Jane Through the Years

Thirty Years in the Making

Our dear Jane is moving on to bigger and better things upon her retirement at the end of this year. She is a familiar face to anyone who walks through the front door. Our guru of insurances and contact lens rebates – she will never be replaced in our hearts! The following post is a celebration of her time at Weber Vision Care, with some pretty cool pictures and stories to emphasize Jane’s integral role in the practice’s history.

An Interview with the One and Only

When did you start at Weber Vision Care, and what were things like then?
Jane said she started at Weber Vision Care in June 1988 when the office was on Elmerton Avenue. At the time, Dr. Weber was practicing with two other optometrists (not Drs. Bloom and Williams yet). The office was very busy, and there were no computers at all. Jane started at check-in, then quickly transitioned into checking-out every patient in the office. She had a big [as she stretches her arms across most of her work space] paper ledger and appointment book for keeping track of the transactions and schedule.

What aspect of the practice has changed the most over the years?
Without hesitation – “COMPUTERS.” When the office got computers in the late 90’s, that was the first time she had any exposure to computers. She learned to transition her daily duties of paper scheduling and billing onto the computer, but admits that she is
still learning computers to this day! “The craziest thing is that patients can schedule an
appointment online without ever talking to someone in the office.”

What is your favorite memory at Weber Vision Care?
“When Dr. Williams surprised me with my puppy at work!” It was a Friday evening when Dr. Williams, a friend, and Jane were talking about different breeds of dogs that were available for adoption. All of the dogs they were talking about were too big for what Jane had in mind. That following Wednesday, Dr. Williams walked up to Jane and told her that a puppy was on its way! Little did Jane know that the puppy she met in front of the office that day would be her precious little Missy! Now Jane and Missy are inseparable.

How do you plan to occupy your time when you’re not here working?
“Training Missy some more and getting the house straightened up. You know there are things to be cleaned out, thrown out, and organized.” Of course she will be spending more time with Missy! (We knew that answer without asking!)

Do you have any funny stories?
Shortly after the new security system was installed in the Elmerton Ave. office, Jane got locked inside the building! Everyone had already left the office and activated the security system, but Jane didn’t have a code to the system. Since she thought the alarm would go off if she opened the door, she had no way out. Dr. Williams just happened to be driving by the office later that evening and saw the lights were still on, and she could see Jane on the phone through the front window. Turns out that Jane was trying to call Dr. Bloom for help, but Dr. Williams beat her to it. Don’t worry, Jane knows how to work the system now!

What will you miss here the most?
Jane will miss being “out in the work world” surrounded by people. We think she’ll be coming back to visit us sooner than later (and we’re quite alright with that!)

Any words of advice?
“As changes come, go with them. As long as you’re part of it, you have to make the most of it.”

Memories from the Weber Vision Care Staff
These are some of our favorite stories and memories of Jane…

Dr. Bloom: “Jane started at Weber back when both Frank and Martin Weber were practicing. Everyone was a cash patient and we used paper ledgers. She’s been through a lot of changes at Weber through the years, but remained loyal through it all.”

Dr. Williams: “There was a time when Jane was on vacation for several days. A patient walked into the office with extreme concern for Jane’s whereabouts since she was not sitting at her normal spot at the front desk. So many people stop on their way out to talk to Jane before leaving. It just won’t be the same without her!”

Dr. O’Neal: “I remember going to the Elmerton Ave. office since I was a child. It was a known fact that you could not leave the office without stopping at Jane’s counter to check-out and schedule an appointment for the next year. Of all the people in the office, I only knew the doctors and Jane, of course! She would get out her binder of contact lens rebates and make sure you got the best deal possible. Seems like nothing has changed after all these years!”

Ellie: “When I can’t figure something out, I go to Jane for help. I have a feeling I’ll be calling her at home!”

Jena: “When I was first married, I remember calling Jane at her house for a question about laundry! I was 19 years old when I started here, so she saw me through big stages in my life – dating, getting engaged, married, and having children. Some offices have ‘work friends’ or ‘work spouses’, but I felt like Jane has been my ‘work mom.’”

Deb: “Jane and I seem to be the last to leave the office a lot of times. We have shared a lot of stories with each other. I am going to miss that sweet beautiful smile!!!”

Mandy: “ Two words – BUBBLE WRAP. At the Elmerton Ave. office, Jane always sat with her back towards me, and she would be sliding around on her chair with wheels. Knowing this, I snuck bubble wrap around her chair on the floor, so it would pop and scare her when she moved. It definitely worked! I couldn’t stop laughing!”

Gayle: “I always told Jane I wanted to be married more times than her and work for Weber longer than she did!”

Wanda: “Obviously, the bubble wrap story! Jane will be remembered and missed by staff and patients.”

Abby: “We were talking about food and the meals we make for dinner. Jane told us how she does not like cheese and never eats it. Then she told us about the delicious meals she eats for dinner…majority of which includes cheese! She still denies liking cheese, but there’s a possibility she’s eating it every night.”

Danielle: “I remember writing secret admirer notes for Jane, leaving flowers and chocolate at her desk, and also printing out the lyrics to the song, Sweet Jane, to put it on her clipboard by her phone while she was at lunch. Jane is a tough cookie! No matter what she was going through, her beautiful smile still shone brightly and she genuinely cared about every patient that walked into this practice. If anyone defines dedication, it’s Jane.”

Piper: “Jane has the best skin complexion and everyone knows it! I can only hope that my skin looks that flawless years from now. She needs to teach me her secrets!”

Tim: “Jane taught me something on the computer quicker than anyone in the office. I also learned her name the fastest.” (…Tim struggled at first with all of our names, but we’re confident he knows us now!)

We will all surely miss Jane, but we know this isn’t ‘goodbye’. We hope you enjoy the pictures of Jane through the years. Looks like not a single day has passed!