Getting significant face time with the doctor these days is becoming rare. Rising insurance premiums, complexity of care and the overall time crunch that doctors are under have left many to rush their patients in and out. But that’s not the case at Bucks Eye Specialists, a full-service ophthalmology practice based in Yardley. Here, quality chair time is still the norm. When patients visit Sanjay Kamat, D.O., who took over the practice in 2009, or Dana Cianni, O.D., who joined the practice in 2011, they get the best of both worlds—the feel of a small-town practice and a premium level of care.
Dr. Kamat grew up in the area, graduating at the top of his class from Pennsbury High School, and later attended Pennsylvania State University. Though he went on to Kansas City University of Medicine and Bioscience, he returned to the area for his ophthalmology residency at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. He has also worked at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia as well as the world-renowned WillsEye Hospital. But when the opportunity to take over Bucks Eye Specialists presented itself, Dr. Kamat brought his acquired skills back to Bucks County—the place he has long called home.
“I’ve lived here since I was six years old,” Dr. Kamat says. “And now I’m able to have my business here as well. I like feeling like we’re a strong part of the community.”
For the region, this means patients can receive a high level of care, right in their own backyard. And they appreciate that personalized service isn’t compromised for premium care. Too often patients seem to have to sacrifice one for the other when choosing a doctor.
“We definitely aim to have a more personally oriented practice,” Dr. Kamat says. “Patients get a lot of chair time with Dr. Cianni or me. We know patients by name and we don’t rush them out the door. We take the time to listen to their questions, their concerns and their stories.”
Dr. Cianni, who came to Bucks Eye Specialists from Temple Health System Philadelphia, agrees that the personal interaction with patients is somewhat unprecedented in this day and age.
“As a practice grows, it often becomes more like a factory—rushing people in and out in order to see as many patients as possible,” she says. “That’s just not how we operate. We’ve worked really hard to be different. We spend a lot of time with our patients, and we always make sure we answer all of their questions. I try to treat every patient like he or she is the only one I’m seeing that day. I want them all to walk away feeling like they received the best possible care.”
That high standard is not only applied to the doctor/patient relationship but also carried out through the adoption of the latest technology. The practice may be “old fashioned” in the sense that the doctors get to know their patients personally, but make no mistake that Bucks Eye Specialists has remained on the cutting edge. With the adoption of electronic medical records, the practice is streamlining access to patients’ files and is therefore able to make the best possible decisions about each patient’s care. It has enhanced the patient experience as well.
“We now have flat-screen monitors in all exam rooms and can bring up tests or images right there while speaking to the patient,” Dr. Kamat says. “Patients have found that to be very helpful in understanding conditions or treatments. Patients can also access the records themselves, which they appreciate.”
In addition to electronic medical records, the practice continues to adopt the latest technology in the field of eye care, allowing them to make diagnoses at an earlier stage and often prevent serious conditions from progressing.
“The goal is always to catch things earlier, and the latest technology allows us to do that,” Dr. Cianni says. “We don’t want patients to be symptomatic and start to lose vision before we catch something. The goal with every patient is early detection.”
Among the technology adopted by the practice is OCT, or optical coherence tomography. This noninvasive imaging test allows the doctors to take cross-section photographs of the retina and diagnose serious retinal conditions, such as glaucoma, much sooner than previously possible.
As a full-service practice, Bucks Eye Specialists also offers a wide selection of ophthalmic frames and contact lenses. By no means a high-pressure or pushy office, Bucks Eye Specialists strives to create an atmosphere where patients feel comfortable browsing frames at their leisure. They are often happy to find unique brands and selections they might not find anywhere else. Like everything else at the practice, a lot of attention goes into the frame inventory selection.
Dr. Cianni adds that the practice is always keeping up with the latest advances in contact lenses, as well. She says some of the newest technology comes in the form of advanced daily disposable lenses. While these lenses were once available only for the simplest prescriptions, these days manufacturers are accommodating more complex prescriptions and conditions, such as astigmatism.
“The parameters have really opened up, making daily disposables more accessible to the masses,” she says. “I believe daily disposables are the safest and healthiest option since you’re getting a fresh lens every day.”
With so many services offered under one roof, Dr. Kamat says Bucks Eye Specialists has become somewhat of a “one-stop shop.” The goal is to make the patient experience as efficient and convenient as possible, but Dr. Kamat goes back to the fact that it’s always done in an unobtrusive way.
“We want to offer everything the patient may need, so of course we have our optical shop and do contact-lens fittings,” Dr. Kamat says. “But we’re not force feeding it. We’re a personable and friendly office, and we don’t put patients under pressure.”
However, Dr. Kamat says the practice does offer competitive pricing to what patients may find online so it’s worth browsing the selection.
While patients have a lot of options when it comes to their eye care, Bucks Eye Specialists continues to grow as patients in the region not only return but also refer friends and family.
“We are compassionate, capable and highly focused on our patients,” Dr. Kamat says. “In the end, it’s really about the standard of care that each patient receives and we remain diligent about ensuring that all of our patients feel their needs were met.”
Bucks Eye Specialists
301 Oxford Valley Road, Suite 801A
Yardley, PA 19067
215-493-7330
www.buckseyespecialists.com
Photograph by Allure West Studios
