Young Vision Care Maintains Focus for 60 Years
After Elwood “Jack” Young returned from World War II, his choices were to study to become an optometrist or to consider professional golf. He conservatively selected optometry, enjoying golf as his life long passion. After the war, there was a major shortage of optometrists across the US. He was accepted at the Northern Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago with a huge number of students for an 18 month accelerated college program.
After graduation, he practiced for a short while in Council Bluffs. In 1950, he purchased the Glenwood office of Dr. Kenneth Myers at 103 N. Walnut. The office was remodeled in 1968. He worked with his wife Bonnie after their children started school. A patient remembered daughter Jacque, when she was five, helping to train her as to how to remove those new fangled contact lenses. “Wide eye, pull, blink- that’s all there is to it”- she repeated after hearing her father. A typical eye exam and glasses cost $36 in 1964. Dr. Elwood was also a consultant at the Glenwood State Hospital School for many years.
George Lee, owner and founder of Rite-Style Optical Company of Omaha, remembers being one of the first optical labs to call of Dr. Elwood (Jack) when he opened his practice in 1950. “Dr Young was enthusiastic, excited and anxious to serve the public with better vision care. He was a real professional, whose thoughts were always in the patient’s best interest.”
In 1974, they hired their first employee. In 1979, daughter, Jacque was accepted at the Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago. During her fourth year at ICO, in 1983, her father enrolled in a 100 hour course to allow the use of diagnostic (dilating) drugs. At the age of 60, he passed the course easily. This was the beginning of the medical model of optometry, with the diagnosing of eye and systemic disease.
Jacque graduated with honors in 1983 and returned to Glenwood. The office space was doubled with her joining the practice. A few years later, additional space was remodeled on the other side of the building bringing the total space to 1200 square feet. The name Young Vision Care was selected in the late 1980’s.
Dr. Elwood Young retired in 1990, having practiced for 40 years. At the time of his retirement, there were three employees. In 1992, the Christiansen Hardware Store building became available for sale. This 4,000 square foot space was purchased and remodeled by Dr. Jacque Young. Dr. Young designed the layout after carefully studying other office designs. Her 3 year old daughter, Whitney, assisted, as she meticulously colored in the boxes on the graph paper in a pattern. At the time of the office move, there were four employees, with two exam rooms and room for expansion.
As optometry’s technology developed over time, more instrumentation was acquired to provide better care. Visual field instrumentation, with units devised to find very early changes in the side vision, were added when first released in the early 1990s. Automated instruments to help determine glasses prescriptions were also added, which were particularly helpful with young children and older patients.
George Lee shares, “Young Vision Care and Rite-Style Optical have experienced many transformations in optical technologies though the past 60 years, but both have remained independent, family owned businesses, focused on providing caring service and the best vision solutions available.”
More recently, Young Vision Care, added an OCT (Optical Coherent Tomographer). This amazing instrument can take up to 24,000 scans in one second of the retinal eye tissue and optic nerve structure. It has a resolution of 5 microns, with one millimeter having 1,000 microns. Young Vision Care was one of the first offices in the Midwest to acquire this new instrument. Dr. Jacque knows that her father would have been totally amazed at the detail of this technology.
Another related technology, digital photography, allows patients to view exactly what the doctors see. These technologies allow careful monitoring of potential and diagnosed glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and other diseases.
In addition, Young Vision Care has kept up-to date with advances in contact lenses, frames, and lens technology. In 1979, there were less than 10 types of soft contact lenses. Currently, over 700 are available. There are now over 400 progressive lens designs for glasses and over 50,000 frames available in the optical market.
Free vision screenings for over 3,000 young children have been provided since 1990 to help our area youth to achieve their best during their academic years. The Glenwood Kiwanis has been instrumental in assisting with these screenings. This has been a priority for Dr. Jacque Young as studies show that 80% of learning is visually related and at least 20% of children have a vision concern.
Dr. Jacque Young shares, “Enhancing and preserving vision for patients of all ages is very rewarding. Last week, I examined a 96 year old who spends several hours a day on the internet and needed a stronger prescription to continue her computer work comfortably. My next patient was a 2 year old with significant astigmatism, causing very distorted vision. My father shared with me when I was younger that if you can look yourself in the mirror each night and tell yourself that you did your very best for each of your patients, it was a great day! I continue his philosophy, as does my staff”.
George Lee credits Dr. Jacque Young for continuing with a successful practice by building on the business principles she learned from her parents and adding to them the finest equipment and latest technology available today. In addition, she surrounds herself with a caring and well-trained team of employees. Lee concludes, “It has been gratifying to watch Dr. Jacque Young develop into a doctor her father would be proud of and to witness the modernization she brings to better care for the vision needs of the Glenwood area community.”
The staff of Young Vision Care now has a total of 12 employees, with 4 full-time and 8 part-time.
Dr. Jacque Young and the staff at Young Vision Care hosted special celebrations throughout the year in honor of their 60th anniversary. In June, “Focus on Fathers” honored Dr. Jack Young. In the fall, a “Funny Four Eyes” photo contest along with a community betterment drive, followed by a Holiday Open House in December.
Comments from longtime patients:
Forrest and Jean M.: Young Vision Care has offered us experienced, caring, knowledgeable staff for over 50 years. Beginning with Dr. Elwood Young, then later Dr. Jacque Young, her staff and the affiliated doctors at the Omaha Eye and Laser Institute, Dr. Sao Liu and Dr. Robert Vandervort, we wish Young Vision Care our congratulations.
Carol and Ray E.: Carol shares- My first meeting with Jack Young was as a classmate at Bloomer Junior High in Council Bluffs. Thus each office visit was like a class reunion. It’s been a pleasure over the years to enjoy excellent eye exams, class reunions, meeting his wife and watching his family grow. Now we enjoy excellent eye exams and family reunions with daughter, Jacque, who has kept up with the times and the newest techniques. The office is so family friendly, in fact, that when we mentioned on one visit that it was our anniversary, Dr. Jacque and her staff came up with a “party” for us: a lovely card signed by her and the staff and even refreshments. Thank you Young Vision Care for seeing that we keep seeing all these years.
Pauline B.: Thank you for 54 years of excellent care through two generations. Best wishes for all the years to come.
Arlene H.: Congratulations on celebrating 60 years in optometry in Glenwood. I've had the priviledge of using your eye service - first with your Dad and his dear wife Bonnie and now the wonderful care has continued with Dr. Jacque. Dr. Jacque has been very thorough with helping me continue to be able to use both eyes.
Shelly Young Lewis shares a memory from her days in the office with her Dad, Dr. Elwood Young: One of my most vivid memories is when a young Mom brought her little boy in to get his glasses. It had to be in the early 70’s and the glasses were the really little ones with the long, curvy temples to hold them on. The little guy was kind of laying in his Mom’s arms, not too sure what Dad was trying to put on his face. As soon as Dad got the glasses on and tucked the temples behind his ears and took his hands away, the little guy looked up at his Mom and it was an amazing and unforgettable moment. I truly believe it was the first time he had ever “seen” his Mom. His face lit up and a huge smile came across his face. I don’t think he took his eyes off her, even as they left that day. I know Dad had to sleep well that night, he had opened up a new world for this little guy and I was lucky to be there to see it happen that day. I am very proud of the legacy of vision care my Dad started in Glenwood and know that Jacque has continued to provide the community with excellent care as well. She had a great role model and he would be very proud of the work she has done to keep excellent vision care available in Glenwood.
- Harley Davidson BBQ cookout
- Homecoming Open House
- Holiday Open House
- Spring Fling
