Yes! Long-time local Ophthalmologist Dr. Greg Brophey of Northwestern Ophthalmology continues to have a busy practice here in Franklin County and continues to do eye surgery at Northwestern Medical Center.  His practice is indeed accepting new patients.

Earlier this month, we came across a rumor that ran contrary to those facts.  It may have been sparked by ongoing discussion about where the practice is located.  It seems those discussions may have caused confusion, so I am pleased to have this opportunity to clear that up. Dr. Brophey and the Northwestern Ophthalmology team are located at 53 Fairfax Road in St. Albans.  It is a wonderful office, but they are outgrowing it due to the need in the community.  We are currently making plans to relocate Northwestern Ophthalmology to a larger, more efficient space just down the road from their existing office and even closer to the NMC campus.  We are planning to have Dr. Brophey and Northwestern Ophthalmology move to the Northern Valley Eyecare building at 128 Fisher Pond Road in St. Albans.  That building currently houses the Optometry practice of Dr. Steven St. Marie and Dr. David DiMarco on the first floor, and Northwestern Dermatology, featuring Dr. Stephanie Neider, on the second floor.  There is an open office suite in that building which would provide wonderful room to grow for Northwestern Ophthalmology. The new space and new equipment will help us make short wait times even shorter, as vision problems should be addressed in a timely manner. Not only is the interior space larger and fully accessible and can be designed to be even more efficient, the available parking is larger. The added convenience of plentiful parking will be welcomed by his patients. With its location even closer to NMC’s campus while still providing easy access from I-89 and routes 104, 105, 36, and 7, it is an ideal new home for this growing practice. We are currently hoping to complete this move before Fall of 2017. I expect that it was talk of this move which prompted confusion about the future of this practice.  Rest assured, Dr. Brophey and his team at Northwestern Ophthalmology will continue to care for patients here in northwestern Vermont.

I appreciate the concern that talk of Dr. Brophey relocating sparked, as it shows the value his patients and the community place in having access to the care his practice provides.  Dr. Brophey’s website (http://www.northwesternmedicalcenter.org/services/ophthalmology/) says, “Dr. Brophey has over ten years of experience with a comprehensive range of medical and surgical eye care services. He performs surgeries exclusively at NMC Surgical Services, using the latest eye care technology and equipment, including lasers for the treatment of glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy, as well as diagnostic equipment for individuals with glaucoma, certain corneal diseases and certain retinal diseases such as macular generation and diabetes.” One aspect of care which has been of particular interest to many patients is Dr. Brophey’s use of topical anesthesia, which helps reduce anxiety some patients have about the use of needles for anesthesia injections near their eyes.

Meanwhile, as his outpatient practice continues to grow, Dr. Brophey is taking a leading role in the further refinement of the efficiency of workflows within our approach to eye surgery at NMC, as part of the hospital’s ongoing continuous improvement efforts to streamline how we do what we do.  This is a direct benefit to our patients and helps pull avoidable costs out of the healthcare system.

Ophthalmology and eye surgery are necessary medical services which can be provided in an exceptional manner in a rural community setting such as ours. We appreciate the concern that talk of Dr. Brophey’s relocation seems to have sparked and I am happy to reassure you that his move is simply ‘down the street’ (and not until later next year!) to keep pace with community need.  For more information on Dr. Brophey and Northwestern Ophthalmology, please call their practice at (802) 524-4274.

— Jill Berry Bowen, NMC’s Chief Executive Officer