Complete EyeCare Center

A 3-story eyeball sculpture is coming to Chicago's Loop in July 2010!

For a CNN story on this unusual piece of public art click here.  Need we say more?

The entire Complete EyeCare Center staff just attended the Iowa Optometric Association’s annual educational meetings. Not only did they learn about many of the latest developments in eye health care and technology, they enjoyed the fellowship, and the opportunity to network with other professionals from across the state and nation.

Ongoing education will always be a priority for our staff, because these activities and classes help our practice continue to offer the best eye health care and optical products to you, our valued patient.

On Friday, Dr. Olson and colleague, Dr. Michael Ohlson, were also guest lecturers, teaching a class on Ocular Manifestations of Systemic Medications to the Iowa Optometric Assistant’s Association.

Isn’t it reassuring to know that your doctor is committed to being a life-long learner?

Christopher P. Olson, OD, FAAO

Christopher Olson, OD, FAAO, of Complete EyeCare Center in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, has been appointed to the national Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE).  Dr. Olson serves the public as part of this 11-member Council “…to establish, maintain and apply standards to ensure the academic quality and continuous improvement of optometric education that reflect the evolving practice of optometry.”

The Accreditation Council on Optometric Education (ACOE) is the only accrediting body for professional optometric degree (O.D.) programs, optometric residency programs and optometric technician programs in the United States and Canada.

Both the U.S. Department of Education and the Council on Higher Education Accreditation recognize the ACOE as a reliable authority concerning the quality of education of the programs the Council accredits.

Dr. Olson will soon be making his first ACOE site visit to the New England College of Optometry, where they have a Residency program in Pediatric Optometry.

Our once-a-year eyewear event is something patients don’t want to miss. Maybe it’s because of the $50 savings, the greatly expanded selection of ultra-fashionable frames, or it could be the door prizes & refreshments!

Stop in  Saturday, March 6th, between 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to save $50 on the full line of Kliik “eyewear with an edge,” Fysh “urban cool eyewear,” or Takumi “luxury eyewear with magnetic sunclips”purchased with prescription lenses.

We look forward to seeing you then! (Need an eye exam? Give us a call.)

Complete EyeCare Center utilizes quality diagnostic instrumentation like the award winning Optovue RTVue

The RTVue visualizes the retina and underlying nerve fiber layers

When it was featured on Good Morning America in May 2007, the Optovue RTVue spectral OCT  was one of only 100 worldwide.  As soon as May 2008, Dr. Olson was introducing that same instrument to his patients in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, at Complete EyeCare Center.

The GMA reporter was “able to get access to one”, and you have that same benefit without traveling to a metropolitan center or university.  Spectral OCT with the Optovue RTVue is a new generation of Optical Coherence Tomography for detection, classification, and management of ocular diseases and pathology.

Why should that interest you?  Because this exciting tool has the ability to help Dr. Olson detect and treat progressive eye diseases at a much earlier stage.  Slowing or stopping  disease progression early means less likelihood of vision loss or blindness, and better health for you.

Several eye diseases, like glaucoma, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy have no symptoms in their early stages.  But a skilled eye doctor using the RTVue can detect and manage them.  Painless and quick, the ultra-high speed and high resolution features of the RTVue enable Dr. Olson to visualize retinal, anterior segment, and corneal tissue with ultra-high clarity.

Watch this interesting Good Morning America segment by clicking here.

Many eye problems can develop without you knowing.  You may not even notice any change in your eyesight.  But, diseases such as macular degeneration, glaucoma, retinal tears or detachments, and other health problems such as diabetes and high blood pressure can be seen with a thorough exam of the retina.  Until the optomap®, the only way to evaluate the retina for these abnormalities was to dilate the eyes–which can be time consuming and uncomfortable.  Now a wide retinal image can be captured quickly and painlessly.  Convenient for patients, while providing critical eye health information–that’s why we were the first in Iowa to introduce the technology! That’s also why optomap® technology was featured on an episode of the popular TV show “The Doctors.” (You can see the TV clip by clicking here.)

An optomap® Retinal Exam provides:

• A scan to show a healthy eye or detect disease.
• A view of the retina, giving Dr. Olson a more detailed view than he can get by other means.
• The opportunity for you to view and discuss the optomap® image of your eye with Dr. Olson at the time of your exam.
• A permanent record for your file, which allows the doctor to view your images each year to look for changes.

