The dispensary at the Southern College of Optometry’s new FocalPoint clinic.
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MEMPHIS, Tenn.—Southern College of Optometry is opening FocalPoint, the first facility of its kind in the U.S. to offer completely paperless telemedicine via EyecareLive. FocalPoint’s 8,000-square-foot hybrid clinic has four doctors and offers several technological advances for eye health and exclusive new eyewear lines. The clinic also provides additional clinical instruction space for the college’s students.

“FocalPoint brings to life the vision for a hybrid clinic delivering ‘Care Anywhere,’” said Moshe Mendelson, OD, co-founder and chief medical officer of EyecareLive, a telemedicine platform for optometrists and ophthalmologists. “The paperless facility allows patients to digitally check in, manage their records and follow up with doctors on the telemedicine platform.”

In addition to transforming patient access, FocalPoint is among a dozen locations in the U.S. to offer customizable eyewear through Hoya’s Yuniku system. Using 3D scanning, parametric design automation and 3D printing, the platform creates eyewear to uniquely fit individual facial characteristics.

FocalPoint also shares space with Church Health Eye Care. The walls-down facility integrates care to serve patients across varying demographics and socioeconomic profiles.

“Having several health care disciplines under one roof allows Southern College of Optometry to better integrate patient care and education,” said James Venable, OD, vice president of clinical programs at SCO. “The concept of interprofessional health care education is spreading, and SCO is at the forefront of this movement.”