performing laser surgeries, Hodges said. What’s more unique about their business is it’s one of only a few here that has its own surgery center. “This may be the only solo in town. It’s good and bad. I like it being just me. But when it’s time to pay the bills, it would be nice if there were others to share the cost. Yet there are logistical challenges to bringing in other doctors,” Hodges added. While he’s seeing patients and spending time in surgery, Angela handles the optometry and administrative sides of the business. She holds a doctor of optometry degree. Her expertise is in primary eye care, including diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders and contact lens fittings. She initially practiced as an Army Captain at Walter Reed. “My wife is a better business person,” said Hodges. He believes it’s quite unusual for husband and wife specialists to own a practice together, but they have the same challenges any spouses would when working together – such as separating their work and personal lives when they go home. “We’ve learned over the last 10 years,” Hodges said. “We don’t have a lot of time during the day to talk to each other, so we have to talk at home – but we’ve developed rules for when is the best time to talk about it.” They make decisions together by “enthusiastic agreement.” The partners actually run two businesses out of their facility – the clinical side, where they see patients – and the surgical center. Separate books are kept for each because they feel it’s easier to track the two businesses Two to three times a month Hodges takes a team of four to work at a clinic in Douglas, seeing 30 to 40 patients in a morning – generally for cataracts, glaucoma and diabetes.
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Those needing surgery come to Tucson, he said. “Douglas is an underserved community. It’s economically depressed. Most people are very poor – but they are some of the most appreciative people I’ve ever met.” Hodges, a licensed pilot, used to fly his team the quick 25 minutes from Tucson to Douglas. But he sold his plane after the first of the year, so they’re back to making the trip by car. In Tucson, about one-third of Hodges’ business is from established patients, one-third from word of mouth and the final third is from referrals by optometrists. This, he feels, is another unique quality about the practice. “I have a good perspective of optometrists – I’ve been married to one for over 20 years. I’m optometrist friendly,” he said, noting this is not the case for many ophthalmologists. “Optometrists provided primary eye care in the Army. They’d diagnose and then refer patients to me. I thought it was a good system. It’s made our practice more successful,” he said. The most rewarding part of his job is curing severe vision problems. “Making people see is amazing. It never gets old. I’ve been doing cataract surgery for over 20 years. To take someone whose vision is blurry and they can see again – it’s pretty neat.” Even in less severe cases – such as patients who undergo LASIK surgery – the rewards are high for Hodges. “After wearing glasses or contacts, a patient may say, ‘I woke up and I saw the clock.’ To be able to see without glasses or contacts can change someone’s world. I’ve done 10,000-plus surgeries and I’m happy I have a job I love to do.”
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Spring 2013 > > > BizTucson 77