first person

five Questions for…

by Stephanie K. De Long

Steve Baker was recently named president of Eyefinity. He spoke with EB about the industry, his goals for the Rancho Cordova, Calif.-based firm, a wholly owned subsidiary of VSP, and a little bit about what makes him tick.

1 EB: How did you get where you are today?
SB: My background is in technology. Before joining Eyefinity seven years ago, I had been in the gaming industry. This is my first adventure with optical, and I love it.

2 EB: What can you tell us about the Eyefinity corporate culture?
SB: There are a couple of core philosophies. It's our overall mission to help private practice succeed. Everyone at Eyefinity visits with practices—all the way to our receptionist.
Every month, we have a team event for the entire company. We've had energy breaks where we bring in energy bars or beverages, a masseuse day, chili cook-offs, even talent shows. La crème de la crème is our raft trip. We take the whole company on a weekday and end the trip with a big barbeque.

3 EB: What do you say to practices that want create a positive culture but don't know how?
SB: I've visited practices across the U.S, and some of the smallest ones, with three or four employees, have great cultures.
The key is getting everyone involved. When you charge employees with creating and defining a culture, it energizes them.

4 EB: What do you say to ECPs who still view managed care as a necessary evil?
SB: I see a common thread in successful practices' views. Their focus is on the fact that a managed care company has delivered a patient free of charge—with no marketing costs involved. And, they try to make that person a customer for life.

5 EB: How will Eyefinity look a year from now?
SB: The center beam—to see private practice succeed—will remain the same.
We may get into some new programs or solutions. For example, with our Success Guide series we'll continue to move into helping practices on the business side. EB