When Dr. Dae Song’s new office officially opens in January, he’ll only be moving across the street from his present location on Medical Center Parkway – not nearly as far as when he moved here from Los Angeles back in 1994.

Song is an ophthalmologist – or, as he puts it, &uot;an eye doctor.&uot; He handles not only routine eye examinations and fittings for glasses and contacts, but advanced eye surgery, as well.

Song’s office accepts both Medicaid and Medicare patients. &uot;We’re here to serve all of Selma,&uot; he says.

Song recently broke ground for his new office, a 5,000 square foot facility to be located next to Med Center Pharmacy. That’s twice as large as his current office.

Song was recruited to come to Selma by what was then Columbia Hospital. &uot;There was a need here,&uot; he recalls. &uot;There was a relative shortage of eye doctors in this area.&uot;

Song moved here from Los Angeles in 1994. It was, he allows, &uot;a big change&uot; going from the third or fourth largest city in the country to the 20th or 30th largest city in Alabama.

By 1996, Song’s practice had grown to the point that he opened his own office.

To help handle the increased patient load, he’s also added a new associate, Dr. Ashley Williams. She is a graduate of Auburn University and the University of Alabama in Birmingham’s School of Optometry. She’s also certified by the National Board of Examiners in Optometry.