What do you expect when visiting the eye doctor? Get your vision checked, prescription updated…maybe a new pair of glasses? You’d be delighted to walk into McWilliams Vision Care (keyword: care).

Its warm and friendly atmosphere makes you feel right at home. I know! Who says this about their annual checkups!? Skeptical? Read on.

The walls of the waiting area are lined with pictures of Evansville (welcome home), and there is always a smiling face to greet you when you enter. We spoke with the owner, Dr. Brittany McWilliams, to learn more about the heart behind her hospitality – sorry, optometry business.

What sparked your interest in optometry?

I had eye surgery when I was nine months old, and so I was constantly in and out of the optometrist growing up. When I went to college, I knew I wanted to do something in the medical field, but I wasn’t sure what. I spent some time working at an optometry clinic in my undergraduate years and felt like I found my niche.

What does having your own practice mean to you?

The big thing for me is the ability to control the entire patient experience. I don’t want people to come just for a routine eye exam. This can also be a completely educational experience. When patients come to McWilliams Vision Care, they learn about their eyes and they receive helpful information on how to help their vision.

Patients are also surprised to find that we do so much more than examine vision. We check for diabetes, high blood pressure, and other diseases that can be detected just by examining the eye. People often don’t realize this is possible. They might think, ‘Oh, my vision is fine so I don’t need to see the eye doctor.’ I want to screen people with good vision, because I may find other issues in the eye that might not be related to vision.

What else are people surprised to discover at McWilliams Vision Care?

Often, people expect to see an older, male doctor. It catches some people by surprise to see a younger woman. One of my personal highlights is knowing that I can be a role model for young women. A good friend of mine has a five-year-old daughter. She told me that her daughter looks up to me and that it’s important for her to see that women can own businesses and be leaders. It was such a blessing for me to hear that.

I love that I’m showing others in the community that you don’t have to fit a certain mold to have your own practice or business.

What are some of your goals for the practice?

Goals. Not just for growth, but intentional growth. I want to come into the office each day and see a schedule full of patients that we know – not just their eyes, but their life. This is so important when it comes to having that good patient relationship. That’s my goal. We’re actually getting there very quickly! It creates a pleasant environment for patients and employees.

I really want people to have a nice, welcoming experience from start to finish. A great thing about owning our own office means we can do more to help people in need instead of just passing them off to someone else. I’ve been able to help patients after hours for eye injuries and other emergency issues. At times, this involves coming into the office, but sometimes it’s just as much as a reassuring phone call.

What does having a business in Evansville mean to you?

I was born and raised here, so being able to have my practice here has been fantastic. I’ve got a huge support system because a lot of my family and friends are here. Evansville is such a friendly place.

So many people doing neat things in Evansville right now. When you think about supporting local you usually think about retail, but there are so many medical professions and other services that bring money back into the city.

With doctors and staff who care deeply about their patients and their community, McWilliams Vision Care truly understands the vision of being a local business. Visit McWilliams Vision Care online to schedule an appointment or learn more about their cozy services.