For Healthcare Providers
The Eye Center is proud to enjoy working relationships with other healthcare professionals throughout the Mid-south region. We actively coordinate treatment of our patients with other doctors, referral centers and health agencies.
If you are a referring provider needing more information about our services or needing to schedule an appointment, click here for more information on how to contact us.
If you are calling from a pharmacy needing further information for a patient’s prescription, please contact 901 722-3286 or click here for information on how to contact us.
If you are calling from a clinical laboratory, please contact 901 722-3286 or click here for information on how to contact us.
OUR Healthcare Providers
Our professional staff of optometric physicians is composed of highly trained, licensed doctors of optometry, many with specialty certification, training and interests. All of our optometric physicians are individually credentialed to participate in many major medical and vision plans including Federal Medicare and State Medicaid Programs.
Our optometric physicians are the providers of patient care. Our interns function as non-physician extenders and learn while providing support to our doctors. Each of our optometric physicians must request and are granted privileges (reviewed biennially) to perform services in The Eye Center.
Not only are our doctors actively practicing optometric physicians, they are also all members of Southern College of Optometry’s faculty. From time to time, each of our optometric physicians will provide didactic and/or laboratory instruction in the first two professional years of the curriculum leading to the Doctor of Optometry degree.
The Eye Center is the premier clinical facility of Southern College of Optometry (SCO). It is also the largest provider of eye health and vision care services in the Mid-south. The active involvement of students (i.e. interns) in the provision of eye health and vision care is essential and a key component that sets The Eye Center apart.
SCO is a four-year, not-for-profit, institution of higher-learning dedicated to preparing men and women for a career as an optometrist (i.e. optometric physicians). A doctorate of optometry (OD) degree is granted upon completion of the four-year program. During all four years of the professional program, our enrollees are considered students. No direct Graduate Medical Education (GME) and/ or IME payments or funds are received from Fiscal Intermediaries or A/B Medicare Administrative Contractors.
During the final two years of the professional program, clinical training is provided through involvement in patient care alongside licensed optometric physicians and medical doctors. For the purposes of identifying that a student has progressed to the final stages of the professional program, the term intern is used.
An intern is a student who has demonstrated acceptable knowledge and clinical skill mastery and has been advanced to upper level courses in the professional program. The intern serves as a non-physician extender in the provision of care to patients of The Eye Center just as medical technicians, technologists and aides serve primary care doctors in other health care disciplines. Interns learn by being engaged in the patient care process along-side a licensed optometric physician, but they also bring their considerable experience to the benefit of the patient.
All services provided to patients are provided by and/or under the direct supervision of an optometric physician having staff privileges and practicing in The Eye Center.
The Eye Center employs more than 45 highly-trained, non-physician personnel to facilitate the patient care experience. All of our staff members are trained in the supportive care of patients while in our facility. No other eye care facility in the Mid-south houses as many caring and compassionate individuals under one roof, dedicated to your eye health and vision care needs.