When Belgreen native Dr. David Britton first aspired to become an optometrist, he always hoped that he would one day be able to work close to home.
Britton’s wish came true at the first of the year when he was hired as the new optometrist at EyeCare Professionals, P.C., which has offices in Russellville, Red Bay and Moulton, and Britton said he was excited about being back home.
“It’s great to be working here in Russellville so close to where I grew up,” he said.
“I love that I’ll be helping people that I know, but I’m also excited to get to know other people in the area that I might not have known before.”
Britton, who graduated from Belgreen High School in 2001, said he knew when he was eight years old that he wanted to be an optometrist.
“That might sound strange that an eight-year-old boy would want to be an eye doctor, but that was the age I was when I had my first eye check-up,” he said.
“I didn’t end up getting glasses until a year later, but from the first time I went I just thought it seemed like a job I would like to do.”
Britton said Dr. Jeff McLaughlin was his first optometrist and he was very instrumental in Britton’s decisions to become an optometrist as well.
“He always made his job seem like it was a lot of fun, but at the same time, he was helping people, too,” Britton said.
“He was friendly and nice and I was able to see first-hand how much he helped me, so that just reaffirmed my decision that optometry was the right decision for me.”
After Britton graduated from BHS, he graduated from the University of North Alabama in 2005 with a degree in chemistry and industrial hygiene and then attended the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s School of Optometry and worked straight through until he received his degree in the spring of 2009.
Immediately after his graduation from optometry school, Britton started working for Dr. James H. Manasco in Haleyville. He later started working for Family Vision Center in Florence in July of 2010 as well.
Britton said he was enjoying being a practicing optometrist but the desire he had to work closer to home was always there, so when he received a call from Dr. Wayne Stevens at EyeCare Professionals, P.C., he knew where he wanted to go.
“Dr. Stevens was actually a year ahead of me in optometry school, so I knew him and knew that he was working in Russellville,” Britton said.
“He told me he was looking for a new doctor, I was excited to finally have the opportunity to work in the county I grew up in.”
Britton said he hated to leave behind the patients in Florence that he had already built relationships with, but he was looking forward to building new relationships here locally that he will hopefully have for years to come.
“That’s been one of the hardest things about only being at a job for a couple years at a time is having to move on and leave most of your patients behind,” he said.
“I hope to practice here locally for many years and have time to get to know all my patients and really be able to help them.
“That’s the whole reason I became an optometrist in the first place – to help people. I believe vision is one of the most important senses we have, and you really can change a person’s life by changing the way they seethe world.”
Dr. Britton is now available to see patients at the Russellville office on Monday – Wednesday and he’ll see patients at the Red Bay office on Thursdays. To schedule an appointment, call 256-332-5440.