PBN Business Women Awards
Achievement Honoree: Lori Duquette, Duquette Family Eye Care Inc.
THE WORD “FAMILY” in Duquette Family Eye Care Inc. of North Smithfield means much more than just a business willing to serve families in the community.
That is part of what the business does, of course. But there is also a super-sized family dynamic behind the company that truly differentiates it, according to owner Lori Duquette – and it comes with built-in workplace benefits.
Duquette was born into a family in Central Falls with 11 children – seven boys and four girls – that includes two sets of twins and a set of triplets, and parents married for more than 65 years.
“Growing up in such a loud, active household has really taught me how to focus,” said Duquette, who remembers doing homework and blocking out the noise of many siblings around her. She now sees the benefits of being raised in such a large family and leverages those benefits as she leads her company.
Duquette’s twin sister Linda is the eye care center’s director of operations. Linda’s daughter handles appointment confirmation calls. Their sister-in-law Kathy Duquette is the resident optician, and niece Meghan Duquette is assistant manager. In turn, patients who come to Duquette Family Eye Care are treated to a family-oriented, family-centered practice, Lori Duquette said.
Duquette said her staff is committed to professional development and equipping the practice with the very latest technological advances. Patients have access to highly specialized diagnostic tests such as optic nerve scans, for example.
“We call it old-fashioned care in a state-of-the-art facility,” she said. “That’s our culture.”
Having practiced now for two decades, Duquette’s educational road to optometry was not a completely straight path.
Educating patients on how changes in the eyes can indicate changes in the body is another part of her role, she said.
Since 2000, Duquette has been the Special Olympics Lions’ Club International Opening Eyes Program’s clinical director. The volunteer program offers free eye health exams, vision screenings and eyewear to the athletes who compete at the Rhode Island Special Olympics each summer at the University of Rhode Island.
Duquette said the work was rewarding, as she saw progress in an underserved population realizing the importance of regular vision care.