For Renee Reinholdt, OD, operating an independent optometry practice next to Walmart has proven to be the perfect fit. With two locations in Richfield, Utah, and Mesquite, Nevada, she’s been able to run her practice just as she would in a traditional private setting — offering everything from routine eye care to medical optometry and specialty contact lens fittings.
“I had been in traditional private practice before and worked in other corporate-affiliated settings,” Dr. Reinholdt says. “When I moved west to Utah, I was looking for a new opportunity. Walmart allowed me to practice independently, including medical optometry, which was a key factor for me.”
INVESTMENTS IN EQUIPMENT
Dr. Reinholdt’s expertise extends well beyond standard vision care. She’s added advanced diagnostic tools to her practice, such as optical coherence tomography (OCT) and specular microscopy, which have allowed her to offer comprehensive eye exams. She has also added specialized services, including intense pulsed light for dry eye management. “Walmart offers a lot of the equipment under its lease terms, but I’ve added quite a bit myself,” she said. “I recently upgraded to the OCT-A Maestro with angiography. It’s a game changer for diagnosing retinal conditions.”
Her patient base leans heavily toward older adults, many of whom have underlying medical conditions. Dr. Reinholdt noted that her flexibility to practice medical optometry has been vital. “I handle patients with diabetes, glaucoma workups, dry eye and more. The diagnostic equipment has advanced so much in the 34 years I’ve been in practice. I didn’t have these tools when I went to optometry school, but they allow me to be a better doctor.”
That’s an important development because in her towns, with a population of about 20,000 each, “the ophthalmologists are doing surgeries all day long. They prefer it that I only send them patients who need surgery or injections, and I can consult with them on OCTs or questions about patients with diabetes, if needed.”
Dr. Reinholdt also fits specialty contact lenses, particularly for patients who have had refractive surgeries like LASIK or RK and now struggle with corneal irregularities. “I knew nothing about fitting specialty lenses at first,” she admits. “Now I fit scleral lenses for patients with conditions like corneal ectasia and neurotrophic dry eye.”
She provides patients with their prescription and tells them they can order the lenses anywhere, including through the Vision Center, if available. “Patients are often amazed to find they can access specialty items inside Walmart.”
MANAGING THE BILLING
Once Dr. Reinholdt determined she was going to provide these services, she also knew she needed to brush up on her billing capabilities. “I went back to school and became a certified medical coder and a certified ophthalmic coder,” she said. “This has been crucial for billing, especially since routine exams often lead to medical diagnoses.”
She knows that she is billing appropriately and correctly for her medical services. Dr. Reinholdt has also set a fee schedule for fitting specialty contact lenses that reflects the additional work and expertise that goes into that. She lets patients know that these fits will require more than one appointment, and she’ll bill their medical providers if it’s one of the plan’s benefits.
By working with patients who have specialty needs, such as scleral lenses or moderate to severe dry eye, her relationship with patients deepens. “They are so grateful. It’s not uncommon to have scleral lens patients in tears when they find they can achieve vision they thought they could not.”
She’s grateful that she can work as an independent doctor next to Walmart. “Walmart is easy to work with. I buy the equipment I need and set my own fees. It’s allowed me to grow my practice while offering advanced care to patients in smaller communities. I have the freedom to practice the way I want to. That’s why it’s been such a great fit.”
