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Premier providers of eye surgery and LASIK in Michigan and Northwest Ohio

Virtual Exams At Specialty Eye Institute

We are offering virtual exams via Zoom video conferencing at Specialty Eye Institute.
Your vision health is always our top priority and this enables us to be there for you in the safest way possible. This technology is not only user friendly, but also insurance recognized.

Schedule A Virtual Eye Exam

For more information on scheduling a virtual exam, please complete the form below or call us at (877) 852-8463 Monday – Friday and one of our Patient Representatives will be happy to help you.

Please note that if you have an ocular emergency, we will schedule an appointment for you to come in to one of our offices to be seen. Urgent, vision threatening care will still be administered at our office locations in Michigan and Ohio.

Request a Virtual Medical Exam

Please complete this form to request a virtual appointment and one of our patient representatives will contact you to setup a time.

If you have an ocular emergency, please call our office at (877) 852-8463 and schedule an appointment to be seen in one of our offices. Urgent, vision threatening care will still be administered at our office locations.

COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) Preparedness at Specialty Eye Institute

All Specialty Eye Institute offices are currently open and operating during normal business hours.

As your ophthalmology healthcare provider our strongest commitment is to the health and safety of our patients, staff and communities.

Specialty Eye Institute is closely monitoring developments related to the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) and we are following state and federal guidelines to ensure best care for our patients.

If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact our corporate office at and speak with one of our Patient Service Representatives at 877-852-8463.

Steps we are taking to protect our patients in our offices:

We are taking additional steps to protect our patients and staff. In addition to our regular cleaning and sanitizing protocols, we have implemented stricter cleaning protocols in our exam rooms, lobby and waiting areas to protect our patients and staff. Our team has also a protocol in place should anyone enter our office displaying symptoms of illness. We are requiring all patients to wear a mask during your visit. At this time we are not allowing any visitors. If you have someone accompanying you to your visit, please have them wait in the car unless you need assistance due to a disability, interpretation, or have a power of attorney.

We appreciate your understanding during this time should operations need to change.

  1. Office Cleaning – We’ve had our offices deep cleaned and sanitized.
  2. Hand Sanitizer – We’ve installed additional Purell dispensers so that you’ll be able to sterilize your hands after each time you have contact with a door handle.
  3. Temperature Checks – We’ll be taking your temperature upon check-in.  Any patient, or patient caregiver, with a temperature of 100 degrees or higher will be asked to reschedule.  We’ll also be taking our own team’s temperature.  Each staff member and doctor will have their temperature taken upon entering the building.
  4. Virtual Medical Eye Exams – We will continue to offer virtual eye exams as an alternative to in-person exams.  The exams are conducted using Zoom Video Conferencing technology.  It is user friendly, private, and insurance recognized. Patients have really enjoyed this experience.
  5. Parking Lot Waiting – After you check-in at our desk, we’ll ask that you wait in your car until our team is ready to take you back. This will mean a more personalized experience in our clinic.  We have instituted a one patient per exam room protocol to minimize your exposure and maximized social distancing.
  6. Fewer Surfaces – We’ve removed coffee tables and many chairs from our waiting spaces to minimize the surfaces that hands can touch.
  7. Cleaning Technician – We’ve designated one staff member per office per shift whose main responsibility is to clean and disinfect surfaces.
  8. Masks- We’ll be wearing masks to protect all in our presence from the aerosol spread of that can be transferred by breath, coughing, or sneezing.
  9. Microscope – We have installed breath barriers on all of our exam room microscopes.  This will allow the doctor to be able to still examine the inside of your eye thoroughly while keeping you safe.
  10. Gloves – Technicians, doctors, and staff will wear gloves on an as-needed basis to help keep you and our team safe
  11. Limiting Occupants – We will encourage family and friends who accompany the patient to wait in the parking lot.  There will be exceptions made to this where caregivers are needed.
  12. Masks – We would like you to wear a mask to cover your nose and mouth to all of your appointments.
  13. Front desk shields – We have added clear shields at our front desk to act as a barrier between our staff and our patients.

Specialty Eye Institute Named One of the Best and Brightest Companies to Work for in the Nation

The National Association of Business Resources (NABR) has named Specialty Eye Institute (SEI) as one of the Best and Brightest Companies to work for in the nation. This national award follows Specialty Eye Institute’s regional nomination earlier this year as one of West Michigan’s Best and Brightest Companies. SEI will be recognized as one of the elite award winners during this year’s National Best and Brightest Summit for demonstrating exceptional innovative human resource practices.

