Illume Eye Care's Dr Dian Zhuang, Ella Ewens, Adele Jefferies, Virginia Plackett and Tayla Dawson

With no frames in sight, new practice Illume Eye Care in Ponsonby, Auckland, is open for patients seeking anything from a comprehensive eye exam to specialised care in myopia management, contact lenses and speciality contact lenses, dry eye disease and ocular surface disease management, keratoconus management, glaucoma diagnosis and management and eye surgery co-management.

Founder and owner Adele Jefferies, immediate past-president of the Cornea and Contact Lens Society and former national clinical manager for Matthews Eyecare, said she had observed a growing demand for more than a standard eye exam in practice and wanted to offer patients the highest level of care, particularly in the areas of dry eye and contact lenses.

“Inspired by what some colleagues in the US were doing, I saw an opportunity for a different style of optometry practice to support not only patients but also the broader eyecare community,” she said. “We have a great range of optometry practices that serve dispensing needs exceptionally well, so I wanted a space that could complement, but not compete with, those practices. I was also getting increasing referrals from ophthalmologists to support patients with dry eye care, which frees up our amazing ophthalmologists to manage patients with higher needs.”

Knowing that the practice needed additional specialties and skills, Jefferies said she wanted to create a space for likeminded optometrists to care for patients to the full scope of their abilities. “I’m pleased to have Ella Ewens with her background in public health, specialty contact lenses and glaucoma, and Dr Dian Zhuang with expertise in dry eye and myopia management join me.”

Jefferies said the practice already supports patients from other optometry and ophthalmology practices and welcomes referrals. “We can run single tests or manage specific needs for other practices’ patients and return them to their care providers for routine care and dispensing needs.”

To date, they have had several referrals for dry eye, lacrimal lavage, blepharitis, keratoconus lens fitting, ortho-k and low vision telescopes, she said. “The dry eye patients have been particularly thankful to have an accurate diagnosis, time in the appointment to fully discuss options and access to advanced services,” Jefferies said, adding “Our practice is about working together to achieve the best possible outcome for our patients.”

When asked if she believes it’s a growing trend to separate eye health from lenses and eyewear, Jefferies is on the fence but said optometry is evolving here and in many other markets. “It’s challenging to be an expert in everything and have all the equipment you ideally want and I think there is space for a range of practice styles. General primary care practices will always be key and maintain their core vision and eyewear services, but a parallel tier comprising high specialty ‘eye health and therapeutic’ practices benefits patients and the eye healthcare system as a whole,” she said.