Nashville families looking for primary vision care turn to optometrists for annual exams, contact lens fittings, glasses, dry eye therapy, and medical management of conditions that fall short of surgery. Doctors of Optometry licensed by the Tennessee State Board of Optometry hold therapeutic certification that permits diagnosis and treatment of ocular disease, prescription of topical and oral medications within scope, and co-management of post-surgical care. Membership in the American Optometric Association signals adherence to the AOA Code of Ethics, while Diplomate status through the American Academy of Optometry reflects board-level expertise in subspecialty areas such as cornea and contact lenses, pediatric vision, or low vision rehabilitation (for a patient comparing optometrists, “OD” is the basic Doctor of Optometry license, “FAAO” after the name means Fellow of the American Academy of Optometry indicating recognized expertise, and “Diplomate” indicates the highest subspecialty board-certification tier). The three Nashville practices profiled below combine long local tenure with credentials in specialty contact lens fitting, dry eye care guided by TFOS DEWS II protocols, and continuing education accredited through the Council on Optometric Practitioner Education (COPE).
Quick Comparison #
| Firm | Credentials | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Optique Nashville | Tennessee State Board of Optometry licensure with therapeutic certification; Diplomate of the Cornea, Contact Lens, and Refractive Therapies Section of the American Academy of Optometry; Scleral Lens Education Society Fellow | Specialty contact lens fitting for keratoconus, post-surgical cornea, and high-prescription cases; TFOS DEWS II dry eye disease workup |
| Nashville Eye Group | Tennessee Board of Optometry licensure with therapeutic certification; American Board of Optometry Diplomate; Tennessee Association of Optometric Physicians board representation; AOA membership | Glaucoma co-management within Tennessee therapeutic scope, scleral and specialty lens fitting, low vision rehabilitation, ocular disease management |
| Choate Eye Associates | Tennessee Board of Optometry licensure; American Board of Optometry board certification; Council on Optometric Practitioner Education continuing-education accreditation | Thermal-pulsation dry eye treatment, diabetic retinopathy surveillance, macular degeneration monitoring, LASIK consultation and post-surgical co-management |
1. Optique Nashville #
Optique Nashville sits at 2416 21st Avenue South in the Hillsboro Village corridor and is led by Dr. Jeffrey Sonsino, OD, FAAO, alongside Dr. Michele Sonsino, OD, Dr. Julie Lafreniere, OD, and Dr. Aishwarya Pillai, OD. Dr. Jeffrey Sonsino is a Diplomate of the Cornea, Contact Lens, and Refractive Therapies Section of the American Academy of Optometry and a fellow of the Scleral Lens Education Society. He previously served on the faculty of the Vanderbilt University Medical Center Eye Institute for more than eleven years as division chief of optometry and director of the Scleral Lens Clinic before transitioning the specialty contact lens program into private practice. The American Optometric Association recognized him with its President’s Award for contributions to the profession.
Specialty contact lens design for irregular corneas #
The clinic operates a dedicated specialty contact lens program built around keratoconus, post-surgical cornea, ocular surface disease, and high-prescription cases that fall outside standard soft lens parameters. Scleral lenses, gas-permeable designs, hybrid lenses, and custom soft lenses are fitted using corneal topography and anterior segment optical coherence tomography to map vault clearance and limbal alignment. Patients referred from cornea surgeons and from outside the Nashville metro travel for fittings that frequently require multiple visits to refine landing zone curvature.
Dry eye disease workup using TFOS DEWS II protocols #
Dr. Lafreniere directs dry eye disease assessment using staged testing aligned with the Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society Dry Eye Workshop II framework, including tear osmolarity measurement, matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) inflammation testing, meibography, and lipid layer interferometry. Treatment pathways extend from artificial tear selection and lid hygiene through prescription anti-inflammatories, autologous serum tears, and in-office meibomian gland expression.
Daytime hours and second Williamson County location #
The Nashville office runs Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and can be reached at (615) 321-4393. A second practice site at 436 Main Street in Franklin extends access for Williamson County residents who prefer not to drive into Hillsboro Village for routine eyewear or follow-up visits.
