Clinic Adds Innovative Technology

In both technology and personnel, Dr. Rick Graebe’s Family Eyecare Associates in Versailles has solidified its position as a full-service eyecare center on the cutting edge of patient care.

In technology, the practice has added Optical Coherence Tomography technology that dramatically increases the ability to diagnose structural problems, especially macular degeneration, a common cause of vision loss in people 70 and older.

In personnel, Dr. Kevin Skidmore has joined the practice to concentrate on eye structure issues such as retinal tears, glaucoma, corneal issues, etc.

Dr. Skidmore comes from the same mold as Dr. Graebe – an inquisitive optometrist willing to look outside the box for treatment options.

He also complements Dr. Graebe’s expertise, which includes the functional side of vision.

A proponent of Vision Therapy – a kind of physical therapy for the eyes, brain and body – Dr. Graebe helps patients maximize visual performance by treating the entire visual system, not just eyesight.

“As knowledge expands, you can’t expect one doctor to be an expert in all things,” Dr. Graebe said.

“Our practice is blessed to have a gifted and talented optometrist who stood out above all the others.

“We were a full-service practice before he joined us, offering treatment for eye structure issues, but Dr. Skidmore will take us to the next level.”

An Ohio State graduate, Dr. Skidmore served a one-year residency with a V.A. hospital in Columbus and another residency with Commonwealth Eye Surgery in Lexington.

“Fresh out of school, he has the book knowledge you need, and at the V.A. you see more unusual disease situations in one year than you would in 20 years in a general practice,” Dr. Graebe said.

Dr. Skidmore will benefit from the OCT machine that can make 40,000 scans of the retina in one second.

The retina consists of 10, paper-thin layers. OCT technology allows doctors to analyze all 10 layers.

The OCT technology is one more example of why Family Eyecare Associates has more services under one roof than any other practice in the state.

“With this equipment and staff in one place, patients don’t have to go from one office to another with doctors who may not communicate with each other,” Dr. Graebe said

“The team we have here can handle everything short of eye surgery, so we can live up to our motto, ‘We’re here to serve.’”