“We absolutely love serving the people in our rural community. We couldn’t have done that without the SBCD.”
Matt Kent, OD, became interested in optometry as a 19-year-old while serving as a volunteer at eye camps for underserved populations in India.
In 2015 he and his wife Becky, started working with the Twin Falls CSI Small Business Development Center on a business plan for his own practice closer to home. Because many grants and loan forgiveness programs available for rural areas are not offered to optometrists, support from the Idaho SBDC allowed Dr. Kent to provide local eyecare and employment in his small community.
In Shoshone, Dr. Kent offers comprehensive vision exams, disease management, urgent eye exams, contact lens services, and glasses. Additionally, he offers specialty contact lens options – a niche treatment option for patients with keratoconus. Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) imaging – a specialty imaging service–provides enhanced ability to care for patients with conditions such as diabetes, macular degeneration, glaucoma, and other retinal issues.
Little Wood Vision Clinic opened in September 2016 and continues to grow.
