NSU celebrates next chapter in vision care
NSU celebrates next chapter in vision care with new optometry facility launch - July 29
State-of-the-art center underscores university’s long-term commitment to training, innovation & community service.
TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – Northeastern State University invites the public to come celebrate the vision. On July 29 the institution will realize a special milestone with the grand opening of its new state-of-the-art, 78,000-square-foot NSU Oklahoma College of Optometry facility. The event will begin at 10 a.m. and be held at 870 E. Crafton Street, Tahlequah.
The three-story facility, which cost an estimated $39.3 million will provide the needed space and cutting-edge equipment for enhanced vision care access to the underserved along with expanded clinical and continuing education for students and optometry professionals.
“At Northeastern we are grateful to our deeply valued community, state and tribal partners and donors whose generosity made the reality of this milestone possible,” NSU President Rodney Hanley said. “This facility will expand the vital vision care services for the communities we serve in addition to providing unrivaled training to the next generation of optometry professionals. We look forward to gathering together with members of the community to celebrate this new home for NSUOCO.”
The project has been years in the making, breaking ground exactly two years ago. According to Dr. Nate Lighthizer, Dean of the College of Optometry, the process began in June 2016 when senior staff and faculty from NSUOCO visited other colleges of optometry in various locations. During their visits, they picked up innovative ideas that would contribute to a community-enhancing vision to further advance eye care education and services in the region.
“It's been a long time coming,” Lighthizer said. “We made those visits to see what their buildings were like and what they had designed, so we're nine years in this process. It’s been a long road and a fun journey that culminates with the ribbon cutting. The general feeling [in the college] is excitement.”
The NSU Oklahoma College of Optometry, renowned and respected in the optometry community across the globe, has attracted optometry educators and professionals from locales as far as Perth, Australia. For Lighthizer, the facility is a physical representation of the caliber of work produced by NSUOCO educators and students.
“We want to serve all of the citizens of northeast Oklahoma,” Lighthizer said. “We plan to have more clinics, including having the first-ever refractive surgery clinic in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. The new equipment, like slit lamps, a surgical microscope and diagnostic imaging, further enhances our understanding and care of patients.”
The completion of this project was made possible by support from the Oklahoma Legislature, the Cherokee Nation, Masonic Charity Foundation of Oklahoma, Cherokee County Commissioners and numerous donors. Flintco and GH2 Architects were an integral part of the day-to-day project.
The new facility will see its first classes held in the fall semester.
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