Lenscrafters Independent Doctor of Optometry – Dr Dawn Bearden and Visionary Eyecare – move out of Lenscrafters on 9/1/2011. All Patient records have been moved to Fort Lauderdale Eye Care & Eyewear 954-763-2842

Dr Dawn Bearden and Visionary Eyecare (Independent Doctor of Optometry Next to Lenscrafters) have moved out of their location next to Lenscrafters. Visionary Eyecare and Optometrist,  Dr Dawn Bearden were located next to Lenscrafters in Pembroke Pines and Sunrise (INSIDE SawgrassMills Mall) for almost 15 years but, have now relocated to East Ft Lauderdale.

Eye Doctor, Dr Bearden is still seeing patients in Broward County and now seeing her patients for eye exams  in East Ft Lauderdale at Fort Lauderdale Eye Care & Eyewear located at 1489 SE 17th St  Suite 2J in Fort Lauderdale FL 33316.  The office is on 17th St Causeway – just west of the 17th St bridge, Port Everglades and Bimini Boatyard.  We are in the Southport Shopping Plaza with Office Depot and Ross.  We are on the second floor – above Wells Fargo Bank and next to Diamante Day Spa.

All patient records and all of the high tech computerized equipment from Visionary Eyecare have been moved to this new location on 17th St in East Ft Lauderdale.

CLICK HERE for MAP 

The website for Fort Lauderdale Eye Care & Eyewear is www.FLEyecareEyewear.com and you can find them on Facebook at FLEyecareEyewear and YouTube at FLEyecareEyewear

 

The phone number for Fort Lauderdale Eye Care & Eyewear is 954-763-2842 and you can email them at FLEyecareEyewear@aol.com

Visit their BLOG at www.FLEyecareEyewearBLOG.com

We are sad to leave all of our friends at LensCrafters but, it was time to move on.  We will miss LensCrafters but, we are excited for our new venture at Fort Lauderdale Eye Care & Eyewear.  Call us if you need an appointment for an eye exam 954-763-2842

See you soon!

Eye Charts for Children

Allen Picture Eye Chart

Around 10 million school children in America have vision conditions that can negatively affect learning. This can be prevented by taking kids to get their first formal eye exam with an Eye Dr in an Eye Clinic BEFORE they enter school.  A child’s first eye test with an Eye Doctor should be done between ages 3 and 4.  At Visionary Eyecare in Pembroke Pines, Sunrise (Next to Lenscrafters) and Davie (Next to Pearle Vision) – our Optometrists, Dr Bearden, Dr Tenn and Dr McCulloh,  begin to see children at age 4.

Allen Picture Cards

A child does NOT need to be able to verbalize or know their alphabet for the examiner to perform a comprehensive eye examination.

There are numerous eye charts for children!!

Lea Flip Chart

Allen and Lea charts have pictures or shapes on them that youngsters can identify.   The Broken wheel chart allows the child to tell the examiner which wheel on the car is “broken” .  The Tumbling E chart (also known as the illiterate chart) allows a child to just POINT in the direction that the “legs of the E” are pointing in.

Allen Picture Eye Chart

Often our children can not express to us when they are having problems with their vision.  They may not even realize that they are experiencing vision problems.   Sometimes children will try to compensate for vision issues by closing one eye, rubbing their eyes excessively, squinting, skipping over words or loose their place  when they are reading.

Kids may start having difficulty in school due to an “unknown” reason.  A recent study indicated that up to 60 percent of youngsters that have been identified as “problem learners” or “learning disorder” actually suffer from an undetected visual condition.

Tumbling E Eye Chart

A vision problem is not suspected in many children because they were able to pass the school vision screening or the pediatrician vision screening.  These children may still have visual issues but, they were not detected on the screening.  Only a comprehensive eye exam, done by an Eye Doctor (Optometrist or Ophthalmologist) will be able to detect subtle vision problems.

Broken Wheel Eye Test

Vision issues need to be detected and corrected before age 7 to prevent lifelong problems such as lazy eye (amblyopia), eye turn (strabismus), learning disabilities and behavior problems.

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EyeMed Network Discount Plans and Eye Exam Insurance – Eye Doctor Provider Serving Pembroke Pines, Sunrise and South Florida Surrounding Areas in Broward County

Great News!!! If you live in South Florida / Broward County then you need to know that we are Eye Doctor / Optometrist providers for the EyeMed Network Vision Care Insurance Plan to provide you with your discounted Eye Exam, Vision Exam,  Vision Testing, Eye Testing, Contact Lens Exam and more!

As EyeMed Providers and as always, we provide you with our state-of-the-art, computerized and high-tech eye examinations and contact lens exams. We also provide emergency eye care, laser vision consultations, cataract, glaucoma and retinal evaluations, as well as all types of eye health care.

