Northside Eye Care Center, operated by North Texas Area Community Health Centers (NTACHC), opened Nov. 8 in Fort Worth. NTACHC is a federally qualified health center that provides high quality medical services for the lower-income population. Pictured above are Dr. Jennifer Deakins, Clinic Director of Community Eye Clinic, and Assistant Clinical Professor, University of Houston College of Optometry; Dr. Mary Kate Sain, Northside Eye Care Center Clinic Director, and Professor of Practice, University of Houston College of Optometry; Dr. Patricia Rodriguez, NTACHC Chief Medical Officer.
Northside Eye Care Center offers an array of services for patients of all ages. The services range from routine eye care to comprehensive medical exams. This includes examinations for glaucoma, diabetes, macular degeneration, cataracts, dry eye, injury/infection, red eyes, glasses prescriptions and more.
Northside Eye Care Center
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Patricia Rodriguez said, “We recognized the specific need of our Northside residents for eyecare provided close to where they live. Delivering the care through NTACHC, which the families already trust for many other healthcare needs, will make a difference in their lives and health.”
The organizations has a unique agreement with Lighthouse for the Blind of Fort Worth to provide on-site optical services, such as selecting and ordering glasses.
Lighthouse for the Blind of Fort Worth
Platt Allen, III, president and CEO of Lighthouse for the Blind of Fort Worth, said, “We are proud to be associated with the Northside Eye Care Center as the sole source provider of optical lab services. We see this as a wonderful partnership to help two underserved communities, the Northside and individuals who are blind. We enjoy telling our story of people who are blind making glasses to provide clear vision for others.”
NTACHC has also established a partnership with the University of Houston College of Optometry where University’s doctors work onsite at the eye care center.
Gerrie Whitaker, NTACHC CEO, said, “We are so grateful for the many individuals and community partners who dedicated their time and resources to help us open the Northside Eye Care Center. We are grateful to the University of Houston College of Optometry North Texas Clinics and their doctors, Dr. Sain and Dr. Deakins, along with the Lighthouse for the Blind of Fort Worth, Alcon Foundation, Amon G. Carter Foundation and Association of Clinicians for the Underserved.”
Those interested in scheduling an appointment at Northside Eye Care Center must be current patients. NTACHC is currently accepting new patients. Please visit //ntachc.org/ or call 817-625-4254 to request an appointment.
North Texas Area Community Health Centers
The nonprofit centers are a community family medical practice offering a full-range of primary and preventative healthcare services to patients throughout Tarrant County. In 2002, NTACHC was founded as a federally qualified health center to provide high quality medical services, to serve as a safety net for the lower-income population, and to help successfully address health disparities in the community. Open to all, NTACHC has three community-centered medical homes: Northside Community Health Center, Southeast Community Health Center and Arlington Community Health Center. For more information, visit ntachc.org/ or call 817-625-4254.
