We are pleased to announce that Jared M. Vincent, M.D. has joined our practice. Dr. Vincent will begin seeing patients at the Eyecare Associates location at 4324 Veterans Blvd, in suite 103, beginning February 3, 2020. Dr. Vincent will be available for patients seeking medical treatment or surgery for cataracts, glaucoma, corneal issues, as well as other diseases of the eye. He is an experienced refractive surgeon and will be available for those patients interested in scheduling LASIK/other refractive surgery.
There are nearly 30 million people in the United States and over 300 million worldwide who have been diagnosed with dry eye. Most have learned to live with eye discomfort and have become dependent on drops or other treatment methods that only offer temporary relief. This has been due to a lack of understanding that the root cause of most dry eye is now known to be a chronic and progressive condition, Meibomian Gland Dysfunction or MGD. MGD affects 86% of all those with Dry Eye and it’s treatable.
Eyecare is excited to introduce a new technology, called the Optomap Retinal Scan. The screening can be done without dilating drops and will help evaluate the overall health of your retina and detect eye diseases such as Diabetes, Glaucoma, Macular Degeneration and even Cancer.
Dr. Ta will see patients at the Eyecare location on Wednesday afternoons. Dr. Ta graduated from Tulane University with a Bachelor of Science in Cell and Molecular Biology and received her Doctor of Medicine degree from Louisiana State University School of Medicine, Shreveport. Dr. Ta completed her Internship in Internal Medicine at Ochsner Clinical Foundation, New Orleans an Ophthalmology Residency at Louisiana State University/Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans and a two year Vitreoretinal Fellowship through The Foundation for Retinal Research/Retina Associates, New Orleans. Dr. Ta received multiple graduate and post graduate honors, is an active member in the community and is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Medical Association.
DAILIES® brand contact lenses provide outstanding comfort and convenience for a wide-range of vision conditions.
Taking extra measures to keep you safe… EyeCare Associates is now open for Telemedicine!
May 1, 2020
At EyeCare Associates we recognize this is an unprecedented time, bringing uncertainty and unease – especially regarding visiting a medical facility. We want you to know that we have increased our already stringent procedures, so you can feel safe, secure and confident in receiving urgent/emergent care and follow up appointments for our diabetes and glaucoma patients. We will continue to follow all government and CDC guidelines.
Our team is available to discuss, by telephone, your situation, and together we can determine whether you should be seen via TeleMed or an in-office visit appointment. As always, you are encouraged to reach out to us with any questions.
4 Steps to set-up a telemedicine visit with an EyeCare Associates Doctor:
- Call Eyecare Associates at (504) 455-9825.
- Our staff will schedule and ensure you are set-up for your telemedicine appointment and verify your insurance information.
- Relax and wait for a phone call from one of our technicians to start your appointment
• It is important that you be ready for the call to start your telemed visit.
• Our staff may call from an unfamiliar or blocked number.
• If you miss a call, please return it as soon as possible. - The technician will provide instructions for starting your video call (FaceTime or Google Duo) with your doctor.
We also want to reassure you of the precautions if you have an in-office visit for your urgent/emergent needs:
- Prior to scheduling ANY appointments, all calls will be screened for established risk factors of COVID-19.
- We are asking that you do not bring guests or family members with you to our office. Please have them wait in the car.
- Social distancing is being practiced in our waiting room to ensure your safety.
- All employees before their shift will have their temperature checked and recorded daily. Our staff will only be present if they and their households are healthy and symptom-free.
- We are asking that you please wear a face mask or a cloth face-covering in our office as a precaution and protection of your health. Any patient refusing to comply with the face-covering request will be rescheduled to another date and time.
- We continue to sterilize, sanitize, and disinfect all touchpoints in our office throughout the day and all equipment, patient areas, after every use and between all patients.
- Hand sanitizer stations are available at multiple locations throughout the office.
