Just a few months after her first son was born, Megan Lott, OD, FOVDR, FIALVS, noticed he was having trouble teaming his eyes. He was diagnosed with intermittent esotropia—and even as an eye care provider, Dr. Lott thought her best option was immediate surgery. Before making the decision, she rang up her an esteemed colleague, WC Maples, OD, FAAO, FACBO, FCOVD. He recommended that Dr. Lott start vision therapy with her son immediately—at the early age of nine months old.
“I would’ve thought that it was too early to do vision therapy with him,” Dr. Lott says of her son, now age 11, who now “does great in school and sports with no issues.” She soon realized there was nowhere in Mississippi that offered the needed therapy. So, she opened Belle Vue Specialty Eye Care in Hattiesburg to fill that need.
ALL FOR THE KIDDOS
Dr. Lott had envisioned a pediatric-focused clinic, expecting to work primarily with children who had reading difficulties. However, she quickly realized the overlap between pediatric eye care, brain injury rehabilitation and low vision. “In school we’re taught that everything fits neatly into its own box,” she says. But in reality, it’s more of an intersection of everything.”
Just a few years after opening the first location near her hometown, Dr. Lott’s patient base grew. She quickly realized she needed more space. She asked her office neighbor—an orthodontist whose lease was also ending—if they’d be interested in getting a place with her. Belle Vue Specialty Eye Care now sits on one side of their white brick standalone building.
The entire 3,000-square-foot space is designed with kids in mind. A “toy store” room houses board games and puzzles used for perceptual skills training and also comes in handy as an extra waiting room for rambunctious siblings.
One wall in the therapy room is reserved for handprints of children completing their therapy programs. They get to celebrate their achievement by placing their handprint and name on the wall in a color of their choosing. The moment is complete with graduation music, caps and confetti poppers. Dr. Lott estimates there are more than 150 handprints on the wall. “Kids love it,” Dr. Lott says. “It’s a real motivator for them.”
FUN FOR EVERYONE
The space also includes separate entrances for clinic patients and the therapy room. The layout features two exam lanes, a pretesting room and a large therapy area with four breakout rooms for individualized care. Multiple puppets are “ready for duty” for younger kids’ exams, which Dr. Lott says are great sensory and fixation tools for fidgety kids. In the toy room, a Melissa & Doug “Fun Frames Eye Exam Pretend Play Set” is there for any child ready to be a doctor themselves.
Most of the colorful décor and books are local finds by Dr. Lott, her staff or her friends and family. She found a large pair of sunglasses that doubles as mirrors on Etsy, and large gold planters in the shape of eyeballs at Urban Outfitters. A local artist hand-painted a custom-made rubber rug. “They are very easy to clean,” Dr. Lott says. “Our fabric rugs didn’t last that long.”
One of her favorite pieces of eyeglass-inspired furniture sits outside by the therapy entrance: a sunglass bench made by a longtime patient. “He cut and painted the wood and put it all together,” Dr. Lott says. “He visits every year to reseal the wood.”
HANDS-ON CARE
Most of her equipment is handheld on account of how difficult it is to get a toddler to sit in a chair. Her toolbelt includes a Plusoptix handheld autorefractor, a Remidio handheld fundus camera and various frames with single vision lenses to avoid testing with loose ones. She recently incorporated a balance tracking system for patients who have suffered balance difficulties related to brain injuries.
She also provides low vision services in various parts of the state a few times a month. Her handheld equipment comes especially in handy when she’s “working out of a suitcase and my car” during her travels. It takes a team to keep the office working, including two full-time therapists, an office manager, a few part-time college student assistants and Dr. Maples, now in his 80s, who still visits two mornings a week.
MAKING A DIFFERENCE
Her hard work has not gone unnoticed. The Mississippi Optometric Association, the Mississippi Business Journal and the Brain Injury Association of Mississippi have recognized her. CooperVision named her a 2023 Best Practices Honoree.
But the thing that keeps her motivated the most is seeing the difference in the lives of her patients.
“We opened this location almost 10 years ago. That means some of my ‘kiddos’ are now in college and driving themselves to their appointments,” Dr. Lott says. “It’s so rewarding to see a kid that was struggling in school now taking college courses and doing well. When we look at the whole child—not just their eyes—we can understand their daily lives and help them reach their goals. But one thing’s for sure—we’re going to have fun doing it.”
Connect with Dr. Lott and Belle Vue Specialty Eye Care online:
Instagram: @bellevue_sec
Facebook: Belle Vue Specialty Eye Care
YouTube: Belle Vue Specialty Eye Care
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