The optomap® Retinal Exam is fast, easy, and comfortable for all ages.  To have the exam, you simply look into the device one eye at a time and you will see a comfortable flash of light to let you know the image of your retina has been taken.  Your optomap® is immediately captured so Dr. Olson can evaluate and review it with you on a computer screen during your exam.  Click here to see a video demonstration of the optomap experience.

Please schedule your annual optomap® Retinal Exam today by calling our office at  319.385.9534 .

If you haven’t already heard of them, you soon will.  On July 31st spokesperson Shaquille O’Neal, better known as Shaq, will launch enlyten products into the public’s attention.  We strive to stay informed about the latest technologies available.  Enlyten is a new rapid-acting, side-effect-reducing way of taking a supplement.  A quick-dissolving strip replaces traditional tablets or high calorie, high carb, sugary beverages.

Antioxidants tend to draw the attention of eye doctors because of research linking them to a reduction of macular cell damage.   The reduction of free radicals is known to have multiple health benefits, including benefits to some age-related macular degeneration (AMD) patients and those who have the potential for it.  For adults who have difficulty taking pills, the enlyten antioxidant dissolving strip is an alternative to consider.

Being health minded, Dr. Olson has also noted the benefits of enlyten’s electrolyte plus product.  This no-calorie, no-carb, no-sugar alternative for electrolyte replacement has great benefits over typical sport drinks.  If you’re an exercise or sports enthusiast, you owe it to yourself to check it out.

You can learn more about enlyten products by clicking this link.  If you’re ready to purchase Enlyten, click here to buy enlyten strips now.

Current patients may be wondering what’s going on.  Some have recently received a letter notifying them that we’ve updated their appoint time.  There are some positive changes underway at Complete EyeCare Center and we are doing all we can to keep our patients informed.

We recently implemented a new patient schedule. The primary difference is that we’ve clustered eye exams together and other office visits together.  After a trial period we’ve learned that this makes a significant difference in our ability to stay on time.  Our aim is to improve our efficiency and minimize wait times for our patients!

The process of transitioning all our scheduled patients into this new format is complicated.  Please read the letter carefully.  As it says, discard any old appointment cards you have and please update your calendar.  If the new time just won’t work, don’t hesitate to call our office to reschedule.  We’ll gladly find a time that works better for you.  Our phone number is 319-385-9534.  Thank you for your cooperation as we strive to serve you better.

Dr. Olson has been successfully fitting a revolutionary new contact lens called SynergEyes.  It is a hybrid lens, with a rigid center, and a soft lens skirt.  It allows for the best of both worlds–crisp clear vision and all-day comfort.  Whether you are near or far sighted, have astigmatism or keratoconus, even presbyopic (over 40? you probably are), then you may benefit from SynergEyes.

Call our office, 319.385.9534, to schedule a corneal evaluation and tear analysis and our doctor will determine whether you would be a good candidate.  And right now, you can get a $50 rebate when you purchase an annual supply!

Due to the severe ice storm in our area, travel is not advised.  No patient appointments were scheduled today so we have decided it is safest for our staff and patients that the office be closed.  If you have an eye health emergency requiring medical attention please call 319.385.9534.

Do you find that you are relying more on electronic communication and less on the telephone lately?  I know I have noticed this trend in my own situation.  It’s convenient, less intrusive, and fast.  We recognized that our patients could easily benefit from streamlining our appointment confirmation process.  If you prefer, we can now send appointment confirmation messages and reminders by email, text or pager!  Simply click a button on the email to confirm or call back when it’s convenient for you, if that’s better for you.

You can also just click a button from the email if you want to add the appointment to your personal electronic calendar in Outlook, iCal, etc.

Of course, we need to know your email address, cell phone or pager number to provide this new service.  We’ll ask about it at your next visit.  Or, we can set it up now if you contact us.

Remember the once popular game show Family Feud?  Before the show, 100 people were asked a question and their top answers were tabulated.  During the show, contestants tried to guess how they had answered.  Knowing the most popular answer would earn the most points.  Excitement mounted as the host dramatically shouted “…and the survey says…”

A regional newspaper with a circulation of over 20,400, the Burlington Hawkeye, recently conducted their own survey in August 2008.

