Dr. Kamey Kapp has served the vision needs of western Alaska for over 15 years. Her practice, Last Frontier Eye Care, provides essential eye care to Nome and surrounding villages, with the clinic traveling to each at least once a year.
But until recently, Last Frontier Eye Care operated out of a leased building in Nome. That changed when Dr. Kapp seized an unexpected opportunity to purchase a space formerly home to Bering Tea & Coffee. Dr. Kapp said the decision was part necessity and part opportunity for growth.
“Nome is not the only place that we provide care to in the region, we go to all of the villages. So to have a permanent location that's our own, has always been a goal,” Dr. Kapp said. “And we’re finally able to do it."
Renovations
Dr. Kapp closed on the property at the beginning of August and immediately got to work on renovations.
“It was pretty much an open room. There was a load-bearing wall down the middle that stayed, but we removed all the old cabinetry and coffee equipment and made the floors all one level,” Dr. Kapp said.
The remodel took five weeks, with Last Frontier’s team working alongside Gnome Services’ Brendon Tran and Chase Gray to meet the tight deadline. The renovated space now features two exam rooms for routine eye care, a special testing room, a pre-testing area, and a front desk with a waiting area stocked with glasses.
In addition to the clinic space, the building has two residential apartments—one downstairs and one upstairs. This has made it possible for Dr. Kapp to house an intern, a unique and valuable perk given Nome’s tight housing market.
“The downstairs apartment is now reserved for our fourth-year optometry students,” Dr. Kapp explained. “In the past when we've had a student it was always a scramble trying to find housing for them short term.”
Though the building’s primary function has shifted from a coffee shop to an eye care clinic, Dr. Kapp is mindful of the space’s history.
“People walk in and say, ‘Oh, I miss the coffee,’” she explained.
In response, the clinic has set up a small coffee nook with K-cups for visitors. An old oil drip stove that once heated the coffee shop has also been repurposed as a countertop.
“We’re keeping a piece of Bering Tea here,” Dr. Kapp said.
Tundra Health Initiative
In addition to her private practice, Dr. Kapp also runs the nonprofit Tundra Health Initiative out of the new location. Through the nonprofit, Dr. Kapp delivers free vision screenings, exams, and glasses to schoolchildren throughout the region.
Reflecting on her time in Nome, Dr. Kapp said that moving to a permanent office was an inevitable next step.
“There just came a point where I knew I wanted to stay in the region and continue to care for the people here that I’ve grown to really care about over the last now, what, 17 years?” she said. “Starting the nonprofit, starting the practice, and now purchasing the building—it’s just a further commitment to the people here.”
Dr. Kapp credits Nome Sweet Homes’ Robin Johnson and Northrim Bank with making the transition into the new space as smooth as possible. The clinic began seeing patients at the end of August.
