2014 Health Care Champions Honoree: Dr. Dana Turner

It’s often said the eyes are the windows to the soul. For optometrist Dr. Dana Turner, they also can provide insight into the workings of internal organs.

“The eyes definitely are a snapshot of what might be happening to a larger degree in the body,” says Turner. “Optometry is a ‘gatekeeper’ profession, in which I might be the first to detect systemic health issues before they cause a person irreversible damage.”

Turner notes a fluctuating eyeglasses prescription could indicate diabetes, a bloody retina could mean a blocked artery, or a swollen optic nerve might point to a brain mass.

“Some of these patients might not have or realize they have any other symptoms,” she says. “I try to educate my patients on the importance of regular exams to detect early eye disease as well as systemic disease.”

As a general optometrist, Turner sees patients from infants to senior citizens. She can correct a patient’s vision with glasses or contact lenses, and she treats diseases of the eye. She also will reach out to a primary care physician on behalf of a patient who might be experiencing a health issue she detected during an eye exam.

“Most of the population has a fear of losing the sense of sight, so they might (visit) me before they would ever step foot in the door of a primary care doctor,” Turner says.

As an independent contractor, Turner has practiced in several offices. Currently, she works for Springfield Eyecare, Table Rock Family Vision Care and Nixa Family Eye Care.

Dr. Kim Pilkington works with Turner at Springfield Eyecare and says patients in the Springfield and Branson areas are lucky to have someone as dedicated to their profession.

“Quite frankly, her patients love her,” says Pilkington. “She has a great chair-side manner. Patients remember her, because she gives each one the attention they deserve and they know she cares. Her patients leave our office with confidence in their examination and experience.”

The confidence Turner instills in patients includes those she sees when she volunteers at local clinics. She helped the Jordan Valley Community Health Center develop its optometry services; treated veterans at the Gene Taylor Community Based Outpatient Clinic in Mount Vernon; and gave free eye exams to clients at the Kitchen Clinic. Turner has seen first-hand how her work can make a difference.

“In addition to struggling with life in general, she was having a difficult time functioning because of her vision needs,” Turner says, of one particular patient. “The day I dispensed her glasses, she cried and gave me a hug.”

The patient shared her gratitude years later, Turner says, when she visited Turner at a private practice as a “paying” patient.

“She had found a job and was renting an apartment, and she even had vision insurance through her work,” she says.

Turner says optometry has been a great vehicle for her to serve others.

“God has blessed me with so many things in life, one of which is the profession of optometry,” she says.

“I decided ‘making people see’ was an awesome career and one I wanted to pursue.”[[In-content Ad]]