We have offices in Pembroke Pines and Sunrise and conveniently serve ALL of the surrounding areas of Ft Lauderdale, Plantation, Davie,  Weston, Tamarac, Margate, Lauderhill, Coral Springs, North Lauderdale, Oakland Park, Pompano, Miami Gardens, Cooper City, Miramar, Dania, Hallandale, Aventura, Miami Lakes, North Miami Beach, Hialeah, Hollywood and more…

Here is a partial list of some of the EyeMed Discount Plans that we particpate in:

• • AAA
  • AARP
  • AETNA Vision One
  • Altius
  • American Heritage Life Insurance
  • American Legion
  • Ameriplan USA
  • Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS)
  • AT&T Retiree
  • Blue Cross Blue Shield Of FL (BCBS FL)
  • Cigna Healthy Rewards
  • Claire’s Stores
  • Clear Choice Health Plans
  • Coca-Cola
  • Conde Nast and Parade
  • Consumer Health Benefits
  • CVS
  • D&B
  • Darden Restaurants – ( Including Capital Grille, Red Lobster, Longhorn, Olive Garden, Bahama Breeze, Seasons 52 )
  • Earnst & Young LLP
  • Friendly’s Ice Cream
  • Home Depot
  • Humana (Select Plans including Dental Access, Discount Access and Vision Discount-Medicare)
  • International Paper
  • Kohl’s
  • Levi Strauss & Co
  • Local Government Center
  • Mail Handler’s Benefit Plan
  • Marriott Vision Discount
  • McDonald’s Gold Card Plus
  • Melaleuca
  • Metlife
  • Mutual of Omaha
  • Pep-Boys
  • Pepco
  • Pitney Bowes
  • Polo Ralph Lauren
  • Prevent Blindness America
  • Ryder Vision Discount
  • Siemen’s Corp
  • State Farm – Good Neighbor
  • Superior Dental Care
  • T. Rowe Price Retiree Discount
  • Texas instruments
  • The Coca-Cola Company
  • The Home Depot Discount Plan
  • Vision One
  • Winn-Dixie
  • Xerox Corporation
  • YUM! Brands (including Kentucky Fried Chicken / KFC, Taco Bell, Long John Silver’s, Pizza Hut)

Please call our offices to confirm that we are still participating in YOUR plan….as contracts come up – some plans are added and others are deleted.   Again, its always best to check with us first and remember that the list above is only a partial list!

Be sure to use your benefits before the end of the year….use your Flex Plan Spending!

Below is information about our offices for your convenience:

Pembroke Pines Office (Next to Lenscrafters)     954-430-3808

Located on the SE Corner of Palm and Pines (near Bank of America)

CLICK HERE for Directions/Map of Pines Office

CLICK HERE to Schedule Appointment ONLINE for Pines Office

Sunrise / Sawgrass Mills Mall (Next to Lenscrafters)  954-851-9949

Located INSIDE the Sawgrass Mall (between Brandsmart and JCPenny Outlet)

CLICK HERE for Directions/Map to Sunrise (Sawgrass Mall) Office

CLICK HERE to Schedule Appointment Online for Sunrise (Sawgrass Mall) Office

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Congratulations To Dr Emily McCulloh on Her Marriage to Mr Brady Hollingsworth

Congrats and much love to our wonderful Eye Doctor … Emily McCulloh … who was recently married to Brady Hollingsworth on September 27th!

Dr Tenn (our other awesome Optometrist) and Ralph Justiz (our Optometric Technician from the Visionary Eyecare office in Pembroke Pines) traveled to Oklahoma to share this special day with Dr Emily McCulloh.  Dr Anna-Kay Tenn served as a beautiful bridesmaid in the wedding.   Both – Dr Emily McCulloh and Dr Anna-Kay Tenn work at our Pembroke Pines, as well as, our Sunrise (inside Sawgrass Mills Mall) eye clinic locations located next to Lenscrafters.

Here are some pictures from the special day…

Dr Anna-Kay Tenn and Dr Emily McCulloh

Ralph Justiz and Dr McCulloh

First Dance of Dr Emily McCulloh and Brady Hollingsworth

Dr Emily McCulloh - the Beautiful Bride on Her Special Day

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Visionary Eyecare – Maps of 3 Locations in Broward County

We have 3 Locations in Broward County to Serve You:

Pembroke Pines (Next to Lenscrafters)

954-430-3808

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILED MAP

Click HERE to Make an appointment ONLINE for Pembroke Pines Location

Sunrise (Next to Lenscrafters)

954-851-9949

(INSIDE the Sawgrass Mall – in between JCPenny and Brandsmart)

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILED MAP

Click HERE to Make an appointment ONLINE for Sunrise Location

Davie (Next to Pearle)

954-434-9045

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILED MAP

Click HERE to Make an appointment ONLINE for Davie Location

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Wild Eyes Special-Effect Halloween Contact Lenses

WildEyes special-effect contacts include these designs:
1. Icefire, 2. Wildfire, 3. Zoomin’, 4. Jaguar, 5. Zebra, 6. Cat Eye, 7. Knockout, 8. Black-out, 9. Red Hot, 10. White-out, and 11. Hypnotica.

