Island City Eyecare going strong

Alan Shaffer is ready make you see clearly.
(Photo provided by Dr. Shaffer)

By BOB KECSKEMETY

In September 2009, Island City Eyecare opened in the Island City Lofts at 2301 Wilton Dr., in Wilton Manors. Dr. Alan Shaffer and his partners, Drs. James Brauss, Katherine Brauss, and Andrew Jensen created a stateof- the art, full-service facility yet one that has a warm, friendly atmosphere.

Dr. Shaffer attended Pennsylvania State University followed by the Pennsylvania College of Optometry. Upon his graduation in 1986, he decided to do his externship in South Florida and never left.

“I fell in love with South Florida and a year later I opened an office in Boca with another doctor,” said Shaffer.

He himself then moved his home from Boca to Wilton Manors five years ago.

Dr. James Brauss had his practice near Fort Lauderdale High School for nearly 20 years but wanted to expand his office to include his daughter and son-in-law who were also opticians.

Together, the four doctors found the location on Wilton Drive and opened Island City Eyecare. “We wanted to be on The Drive in the heart of the area. It’s easy to get to and people know about it,” said Shaffer.

Shaffer splits his time between his Boca and Wilton Manors offices but is in the process of selling the Boca location.

Though they are a general practice optometry office they also practice medical care. Shaffer explains that they are very big with specialty-type contact lenses. He explains that they often deal with hard-to-fit patients in which previous medical treatments had been unsuccessful. Together they use their combined knowledge to try to come up with the best fit for the patient. They can also treat medical emergencies, glaucoma, conjunctivitis and different diseases. He explains that they can also do multifocal lenses for the aging population and perform newer technologies with allow people to see without glasses.

With four optometrists available at Island City Eyecare, there are always at least two doctors on duty at all times and the offices are open six days a week.

The Optical Lounge was designed by Reginald Dunlap who also designed the offices. Shaffer explained that he and the other doctors didn’t want their new facility to look like a sterile doctor’s office. “We’re offering five-star service,” said Shaffer, “so we wanted a lounge that was warm, inviting and comfortable and we try to have the latest, upto- date fashion styles. Eyewear is now a fashion commodity.”

For frames, they feature Prada, Dolce Gabana, Calvin Klein, Coach and other designers. They also carry a full selection of more budget-priced frames. For contact lenses, they carry all the name brands like Johnson & Johnson, Bausch & Lomb and Acuvue plus the new technologies and disposable brands.

“We try to do the best thing possible for our patients,” said Shaffer, “and we educate them on why they should be using disposable lenses and how to take care of the lenses.”

Island City Eyecare accepts many insurance plans and feel that during these trying economic times, it’s important for their patients to take full advantage of their insurance benefits.

Shaffer is particularly proud of their newest technology, the Optomap. It is used to make digital images of the eye’s retina. Optomap takes a picture of the back of the eye and allows them to immediately evaluate the health of the eye without the use of eye drops. They then save the images for further reference with additional examinations.

“We’ve had great support from the community and many complements on the design of our offices,” said Shaffer. “We have many years of experience and take the best possible care of our patients. Plus, we’re happy to be here.”

FUN FACTS:

Island City Eyecare is
located at 2301 Wilton
Drive in Wilton Manors

Dr. Alan Shaffer graduated
from Pennsylvania State
University and the
Pennsylvania College of
Optometry in 1986.

Dr. Shaffer’s partners in
Island City Eyecare are Dr.
James Brauss, Dr.
Katherine Brauss and Dr.
Andrew Jensen.

Island City Eyecare is open
six days a week and
always has at least two
doctors on duty.

Island City Eyecare carries
Prada, Dolce Gabana,
Calvin Klein and Coach
glasses.