W-eyed Open Spaces
Berks Eye Physicians and Surgeons

When the doctors of Berks Eye Physicians and Surgeons in Wyomissing, Pa., realized they needed to update the look of their offices, they decided to consolidate the two small practices into one bigger one. After more than 20 years at one location and 14 at the other, it was time for an upgrade and a face-lift. In order to appeal to a wider range of customers, and to accommodate their growing client base, the doctors planned a redesign to a new, modern look. “We combined two offices and moved into this building,” says Christel Kerchner, LASIK coordinator for Berks Eye. “It was an existing building that used to be State Farm insurance. It was completely gutted and designed for our ophthalmology practice.” The project was overseen by Eye Designs, who designed an upscale, spacious facility to fit the needs of the practice.

By combining their two branches, Berks Eye went from two facilities with a combined 11,500 square feet to one facility with 17,000 square feet. The new location is also more accessible to local highways to draw in more customers and attract outside sales.

“Consolidating offices was more cost effective,” says Paulette Moore, an ophthalmic technician at Berks Eye. Now the doctors can better offer state-of-the-art eyecare to patients in a comfortable, accessible environment.

With six doctors, plenty of space was a big requirement for the new office. The new facility contains 22 exam lanes (four pods), three laser rooms, a LASIK suite and a minor surgery suite. There is one main waiting room and one waiting room for patients who are dilating and two sub-wait areas for patients scheduled for special diagnostic testing.

The new dispensary is more open and inviting to customers. “We love how our new optical attracts patients to browse our frames,” says Domenic C. Izzo, Jr., MD, an ophthalmologist at Berks Eye. Eye Designs incorporated coordinated cherry wood frame displays with mirrored backs, freestanding displays, computer stations and angled end dispensing tables. “Some of the details include arched raised panels, elevated header with scored front, fluted side panels,” says Melissa Achenbach of Eye Designs. “These enhance the visual appeal and create an upscale image. In addition to the displays, many design elements combine to make this a great optical such as carpet choices and defining carpet borders, chair choices, paint color, curved soffit and track lighting.” Eye Designs chose beige and blue colors to use in carpeting and wall colors to accent the wood. The doctors also incorporated props in their dispensary, such as sporting equipment and vintage photographs. The doctors moved into their new facility in March and have been satisfied with their new space. “The goal was to integrate a retail optical in a large medical ophthalmology practice where we conveyed a professional look, but utilized the retail expertise of Eye Designs to create a balance between professional and retail environments,” says Kerchner. “We tried to create an environment that had interest and appeal to our diverse patient base.

  At Berks Eye Physicians you will be served by certified opticians who are specially trained to assist you with all types of lens prescriptions.  The opticians staffing our office represent over 95 combined years of optical experience. Berks Eye has it’s own laboratory where state of the art equipment is used to make eyeglasses for both of our locations.

  This fully computerized laboratory enables us to assure the highest quality and value throughout the whole manufacturing process.  Every pair of glasses is custom made to your prescription and must meet our stringent standards before they ever leave our lab. We are proud of our certified lab technicians who have over 50 years of combined optical experience.

  Our service does not end when you pick up your new eyewear. We will gladly adjust your eyeglasses or answer your questions at any time. We stand behind our products, if you are not 100% satisfied with our merchandise or services, we will do what it takes to make it right or refund your money - no questions asked.

Contact Lenses

  As an alternative to glasses and refractive surgery, the wearing of contact lenses is a popular method of correcting myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness), astigmatism, and presbyopia (need for bifocals).  After a comprehensive eye exam at our practice, one of our optometrists will review your options and determine if you are a candidate for contact lenses. After the doctor selects the type and brand of contact lens that is acceptable, our certified contact lens technician will carefully demonstrate insertion and removal techniques. Our technicians will educate you on the proper and safe methods to clean, store, disinfect and care for your contact lenses.

  Contact lens technology is constantly evolving. Newer soft and hard gas permeable contact lenses on the market are allowing much more oxygen to reach the cornea, the part of the eye on which the contact lenses sit. Even if you are already comfortable with you current contact lenses, or if you have minor issues such as dryness and evening discomfort, changing to a more oxygen permeable and frequent replacement contact lens would be a healthier option. A high oxygen permeable contact lens tends to decrease symptoms of dryness, burning, irritation, redness and contact lens intolerance.

  Those with presbyopia have many options regarding contact lenses. Rather than having to rely on reading glasses or bifocals, soft and hard gas permeable contact lens options are available to decrease (and possibly eliminate) the need for glasses for reading.  Depending on your prescription, the optometrists will review different options. First, monovision is a method of correcting your dominant eye for distance, leaving your non-dominant eye slightly undercorrected to enable you to read up close. Secondly, multifocal contact lenses, through their unique design, allow each eye to see both distance and near. If you are interested in presbyopia-corrective contact lens options and have worn contacts before, do no hesitate to call and schedule a contact lens examination.