EXECUTIVE
SEEING LIFE CLEARLY
Drs. Kristopher and Jessica Pugh
BY JLAURA ROSS | PHOTOS BY CHRISTIAN WATSON
IN THE SPACE of a few moments, Dr. Jessica
Pugh is a blur. She checks in with front desk staff
on patient details, takes a ‘mom’ phone call on
arranging transportation to her children’s evening
school and sports activities, talks briefly with
her husband, surgeon Dr. Kristopher Pugh, and
cheerfully, if not somewhat reluctantly, takes a few
minutes for a photo shoot and a media interview.
It’s all in a day’s work for the busy physician, who
along with her husband, owns and runs Dr. Black’s
Eye Associates, specializing in ophthalmology and
optometry, and vision correction surgery for patients
in Southern Indiana and Louisville.
“Believe it or not, I don’t do caffeine,” she laughed.
“I get up and exercise early and get our four kids
(Emma, 14; Hadley, 13; Callum, 9; and Boden, 7)
out the door, then I see patients. My husband and
I are passionate about our work and we want to set
that example for our kids to work hard and treat
people correctly. Do I feel balanced all the time?
No, but you give yourself grace and just have fun
and do the best you can.”
That passion for patient care and good vision
runs in the family. More than 30 years ago, Dr. Brad
Black established his Southern Indiana practice,
which evolved to become Dr. Black’s Eye Associates,
serving Southern Indiana, and eventually expanding
into Louisville. Dr. Black retired in 2017 and under
the leadership of his daughter and son-in law - Drs.
Jessica and Kristopher Pugh - the practice continues
to expand and currently has 12 office locations,
plus a surgery center (Vision Surgical Center)
and a LASIK Center. Dr. Black’s Eye Associates
now includes 21 doctors and 180 staff, along with
a seven-vehicle fleet transportation department
that provides complimentary transportation for
cataract surgery patients.
“I grew up in the business, peeking in at eye exams
and watching everything,” Dr. Jessica Pugh said. “My
dad started the business here in Jeffersonville when
I was in first grade, and it feels like home to me.”
When she was in high school, a mission trip
EXTOL : JUNE/JULY 2019
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