For the past five years, Mary Jo Christian has been the first face people see when they walk through the doors of Indiana Eye Clinic.

In addition to greeting patients and setting a friendly mood behind the front desk, Mary Jo assists with scheduling appointments and checking patients in and out.

For Mary Jo, one of the best parts of working for IEC is the fact that it’s “a family affair.”

“My two beautiful girls, Emily and Olivia, also work here,” she said. “It’s so nice having them around.”

Emily started helping with front desk duties — pulling medical charts, filing lab results, etc. Last summer she worked in the Ambulatory Surgery Center, and she now serves as a pro re nata (“when needed”) nurse when she’s on breaks from Hanover College. Olivia currently assists the front desk and is aiming to pursue a degree in nursing from the University of Indianapolis.

Mary Jo loves bonding with them and other co-workers over everything from their passion for healthcare to their fear of spiders.

Outside of work, Mary Jo loves growing her vegetable garden, going to outdoor concerts and spending time on sandy shores. “I could walk on the beach forever,” she said.

Mary Jo is always happy to return to IEC, where her co-workers are literally and figuratively family.