The solar eclipse on April 8 reaches totality in Greenfield, Indiana, around 3 p.m. that afternoon. Monica Price Kowaleski, OD, of Price Eye Care, is making plans to manage the frenzy that is expected to accompany the celestial event. “The town is expecting tens of thousands of people. Schools have switched to e-learning that day, and many businesses are closing or throwing a party,” she says. The governor has called a state of emergency to bring in the National Guard to help with traffic management, too.
She’s planning on closing her office around noon, and she’ll likely head to her children’s school grounds to be part of the events there. The town park is hosting “A Total Eclipse of the Park” event, and the nearby Indianapolis Motor Speedway has sold tickets to host about 40,000 eclipse watchers.
Dr. Price Kowaleski says that she has sold about 1,500 pairs of eclipse glasses at $1 each; she purchased them from a local ophthalmologist who ordered in bulk. In fact, during one of her regular frame fashion events, eclipse glasses were a hot seller.
She’s been posting information and sharing posts from Indiana University School of Optometry about the eclipse on her social media. “I’ve been corresponding with patients directly, added a video and purchased some books that I’m giving to the schools,” she says. Recently, the state optometric association offered a one-hour CE with formal education about the eclipse. She will be sharing more of that information this week on Facebook as well.
In and around all this buzz, Dr. Price Kowaleski says it’s business like usual. “We are beginning to focus a little more on wellness than we did a few years ago,” she says. “Wellness, like incorporating lasers for dry eye is gaining momentum.”
She’s a second-generation OD; her father, Herbert Price, OD, still sees patients in her hometown of Logansport, Indiana. Dr. Price Kowaleski is a solo practitioner with eight staff members, some full-time and some part-time. “We offer full-scope care, and I participate in clinical studies whenever I can. We’re not far from Eli Lilly, and we’re currently working with a local medical practice doing the preliminary screenings for patients on new diabetes drugs,” she says.
“Optometry is a great career,” she says. She has been a member of the state association and the IU School of Optometry’s alumni board for 22 years. “I love staying connected with the schools.” She has been a Rotarian for 17 years and is the current past-president of the Greenfield Club. She loves giving back to her community and helping with international projects as well. In fact, with her husband Kevin, she hosted a Rotary exchange student, Pablo, six years ago. This experience then inspired them to adopt.
She’s also excited about what comes next for her practice. She has already remodeled her practice once and is looking for ways to expand her reach. She has three exam lanes built out, but she could expand that to five. “We could revamp the office space, but it would require hiring more staff and more doctors,” she says.
But that planning can wait until after the excitement of the eclipse passes.
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Feature photo credit: Getty Images; solar eclipse August 21, 2017 at 1:15 pm from Wisconsin, USA 85% Coverage. Matt Anderson Photography. All other photos courtesy of Dr. Price Kowaleski.
