Meet Benjamin Bergstrom of The Eye Vets

Today we’d like to introduce you to Benjamin Bergstrom.

Hi Benjamin, I’m so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed with your story and how you got to where you are today.
I am originally from the rural, small town of Rockton, Illinois. I grew up, like many children, loving animals, and therefore decided I’d become a veterinarian “when I grew up.” Fast forward to my senior year of high school when I had to decide what I truly wanted to do and where I wanted to go to school. I ended up applying to the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign for Liberal Arts-Undecided. I had long heard that getting accepted into veterinary school was exceptionally difficult and didn’t believe I’d stand a chance. 

After boredom set in with the classes I was enduring in Liberal Arts, I made the decision that I had to give Animal Sciences a go. I worked my tail off and ended up receiving my bachelor’s degree in animal science in 2009, was accepted to Veterinary School at the U of I, and received a Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine in 2013. I wasn’t content to stop there though. During my final year of vet school, I decided I wanted to specialize in ophthalmology – so I started down that road. I completed a one-year Small Animal rotating internship at the University of Georgia in Athens and then traveled back to the Midwest where I completed a three-year residency in Comparative Ophthalmology at Purdue University in 2017. I passed the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists (ACVO) board certification exam in 2017 as well. 

As a board-certified Veterinary Ophthalmologist, I began practicing here in Nashville in 2017. Around the same time in 2017, I began working with a veterinary telehealth company and quickly developed a passion for telecollaboration because of its ability to provide the highest quality veterinary care with a broader reach. The ACVO is a very small specialty college with only 500-600 veterinary ophthalmologists in the entire country. Each year, only 10-20 ophthalmologists leave residency to enter the workforce. This means access to an ophthalmologist for many animals is not feasible, strictly from a geographic perspective. Telehealth helps to bridge that gap. 

While working as an associate ophthalmologist in Nashville, my entrepreneurial dreams of owning my hospital began. Those dreams became a reality in the fall of 2023, when I launched, with the help of some incredible people, The Eye Vets, in Bellevue. Through a combination of in-person consultations and telecollaboration, I aim to provide compassionate, innovative veterinary eye care to the greater Nashville area and beyond. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been a smooth road, but I am grateful for every “bump” I have encountered because it has helped me make better, more informed decisions.

I first learned I was going to be able to open my own business in July 2022. At that time, it was my goal to have the practice opened by October 2023. I felt that 14 months was going to be enough time to locate a space where we would operate out of, build out that space to meet our needs, find and hire staff, purchase all of our equipment, and have the practice set up and ready to operate. By some miracle, we were able to open in October 2023 but it took patience, heartache, frustration, disappointment, a very supportive family, and an incredible support team (an experienced commercial real estate agent, bank, attorneys, accountants, and staff at The Eye Vets) to make that happen.

I located a property almost immediately but due to a number of unforeseen circumstances and inexperience working with commercial real estate, we were forced to back out of that deal. We lost 6 months of time with that property leaving us with 7 months until our target open date. Fortunately my wife found a new property almost immediately and we also found a new, experienced commercial real estate broker and were able to get back into a real estate deal. Although the new deal seemed more ideal for a number of reasons, we again ran into bumps in the road with closing on the property. Finally after another 6 months of working towards a closing, and nearly losing yet another property, we closed in September 2023, one month prior to our target open date.

Astonishingly, we were able to improve the space to meet our needs, find and hire staff, purchase all of our equipment, and have the practice set up and ready to operate in that one month. There was a lot of back end work (and risks taken) prior to that month but the feat to close on the property and open just one month later was nothing short of a miracle.

I learned so much and am so grateful for those experiences despite all of the new gray hairs that I grew during that time.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I am a veterinarian. I went through all of the training that a general practitioner goes through but decided to take it a step further and received board certification in veterinary ophthalmology – a specialty that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders in ALL animal species. And I mean it when I say ALL animal species. 

We evaluate dogs and cats for sure, but it’s not uncommon to see a ferret, a rabbit, a bird, or even a leopard! From routine eye exams to advanced surgical procedures, we offer a comprehensive range of services to address a wide array of eye conditions and concerns. If your pet has an eye issue, we likely have a solution for it! 

At The Eye Vets, we have two big motivators. First, to enhance the lives of animals by providing excellent eye care, preserving vision, and promoting overall comfort and well-being. Second, to act as a reliable, accessible, and compassionate resource to our referring veterinarians whenever they need our assistance with their patients. 

Our mission is to be the leading veterinary ophthalmology practice in Middle Tennessee (and beyond). We are dedicated to delivering the highest standard of eye care for companion, exotic, and livestock animals. We strive to offer advanced diagnostic and treatment options, innovative techniques, and compassionate service to ensure optimal ocular health and improved quality of life for our patients. 

I am most proud of our team and what we stand for. I encourage you to look at the Google reviews we’ve received in just 4 short months. The reviews broadly describe a place that cares deeply for pets and pet owners. Every patient is important to us and not one patient is the same. I’m proud that our entire team feels this way and it shows day in and day out. We practice medicine but we also practice empathy and compassion – two things that are so important in this field. 

I want pet owners to know that a red eye, a cloudy eye, or chronic discharge from the eye is not normal. I also want them to know that while animals can certainly adapt to losing vision, the improved quality of life that can be achieved when their vision is restored is remarkable. Behavioral changes that are often thought to be associated with age (sleeping more, playing less, etc.) are in many instances related to poorer vision and the anxieties associated with not being able to see well. 

Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
Routine eye exams and eye care are not just for humans – pets require them too. That doesn’t mean that The Eye Vets needs to see every pet for an eye exam. 

It does mean, however, that pet owners should talk to their regular veterinarian about assessing vision and measuring eye pressure and tear production on an annual basis. Many acute, painful eye issues can be caught or avoided with routine eye assessments. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.theeyevets.com
• Instagram: @theeyevets
• Facebook: @theeyevets