The COVID-19 pandemic proved to Melynda Torres, OD, that eye care was, indeed, fundamentally essential. The 2010 graduate of Southern California College of Optometry had spent the first decade of her career supporting other ODs in their practices. But when non-emergency services were deemed not essential during early COVID-19 closures, she felt a calling to rethink the delivery of eye care. Now, she offers luxury care with a purpose at Salt & Light Eye Care in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
BUILT ON LOVE
She remembers one of the hardest moments—when a 30-year-old patient with type 1 diabetes went blind because she couldn’t get timely care during the COVID-19 lockdown. That hardship, combined with navigating a divorce and striving to be present for her kids, pushed Dr. Torres to take action.
“I knew I had to do things differently,” she says. With many clinics closed, Dr. Torres began offering in-home eye exams. “If I can do an eye exam in a mud hut on a mission trip, I can do it in a kitchen down the street,” she says. Packing her car and visiting patients one by one wasn’t easy, but it gave her a new level of connection. “You really get to know people that way.”
By 2021, she had found her footing as an independent eye care provider and began searching for a space to call her own.
After a few locations became unavailable in the competitive real estate market, Dr. Torres found a 900-square-foot space already framed and ready to transform. “The little rooms were already laid out in a way that made sense: one pretest room, one exam lane and a cozy optical,” she says. “I actually love that there’s only one exam lane. It forces us to focus on one patient and provide the most personalized care possible.”
While she didn’t have a specific aesthetic or color palette in mind, Dr. Torres designed the practice with intention. “It was like decorating a home,” she says. “As I found décor I liked, I added things.” Her first choice was a black and gold eyeball wallpaper from Home Depot, which added shimmer to the white walls and black trim. A faux living wall with a neon sign logo is the perfect spot for a photo op. A real living wall includes a pothos, a monstera and, Dr. Torres’ favorite, a ZZ plant. Optical furniture came from Wayfair and World Market. Custom black cabinetry from her best friend Ashley Kennedy’s company, Precision Diamante, ties the optical and exam lane together.
“I just kept finding pieces that felt like home,” she says. “It’s been a process, but now the space reflects my heart.” She also credits her optical manager Heather Sanchez for bringing both decorative gifts and her managerial talents to the practice. “She has brought our space to another level,” Dr. Torres says.
ALL THE OFFERINGS
Salt + Light Eye Care aims to provide luxurious, personalized and concierge-style care. The office offers a full range of services, pediatric eye exams to dry eye management and disease care. While the office does not include managed vision plans, it does accept specific medical plans. All appointments with both Dr. Torres and her aesthetician, Jesica Dieguez, are by appointment only.
Dieguez offers a number of aesthetic treatments a few days a week, including OptiLift and triLift treatments. The office also includes a digital phoropter, a Topcon Maestro OCT, a virtual visual field test, OptiPLUS radiofrequency treatments and OptiLight by Lumenis.
The boutique optical features frames from brands like David Beckham, Kate Spade, Krewe, Ziva and Eyes of Faith. And for every pair of glasses sold, Salt & Light donates a pair to a child in need through a partnership with Essilor Labs. She also provides free eye exams and eyeglasses for kids in foster care or living below the poverty line, and mission work remains central to her purpose. Dr. Torres volunteers with Citizen Church, bringing care and eyeglasses to underserved communities in Kenya, Haiti, Mexico, Ecuador and Thailand. On one trip alone, she donated 500 pairs of glasses.
Dr. Torres says her faith is fundamental to what she does. She’s placed a jar near the front door for patients to submit prayer requests. “My goal is not just to provide eyeglasses and eye care, but to love my community.”
Even in a small space, that message fills every corner.
Connect with Dr. Torres and Salt & Light Eye Care online:
Facebook: Dr. Mindy Torres
Instagram: @saltandlighteyecare
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