Its time to start thinking about enhancing your Halloween costume and Wild Eyes Contact Lenses are the perfect finishing touch to any spectacular costume!  The most popular Wild Eyes color contacts around Halloween are the Cat Eye contact lenses and White-Out contact lenses (made popular by Marilyn Manson…a Florida native).

Costume contact lenses are stylish to wear and they are designed for fun but remember, that they are still medical devices that will be placed onto your eyes.  They must fit you properly and be well taken care of to keep them very clean so you don’t get any eye infections.  Contact lenses that do not fit properly or are not cleaned can cause very serious eye problems. So, it is important to remember that you need your eye doctor to accurately fit them on your eyes and give you a prescription for them.  Even if you don’t currently need wear glasses or contacts to see clearly – you still need a prescription for them to ensure they FIT your eyes properly.

Have lots of fun with your costume contact lenses but, NEVER SHARE OR SWAP these or any type of contact lenses with anyone else – this can lead to pinkeye and other potential serious eye infections that could lead to blindness!

Never buy your costume contact lenses from a place (like a Flea Market) that does not ask you for a valid prescription from your eye doctor. Some of these lenses sold in these places are not FDA approved.  You ALWAYS need a prescription from your eye doctor to ensure that the contact lenses fit you properly, feel comfortable and won’t cause you any serious eye problems.

Have FUN and BE SAFE!

Happy Halloween!!!

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Sudden Vision Blur …… The Unbeatable Event and A Patient’s Funny Story

New Patient – Tracy

First time patient,  Tracy, came into our Pembroke Pines office (next to Lenscrafters) yesterday.  She was very upset…telling us that she woke up and her vision was fine but, then the vision in her right eye got suddenly VERY blurry….and she could barely see anything !! This happened right after she put in her colored contact lenses.  She almost went to the emergency room but,  just at that very moment she happened to look down at the newespaper in front of her…… and saw an advertisement for Lenscrafters UNBEATABLE EVENT that is going on right now. Right then she decided to come in to our office (the Indepependent Doctor of Optometry next to Lenscrafters) to see an Eye Doctor instead of going to the ER.

Ralph, the optometric technician, had Tracy take out her colored contact lenses and then did all of the pre-testing on her.  He was concerned because the vision in Tracy’s right eye was EXTREMELY blurry.  Dr Bearden also became very concerned after she spoke with Ralph about Tracy (before she went in to see Tracy).

Sudden vision loss and/or blur is often associated with VERY serious visual health problems – like retinal detachment, angle closure glaucoma or other neurological eye problems.

After Dr Bearden saw Tracy – something did not seem quite right.  Tracy was not displaying any symptoms or vision loss associated with a retinal detachment or any other SERIOUS eye problem – she was just VERY blurry in her right eye – for seemingly no reason.  Dr Bearden looked at Tracy’s right eye under magnification with the slit lamp….and saw….a clear contact lens on Tracy’s right eye!?!?!  This was after Tracy had already “taken out” her colored contacts….

Dr Bearden told Tracy “There is a clear contact lens on your right eye”…..Tracy did NOT wear CLEAR contacts – she wore COLORED contacts.  So this was VERY strange.  Where on EARTH did a clear contact lens come from?!?!?!

Suddenly Tracy exclaimed “Oh my GOD….that must be my HUSBAND’s contact lens!!! He must have put it in my case with my colored contacts by accident!!”.  Her husband’s clear contact lens must have been stuck to Tracy’s colored contact lens when she put in her contacts that morning – and then remained on her eye when she took out her colored contacts in our office.  Tracy had unknowingly been wearing her husband’s contact lens in her right eye – with her own colored contact lens on top of it!!  Tracy’s husbands contact lens presription is about 5x STRONGER than Tracy’s – so this was the cause of her mysterious sudden vision blur.  Mystery solved!

Dr Bearden and Tracy were both laughing at the incident and they were also both relieved that this was not a serious vision problem….

Tracy was due for her annual contact lens eye examination anyway, so she just had her routine contact lens eye exam while she was in our office and her trip was not wasted!!

This is a funny story but, Tracy did the RIGHT thing – she came in to see an Eye Doctor when her vision became suddenly blurry.  Anytime there is a  SUDDEN loss of vision or SUDDEN vision blur – always seek care IMMEDIATELY from your eye doctor!!

