Zion Eye Institute expresses gratitude to optometrist for 30 years of ‘outstanding service and loyalty’

Photo by Motortion/iStock/Getty Images Plus, St. George News

CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — As 2020 draws to a close, and in the spirit of Thanksgiving, Zion Eye Institute would like to share their appreciation and gratitude for one of their own, optometrist Dr. Jeffry R. Ricks, for his 30 years of “outstanding service and loyalty to his patients, colleagues and medical practice.”

Zion Eye Institute optometrist Dr. Jeffry R. Ricks, photo date and location not specified | Photo from Zion Eye Institute website, St. George News

Ricks told St. George News that after three decades of serving the St. George community with Zion Eye Institute, he has plenty to be thankful for himself, and it all starts with their patients. 

“We know that without a patient following, we wouldn’t be successful,” he said. “We’re grateful for so many wonderful people who have entrusted us with their eye care, and we want to give back to the community that’s given so much to us.”

Ricks graduated from Brigham Young University and the Southern California College of Optometry before spending three years in the United States Air Force. He served as an optometric physician at the U.S. Air Force Academy Clinic in Colorado. 

The Utah native joined Zion Eye Institute – then called Dixie Eye Center – after moving to St. George in 1990. He and his wife have four children and nine grandchildren, all of whom remain close by.

“When we first came here, there was one traffic signal in all of St. George,” he said. “We wanted a family-friendly community, a safe community, a peaceful community, and St. George has certainly been that kind of an area. We never want to leave.” 

Ricks said he is grateful for the fulfilling connections he has made through his practice, his church and his community, as well as being able to provide a living for his family as part of the highly qualified and knowledgeable vision care team at Zion Eye Institute. 

In a multispecialty practice like Zion Eye Institute, optometrists focus more on the medical side of things and spend less time performing medical exams and prescribing glasses and contacts, Ricks said. He primarily treats medical eye disease and administers post-operative care to surgical patients.

Patient at Zion Eye Institute, St. George, Utah, date not specified | Photo courtesy of Zion Eye, St. George News

He said the most rewarding part of his job is watching the excitement and joy patients experience with restored vision after cataract surgery especially. With a success rate of 98% or higher, cataract surgery provides extraordinary improvement in quality of life. 

Zion Eye Institute offers comprehensive optometry and ophthalmology services, including pediatric eye care, at four locations in Southern Utah and Nevada. The St. George clinic houses an ambulatory surgical center performing LASIK surgery, cataract surgery, cornea surgery, retina surgery, glaucoma surgery and eyelid surgery. 

“We offer treatment for every possible type of visual need under one roof,” Ricks said. “We can offer everything from the most basic exam to the most complex surgery.”

As St. George continues on a trajectory of exponential growth, Zion Eye Institute keeps evolving along with it, Ricks said. The practice had a patient base of approximately 25,000 people when he arrived in 1990. Now it’s approaching 130,000. 

Ricks said he enjoys seeing familiar faces at Zion Eye Institute. Many patients have remained loyal to the practice for as long as he has been part of the team. 

“The great thing about the practice is all the wonderful people in St. George,” he said. “We’re thankful for the trust that people have placed in us in our ability to provide good eye care.” 

And Zion Eye Institute is thankful for Dr. Ricks, and congratulates him on 30 years of service.

“He is an excellent physician, an honorable man and a great friend to all who know him,” said Zion Eye Institute administrator and COE Zachary Cox.

Written by ALEXA MORGAN for St. George News.

• S P O N S O R E D   C O N T E N T •

Resources

  • Zion Eye Institute | Address: 1791 E. 280 North, St. George | Telephone: 435-656-2020 or 877-841-2020 | Website.
  • Other locations
    • Santa Clara: 1100 Canyon View Drive, Unit G, Santa Clara | Telephone: 435-674-3502.
    • Cedar City: 110 W. 1300 North, No. 175, Cedar City | Telephone: 435-865-5979.
    • Mesquite, Nevada: 1301 Bertha Howe Ave., Ste. 11, Mesquite, Nevada | Telephone: 702-346-9175.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2020, all rights reserved.

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