Author: Laura Lukaszek

We are open for “new normal” in-office care with expanded office hours in place, donning face masks/PPE, continuing hand sanitizing stations, continuously disinfected surfaces and much more to keep you and your loved ones safe.

With the new CDC guidance in mind, we have reopened our waiting room and are no longer requiring patients to call when they arrive for their appointments.  As of May 28, 2021, NJ State Mandate 242 continues to require masks to be worn while in medical offices.  Should you forget yours, we can provide you with one.  Temperature checks will continue upon arrival in the office and fevers above 100.7F will be asked to reschedule their appointment.

The safety of our patients and staff is our number one priority!  We will keep updating our policies and procedures as more information becomes available.  And as always please let us know if there is anything we can do to make you feel more safe or comfortable while in the office!

We received another updated about our sweet Sabrina! She is once again a proud mama to another litter of puppies. We could not be happier for her!

Computer use is at an all-time high. We frequently hear the complaints of our patients’ dry, blurry, and tired eyes after long periods of time at the computer. With many jobs transitioned to working virtually from home and children doing much of their schoolwork on the computer, eyestrain is more common. What can be done to make the eyes feel better?

Studies have shown that computer use, and the blue light that it emits, stimulates the brain to keep it awake and alert. While this may seem beneficial during the day, it causes a disruption to the body’s natural sleep-wake cycle. Prolonged exposure to the blue light, especially an hour or two before bedtime, has been show to disrupt one’s sleep. Blue-blocking lenses have been proven to help the use maintain normal circadian rhythm and get to sleep with less trouble.

The eyes are muscles and need to be flexed. Long-term computer viewing causes the eye muscles to cramp up and can lead to eyestrain and headaches. We tend to stare at the computer when we are concentrating on what we are doing. When we stare, we do not blink, and the eyes can dry out. We recommend setting a timer and getting up every hour or so and walking away from the screen. By looking at something at a distance for a few minutes, the eye muscles can relax.

The glare from the computer screen can also lead to discomfort. Glare can be decreased by applying an anti-reflective coating to the lenses and a mild tint. Anecdotally, some people get relief from a combination of blue-blocking lenses and anti-reflective coating.

Dryness is worse this time of year due to the heat in our homes and low natural humidity. Just as our skin dries out, so can our eyes. The use of an over-the-counter lubricating drops every hour while on the computer and consciously remembering to blink will help to minimize dryness.

Eyestrain due to prolonged computer use can be minimized following these few suggestions and making small changes to your viewing habits. If it has been a year since your last exam, call for an appointment—the eyestrain you are experiencing may be due to a prescription change!

We know that the COVID-19 Pandemic has really thrown a lot of people off their normal routine. We just wanted to remind you that the end of the benefit year is rapidly approaching and now is the time to get your eyes examined!

If you don’t use your insurance benefit or flex spending by the end of the year, you lose it. So, if you have been putting off ordering your contact lenses, or just want to schedule your annual exam, call us today!! We want to help you take advantage of those tax-free dollars you’ve set aside for your health. The schedule books up very quickly this time of year and we don’t want anyone to miss this opportunity!!

Phone: 908-464-0123
Email: suburbaneyeinstitute@gmail.com

To Our Suburban Eye Institute Family,

We wanted to thank everyone for your generosity over these last two weeks. We participated in a drive organized by one of our amazing patients, Marie Kung, to support a local organization called The Covenant House. If you did not see our previous email, The Covenant House in Newark, New Jersey serves our homeless young adults by giving them a place to stay, basic needs, access to technology and education, and a support system to help rebuild their lives. Because of your generosity, she was able to deliver new fall jackets, hoodies, flannel shirts, pajamas, backpacks, underwear, socks and endless hygiene products including shampoo/conditioner, toothpaste, toothbrushes, deodorant, body washes and much more! With monetary donations, Marie was able to purchase many more essential items at Costco.

With all of your help, The Suburban Eye Institute was able to collect and donate about one-third of the total donations that were delivered. Everything she collected took up two large SUVs and Marie and her family delivered everything on Sunday August 16th. We could not be more proud of our community and are so looking forward to doing more drives like this one in the future. Thank you all so much for your participation and overwhelming generosity!  Follow our facebook page for pictures of all of the wonderful donations – we have provided the link below!

facebook.com/suburbaneyeinstitute

Best Wishes!

Suburban Eye Institute

Dr. Lukaszek, Dr. Lynly, Dr. Mackey,

and the Suburban Eye Institute Staff!

To Our Valued Patients,

In observance of the 4th of July holiday, the office will be closed on Friday July 3rd through Sunday July 5th!  We will reopen on Monday July 6th at 9:00 AM.  If you need any non-urgent assistance please feel free to call the office at 908-464-0123 and leave a message – a member of our staff will get back to you as soon as we return.  If you would like to set up an appointment, feel free to send us an e-mail at suburbaneyeinstitute@gmail.com and someone from our staff will get back to you!

Enjoy the weekend,

Dr. Lukaszek, Dr. Lynly, Dr. Mackey

and Office Staff

With all of the uncertainty surrounding this COVID-19 pandemic, and the aftermath that we will be dealing with for some time to come, we know it has been hard to prioritize your eye health!

If you are putting off going to the doctor, you are not alone. According to Kaiser Health News:

-1 in 3 Americans are delaying medical care due to financial loss or even stress caused by COVID-19

-29% of adults said they avoided medical care because they were afraid of contracting the virus.

