By Getting to help people improve their daily lives is one of the driving factors behind Dr. Justin Kendall’s passion for optometry. The combination of medicine and personal interaction is what first drew him to the field and it’s what keeps him motivated to stay up to date on new developments and processes. “Having had issues with my vision in the past, I knew how rewarding it could be to help those who are struggling with their sight,” Dr. Kendall says.
Dr. Kendall uses that passion every day as the optometrist at Performance Eyecare, an independent eye care clinic that prides itself on its high-tech exams that are painless, thorough and precise without using dilation or air puffs. Instead, the office uses optomap retinal screening that allows for a state-of-the-art view of the back of the eye, allowing for early detection of glaucoma, macular degeneration, hypertension and more. To replace air puffs, the office uses an eyedrop that then helps the doctor determine eye pressure while looking through a microscope. It is painless and more accurate than the air puff method. Performance Eyecare also can take a 3D image of the glands in eyelids to determine if patients suffer from dry eyes and test the pigment level in retinas to determine if they are at a higher risk for degenerative disorders.
Optometry is advancing rapidly to meet the needs of the evolving world. As more and more time is spent using cellphones, computers and tablets, Dr. Kendall says there will be a growing need for visual correction in young people. “Our ability to limit the amount of nearsightedness and eye strain via blue light filtering glasses and myopia controlling contact lenses will be crucial to keeping future generations from debilitating eye issues,” he says.
In his career, Dr. Kendall has learned the value of being a good listener and how important it is when it comes to patient care. “Our patients have a variety of needs that we need to meet on a daily basis,” he says. “I have learned to take the time to listen to their needs while developing the best plan help their eyecare needs.”
Dr. Kendall has spent the past year working at the clinic in Columbia and he says it has been an amazing experience. “We have such a unique, diverse population of people here with different needs, and trying to establish Performance Eyecare as a leader in the eyecare community has been incredibly rewarding,” Dr. Kendall says. “I look forward to continuing to provide high tech eye exams to our patients for many years to come!”
If he wasn’t an optometrist, Dr. Kendall says he would have wound up in the kitchen, either in the restaurant business or trying to brew beer professionally. “I love to experiment with trying new cuisines and whipping up new recipes in the kitchen, and have taken to home brewing recently,” Dr. Kendall says.
When he’s not working, Dr. Kendall can be found spending time with his wife and their sheepadoodle puppy, Somer. Dr. Kendall also serves as the president of the Central Missouri Optometric Society.
PERFORMANCE EYECARE | 30 E. SOUTHAMPTON DRIVE, SUITE 109, COLUMBIA MO 573-874-3937 | PERFORMANCEEYECARE.COM/LOCATIONS/COLUMBIA-MO-OPTOMETRIST
