside flair. Dr. Williamson outfitted the practice with two exam lanes and left two additional rooms ready for a future associate. “I’m planning to bring in a younger doctor who can introduce dry eye treatments and specialty contact lenses,” she says. By building in that capacity now, she ensures the practice can grow without losing its boutique feel.
Patient care at Vision Gallery 417 centers on primary services for all ages. Dr. Williamson also enjoys seeing children and is trying to grow her pediatric practice.
A NEW PATIENT BASE
Because Dr. Williamson spent so many years at a community health center, the likelihood of those patients following her to a private practice is slim. So she really has had to build the patient base from the ground up. Being in a landmark building, people watched with interest as the former home décor store, which had been there for a few years, moved out and she started the remodeling.
As her credentialing on insurance and managed vision plans expands, word-of-mouth referrals have also picked up. Her two children, ages 11 and 7, have become unofficial ambassadors. One new patient found her because the woman’s son brought home a business card that Dr. Williamson’s son had given him. He also helps out snapping some photos or suggesting posts for the practice’s Facebook page. “They’re my biggest cheerleaders,” Dr. Williamson says. And there’s space for them in the building, if they have a day off from school or need to come to the office for a while.
She leased the building with an eye toward ownership down the road. “I love this community, and I want Vision Gallery 417 to be here for the long haul,” she says.
Looking forward, Dr. Williamson hopes to equip the two empty exam rooms eventually and expand her service offerings. She envisions adding a younger OD who can help grow practice areas in dry eye management and specialty contact lenses, for example, to round out the medical and refractive services she provides.
As she has discovered in the first year of owning a new practice, working for herself isn’t just about independence. It means she can shape the patient experience that feels both artful and assured.
See other design stories from WO here.
Would you like to share your remodel/relocation/new practice or office refresh story with WO readers? Email us here.
