Emil William Chynn, MD, FACS, MBA
102 E. 25th St. (& Park Ave. S.), NY, NY 10010
(888) I-WANT-2020 (212) 741-8628
About Our Staff:
Park Avenue Laser Vision has the most highly-trained, best-qualified staff of any laser center in New York —period. Indeed, our patients say this is one reason they have chosen us! This isn’t an opinion—it’s a fact.
At one center in NYC, they dress the young girls at the front desk in white coats, like they are doctors, when in reality they are only high school graduates. Vanessa, our Front Desk Manager, is both a certified Emergency Medical Technician and Optician. Aren’t you more confident that the person helping obtain your old contact/eyeglass information, and giving you your prescriptions has medical and eye training?
At most other centers, your testing—which is used to confirm you are a good candidate, and to obtain the numbers to actually shoot the laser—is conducted quickly by an optometrist (OD) who never went to medical school, or some “technician” who may not know much more than how to push a button. Compare this to our center, where our Laser Team—Dr. Chynn, Dr. Shavers, Dr. Belalcazar, and Dr. Almeida—are MDs (which requires a decade more training than an OD, and will spend as much time with you as necessary to make sure that all your testing is both accurate and complete before even booking your surgery.
What if you have some problem along the way, and need to speak to the Practice Manager? Can you believe another Practice Manager who is a non-physician saves money by flying “shooters” in from out of state on an “as needed” basis? Our Practice Manger, Dr. Almeida, puts his MD on the line in terms of patient care!
Finally, at many other centers, you will meet “closers” whose only qualification is that they are good at “selling.” In contrast, Swan, our Patient Coordinator, is both a MBA and an upcoming epi-LASEK patient!
Indeed, our entire staff—from Vanessa at the Front Desk, to our Practice Manager Dr. Almeida, to Dr. Chynn—has had the procedure themselves. Dr. Chynn feels it’s so important for his staff to have personal belief and experience, he won’t hire anyone who doesn’t want to be lasered! What more could you ask for?
Please review the following bios on the reverse. You’ll learn about the people who will be working with you to obtain your Best Personal Vision. You’ll also know which person to ask to address your specific needs.
Congratulations about taking the first step towards a new life—experiencing the world free from contacts & glasses, seeing how you were meant to see! Thanks for trusting us with your eyes—you’ll be glad you did!
Sincerely,
The Park Avenue Laser Vision Correction Team:
Emil William Chynn, MD, FACS, MBA Medical Director dr@parkavenuelaser.com
Conswalla Shavers, MD Refractive Fellow laser@parkavenuelaser.com
Rodrigo Belalcazar, MD Refractive Fellow laser@parkavenuelaser.com
Elias Almeida, MD Practice Manager practicemanager@parkavenuelaser.com
Swan Cheng, MBA Patient Coordinator info@parkavenuelaser.com
Vanessa Alvarado, Optician Front Desk Manager appt@parkavenuelaser.com
Conswalla Shavers, MD—Refractive Fellow
Dr. Shavers was born in Alabama, grew up in many states as a “military brat,” and attended college at University of Connecticut, where she graduated Summa cum Laude with a degree in Biology. She received her MD from Medical College of Pennsylvania/Hahnemann/Drexel University, completed her transitional internship at Graduate Hospital, and her residency Univ. of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ, where she was Chief Resident. She is the recipient of numerous Honors and Awards, including the 1996 National Medical Fellowship Award, 1994 Women of Color in Health Award, 1993 Alpha Phi Sigma National Honor Society, and 1992 Beta Kappa Chi Scientific Honor Society. Dr. Shavers enjoys baking in her spare time. She is one of the MDs who will perform your pre- and postoperative testing. Each patient must know which MD is assigned to them (the MD who performs their “full work-up”) in case they have any questions!
Rodrigo Belalcazar, MD—Refractive Fellow
A native of Colombia, Dr. Belalcazar received his MD there and completed his residency at the Colombian Institute of Ocular Surgery in Bogotá. Dr. Belalcazar underwent refractive surgery training at the Myopia Ocular Center in Madrid, and has performed thousands of Radial Keratotomy (RK) surgeries. He performed over 2500 cataract and corneal transplants at the Surgical Ocular Institute Palermo, and was Director of the Eye Clinic at the University Foundation of San Martin. He performed over 4,000 LASIK procedures at the Optilaser Center in Colombia. Dr. Belalcazar received the Colombian Culture & Heritage Award for his professional achievement and service to the community. He became a US citizen, completed a Pediatrics residency at Driscol Children’s Hospital/Texas A. & M., is certified by the Educational Council for Foreign Medical Graduates of Medical Examiners, and licensed by the State Medical Boards of NY and Texas. He enjoys marathons, rock climbing, & scuba. Dr. Belalcazar is one of 3 MDs who’ll be in charge of your case.
Elias Almeida, MD—Practice Manager
Dr. Almeida received his MD from Universidad Nacional Experimental Francisco de Miranda in Coro, Venezuela. He worked as a General Practitioner at the Petare Population Clinic and was a Chief Resident in Pediatrics at the Perez de Leon Hospital in Caracas. He moved to the US and worked as a Medical Assistant, X-Ray Technician, Medical Interpreter and Front Office Coordinator for Aaron Hurowitz, DO in Atlanta. He has several publications in the Venezuelan medical literature. Dr. Almeida had LASIK himself in 2007 in Venezuela, so can answer your questions both from a MD & patient point of view! Dr. Almeida enjoys riding his mountain bike and motorcycle in his spare time. Besides serving as one of the 3 MDs who assist Dr. Chynn with pre- and postoperative testing, Dr. Almeida is Practice Manager here. So ask him if you have any difficulties that may be solved at the Manager level—he’ll be glad to help!
Vanessa Alvarado, Optician—Front Desk Manager
Vanessa Alvarado is both an Optician and a certified Emergency Medical Technician, so she has extensive optical and medical experience, which is crucial since she is the one who will be giving you your prescriptions, answering questions when you call, and getting you ready for surgery on your OR day. Ms. Alvarado also worked for two years as a Medical Biller, so she is the person to ask about all your insurance questions (how much it will pay for surgery, if you have a co-pay or need a referral). Her hobbies include wake boarding, reading and collecting graphic novels, and singing karaoke. Vanessa also had LASEK + CustomVue WaveFront surgery in one eye (for MonoVision) by Dr. Chynn in 2007, and is 20/20! So she can tell you exactly what to do to have your best results—all you have to do is listen and obey!
Swan Cheng, MBA—Patient Coordinator
Ms. Cheng is a graduate of Barnard College/Columbia University, with a MBA from the University of Chicago, and Advanced Certification in Esthetics, Makeup, and Fragrances. She has extensive experience in marketing, licensing and merchandising with Macy’s, Playboy, Sara Lee, Unilever, and Victoria’s Secret. Swan enjoys home renovation projects and gardening in her spare time. Swan’s in charge of our Corporate Discount, Friends & Family Referral, and Financing Programs. She’ll make your Personal Best Vision is affordable—or even free, if you refer enough Friends & Family to us once you’re 20/20!