News
Eagle Doc Expands His Eye Care Service
Eye Center of the Rockies recently moved to 232 Broadway after four years in Eagle Ranch.
We didn't have enough room for optical (glasses) said Dr. Matthew Ehrlich. We're more full service now that we have this bigger place. We used to refer patients to local optometrists to get their glasses. Now we're a one-stop shop.
Ehrlich is an ophthalmologist which is different from an optometrist.
People often don't know the difference an ophthalmologist is able to treat diseases and do surgery in addition to everything an optometrist does he said. Before I came here patients had to be referred to Denver or Grand Junction for eye surgery. This is really a huge difference for the area.
Ehrlich also has an office at 1607 Grand Ave. in Glenwood Springs which has been open three years. He does surgery at Vail Valley Surgery Center in Edwards and at Valley View Hospital in Glenwood.
Now that we have our optics area set up we'll be able to accept VSP insurance by the end of January when the paper work is finished Ehrlich said. Once we're on VSP we will have an optometrist working in the Eagle office as well so that I can focus on the more serious cases.
Ehrlich said he is able to respond to emergency calls 24/7. Patients can call the regular number and will automatically be transferred to an answering service when the office is closed.
There are times when it's better to call me directly than go to the emergency room where you'll end up being referred to me anyway he said.
He has some colorful stories to illustrate his point.
Two little boys were throwing a pencil around in class he said. One boy ducked and the pencil hit a girl in the eye. Her iris popped out. I sewed it back in and she still has 20/20 vision.
Ehrlich lives in Eagle with two 11-year-old children of his own and has 24 years of experience.
I worked in Venice Fla. for 13 years doing 20 cataract surgeries every morning he said. It was great experience but I wanted to move here and there was a need for an ophthalmologist here.
He clearly enjoys his work.
I decided to become an eye doctor because it was the only kind of doctor I really went to as a kid since I was otherwise healthy. He was my hero Ehrlich said. I like doing the delicate surgeries working under a microscope.
His most commonly performed surgeries include refractive cataract surgery refractive lensectomy LASIK plug insertion YAG laser procedure chalazion removal and pterygium removal.
For more information on Ehrlich and his office visit www.eyecenterrockies.com or call the Eagle office at 970-926-7773 or the Glenwood Springs office at 970-945-9793.
More News
-
New!
More
First Chair to Last Call: What Does Alcohol Really Mean For Your Health?
In nearly every Colorado ski town, some iteration of the neon sign blares its play-hard-party-harder anthem. It’s a not-so-subtle nod to mountain party culture, a lifestyle that normalizes combining sports and outdoor adventures with heavy drinking and partying. In Eagle County, après culture, high-altitude living and outdoor performance have coexisted for as long as locals have been sliding on snow. But how much is too much at altitude? And what role do social support systems play in helping residents find balance?
-
New!
More
Counting More Than Steps: How Wearables Can Help (or Hinder) Your Health
From step counts to sleep stages, heart rate variability to blood sugar spikes, wearable devices are giving us a front-row seat to what’s happening inside our bodies. Strapped to wrists, slipped onto fingers or wrapped around our biceps, wearables like the Oura Ring or Whoop strap promise insight and advice in the quest for better health.
-
More
Cass Barham and Sarah Crabtree Honored As Recipients of Vail Health Elevate Award
Cass Barham and Sarah Crabtree, both lab techs at Vail Health Hospital, have been named recipients of the Vail Health Elevate Award. Vail Health created the Elevate Award in June 2022 to give patients and their families an opportunity to nominate and thank employees who have touched their lives in some way.