Katelyn Steen, OD, will never forget the experience she had shadowing an optometrist during her undergraduate schooling. She had already realized the huge impact that glasses and contact lenses can have after wearing them herself in 5th grade. Dr. Steen says that witnessing Nikolas Diemer, OD, at work and his passion for a career that he loved set forward her own career path. “I got excited about it, too,” she says. “Eye health is so important and tells you so much about the rest of your body.”
She says she applied to Illinois College of Optometry, got accepted and hasn’t looked back since. Since shadowing Dr. Diemer, she says that working in a private practice was always a goal for her after optometry school.
Dr. Steen moved to Wisconsin following her 2019 graduation. She and her husband lived at a midway point between both their jobs, each commuting about 45 minutes in the opposite direction. Then the couple relocated with a hope to centralize their work and shorten their drives.
She began considering the options of having her own practice. She originally thought she would buy into a private practice. But in 2022, Dr. Steen started out on a search to build a practice of her own. “I ended up going the cold-start route. It has been a really great opportunity, and I’ve learned so much doing it this way.”
SWEET INSPIRATION
By early 2023, she found it: an empty space in a newer construction just 10 minutes from home. She signed her lease in June and was on her way, thanks to her husband Devin Steen, who works for Horizon Retail Construction and served as her construction project manager. Thanks to Devin’s construction experience and deep ties to local contractors, the build-out process was handled efficiently.
Mount Pleasant Eye Care took shape in the shell of that 1,500 square foot raw space. Dr. Steen chose a color palette for the sweet design inspired by both her favorite color—teal—and was inspired by a visit to an eye-catching ice cream shop in the Wisconsin Dells called Huckleberry’s.
Teal walls paired with dark wood tones, marble surfaces and gold accents evoke a modern, warm and welcoming feel—one that subtly nods to the Jacksonville Jaguars, her brother says, noting the clinic colors match the NFL team.
Dr. Steen is grateful to the timeline that was mapped out for her by the team at iCare Advisors. They gave her clear checkpoints and steered her to complete everything on time. “They really hold your hand through everything,” she says, and someone was always just a text away.
STRATEGIC LOCATION, FOCUSED CARE
Mount Pleasant Eye Care officially opened its doors in February 2024. She was thankful to have an experienced optician, Devin Riley, who also has top notch customer service to join her practice. Dr. Steen is working out of one exam lane for now with room to expand into a second when she’s ready. She’s focused on primary care, and she’s eager to do more work in the dry eye and myopia management segments.
She says that the location of the business on the edge of Mount Pleasant is convenient to the many surrounding small towns. “They don’t have to go into town, and this area is growing right off of the interstate,” she says. Insurance continues to be a huge driver of patients in the door, but she also captures patients who have stopped in at the Starbucks or Qdoba next door. She’s also joined the local chamber of commerce.
Dr. Steen says she is grateful to patients who have taken the time to leave a Google review. They ask each patient to do this after their exam, and most people follow through, she says. “They are excited to help your business.” Reading their positive feedback is rewarding, she adds.
Learn more about Mount Pleasant Eye Care online:
Website: mountpleasanteyecare.com
Instagram: @mountpleasanteyecare
Facebook: Mount Pleasant Eye Care
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