They asked all those readers, “Who is your favorite Mt. Pleasant Optometrist?”  And the survey says…Dr. Christopher Olson is #1!

Not only that, they also asked readers, “What is your favorite optical center in Mt. Pleasant?”  And the survey says….Complete EyeCare Center is #1!

Thank you to all of you who have encouraged us in this way.  We are honored.  We will continue to do our best to earn your trust and serve you well.

If you’re aren’t familiar with our practice and you’re wondering, “Which eye doctor should I choose for my family’s eye care needs?” there’s no need to guess how your neighbors, friends and family would answer the question.   When asked, they said that Dr. Christopher Olson and Complete EyeCare Center is most preferred.  We’d love to show you why!  Why not call us today for an appointment?  (Our phone number is 319.385.9534.)

See the Burlington Hawkeye Readers Choice Page

A new instrument gives Complete EyeCare Center patients a distinct health advantage.  The RTVue OCT* creates ultra-high speed high resolution 3-D scans, maps and images of the eye.  It can even allow Dr. Olson to visualize discrete layers of the retina.  This is the first instrument to provide such high resolution capabilities.

What does this mean for Dr. Olson’s patients?  Early detection, early intervention and better patient outcomes.  In other words, slowing or stopping disease progression, and reducing potential vision loss.

Why is early detection important to you?  Most people have no knowledge of serious eye problems in their early stages.  As medical knowledge has progressed, doctors have learned that there are discreet changes taking place in the eye which can be pre-indicators of such diseases.  When Dr. Olson detects these early signals, intervention can begin before your eyesight or health has been dramatically affected by serious diseases like glaucoma, macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, or macular disease.

This instrument is the latest addition to the Mt. Pleasant, Iowa practice of Dr. Christopher Olson, Complete EyeCare Center–which has been the first to introduce technology to the state of Iowa on more than one occasion.  Today OCT technology is viewed by experts as the most clinically superior way to detect and manage glaucoma and macular degeneration.  Dr. Olson prefers the RTVue over other OCT instruments for several reasons, including its being 65 times faster, and having twice the resolution for significantly clearer images.

With a few months of experience with the RTVue OCT, Dr. Olson says, ”I can’t imagine going back to diagnosing or managing glaucoma without this valuable new tool.  I am very thankful to be able to provide this important service to our patients and Southeast Iowa.”

Dr. Christopher Olson, of Mt. Pleasant, is one of only 3 optometrists in Iowa to receive a respected national award, the American Optometric Association’s 2008 Continuing Optometric Recognition Award.  The other two Iowans practice in Elkader and West Union.

The award is given to doctors of optometry who have completed 50 credit hours of continuing education in their field over a one-year period and, in addition, have previously received the Initial Optometric Recognition Award.  The American Optometric Association honors the ORA recipients recognizing that the doctor’s efforts to pursue continuing education reflect a deep desire to provide patients with the best vision care available today.

This is Dr. Olson’s 18th consecutive year of being an Optometric Recognition Award recipient, completing twice the continuing education required for Iowa optometrists every year since his graduation.

2007 AOA President (left) presents the ORA to Dr. Olson (right).

We’re glad that you’ve found our new website!  Thanks for your patience as we develop it into what will be a useful and informative site.  We’re looking forward to enhancing your experience with our office by offering the convenience of 24-hour resources online.   So, when you’re home after a long day at work and remember that you needed to reorder your contacts, request an appointment, or find an answer to your question, you’ll be able to do that, no matter what time it is.  Of course, until these features are established on the internet, you can always call our office while it’s on your mind.  Our phone number is 319.385.9534.  If it’s after our regular office hours, you can leave a message, and our staff will get back to you the next business day.  If you have an eye health emergency just call the same number any time.

Our new website will be changing frequently as technology, products, and treatments, develop in our industry and practice.  Dr. Olson keeps abreast of the latest in eye health care, for the benefit of his patients.  He’ll be sharing his expertise and perspectives regularly so that you are well informed, so be sure to return to this site regularly.

You’ll probably notice that we’re just beginning to build this site and there are lots of improvements to be made.  If you have other suggestions, feel free to leave a comment.  We welcome your input.