Siri Premier Eyecare emphas-eyes-ing good health in Cambridge

By Laura Walter

CAMBRIDGE—Eyes are windows to the souls, and good eyesight is best protected. Dr. Eleanor Siri-Andoson, O.D. is heading toward the third anniversary of her own Cambridge optometry practice, Siri Premier Eyecare. With a goal of educating people to care for their eyes, she is licensed to practice in Maryland and Virginia.

“We all have a responsibility when it comes to our sight,” so she’s helping people hang on to what they’ve got.

Services include routine eye exams, prescription eyeglasses and contact lenses; diagnosing and managing ocular diseases like glaucoma; diabetic eye exams; foreign body removal; chronic dry eye treatment; and many other services, except surgery.

“The first line of protection is getting a yearly eye exam. I cannot emphasis that more,” said Siri-Andoson. “A lot of eye diseases, if diagnosed early, are treatable or manageable.

“When people think about eye exams, a lot of people are talking about glasses. I’m talking about health of the eye, from front to back. If somebody’s not tracking [at yearly exams], they’re not going to know there was a major change,” just like at an annual physical exam.

Some people hesitate to schedule doctors, or just don’t like messing with their eyes. But “just think about how important it is,” said Siri-Andoson. “It’s better to get your eyes checked than to lose your sight. Because … we can’t get it back.”

As a kid, “I can remember the first time I was able to see clearly after getting new glasses. I grew up in Cameroon, which is in central West Africa. When I went to school, I was aware that there was kids who couldn’t afford eyecare … so they had to sit in the front of the class,” she said.

“When it was time for me to choose what to do in the medical field, eyecare stood out to me. There’s an instant healing when it comes to eyecare; you put it in front of the eyes, and boom! it’s instantaneous.”

What should people look for in an optometrist? “One, how much time are they allocating to each patient? I know people that do five-minute eye exams, and with an aging population, five minutes is not enough to be able to assess the whole human eye,” she said.

“Two, how much technology is available for the doctor to assess the eye? At Siri Premier Eyecare, we do have retina photography, and it shows us different layers in the eye, so if you have a problem, we know exactly where it is.”

This Salisbury University graduate (magna cum laude) had an IT career in before switching to medicine. She trained in Pennsylvania and Baltimore; now serves on the SU health school’s advisory board; is president of the Eastern Shore Optometric Society; and a Dorchester Chamber of Commerce board member.

After time in a corporate eye office, Siri-Andoson struck out on her own. Siri Premier Eyecare has already won several Stars of the Banner awards for eyecare in Dorchester County.

“I’m really passionate about not only providing the most thorough eye exam, but also educating people about your eyes. I believe that when people are educated, they do take care of themselves,” she said.

Siri Premier Eyecare is located at 724 Cambridge Marketplace Blvd., Cambridge, Md. For more information, call (443) 225-5377 or visit www.siripremierec.com.

They accept Medicare and most types of insurance. There may be special pricing for people without insurance, with limited income, for military, first responders and AARP.