On-Site Specialty Care

 

Seeing is believing!

Did you know that you can receive a complete eye exam and have glasses made, right here at the East Boston Neighborhood Health Center (EBNHC)? Our Vision Center provides comprehensive eye care for the residents of East Boston and the surrounding communities. The high-quality services we offer are so convenient and affordable that the vast majority of EBNHC patients—from infants to seniors—receive their eye care here, and a great number of our employees do, too!

We offer optometric and ophthalmological services and an eyeglass dispensing service, including an on-site fabrication lab. (Many prescriptions are ready within one day.) Our full range of services includes:

• Routine eye examinations and follow-up care
• Low-vision evaluation for the visually impaired
• Eyeglasses and contact lenses
• Pre- and post-surgical care (such as for cataract surgery)
• Treatments of chronic eye disease (such as glaucoma and macular degeneration)
• Treatment of acute eye disease (such as conjunctivitis, dry eye, and trauma)
• Treatment of eye problems related to systemic disease (such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and arthritis) or side effects from medication

We accept most insurance plans, including MassHealth, Vision Service Plan (VSP), and Spectera, and we care for patients who belong to the Elder Service Plan (ESP) and Senior Care Options (SCO). We speak Spanish and Italian, and interpreter services are available for most languages.

To make an appointment, call the Vision Center at 617-568-5800 or stop by in person. No referral is necessary if you are an EBNHC patient. If you aren’t an EBNHC patient, we’re happy to see you, although you will need a referral from your doctor. We also fill existing prescriptions for eyeglasses and contact lenses (contact lens wearers must have an exam with one of our doctors before contact lenses are dispensed).

Our staff includes: three fulltime optometrists, John Pietrantonio, OD, Robert Capone, OD, and Charles Maggio, OD; one part-time optometrist, Joanne Caruso, OD; a consulting ophthalmologist, Susannah Rowe, MD; an optician, Ana Gonzales; and an optical assistant, Janet Megna. Through a longstanding relationship with the New England College of Optometry, qualified students work at our Vision Center for their clinical rotation. These students are a wonderful addition to the department, and we all benefit from the enthusiasm and commitment of our teaching atmosphere.

The Vision Center’s hours are:

Monday 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Tuesday 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Wednesday 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Thursday 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Friday 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Every other Saturday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

We are located at 79 Paris Street, second floor (100 yards from the main health center building on Gove Street). Call us at 617-568-4474.