UAB Callahan Eye – Pelham

My son saw Dr. Tauscher for possible papilledema. The receptionist, Camilla, was wonderful at check in. Prompt and friendly. There was a bit of a wait but we were adequately prepared for that. The staff/ nurses were very kind and efficient. Micheala really stood out for her friendliness and the way she explained everything so well to my son. Afterwards Camilla checked us out and she was friendly and nice. All in all, a very positive experience.

I had heard spectacular things about Callahan Eye Clinic so I came to this satellite office with unrealistic expectations, I guess. The staff was friendly, our appointment was on time, but here are a few things they could improve. 1. Dilation. Putting dilating drops in somebody’s eyes is so 1950s. It lasts for hours, and God forbid you have to do anything else that day that’s outside. Yes, it's possible to have a comprehensive eye exam without dilation. Techniques like Optomap retinal imaging use digital scans to visualize the retina without the need for dilating eye drops. Even Walmart has this in some locations. They could take some of that UAB sports money and reinvest it into newer equipment. 2. Minor issue, but the website and some other advertising says “call or text 844 UAB EYES” for an appointment. You can’t text letters without looking them up. I tried but the message was undeliverable. 3. Had a young, inexperienced Optometrist for my exam. That’s no problem, you gotta start somewhere. But delivering the news that both my wife and I both have pre-cataracts but may not need surgery for 10-20 years is kind of alarming. I called my old Optometrist and he told me he had seen no signs of this less than a year ago. I guess it’s possible, but I’m wondering if it’s just standard language for people our age for future marketing? 4. Without asking, my optometrist wrote me a prescription for Progressive lenses. I hate progressive lenses because they make me nauseous. My bad, I should’ve caught this before I left. Now I have to call back and get a prescription for standard lenses. 5. I could only get an eyeglasses exam appointment — a contact lens appointment was at least eight weeks out. Wondering why it’s so difficult to get a contact lens appointment? Most other optometrists can do both in one visit. 6. The frame selection at the Pelham office was kind of weak. But I’m guessing it’s a low-profit satellite office. Maybe the other ones have more of a selection. 7. My prior Optometrist checked our peripheral vision and also did a colorblind test. Neither of these tests was done at this office. With that said, I am hoping the main office in Birmingham is much more up to date. We may have to take a ride down there next year to see if things are different. Apparently, eye exams are booked up to six months out at that location. Will update here when I know.

Disorganized and disorderly from the link to sign in to the appointment all the way through a needless lengthy visit. Getting a hold of anyone afterward is impossible. No one calls back. These eye clinics are not patient centered. Their focus is on volume and bottom line.

Such a horrible experience. We took our grandson in for a checkup. They did not order his glasses and then forgot to order them. They proceeded to argue that we did not order. Horrible

I was pleased with my visit soon as I walked in I was greeted by the staff with open arms. Dr. Jennifer Risting Is very thorough with so much patience. As I checked out I was still pleased with the professionalism by Mrs.Kamila . Excellent service UAB Callahan Eye Clinic