Each day that passes where you put off your medical treatment causes more concern about the impacts of the delays. Putting off treatment delays the detection and treatment of early stage diseases and causes lack of proper management care for chronic conditions.

THERE IS GOOD NEWS!! The Suburban Eye Institute doctors and staff are here and ready to see you. Here are just a few of the steps we have taken to ensure the health and safety of each of our patients:

-Strict social distancing policies throughout the office

-Visitor restrictions (meaning only the patient is permitted in the office during the exam unless there are special needs that require assistance)

-Strict monitoring of patient and staff temperatures using non-contact thermometers

-Mandatory use of masks throughout the office for patients and staff

-Rigorous cleaning an disinfecting in exam rooms, screening rooms, and throughout the office

If you have been putting off getting your annual eye exam, or management appointments for a chronic condition, give our office a call  908-464-0123  to set up your appointment today! Spots are filling fast for the summer and we want to do everything we can to have you seen in a timely manor.

Your health and safety are our top priority and we look forward to seeing you soon!

Sincerely,

Suburban Eye Institute

Dr. Lukaszek, Dr. Lynly, and Dr. Mackey

It is our hope that this letter finds you and your families safe and well during this new COVID-19 reality.  Over the last several weeks, we have been available to our patients for urgent visits and telemedicine evaluations.  We are happy to announce that we were able to reopen our office for patient visits on Tuesday May 26th 2020, in a careful and well-considered way.  Our main concern is to keep our patients and staff healthy.  

The following safeguards are going to be introduced:

• All staff will have their temperatures taken each day when they arrive at the office for their shift.
• The front door will remain locked at all times and patients will remain in their cars and call the office upon arrival.
• All patients will be asked COVID screening questions and have their temperatures taken prior to entering the office as well.
• All patients and staff must wear masks while in the office.
• Hand sanitizer, tissues, and hands-free trash receptacles will be available.
• Sneeze guards have been installed where appropriate.
• Regular sanitizing will be performed in public spaces as well as exam rooms using disinfectants appropriate for the surfaces being cleaned.
• Social distancing will be maintained in the waiting room and all clinical areas.  
• We ask that no family members accompany patients except for those under 18 or those who need special assistance or accommodations.
• Special office hours will be designated for immunocompromised and those in the high risk categories.
• We will continue to direct ship contact lenses orders to the patient home or office.

During the first few weeks, the volume of patients evaluated will be less; we will add more each following week as safety allows.  At this point, patients can choose to come to the office by appointment only or continue with telemedicine visits dictated by the severity of each person’s condition versus the safety of leaving one’s home.  At this time we ARE NOT offering telemedicine appointments for routine eye exams, telemedicine is restricted to non-routine office visits only.  

Suburban Eye Institute is committed to the care of our patients and the welfare of our communities.  We look forward to seeing you soon!

You can request an appointment by giving the office a call at 908-464-0123 or you can fill out the contact form on our website!

As our community copes with the fast-moving spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus we hope you and yours are in good health during these stressful times.

In an effort to reduce the spread of the Coronavirus, the office will be closed to all examinations effective immediately through May 3, 2020. A doctor WILL be available during limited times for telemedicine calls as well as medication and contact lens renewals. We are happy to schedule any routine appointments for future dates.

Please call at 908-464-0123 or e-mail us at suburbaneyeinstitute@gmail.com and leave a message with your request and someone will get back to you within one business day. The messages and e-mails are checked periodically throughout the day.

If you need essential emergency care where there is a threat to vision or visual function, please refrain from going to the already overwhelmed emergency rooms. The doctors at Omni Eye Services are available at (973) 325-6734.

You can visit our website suburbaneyenj.com/ for the most up-to-date information about the office. Our main priority is to encourage good health among our patients and staff by decreasing our social interaction. We thank you for your understanding.

When we are given the green-light to renew business operations we will update you. We thank you for your patience during this interruption and hope to see you when we re-open, happy and healthy.

Also, please note Suburban Optik will be open from 11-1 Monday-Saturday to assist with any of your glasses needs.

Please feel free to contact us anytime if you have any questions and we will respond back as quickly as we can.

908-464-0123

suburbaneyeinstitute@gmail.com

Thank you and stay well,

Suburban Eye Institute

Dr. Lukaszek, Dr. Lynly, Dr. Mackey, and Office Staff

The CDC has encouraged all non-emergent medical offices to refrain from seeing routine exams in an effort to reduce the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). In the spirit of “social distancing”, the office will be closed to routine examinations. The office will be OPEN for emergencies at the following times:

Mondays 3-4 pm
Tuesdays 3-4 pm
Wednesdays 11 am-12 pm
Thursdays 3-4 pm
Fridays 3-4 pm
Saturdays 11 am-12 pm

Contact lenses will be dispensed at these times, also. You may leave a message on our answering machine if you have a specific question or concern and one of the doctors or our staff members will return your call during the times the office is open. Our office phone number is:

(908) 464-0123

If you need immediate emergency attention, please do not go to the already overwhelmed emergency room! The doctors at Omni Eye Services are available, their phone number is:

(973) 325-6743

We will consider resuming routine exams on a daily basis following a review of the public health recommendations.

Thank you for your understanding,
Dr. Lukaszek, Dr. Lynly, Dr. Mackey, and Office Staff