Dr. Melissa Iglesias grew up knowing she wanted to be a part of the medical field. Her grandfather was a physician and a large influence on her choice to become an ophthalmologist. After completing her residency training in the military, Dr. Iglesias and her husband moved around to several different states. During this time, many of the practices that Dr. Iglesias joined were being sold to larger corporations. She saw physicians losing control over the care of their patients and practices becoming more money-driven than patient-focused. Although starting her own practice had never been in the plans before, it soon became the only option.
“It was either buy our own practice or give up what I loved the most,” Dr. Iglesias said, “There was no more in-between.”
By this time, Dr. Iglesias and her husband, Scott, had settled in Palm Beach Gardens, FL. It seemed like the perfect place to start their own ophthalmology practice so they began the search to buy a business. They reached out to several large banks that provide physician loans, but the lenders seemed unmotivated to help them. They were connected with one of our experienced Business Development Officers through a Facebook physician network group and reached out regarding an SBA loan.
They had this to say about their experience working with our BDO and the team at FNB Small Business Finance:
Our first conversation with him put us at ease. He helped us understand the process and we were confident he could provide a product that would help us get to where we wanted to go. When it came down to choosing a bank, our BDO was the reason. He gave us that personal touch and we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend him to others.
Dr. Iglesias’ new practice, Gardens Eye Institute, is projected to open its doors in Palm Beach Gardens on November 1, 2021. As one of the few physician-owned practices in the area, they will provide comprehensive eye services, as well as surgeries.
We wish Dr. Iglesias all the success in her new practice!
