Advanced Eyecare, the Charleston, West Virginia, practice of Rebecca St. Jean, OD, was open for business during five months of renovations in 2013, only closing for two weeks for demolition and trenching for plumbing. “We needed to add 1,500 square feet, so we remodeled the entire space,” Dr. St. Jean says. “My goal was for a traditional, timeless look so I would not have to remodel anytime soon.”
Dr. St. Jean adjusted the schedule during the construction period, and she says that patients were understanding and eager to see how the office space was progressing. “We had to be flexible all throughout the process as our workspaces continually changed as the project progressed,” Dr. St. Jean explains. “As optical was finishing, we moved into that space, so construction could begin on the workup areas.”
Dr. St. Jean says that while the process was chaotic, she wouldn’t have done it any other way, and she credits her project manager and construction crew for their work ethic and professionalism. “Our project manager did everything he could to minimize disruption to our practice,” Dr. St. Jean says. “The crew came in on weekends, early mornings, evenings, and kept the work area as clean as they could as they were working. The crew was also mindful that patients were within earshot at all times, and they were very friendly to our patients.”
Dr. St. Jean incorporated fabrics and finishes that looked beautiful and are also durable to last for years to come, and patients saw the pieces come together when they visited the office or through updates posted on the practice Facebook page. Dr. St. Jean welcomed everyone to the office for an open house when the project was complete. “Our patients were very excited to be a part of the transformation of the practice,” she says.
