A brand aligned with my values as an optometrist
Having grown up with a grandparent with a severe visual impairment, Dr. Clark Tardiff had an interest in the world of optometry from an early age. Carrying out his studies in Nova Scotia and Wales, he began his career working for Specsavers in England, before heading home to Canada to practice in Alberta.
During his career, he’s been able to do several volunteer optometric trips to countries like Moldova and Fiji, where eyecare isn’t always as accessible. Seeing the difference in other countries made Dr. Tardiff realize how fortunate Canadians are to have access to quality healthcare. With 39% of Canadians without vision or health benefits, he is a firm believer that patients shouldn’t have to have a hefty bank balance to receive quality eyecare and eyewear.*
It was this belief that brought his career back to Specsavers, where he’s now an Optometry Partner and independent clinic owner in Calgary, Alberta.
“Around the world, Specsavers has opened the door for many people who haven’t traditionally had accessible, quality eyecare and trendy eyewear,” says Dr Tardiff. “I’ve looked forward to Specsavers bringing their model to Canada.”
“When I heard that Specsavers was entering the Canadian market, I immediately knew that I was ready for the opportunity to become a clinic owner. And after speaking to several team members from the support office and discussing the partnership model with the company, I knew that it was a good fit for me and how I envisioned my career.”
One of the challenges for optometrists starting their own clinic is the tasks that get in the way of providing patients with the best care possible. A partnership with Specsavers is designed to remove those barriers, providing comprehensive business support for areas like technology, marketing and accounting, and allowing optometrists to focus on running their clinic in the way they think is best.
Specsavers was founded with a vision to change lives through better sight, whether that’s providing quality eyecare, affordable eyewear, or improving eye health education. A recent study showed that 16% of Canadians were over 31 years old when they had their first eye exam, with non-glasses wearers arguing that they put off getting an eye exam because of cost (29%), no eyesight issues or symptoms (28%) and inconvenience (10%).*
With this new partnership, Dr. Tardiff is keen to help change these stats for Canadians: “I would like to see more and more people coming in for routine eye exams. Educating the public on how many eye conditions do not always have symptoms but can be picked up during a routine eye exam is key to this. At my clinic, we include OCT scans as a standard part of the examination to see the back of the eye of our patients and support early detection of eye conditions,” he explains.
“Specsavers’ commitment to invest in advanced eyecare technology shows their dedication to patient care, which matters to me as an optometrist and a partner.”
If you’re passionate about changing lives through better sight, let’s get in touch. Learn more by reaching out to our recruitment team at enquiries.ca@specsavers.com.
Explore your career with Specsavers here.