Southern College of Optometry
Encyclopedia
Southern College of Optometry is a college of optometry
in the United States
. It is located in Memphis, Tennessee
and is dedicated to the study of optometry, the field of medicine that includes not only the performance of refractive eye examination
s and the fitting of necessary corrective lenses or vision therapy
, but also the diagnosis and treatment of numerous ocular diseases. After completing a 4-year graduate program, students at SCO receive the degree of Doctor of Optometry (OD).
SCO has often been distinguished for its high National Board passage rates. The college has consistently surpassed the average National Passage Rate, and currently holds passage rates of 99%, 98%, and 97% on Part I, Part II, and Part III respectively of the most recent National Board Examinations.
• Educating the best possible healthcare providers;
• Promoting lifelong learning and
• Fostering a personal commitment to service.
The Eye Center cares for more than 45,000 patients annually, offering diagnosis, treatment of eye diseases and management of chronic eye health and visual disorders. The Eye Center provides a full range of service, including comprehensive eye examinations for patients of all ages. It is one of the largest facilities of its kind in the United States. There are 70 fully equipped examination rooms, 14 individual spaces for advanced technology-based testing, a retinal laser center, a digital angiography center, a full service optical, and on-site ophthalmology services.
Similar to a teaching hospital
, The Eye Center under the direction of Dr. James E. Venable, Vice President for Clinical Programs, and Dr. Christopher Lievens, Chief of Staff, is a primary health care
facility providing services for patients, mostly from Memphis
/Shelby County
, West Tennessee
, Arkansas
& Mississippi
.
• Adult Primary Care Service, for patients older than 12
• Pediatric Primary Care Service, for patients 12 and under
• Cornea and Contact Lens Service, for patients of all ages
• Advanced Care Ocular Disease Service, for treatment of eye disease
• Vision Therapy and Rehabilitation Service, for patients of all ages
• The Technology Center, featuring the latest technology for vision testing and measurement
• The Eye Center Optical, offering designer and practical eyewear for the whole family
In 2005, Dr. Jerry Hayes and his wife, Cris, funded the establishment of the Hayes Center for Practice Excellence at SCO. With matching funds committed by SCO’s Board of Trustees, an endowment was created to support the Hayes Center in its mission to serve the optometric profession as the premier resource for practice management education. One of the first of its kind, the center focuses on teaching independent optometrists how to manage the business side of their practice, strategic planning, budgeting, overhead control and increasing profitability.
The Hayes Center is under the direction of Dr. Gerry Eisenstatt, who was appointed to lead the HCPE in 2011.
The winners of the Varilux Optometry Super Bowl in 2003, 2004, and 2005 were all students from SCO.
ger Leslie Kelly. The 20/20 is open to the public.
Optometry
Optometry is a health care profession concerned with eyes and related structures, as well as vision, visual systems, and vision information processing in humans. Optometrists, or Doctors of Optometry, are state licensed medical professionals trained to prescribe and fit lenses to improve vision,...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is located in Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
and is dedicated to the study of optometry, the field of medicine that includes not only the performance of refractive eye examination
Eye examination
An eye examination is a battery of tests performed by an ophthalmologist, optometrist, or orthoptist assessing vision and ability to focus on and discern objects, as well as other tests and examinations pertaining to the eyes....
s and the fitting of necessary corrective lenses or vision therapy
Vision therapy
Vision therapy, also known as visual training, vision training, or visual therapy, is a broad group of techniques aimed at correcting and improving binocular, oculomotor, visual processing, and perceptual disorders."-Historical development:...
, but also the diagnosis and treatment of numerous ocular diseases. After completing a 4-year graduate program, students at SCO receive the degree of Doctor of Optometry (OD).
SCO has often been distinguished for its high National Board passage rates. The college has consistently surpassed the average National Passage Rate, and currently holds passage rates of 99%, 98%, and 97% on Part I, Part II, and Part III respectively of the most recent National Board Examinations.
Mission
The mission of Southern College of Optometry is to lead the profession by:• Educating the best possible healthcare providers;
• Promoting lifelong learning and
• Fostering a personal commitment to service.
