COSHOCTON − While in the seventh grade, Griffin Mason became a patient of Dr. Danielle Erwin-Elli and, since that time, he wanted to become an eye doctor.
Now, he’ll be practicing optometry by her side at Erwin Family Eyecare.
“As a kid, anyway, it’s the one doctor that isn’t too bad to go to. It’s not very fun going to the dentist or pediatrician, but I always found enjoyment coming here,” Mason said while sitting in the office.
He and his wife, Kindall, are graduates of Coshocton High School and both wanted to return to Coshocton if possible. She’s a nurse for Coshocton City Schools.
It’s that medical connection that has Mason interested in bringing vision therapy, or orthoptics, to Coshocton. It’s exercises to treat conditions such as lazy eye, eye misalignment and tracking and focusing issues without surgery or glasses and contacts.
“I’d rather fix the problem than walk around with a crutch forever. Sometimes we’ll even do therapy with glasses, but we’re less reliant (on glasses),” Mason said.
Knowing best practices
The recent graduate of the Ohio State University School of Optometry is up on all the new technology and procedures. Dr. David Erwin, who has been in practice for more than 45 years, said adding Mason will allow them to be open on Wednesdays and catch up on the backlog of patients.
“We’re really grateful a hometown boy came back and can join our practice,” Erwin shared. “We’re excited he’s going to bring in the latest knowledge.”
One element that has become a major concern for optometrists over the past 10 years is dry eye. Mason said use of computer and phone screens leads to less blinking, which can cause dry eye.
“All of it exacerbates any dryness. It’s a rapidly growing field with eye drops and medications we never had before,” he said.
Mason has always wanted to practice in a rural area, even if it wasn’t Coshocton, because he knows access to care can be an obstacle in such regions.
“Something I really want to do with my patients is build relationships and see them back year after year,” he stated. “Seeing a kid and seeing their kids down the road are amazing things.”
Open house
An open house for the community to meet Dr. Griffin Mason will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 3 at Erwin Family Eyecare, 535 Chestnut St. Mason will start seeing patients on July 6. Appointments can be made by going online or calling 740-622-2270.
Leonard Hayhurst is a community content coordinator and general news reporter for the Coshocton Tribune with more than 18 years of local journalism experience and multiple awards from the Ohio Associated Press. He can be reached at 740-295-3417 or llhayhur@coshoctontribune.com. Follow him on X at @llhayhurst.
This article originally appeared on Coshocton Tribune: Griffin Mason goes from patient to practitioner at Erwin Family Eyecare
Reporting by Leonard L. Hayhurst, Coshocton Tribune / Coshocton Tribune
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