Business Profile
A Neighborhood Company You Can Trust Written by Craig Whitney Photos by Mark Strohm, Strohm Photography
B
roomall Eye Care has been a neighborhood optometry practice that has treated the Marple community for 19 years. The new location is in the Lawrence Park Shopping Center, across the street from Salon Bella and paired with other medical businesses such as NovaCare and private practice physicians. Dr. Michael Allodoli first purchased the practice in 2006, and has spent the last 13 years building a relationship of trust with the employees and the patients that continue coming back. Dr. Allodoli first worked for a national eyewear retail business, diagnosing customers and prescribing eyeglasses. “The job was fast-paced and enjoyable, but the personal connection with the patient wasn’t there,” Dr. Allodoli explained. “One exam runs into another, with no time to get involved. It felt like filling in a number, jumping from one patient to another.” In 2006, Dr. Allodoli decided to leave his secure job to take a risk and own a practice of his own. There would be risk, and the risk would have to rest on him above all else, but working for himself has been fulfilling in ways his previous jobs never were. “In my own practice, everything is much more personable. When the patients come back, they always see me. You’re gonna see me, my optician who I’ve worked with since 2006, it’s been the same people here for 13 years,” Dr. Allodoli said.
Dr. Michael Allodoli, OD, Broomall
Eye Care
There are many benefits to having the same doctor over a long amount of time. From a practical perspective, having the same doctor for years can allow for a more informed diagnosis and treatment plan. An optometrist can become very familiar with the patient, finding trends and working from a personal, long-term understanding of the patient.
“ ” Patients become familiar friends, often neighbors in Marple.
In a more personal sense, there is a sense of reliability and trust between the doctors and staff at Broomall Eye Care and the patients that keep coming back. Patients become familiar friends, often neighbors in Marple. Dr. Allodoli can walk to work from his home, the connection between his work and the community he lives in is one of his favorite things about owning his own practice in Marple. Dr. Allodoli has grown up in the Philadelphia area, raised in Overbrook. He always knew about Marple, and appreciated the vibrant community. He had moved his family to Marple before the opportunity to open an optometry practice right down the street presented itself. Having his business grow and develop in the same town that he has raised his children in has made this new career path more fulfilling and enjoyable. Dr. Allodoli met his wife, Lisa, at a Christmas party for the previous eyewear retail company he had worked for. He and Lisa’s sister were coworkers, and after hitting it off at the Christmas party, Dr. Allodoli and Lisa would marry and start their life together with a move to Marple. 12 Marple Friends & Neighbors / Bringing People Together