Expanded Clinic Hours Monday – Friday from 9-12 and 1-4
Telemedicine Hours Monday – Friday 9:00 AM -12:00 PM.
We’re still here for you – safer and more secure than ever before. We understand that this is constantly changing, and we will do our best to stay ahead of the curve to keep our team, our patients, and our community safe.
Important Update to Our COVID-19 Response
April 13, 2020
On March 19th, we were notified that the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) find it essential to suspend all regular and routine eye treatments and procedures until April 21, 2020.
At Eyecare Associates, our patients and our staff are our priority, so beginning Monday March 23, 2020, our clinic will be open from 9am-12pm Monday – Thursday for emergent and urgent eye care appointments. For patients who need to order or pick up glasses, our optical shop is open on Monday and Tuesday from 9am-12pm and Thursday and Friday from 9am-12pm. Our optical shop is closed on Wednesdays.
Our contact lens department and our call center will be open Monday through Thursday from 1pm-4pm for contact lens orders and scheduling emergency appointments for the doctors who will be in the office, as well as assisting patients who need to reschedule an appointment that has been canceled because of the change in hours.
Additionally, we are scheduling telemedicine appointments from 9am-12pm, Monday through Friday. If you have the technology (Facetime or Google Duo) to allow for this type of visit and would prefer not to come into the office, you can ask to be scheduled with our telemedicine doctor. Our call center staff can assist you with these appointments.
Our staff at Eyecare Associates and Outpatient Eye Surgery Center will be contacting anyone who has a scheduled appointment, surgical or laser procedure within the next four weeks to reschedule.
If you have an emergent issue or require further assistance, please contact our office at 504-455-9825. Any after-hours calls will be forwarded by the answering service to your doctor or to the doctor on call for the practice.
Thank you for your patience and understanding during this time and please stay safe.
Sincerely,
Ronald A. Landry, M.D.
Eyecare Associates
Outpatient Eye Surgery Center
Eye Laser Institute
The Looking Glass
Coronavirus: How We’re Taking Precautions
The safety of our patients and staff is of the utmost importance to the physicians and staff of Eyecare Associates; therefore, in light of the issues surrounding COVID-19, commonly referred to as Coronavirus, we wanted to let our patients know about the precautionary steps we are taking.
Our leadership team pro-actively developed a plan to deal with COVID-19; we believe preparing our staff and providing information to patients are positive steps to avoid spreading the virus.
- Patients are being asked to reschedule their appointments if they have a respiratory infection, fever, or if they have traveled outside the US in the previous 30 days.
- Team members who have respiratory issues or fever are instructed to stay at home.
- We have removed magazines in all waiting rooms, for now, to avoid having items that are shared among patients.
- For further protection, patients are being asked to wear a mask upon arrival to our offices if they are recovering from cold symptoms. Any patient with fever is asked not to enter the office and to call prior to the visit.
While the overall risk of COVID-19 to the general public remains low, elderly people and individuals with chronic medical conditions may have increased risk for COVID-19. The best prevention measures for any respiratory virus are:
- Wash your hands often with soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
- Stay home when you are sick.
- Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
- Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
We encourage you to take steps to protect you and your family; if you are concerned that you have been exposed to COVID-19 or if you have symptoms, please see your physician to be tested – and be sure to follow their guidelines to avoid spreading the virus. If you have any questions or concerns related to COVID-19 and an upcoming appointment at our office, please call us at (504) 455-9825.
- Please understand that Eyecare Associates is not a governing body, and we encourage our patients to use the following official resources to find current information on appropriate courses of action and to track new cases:
- World Health Organization(WHO) Rights, Roles & Responsibilities of Health Workers
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC) Interim Guidance for COVID-19
- OSHAGuidance on Workplace Preparation for COVID-19
- COVID-19 Global Cases Live Mapby the CSSE at Johns Hopkins University
- Events CouncilDiscussion of Insurance and Legal Considerations for Event Professionals