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Back to School Eye Exams

Here is some GREAT information about the Importance of Back To School Eye Exams…taken from an email sent by Luxottica Corporate Headquarters to all of the Doctors affiliated with Pearle Vision and Lenscrafters

Alabama’s Clanton Advertiser (8/12) reported, “As parents send their children back to school, one of the most important things they can do to help ensure their child’s ability to learn is to take them for an eye exam.

The American Optometric Association (AOA) recommends comprehensive eye exams especially for children entering preschool and kindergarten.” In particular, “children entering preschool or kindergarten benefit the most from comprehensive eye exams,” although “they rarely receive them early enough”.

Currently, only 14 percent of children under age six have received a comprehensive EYE EXAM, according to the U.S. Center for Health Statistics.” During an eye exam, an optometrist can detect “common vision problems, such as nearsightedness and farsightedness, as well as more serious conditions such as amblyopia (lazy eye).”

In an opinion piece in Tennessee’s Chattanoogan (8/12), Jenny Pomeroy, CEO of Prevent Blindness Georgia, wrote, “Since about 80 percent of learning in a child’s first 12 years comes through the eyes, it is very important to ensure that…school-aged children can see properly.”

Across the U.S., “five percent of preschool children have significant visual impairment,” Pomeroy noted, adding that “many of these children will develop amblyopia, or ‘lazy eye’ blindness, if their eye conditions are not diagnosed and treated early.”

Studies have shown that “sight can be saved in 98 percent of children if treatment is begun by age four. At age six, only 20 percent of children’s sight can be saved, and if treatment is delayed until age ten, these children may be blind in one eye for a lifetime,” Pomeroy pointed out.

Therefore, it is very important for parents to make sure that their children receive EYE EXAMS (not just vision screenings at school or at the Pediatrician’s office) at an early age and yearly throughout their lifetime.

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Online Eye Test: Find Out If You Need an Eye Exam

CLICK HERE

to take the

FREE

ONLINE EYE TEST

This QUICK test will determine if YOU need to have

an Eye Exam!!

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YouTube Video: If You Don’t Have Any Vision Problems…Why Should You See an Eye Doctor?

You don’t have any vision problems….your vision is perfect……so why should you get your eyes examined yearly…or at all??  Do you know anyone who has really good eyesight…and feels that there is no reason to go to the eye doctor because they don’t need eyeglasses??

Well, the above YouTube video is for YOU and THEM!

A common misconception is that the only reason to see an eye doctor is to get some glasses, contacts or to get their prescription updated.  Does this sound familiar??

A comprehensive eye exam is MOSTLY about checking the HEALTH of your eyes.  A lot of eye health problems – diseases and disorders of the eyes (like glaucoma, retinal holes and tears etc) – do NOT cause any kind of symptoms (like blurred vision, headaches, pain, feelings of “pressure” in and around eyes etc…).

Just because you can see clearly, see colors correctly and don’t notice any vision problems does not necessarily mean that your eyes are healthy.

Did you know that a comprehensive eye exam can ALSO provide early detection of some SYSTEMIC problems.  All sorts of systemic problems – like Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, Brain Tumors etc….can be detected during a comprehensive eye exam. If your eye doctor suspects that you may have a systemic problem then, he or she can refer you to your primary care doctor for further evaluation and testing to determine if you have the systemic disease.

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ONLINE Appointments for Your Eye Exam….right HERE from our BLOG!

Is your vision getting a little bit blurry?? Do you need new eyeglasses or contact lenses??  Do you have a red eye??  Do you want to talk to an Eye Dr (Optometrist) about Laser Eye Surgery??  Well, you don’t need to CALL our eye clinic to make an appointment….

Did you know that you can make an Appointment Online for an Eye Exam, Eye Health Check and Vision Testing….right HERE from our Blog – 24 hours per day / 7 days per week??  Well you can!

Just check out the column on the right under “ONLINE Appointments At Visionary Eyecare” and click on the office where you would like to schedule your appointment OR click below on the office where you would like to schedule your appointment.   Its THAT easy!

Pembroke Pines Office (Next to Lenscrafters)   Located at 9910 Pines Blvd in Pembroke Pines (The Southeast Corner of Palm and Pines)

Sunrise/Sawgrass Mall Office (Next to Lenscrafters)   Located inside the Sawgrass Mall – in between JCPenny and Brandsmart

Visionary Eyecare Gets Connected to Social Media Sites!

Get Connected to Visionary Eyecare & Dr Bearden with Facebook, LinkedIn and Plaxo!!

Learn all about Optometrist, Dr Dawn Bearden, and the Visionary Eyecare Eye Clinics with 2 South Florida locations in Broward County – Pembroke Pines (Next to Lenscrafters) and Sunrise (Next to Lenscrafters INSIDE the Sawgrass Mills Mall).

Click on the links below and check them out: