An Eye for Care

Opening a business in the same neighborhood where you live may seem like a dream come true. For Dr. Nick Chu of Parkside Family Vision though, it wasn’t always part of the plan. In fact, when his wife Sarah first suggested opening an eye care practice in Mueller years ago, he wasn’t convinced. 

“I wanted to keep business and personal life separate,” Dr. Chu admits. “I wasn’t sure I wanted to run into patients when I was out in the neighborhood.” Chu even recalls one particularly memorable moment while vacationing with his family at Disney World. They were walking to the resort pool when suddenly they heard someone yell, ‘Dr. Chu!’ It was a patient who recognized him hundreds of miles away from Austin. At the time, the idea of being recognized everywhere felt a little overwhelming. But life has a way of changing perspectives. 

That shift came during the COVID-19 pandemic when Dr. Chu was furloughed from his position at a Cedar Park practice. The unexpected pause gave him something he rarely had before: time. “Being home without work for those few weeks was a gift,” he says. “It taught me how privileged I was to be able to take care of people’s eyes.” 

The experience helped him realize something important. Eye care wasn’t simply his job. It was his calling. So, when the perfect office space became available in the Parkside Condos building in Mueller shortly afterward, Dr. and Sarah Chu moved quickly. For their family, it felt like the right place at the right time.

A True Home

The Chus have called Mueller home since 2011, raising their family while becoming deeply connected to the neighborhood. Today, Parkside Family Vision encompasses two things they care about most: family and community. In fact, those values are reflected right in the practice’s name. 

“The word ‘family’ has several meanings for us,” says Dr. Chu. First, Parkside Family Vision is truly family-owned and operated. While Dr. Chu cares for patients, Sarah works behind the scenes handling everything from accounting and payroll to strategic planning and business operations. “She’s my sounding board on practically everything,” he says. The practice also wouldn’t exist without the support of extended family members who helped build furniture, babysit their son, prepare meals, unpack supplies, and provide encouragement during the startup process. 

But perhaps the most important meaning of “family” is how the Chus hope patients feel when they walk through the door. Their goal has always been to create a warm, welcoming environment where people feel comfortable bringing not only themselves but also their children, parents, siblings, and friends. That philosophy has resonated with Mueller families. From toddlers receiving their first eye exams to grandparents monitoring age-related vision concerns, Parkside Family Vision provides care for every stage of life. 

Comprehensive Care 

For children, that includes comprehensive eye exams and specialized myopia management programs designed to slow the progression of nearsightedness. For adults, services range from routine vision care and contact lens fittings to treatment for dry eye and computer vision syndrome. Seniors benefit from glaucoma testing, diabetic eye exams, cataract consultations, and monitoring for conditions such as macular degeneration. 

Over time, Dr Chu has honed his specialty in treating myopia. While many people think nearsightedness simply means needing stronger glasses, research has shown that rapidly progressing myopia can increase the risk of serious eye conditions later in life, including retinal detachment, glaucoma, cataracts, and myopic macular degeneration. Using treatments such as Ortho-K lenses, MiSight contact lenses, low-dose atropine drops, and Essilor Stellest glasses, the practice works to slow the progression of myopia in children before it becomes a larger problem. 

“We recently had a child come in whose nearsightedness progressed much more rapidly than expected in just one year,” Dr. Chu explains. “Because we had a baseline from the previous exam, we were able to identify it early and discuss treatment options before it worsened further.” 

He also recalls one young patient whose routine eye exam revealed an abnormal finding that prompted further medical evaluation. That evaluation ultimately led to the discovery of cancer. The early diagnosis allowed doctors to begin treatment quickly, making a meaningful difference in the child’s outcome. “It’s a reminder that comprehensive eye exams are about much more than checking a prescription,” Dr. Chu says. “Sometimes they provide important clues about a person’s overall health.” Stories such as this reinforce the importance of regular eye exams and early intervention. 

Of course, being a neighborhood practice means many of those stories don’t end when patients leave the office. One of Dr. Chu’s favorite examples involved a family seeking myopia management care for their son. During the conversation, they realized the parents owned the dental practice that their own child visits. “It perfectly captured what we love about Mueller,” he says. “We trust them with our child’s dental health, and they trust us with their child’s vision.” Those kinds of connections happen regularly in a community where neighbors genuinely know one another. 

The Chu’s support local schools, neighborhood PTAs, the Mueller Manatees swim team, and AGE of Central Texas. They frequently see patients at parks, school events, church gatherings, and community celebrations. For Dr. Chu, these encounters no longer feel awkward. They feel meaningful. 

Life is busy and full when you have a thriving practice as well as a family to attend to, but when Dr. Chu is not caring for patients, you will likely spot him on the pickleball court, enjoying one of his favorite hobbies and connecting with neighbors in a totally different setting. 

The Chus couldn’t be prouder of the practice that continues to grow. They recently added an in-house finishing lab that allows glasses to be crafted on-site for faster turnaround and greater quality control. They’ve also expanded with a second exam room and are preparing to introduce additional technology for glaucoma detection, macular degeneration monitoring, and advanced dry-eye treatment. 

Yet despite the growth, their goals and values remain unchanged. For Dr. and Sarah Chu, Parkside Family Vision is about more than eye care. It’s about serving their neighbors, supporting families, and investing in the community they proudly call home. And, in a neighborhood built on connection, that’s a beautiful vision.