Claudia Martinez, marketing specialist at the Patti and Allan Herbert Wellness Center, has been a part of the UM community for two years. Throughout her time as a graduate student and an employee, she typically came to campus (or anywhere, really) wearing her contacts, glasses, or prescription sunglasses. Over the years, she grew tired of juggling lenses and started to look into a better way.
In October 2018, while attending UM’s employee benefits fair on the Coral Gables campus, Martinez learned about services and discounts available to faculty and staff at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, and within a matter of days she scheduled a free consultation at Bascom Palmer LASIK and Laser Vision Center in the Lennar Foundation Medical Center to discuss to her options for vision correction.
Ranked as the best in ophthalmology for the 17th time, Martinez knew she was in good hands but still had many questions about the procedure. To her surprise, the complementary LASIK consultation was scheduled immediately. During the appointment she had the opportunity to learn about and discuss the various vision correction procedures available, the 17 percent employee discount, and review any out-of-pocket costs that she may encounter.
That day, Martinez left the consultation feeling confident, knowing that the experts at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute would be the best team to guide her through the life-changing decision of vision correction. She moved forward with scheduling the Small Incision Intrastromal Lenticule Extraction, or SMILE procedure, a variation of the more common Laser In-situ Keratomileusis, or LASIK procedure, and found a date that would work with her schedule.
November 29, 2018 was the last time Martinez wore glasses. She credits Sonia Yoo, ophthalmologist and associate medical director at Bascom Palmer LASIK and Laser Vision Center, and the support team with creating an exceptional and enjoyable experience for her and her family. Similarly to many other patients, Martinez opted to have the minimally invasive surgery on a Thursday and effortlessly returned to work the following Monday. All of her follow-up appointments and instructions for care were thoroughly coordinated by the team at Bascom and from start to finish, she never doubted her decision.
“I cried when I saw myself in the mirror the next day,” said Martinez. “Every single part of my experience was expertly cared for by Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and I would highly recommend that UM employees take advantage of exploring the discount that changed my life.”
Employees interested in learning more about the SMILE procedure can watch more on Martinez’s experience here or visit Life@TheU’s “guide to discounts at the U” for details on a variety of perks available to faculty and staff at the U.
Have you taken advantage of an employee discount and had a positive experience? We’d love to hear about it. Shoot an email to lifeattheu@miami.edu.
