Eye care center changes ownership, not services
Dr. Wayne Stevens, right, has assumed ownership of EyeCare Professionals from Dr. Martha Morrow, left. Morrow will remain an active staff member of the eye care centers located in Russellville, Red Bay and Moulton. Stevens and Morrow both indicated that patients would see little to no changes in the service they receive.
Even though some changes have taken place at one of the local eye care offices, the optometrists who work there said customers can still expect everything to be “business as usual.”
Ownership of EyeCare Professionals, P.C., which has offices in Russellville, Red Bay and Moulton, has recently changed hands from longtime owner Dr. Martha Morrow to Dr. Wayne Stevens, who has been with the practice for four years.
Morrow said even though she isn’t technically the owner anymore, that doesn’t mean the patients should expect anything different from their experience at any of their offices.
“Over the years, we’ve really tried to build a practice that is committed to the highest level of care, the most state of the art equipment and the best experience our patients can have,” Morrow said.
“Dr. Stevens has been with us since 2008, and I feel very confident that I have turned over the business to someone who shares my same values and vision when it comes to the level of care our patients receive.”
Morrow, who had been with the practice since 1974, said she will still be at the office as much as she’s ever been.
“I’ll still be seeing patients, mostly by appointment, and I’ll still be in the office every week,” she said. “The purpose of the change in ownership was never to stop practicing or seeing the patients I love. I just wanted to free up some of the business responsibility so I have a little more time for other things in my life.”
Morrow said she plans to spend that extra time supporting her husband, Rep. Johnny Mack Morrow, who stays on the go a lot of the time with his duties as a state representative.
“There are many responsibilities Johnny Mack has and I want to be able to support him in whatever he chooses to do,” she said. “We’re also the newest members of the North Alabama Bird Trail, so we’ll be busy with that as well.”
Morrow said she hasn’t been worried about the transfer in ownership because she has had four years to come to know Dr. Stevens and the kind of optometrist he is.
“It was good to be able to turn the practice over to someone I’ve been working with and someone I know the patients are familiar with,” she said. “I think he has a bright future ahead of him.”
Stevens has worked at EyeCare Professionals, P.C. since graduating from optometry school and he said he loves working in the area.
“I’m from Muscle Shoals so this is really like home to me,” he said. “My family and I love the area and we love the people here, and I am excited about this new opportunity.
“This is a big step in my professional career and I have been blessed to have Dr. Morrow as a mentor in how to run a successful eye care business and how to care for your patients.”
Morrow said when it really comes down to it, their motto has always been that the patient comes first.
“Patients can still see me or they can see Dr. Stevens. We work together so if someone wants to request a certain optometrist when they come, that is perfectly fine,” she said. “We want our patients to know that this is a professional environment but it is also a friendly environment and a place where they are truly cared about. That’s what really matters.”