An independent research firm evaluates companies based on compensation, benefits and employee solutions; employee enrichment, engagement and retention; employee education and development; recruitment, selection and orientation; employee achievement and recognition; communication and shared vision; diversity and inclusion; work-life balance; community initiatives; and strategic company performance.

“With the war on talent hitting the doorsteps of the Best and Brightest, this achievement means even more than it did a year ago. As we continue to raise the bar, these companies rise to the challenge through cultural innovation, maximizing their workforce potential,” said Jennifer Kluge, President and CEO, Best and Brightest Programs.

“We are incredibly honored to receive this recognition. It’s the fact that we strive every day to ensure we earn this award – is what is important,” Kathleen Fox, Director of Human Resources, Specialty Eye Institute.

The Best and Brightest Companies to Work For® is a program that identifies and honors organizations that display a commitment to excellence in operations and employee enrichment that lead to increased productivity and financial performance. This national program celebrates those companies that are making better business, creating richer lives and building a stronger community as a whole.

Now offering PanOptix, the First and Only Trifocal Lens in the US for our Cataract Patients!

The FDA recently released the PanOptixTM trifocal lens for cataract patients. What does this mean for Specialty Eye Institute patients? As a practice, we’re always working toward giving our patients the best possible visual outcomes and this lens provides patients with a full range of vision.

PanOptix is already one of the leading presbyopia-correcting IOLs in more than 70 countries. It is designed for today’s active lifestyles, from viewing mobile devices and computer screens to high-quality distance vision in a range of lighting conditions. The new lens uses ENLIGHTEN®Optical Technology, a proprietary design that optimizes intermediate vision without compromising near and distance vision.

"We are excited to offer our patients the proven technology winner in the depth of focus lenses. PanOptix has been available in Europe for over 7 years with over 500,000 lenses implanted and is the clear favorite lens internationally. It is finally available here in the United States and we too are experiencing its distinct advantages in our patients," states Dr. Kevin Lavery, Cataract Specialist at Specialty Eye Institute.

The advantage of this lens over others is not only doing it offers equal distance acuity, but an improved intermediate focal point at 60 cm means the possibility of better visual outcomes for daily tasks including using your phone, computer, and reading a book or menu.

“We have been watching closely for this technology to become available to us and are thrilled to finally have this as an option. Panoptix is the first lens of its kind that gives excellent vision in all levels of patient needs (distance, mid-range, and near),” Paul Ernest, M.D., Cataract Specialist and Founder of Specialty Eye Institute.

Carmelina Gordon, MD Presents Results Post Hoc Analysis of VISTA and VIVID Trials at ARVO’s Annual Meeting in Vancouver, Canada

May 17, 2019 – Jackson, MI

Carmelina Gordon, M.D., a Vitreoretinal Surgeon, has been proudly serving patients at the Lansing and Jackson Specialty Eye Institute offices for over 15 years. Because retinal care is vital to a patient’s health and quality of life, Dr. Gordon maintains a strong focus on the latest technology, to assure that her patients are given the best treatment options to preserve their vision. Her dedication to research and clinical studies for retinal conditions has earned her a prestigious reputation in the medical field.

On behalf of her fellow VISTA and VIVID investigators, Dr. Carmelina Gordon presented a post hoc analysis of these 2 trials to compare the incidence of vision threatening complications due to diabetic retinopathy in patients treated with Eylea versus standard laser. The results of this analysis were presented for the first time during the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO) annual meeting in Vancouver, Canada this past week. ARVO meetings are attended by more than 11,000 U.S. and international basic and clinical vision researchers.

VISTA and VIVID Studies

The VISTA and VIVID studies are two pivotal, phase 3, randomized, multi center trials performed in the U.S. (VISTA) and the rest of the world (VIVID) that led to the FDA approval of the drug, Eylea, for treatment of diabetic macular edema.

Diabetic retinopathy is the most common cause of vision loss among working-age adults. This complication affects the retina of the eye and can lead to blindness. The longer a person has diabetes, the greater the chance of developing diabetic retinopathy. People who developed diabetes during childhood are most at risk of being stricken with diabetic retinopathy.

Specialty Eye Institute began in 1978 when Paul H. Ernest, M.D., the company’s founder opened Jackson Eye Center in Jackson, Michigan. Since then, the company has grown into a multi-specialty ophthalmology practice with 23 doctors in 10 locations throughout Michigan and Ohio. We strive to provide the highest level of ophthalmic care at an affordable price.

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