Robin Crocker-Wilson, O.D., has spent her entire career in health care, making the move 20 years ago from nursing to optometry. "I graduated from Bradley University with a degree in nursing and then worked at Methodist Medical Center in the ICU, emergency room, and the open-heart unit. After six years in nursing, I found myself burned out by grief day after day. I began considering other career choices with better hours and less stress. One day, I had a patient who was an optometrist. We spoke about the profession, and he encouraged me to look into it, which I did."

Wilson, who grew up in both Lacon and South America, opened her own practice, Wilson Eye Care Center, last year after two decades in the field. "Retail optometry was difficult for me; you have little control over the booking of appointments and patient scheduling. I didn't feel I could do a quality job for my patients and, at the same time, offer them the best available eye care products. I felt very restrained in the commercial setting. This motivated me greatly to strive for a private practice," she explained.

With help from her husband, also an optometrist, Wilson set out to find a perfect location. "After we found a great location on Pioneer Parkway, I drew up the plans that had developed in my mind over the years, and it was built just the way I wanted it."

As a therapeutic optometrist, Wilson is able to examine, diagnose, treat, and manage vision problems and a variety of eye diseases. "Our profession has a very high standard of care; I have several high-tech pieces of computerized equipment that can automatically estimate the glasses prescription, map the entire front surface of the eye, and test for neurological defects in vision. Before the end of the year, I'll have a digital camera that captures images of the back of the eye, which will allow for faster diagnoses and treatments of eye disease," she said.

Another service she offers is contact lens fittings. "Many disposable contact lenses are now available in extreme prescriptions, including high astigmatism and bifocals. I also have special contact lens fitting sets to help patients with medical corneal conditions, and a lens is now available as an alternative to refractive surgery. Corneal refractive therapy is an FDA-approved method of reshaping the cornea by wearing a contact lens while sleeping," Wilson said.

Customers today are benefiting from a diversity in style and technology that's never before been available in eye care, she said. "Eyeglass lens and frame technology has exploded; materials and designs are evolving constantly. Lenses are lighter and thinner, with technologically designed coatings to eliminate glare and reflection and improve durability. There are new lenses that go from clear to dark in the sunlight, and ultraviolet protection also has improved. Some of the new contacts also screen out ultraviolet light, and photochromic contacts darken in sunlight. Colored contacts are becoming more natural with enhanced colors."

Refractive surgery also continues to improve, with new wave front technology, Wilson said. "This technology creates less aberrations that can ultimately cause the halos, double vision, and starbursting apparent in the first generation of refractive procedures. But side effects remain unpredictable at times, so patients need to be well informed. You only have two eyes; never try to get a deal on surgery, and always work with a doctor you trust and feel comfortable with."

In addition to running her own practice, Wilson is a member of Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity, an organization of doctors and opticians who volunteer their time and expertise to provide care for the poor. "I've traveled to Ecuador, and more recently to Morocco, to give free eye exams. On my last trip, 10 optometrists and 20 opticians traveled with 8,000 pairs of glasses donated to the Lions Club. We saw 5,000 patients in 10 days. This is hugely rewarding and keeps a person very humble. It's still difficult to understand how we can go to the moon, but some people have to go without a simple pair of glasses."

Closer to home, Wilson said optometrists are working on many goals to serve and educate the public, one of which is to become an integral part of infant and child wellness. "We need to educate the public by stressing the critical importance of early detection, management, and treatment of ocular conditions and disease in children. Very few infants are examined unless eye problems are very apparent. Infants need a comprehensive assessment within the first year of life to complement the care they receive at the pediatrician's office. Also, parents need to know vision screenings at school are no substitute for a full examination and may not be effective enough to detect many childhood eye problems."

She said she enjoys blending this family- and relationship-focused medical care with dispensing that offers high-tech lenses, frames, sunglasses, and contact lens products. "I have very unique product lines that fulfill patients' style needs. These include many high-fashion, international designs you would normally find in larger cities. Patients don't have to make a long drive to find something extraordinary for themselves. I'm hoping, in time, when people think of exceptional eye care, great fashion, and friendly service, they'll think of Wilson Eye Care."

Wilson said one aspect she really enjoys about optometry is that it's a good fit for women. "The hours are good-unless you work retail-and the gratification as a caregiver is immense. Sixty percent of the entering class at the Illinois College of Optometry are females."

The biggest challenge so far has been opening her office and becoming a boss, she said. "My staff and I are close, and at times it's difficult to set aside the friendship hat and put on the boss hat. I remind them that each one of them is a 10 and, therefore, I don't expect work at a level five or six. It's been a great ride so far."

As for other women thinking of becoming entrepreneurs, she advised them to do their homework, take their time, and ask for help when they need it. "When I thought about starting my own business, I knew it was a risk. However, I believed in myself and felt if I worked smart and hard and did the right thing, I could do this. I didn't think about failing. Also, I set small daily, weekly, and more long-term goals. Obtaining even those small daily goals gives me great positive energy." TPW