By MOLLY DAVIDSON / Staff Writer

NORTH SHELBY—For as long as she can remember, optometrist Dr. Barbara Wright knew she wanted to be a doctor, and after 25 years in the business, it’s still her passion.

Wright received her degree from UAB and has been serving patients of all ages in the Birmingham area for nearly a decade. On April 18, she moved her practice to the new Eyemart Express on U.S. 280.

“(I love) interacting with the patients. Helping someone see really improves their life,” Wright said. “(I enjoy) knowing I’m really helping improve their day-to-day life by helping them see better.”

Appointments begin in Wright’s high-tech test room, which is equipped with a variety of machines to examine all parts of the eye.

Information gathered in the test room is then wirelessly sent to the exam room next door.

“I have all the data already plugged in, and it gets started from there,” Wright said of the streamlined process.

Wright’s space also includes a second, handicapped-accessible exam room fitted with a movable chair to easily accommodate wheelchair-bound patients.

Wright specializes in family eye care and sees a range of patients from as young as 3-years-old.

Regular eye care is important at any age, and especially at a young age, Wright said. She suggested her child patients schedule annual appointments.

“There’s a lot of things we can pick up when you’re young,” Wright said, explaining conditions, such as a lazy eye, can be identified and corrected in young patients, while they might not be as easily fixable if discovered in older patients.

Even if a person has no vision problems, Wright said regular eye exams are important.

“There’s a lot of things that can affect the eyes early on,” Wright said.

Eye exams can pick up on conditions such as diabetes and hypertension as well as eye conditions including macular degeneration.

Wright’s Eyemart office carries a variety of contact lenses and glasses on site. It is located at 420 Cahaba Park Circle, off of U.S. 280. For more information, call 328-3336.