As Auckland’s Re:Vision celebrates its third birthday, having added virtual clinics in Palmerston North, Napier, New Plymouth and North Shore along the way, we asked founder Dr Trevor Gray and practice partner Dr Mo Ziaei to reflect on the journey so far.
“Our first three years have been exciting, challenging, humbling; there’s always something new to learn and grow from. Who could have predicted the challenges thrown at all of us in recent times? Resilience, positivity and keeping our focus on our WeCARE culture have helped us to continue to flourish in the face of adversity,” said Dr Gray.
Raising a glass
Showing gratitude is an important part of life and it’s a core value of Re:Vision, he said. “So this third birthday bash is our opportunity to give thanks to those who have helped to make our fledgling clinic such a success in such a short period of time. It’s really a year overdue, but Covid messed with our plans last year. But it’s better to celebrate now, close to the time of year that we opened our doors to our very first patient three short years ago.”
The birthday is a double celebration for Dr Mo Ziaei, who arrived in Auckland from Moorfields Eye Hospital in London not long before Re:Vision’s opening. The anterior segment specialist was, however, keen to credit his colleagues. “We have an amazing team at Re:Vision,” he said, “some of whom have worked together for more than 10 years. That’s what allows us to provide top quality care for our patients in a friendly but efficient manner.”
Raising the bar with CSR
From the get-go, Re:Vision’s founders had a clear intention when it comes to corporate social responsibility (CSR). “At Re:Vision’s heart is the drive to actively seek ways to use our skills and expertise to support our wider community,” said Dr Gray. “Working closely with the Aotearoa Charity Hospital (ARCH) Trust to provide pro bono cataract surgery for our community’s most in-need patients has thrilled our team at Re:Vision, having paid for 28 ARCH patients to have this sight-saving procedure.”
Many of Re:Vision’s referring optometrists don’t realise they are indirectly supporting this important philanthropic work, since a portion of every patient’s fees contributes to the free cataract surgery for ARCH patients, he said. “So we’re saying a big thank you to all of our referrers supporting this worthy community service that we gladly offer!”
Re:Vision is also committed to a raft of other charitable support work, including free laser vision correction for tetraplegics, support of the Buchanan Ocular Therapeutics Unit, and maintaining strong ties with education, research and training through the University of Auckland.
