ASC Industry Leader to Know: Dr. William Lahners of the Center for Sight

Every year, the staff members at Center for Sight in Sarasota, Fla., become angels for local underprivileged children. By collecting toys and presents for children who might otherwise go without, the staff doesn't just give back to the community — they create a real sense of camaraderie in the workplace, says medical director William J. Lahners, MD, FACS.

In a July interview with Becker's ASC Review, Dr. Lahners said holding regular events and encouraging communication is essential to building a great team. "We really try to share in each other's company and in each other's lives," he said. "Center for Sight has always been very family oriented and therefore a real cohesive group."

Encouraging communication means talking honestly with your staff about your facility's successes, failures and opportunities for growth. Once you know where your strengths lie, it won't be hard to attract patients, Dr. Lahners says. "When we advertise, we're trying to be as specific as we can and as honest as we can about things we do here that differentiate us from other practices," he said. "We were the first practice on the west side of Florida to do all-laser LASIK surgery. We haven't used a blade for LASIK surgery since 2004, which gives us not just years more experience, but thousands of eyes more experience."

Dr. Lahners specializes in LASIK, cataract and glaucoma surgery and serves as a principal investigator for ongoing FDA LASIK and intraocular lens studies. He is also interested in improving modern glaucoma surgery and has been a clinical investigator for various types of non-penetrating glaucoma surgery.

Dr. Lahners earned his MD from Louisiana State University, where he was one of the only students to complete the honors research program. He also completed a medical and surgical internship at Mayo Clinic, an ophthalmology residency at Emory University in Atlanta and a LASIK fellowship at the Phillips Eye Institute and Minnesota Eye Consultants in Minneapolis.

Read more on notable ASC leaders:

-ASC Industry Leader to Know: Steven Geringer of AmSurg

-ASC Industry Leader to Know: Larry Taylor, CEO of Practice Partners in Healthcare

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