Dr. Powell Honored for Exemplary Service to Patients and Community
Dr. Carolyn Powell had a vision to create a high-quality, affordable, and accessible optical center on the north shore of Staten Island, and she worked hard to bring that dream to fruition.
Dr. Powell was born in Brooklyn into a tight-knit, hard-working family. Her paternal grandmother, to whom she attributes much of her drive, immigrated to the United States from the Jamaica West Indies and built her life here as a private-duty laundress, serving prestigious clients like Johnny Carson. During her summers off from school, Dr. Powell worked with her grandmother in the laundry room of the United Nations Plaza Hotel, where her grandmother would ask her, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” Dr. Powell always responded with, “I want to be a doctor!”
Dr. Powell’s passion for medicine only grew as she furthered her education. She earned her Bachelor of Science in biology from LIU Post, formerly C.W. Post College, where she was recruited by professionals to join the medical industry, and she began to explore the different health industries.
“When I first started my studies, I didn’t even know that there was a profession for optometry,” recalls Dr. Powell. “I knew I wanted to be in healthcare, but I didn’t know which discipline I wanted to go in. Optometry was a new field at the time, and I embarked upon it during a minority recruitment; it wasn’t broadcast the way medical, dental, and podiatry services were.”
After applying and being accepted to a range of medical, dental, optometry, and podiatry schools, Dr. Powell decided to pursue optometry and received her Doctor of Optometry (OD) from the New York College of Optometry, currently the Optometric Center of New York. The New York College of Optometry was run by Columbia University and was one of only nine optometry schools offering ODs, a four-year degree specifically designed for vision care providers.
“I acclimated to optometry really well because I’m a people person, and vision care is all about giving people a better quality of life through vision,” says Dr. Powell. “It’s a wide and challenging field, but it’s incredibly rewarding because I'm always helping people.”
Upon obtaining her OD, Dr. Powell started working for the New York City Department of Health (DOH) in St. George. Although previously unfamiliar with the borough, Dr. Powell happily commuted to Staten Island every day to work in an area that she knew was lacking in resources. While driving home one day, Dr. Powell passed a cleverly named optical shop in Rosebank, I’ll Be Seeing You, and decided to stop in. She asked the owners if they needed any help, and coincidentally they did, so Dr. Powell started consulting at the store after her regular hours with the DOH. I'll Be Seeing You then opened a second location in Arden Heights, and Dr. Powell split her time between the DOH and the two stores.
Dr. Powell continued this routine for thirteen years, beginning her day with the DOH and ending it with I’ll Be Seeing You, until the owners of the shop sold their Bay Street location and Dr. Powell started thinking about opening her own optical store, knowing the kind of impact she could have on Staten Island. After stumbling upon the perfect location, a former medical site in the heart of Stapleton, Dr. Powell opened Bay Street Optical Pavilion, moved to Staten Island, and started her journey as a small business owner.
“When I started my own practice in 2000, I wanted to establish a legacy vision care center in the community,” reminisces Dr. Powell. “This community is underserved, and that’s why I ended up coming here: to provide affordable, quality optical care to an underserved community.”
Bay Street Optical Pavilion is a full-service vision care center providing professional eye care services to patients of all ages. The center offers a broad range of optical services, such as eye examinations, contact lens and glasses fittings, and low vision therapy for patients with macular degeneration. Bay Street Optical Pavilion’s Licensed Dispensing Optician, Bryant Pearson, measures, fits, and dispenses all optical devices on the premises.
“At Bay Street Optical Pavilion, our process is typically to screen, prescribe, and then refer,” says Dr. Powell. “A visual screening is usually a comprehensive eye examination, including a visual acuity check, an ocular health evaluation, and a retinal exam. Following the exam, I’ll either prescribe the patient glasses or contact lenses, refer them to ophthalmological care, or have them return for annual follow-up visits.”
Dr. Powell makes it a priority to provide optical care to populations who typically face barriers in accessing healthcare, like individuals on a Medicaid Managed Care Plan. She ensures that Bay Street Optical Pavilion offers equitable service to all, regardless of ability to pay or access to insurance. Dr. Powell has gained the trust of not only her patients but also her fellow Bay Street merchants and residents, being recognized among community members as an invaluable healthcare provider.
Dr. Powell created and elevated Bay Street Optical Pavilion alongside her husband, Nathaniel, who recently passed away. She and her husband were married in 1985 and raised two children together, Satia, 38, and Jon, 32. Dr. Powell currently spends most of her free time caring for her nine grandchildren, all of whom look up to her with the utmost admiration.
For her accomplishments, Dr. Powell is being honored with a Louis R. Miller Business Leadership Award, which she will receive in the Established Businessperson category. The awards, which are presented by the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce and the Staten Island Advance, honor the memory of Louis R. Miller, a businessman and West Brighton resident who was also a community leader.
Dr. Powell’s concern for the people of her community goes far beyond optical care. She is completely immersed in Stapleton and its surrounding neighborhoods, constantly engaging with community members and actively involving herself in initiatives to uplift the area. Dr. Powell is a strong advocate for the revitalization of Downtown Staten Island.
In addition to her work at Bay Street Optical Pavilion, Dr. Powell is also involved in various community organizations. Dr. Powell is currently a member of the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce, the American Optometric Association, the New York State Optometric Association, the National Optometric Association, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority. Dr. Powell is licensed in the states of New York, New Jersey, and Virginia.
“From the cradle to the grave, you need vision care services,” emphasizes Dr. Powell. “That’s why I’m here: to provide those services to the people who need them most.”
Current occupation AND title: Optometrist, Owner of Bay Street Optical Pavilion
Hometown: Park Slope, Brooklyn
Past occupation/s and titles: Optometrist for the New York City Department of Health Bureau for Families with Special Needs, Optometrist for Union District Council 37, Allied Medical Staff Member for Northwell LIJ Staten Island University Hospital
Community involvement: The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir and Nursery Ministry, Staten Island Chamber of Commerce, American Optometric Association, New York State Optometric Association, National Optometric Association, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority
Some of my life goals include: To establish a perpetual community-based comprehensive vision care service and own the property
The best part of my job: Seeing families grow with good vision and sight over the years
The most difficult part of my job: Finding and training qualified optometric staff
My life philosophy: Let nothing rob you of your sleep, education or freedom
I am most proud of: Naturally very few gray hairs
Something that no one knows about me: I get stage fright
The quality I like best about myself: I smile a lot
Personal interests and hobbies: Plants, walking, outdoors
I laugh at: Things that are funny
I am really good at: Remembering faces
I admire: Hardworking people that invest in others
Some important thing/s I would like you to know about me: I am generous and give lots of things away