Cover Story
Dr. William “Chip” Richardson and his wife Candy, office manager, built Georgetown Eye Care from the ground up. The thriving ophthalmology practice opened in 2007.
An Independent Visionary Georgetown ophthalmologist sees the future of his specialty and his practice through the lens of innovation and self-reliance Richardson it is easy to understand this loyalty. He is passionate about this practice, and the GEORGETOWN Born into a family of engineers, practice is all about the patients. musicians, and optometrists, William Wallace Hard work and the delight in hard work “Chip” Richardson, MD, was nurtured in must be in Richardson’s DNA. He attended technology, performance, and a curiosity for Ohio State University’s Honors Program, but the eye and its abnormalities from childhood. was restless. When a professor there told him It is through the hard-working application of he was going to grade “Ivy League” tough, all of these skills that Richardson has been able Richardson said to himself, “Hmm, if I’m to do something almost unheard of in today’s going to be graded like Ivy League, I might medical environment – build and grow a solo as well go Ivy League,” so he transferred to ophthalmology practice in Central Kentucky, Cornell University and graduated with a BA in specifically in Georgetown. In medicine science. Cornell’s issuing an arts degree to a scitoday, almost all doctors, when they finish ence major is not an idiosyncrasy. They are telltheir residency or fellowship, join an estabing the world that their science grads are well lished large group or steeped in the humanare employed by a I thought, if I just keep working as hard as I can, it will happen. ities. Richardson hospital or healthcare shows the lasting — Dr. William Wallace “Chip” Richardson network. Richardson’s effects of this educastory is intriguing and tion in small ways, like complex, but he keeps coming back to one Currently, the practice sees about 80 patients keeping a book of poetry on his desk, and large mantra, “I thought, if I just keep working as a day. Richardson describes his established ways, like compassionate and personal care hard as I can, it will happen.” Well, he did, patient population as very loyal with some for every patient and dedication to restoration and it happened. former residents of Georgetown still returning of the Choctaw Academy, an historic Native Richardson, with his wife Candy as office for their annual visits from their new homes American school that operated in Scott County manager, now operates a thriving private prac- many states to the south. In conversation with from 1825-1848. BY BOB BAKER
tice – Georgetown Eye Care. The practice employs a second ophthalmologist, James Gullett, MD, a graduate of the University of Kentucky ophthalmology residency; optometrist Stefanie Adams, OD, a graduate (cum laude) of the Illinois College of Optometry; and 12 office staff, including technicians and opticians. As a group, they provide eye care to a patient population of all ages from Georgetown and Scott County, including employees from the Toyota plant, as well as patients from surrounding areas such as Grant, Bourbon, and Harrison counties, and the stretch of land between Georgetown and the catchment area of the Cincinnati Eye Institute.
PHOTOS BY JOE OMIELAN
ISSUE #104 13