History
Southern College of Optometry is a private, non-profit institution founded in 1932, and it is one of only 20 schools of optometry in the United States. J.J. Horton, MD, an ophthalmologist, established SCO in 1932. The class of 1934 was SCO's first graduation class. Since then, SCO has educated more than 6,000 optometrists from all 50 states and several foreign countries. A new clinical facility was opened in 1953 at its current location, which was later expanded to include a campus of new administrative offices, classrooms and library. In 1970, SCO moved into its current structure, which houses multimedia classrooms, laboratories, faculty/administrative offices, the library, a student center, a computer learning resource center and an out-patient clinic known as the Eye Institute. The Eye Center at SCO opened in 2002. The 46000 square feet (4,273.5 m²) free-standing eye and vision center now serves up to 60,000 patients a year and is one of the largest facilities of its kind in the United States. There are 70 fully equipped examination rooms, 14 individual spaces for advanced technology-based testing, a retinal laser center, a digital angiography center, a full service optical, and on-site ophthalmology services. Dr. Richard W. Phillips, OD, was installed as SCO's sixth president in 2007.The Eye Center at Southern College of Optometry
Portions adopted from:The Eye Center cares for more than 45,000 patients annually, offering diagnosis, treatment of eye diseases and management of chronic eye health and visual disorders. The Eye Center provides a full range of service, including comprehensive eye examinations for patients of all ages. It is one of the largest facilities of its kind in the United States. There are 70 fully equipped examination rooms, 14 individual spaces for advanced technology-based testing, a retinal laser center, a digital angiography center, a full service optical, and on-site ophthalmology services.
Similar to a teaching hospital
Teaching hospital
A teaching hospital is a hospital that provides clinical education and training to future and current doctors, nurses, and other health professionals, in addition to delivering medical care to patients...
, The Eye Center under the direction of Dr. James E. Venable, Vice President for Clinical Programs, and Dr. Christopher Lievens, Chief of Staff, is a primary health care
Primary health care
Primary health care, often abbreviated as “PHC”, has been defined as "essential health care based on practical, scientifically sound and socially acceptable methods and technology made universally accessible to individuals and families in the community through their full participation and at a cost...
facility providing services for patients, mostly from Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
/Shelby County
Shelby County, Tennessee
Shelby County is a county located in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the state's largest both in terms of population and geographic area, with a population of 927,644 at the 2010 census...
, West Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
& Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
.
Health care services offered
As a teaching facility, The Eye Center is divided into service areas. These service areas cover a wide range of vision needs for our patients, including:• Adult Primary Care Service, for patients older than 12
• Pediatric Primary Care Service, for patients 12 and under
• Cornea and Contact Lens Service, for patients of all ages
• Advanced Care Ocular Disease Service, for treatment of eye disease
• Vision Therapy and Rehabilitation Service, for patients of all ages
• The Technology Center, featuring the latest technology for vision testing and measurement
• The Eye Center Optical, offering designer and practical eyewear for the whole family
The Hayes Center for Practice Excellence at SCO
Portions adopted from:In 2005, Dr. Jerry Hayes and his wife, Cris, funded the establishment of the Hayes Center for Practice Excellence at SCO. With matching funds committed by SCO’s Board of Trustees, an endowment was created to support the Hayes Center in its mission to serve the optometric profession as the premier resource for practice management education. One of the first of its kind, the center focuses on teaching independent optometrists how to manage the business side of their practice, strategic planning, budgeting, overhead control and increasing profitability.
The Hayes Center is under the direction of Dr. Gerry Eisenstatt, who was appointed to lead the HCPE in 2011.
Notable alumni
SCO students represent a large cross-section of U.S. demographics and regions, and alumni live and practice in all 50 states and abroad. Notable individuals include:- Dr. Gil MorganGil MorganGilmer Bryan Morgan II, OD is an American professional golfer.Morgan was born in Wewoka, Oklahoma. He graduated from East Central State College in Ada, Oklahoma in 1968. In 1972, Morgan earned a Doctor of Optometry degree from the Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, Tennessee before turning...
, golfer who played on the PGA TourPGA TourThe PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
and now often competes on the Champions TourChampions TourThe Champions Tour, a golf tour run by the PGA Tour, hosts a series of events annually in the United States and the United Kingdom for golfers 50 years of age and older. Many of the PGA Tour's most successful golfers have gone on to play on the Champions Tour.The Senior PGA Championship, founded in...
. - James MorrisonJames Morrison (Kansas politician)James Frank "Jim" Morrison was a Republican member of the Kansas House of Representatives, who represented the 121st district. He served from August 4, 1992 until his death on November 25, 2010....
, member of the Kansas House of RepresentativesKansas House of RepresentativesThe Kansas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Kansas Legislature, the legislative body of the U.S. State of Kansas. Composed of 125 state representatives from districts with roughly equal populations of at least 19,000, its members are responsible for crafting and voting on... - John Boozman (R) US Senator Arkansas
- Dr. Joe Ellis, President of the American Optometric Association.
The winners of the Varilux Optometry Super Bowl in 2003, 2004, and 2005 were all students from SCO.
Campus diner
The fourth floor of the tower at SCO features the 20/20 Diner, an eatery which has received notable praise from Commercial Appeal blogBlog
A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
ger Leslie Kelly. The 20/20 is open to the public.