Bascom Palmer on Who we are and What you can expect

At Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, we strive to provide world-class clinical care to each patient that walks through our doors. Bascom Palmer is an academic, tertiary-care referral institute, and the only university based eye care center in Southwest Florida.

Bascom Palmer is proud that its patients in Naples come to the institute from the local community, as well as from around the globe. While each visit can be lengthy, we believe it is better to do “everything that has to be done” for each patient during their visit, rather than ask them to come back again and again for additional testing or treatment.

Bascom Palmer is the Department of Ophthalmology for the University of Miami, Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine. The University of Miami is a non-for-profit medical, research and academic institution. This year, 2018, marks our 14th year in Naples and the third season in our award-winning, state-of-the art Naples center. In February of 2017, we also opened the Ambulatory Surgical Center on our second floor, and are seeing surgical patients daily.

Our patients span all ages, from premature infants to the very elderly, and often have complex, vision-threatening diseases. We seek the patients who need it the most. Our Naples eye center provides essentially all types of eye care, from routine “checkups” and contact lens fittings to advanced subspecialty care in retinal diseases, uveitis
(serious eye inflammation), cancers involving the eye, pediatric eye diseases, and many other potentially
blinding diseases.

Many of these conditions require extensive diagnostic testing or in-office treatment. Our doctors and team members work diligently to offer an excellent experience to each and every one of our patients. The typical visit to see an ophthalmologist at Bascom Palmer is two to three hours, however some visits depending on diagnosis, could be longer. 

One question we are frequently asked is, “Why does it take so long?”

The following are five essential steps of each visit and the reason for such steps:

Arrival and registration (15 minutes). Arrive at your scheduled time, check in at registration.

Early arrival does not expedite an appointment. 

Testing and procedure (60-90 minutes). You will first be seen by an
ophthalmic technician who will initiate the necessary preliminary
assessment. This may include dilation of the eyes and diagnostic
imaging/testing.

Your doctor’s or provider’s visit (15-60 minutes based on the complexity of
your eye condition). Some eye conditions may require additional testing
at this stage of the visit.

Treatment (45 minutes). Based on your doctor’s diagnosis, additional
treatments may be performed at this time. 

Check out (15 minutes). Future appointments and payment may be
performed at this time.

In their annual survey ranking America’s Best Hospitals, U.S. News & World Report once again ranked Bascom Palmer Eye Institute the nation’s best in ophthalmology. It is the sixteenth time America’s leading ophthalmologists
have recognized Bascom Palmer as the best in the country for vision research, education and patient care. Bascom Palmer is dedicated to enhancing quality of life by improving sight and preventing blindness, and we strive to provide you with the compassionate care you deserve.

For more information visit bascompalmer.org or call us at 239.659.3937