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ST. LOUIS—EyeCare Partners has resumed all services throughout its network of optometry and ophthalmology practices across the country to offer patients a safe way to receive preventive and routine vision care, according to an announcement this week. EyeCare Partners currently supports more than 400 practice sites in 14 states. The group’s offices have operated under a limited schedule for emergency appointments only since mid-March, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as VMAIL reported. New and existing patients may begin making appointments immediately, with schedules strategically built to carefully manage the number of people in an office at any given time. Upon arrival, patients should be prepared to wear a mask or cloth face covering of their own or use a mask provided to them by office staff, the announcement noted.

Additionally, temperature checks will be performed on all arriving patients, who should arrive without any guests, with exceptions made for minors and those requiring assistance. Signage and guides will enforce physical distancing within each office.

All EyeCare Partners physicians and staff will be equipped with masks and gloves at all times and will disinfect common surfaces, medical equipment and eyeglasses after any human contact. All staff recently completed training on enhanced safety and hygiene protocols.

“Successfully managing ocular health requires annual eye exams—refractions to confirm proper prescriptions for nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism, as well as evaluating overall eye health for potential ocular disease, ideally with early intervention,” Dr. James Wachter, chief professional officer of EyeCare Partners, said in the announcement.

“Patients are returning to our doctors for non-emergency care for the first time in nearly two months with an entirely new set of priorities and concerns. Our enhanced protocols are designed to pair our excellent delivery of eye health services with the peace of mind that these services are being provided in the safest way possible.”

EyeCare Partners’ offices will continue to offer telehealth services for select medical conditions, according to the announcement.

EyeCare Partners offers comprehensive medical eyecare services throughout Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, Ohio, North Carolina and Indiana. The group is a portfolio company of Switzerland’s Partners Group, a private markets investment manager with several U.S. offices.