We value our staff members at Piedmont Eye Center, and we want our patients to get to know them better! Each month, we introduce you to one of the people who keep our office going. Next in our “Meet the Staff” series is Tammy. Get to know her!
What is your role at Piedmont Eye Center?
I am an ophthalmic assistant and mainly work for Dr. Gene Moss. I work for both the Bedford and Lynchburg location.
How long have you worked at Piedmont?
I have worked for Piedmont Eye Center since March 1, 2010, when they bought the Bedford practice from Dr. Kerry Woodroof. I was hired in 1997 by Dr. Woodroof when my youngest child first started school.
What do you love most about your job?
I enjoy learning new things daily about ophthalmology. I love meeting new people and seeing our regular patients for exams. Sometimes, exams can be stressful and I enjoy helping them through the process and making the experience as easy and enjoyable as possible. It is often rewarding just helping patients understand the importance of the exam or the test they are having to take.
What is one thing you wish every patient knew?
That we REALLY care.
What do you enjoy doing in your free time?
I live on a cattle and horse farm in Bedford County with my husband of 33 years. I love spending time on the farm with my family, and am fortunate that two of my children live on the farm and the other close by. My parents are also still on the farm with us. I am happiest when I am out on the farm with the dogs and grand-dogs.
If you were stranded on a desert island and could only bring one thing, what would it be?
You asked for a thing—not a person. I’d say my dog.
If money was not a concern, what would you do every day if you didn’t work?
I would be outside on the farm taking care of all the animals and enjoying the fresh air and view of the Blue Ridge Mountains. I have often thought when I retire, I would like to start an animal rescue. Someday it may happen.
If you could have dinner with any one person, living or dead, who would it be?
I think I would enjoy a dinner with my grandmother who has been gone since 1988.
Coke or Pepsi? Coffee or Tea?
Coke and Coffee.
Do you have any words of advice to share?
Try to make the most out of any situation and the most out of everyday. Realize that you can almost always find someone in a worse situation than you are in. A patient once told me her mother said, “If you put all the world’s troubles in a bag and shook them up, you would more than likely be glad to take your troubles back after.”