2. Nashville Eye Group #
Nashville Eye Group occupies 5429 Edmondson Pike in south Nashville and traces its origin to Dr. C. Wade Hyatt III, OD, who entered private practice in Nashville in December 1993 after relocating from Orlando. The current group structure dates to 2002, when Dr. Hyatt partnered with Dr. Beem to consolidate clinical operations. The doctor roster today includes Dr. Hyatt, Dr. Dale Martin, OD, and Dr. Marianne Johnson, OD. Dr. Hyatt holds Diplomate status with the American Board of Optometry, and Dr. Martin serves on the Board of Trustees of the Tennessee Association of Optometric Physicians, the state affiliate of the AOA. All three doctors maintain American Optometric Association membership.
Glaucoma co-management within Tennessee therapeutic scope #
Tennessee licensure permits therapeutically certified optometrists to diagnose glaucoma and prescribe topical pressure-lowering medications within statutory scope, and the clinic uses this authority to monitor stable patients between ophthalmology visits. Workups include Goldmann applanation tonometry, pachymetry, optic nerve photography, optical coherence tomography of the retinal nerve fiber layer, and threshold visual field testing on a recall schedule matched to risk stratification.
Scleral and specialty contact lens fitting program #
Dr. Hyatt directs a scleral and specialty contact lens program for patients with keratoconus, post-graft corneas, post-refractive surgery ectasia, and severe ocular surface disease. Fittings draw on diagnostic lens sets from major scleral manufacturers and use sodium fluorescein assessment under cobalt blue illumination to verify central vault and peripheral haptic alignment.
Low vision rehabilitation and ocular disease management #
Dr. Johnson focuses on ocular disease and low vision rehabilitation, working with patients whose corrected acuity falls below driving thresholds because of macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, or hereditary retinal dystrophy. The clinic prescribes magnifiers, telescopic systems, and electronic visual aids matched to specific task demands. The phone line is (615) 331-8688.
3. Choate Eye Associates #
Choate Eye Associates was founded by Dr. Walter Choate, OD, in 1979 and has served greater Nashville for more than four decades. Dr. Choate is board certified through the American Board of Optometry and focuses on medical management of degenerative eye disease, dry eye therapy, and post-surgical co-management. The practice maintains three offices across the metro, with the Goodlettsville flagship at 306 Northcreek Boulevard, Suite 101, anchoring services for north-county residents and additional sites in Hendersonville and Nashville proper. Continuing education taken by the doctors is accredited through the Council on Optometric Practitioner Education to maintain licensure under TN Board of Optometry rules.
Dry eye treatment using thermal expression devices #
The office offers ThermiEyes thermal pulsation therapy for evaporative dry eye driven by meibomian gland dysfunction, delivered after diagnostic workup that includes tear breakup time measurement, vital dye staining of the cornea and conjunctiva, and meibography. Treatment plans pair in-office expression with home regimens of warm compresses, lid hygiene, omega-3 supplementation, and prescription anti-inflammatory drops where indicated.
Diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration surveillance #
Patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes receive dilated fundus examination paired with optical coherence tomography and fundus photography to track non-proliferative retinopathy and macular edema. Age-related macular degeneration patients are monitored with Amsler grid self-testing, OCT scanning for sub-retinal fluid, and referral to retinal specialists when conversion to wet AMD is suspected.
LASIK consultation and post-surgical co-management #
The clinic conducts pre-operative LASIK consultations including corneal topography, pachymetry, and dry eye screening, then refers candidates to surgical partners for the procedure itself. Post-operative care over the standard one-year follow-up window is handled in the office, which spares patients repeat drives to the surgical center for routine checks. The phone line is (615) 851-7575.
Picking among the three #
A patient with keratoconus, a corneal graft, or post-LASIK ectasia who needs a scleral lens fitted by a Diplomate-level specialist will find the deepest bench at Optique Nashville. A south-Nashville family looking for established generalist care with in-house glaucoma monitoring and low vision services is well matched to Nashville Eye Group. A north-county household that wants long-tenured medical optometry close to home with thermal dry eye treatment and LASIK co-management will find Choate Eye Associates the most convenient of the three.
Reference Notes #
- American Optometric Association Code of Ethics and clinical practice guidelines
- Tennessee State Board of Optometry licensure rules and therapeutic certification scope
- American Academy of Optometry Diplomate program (Cornea, Contact Lenses and Refractive Technologies Section)
- Scleral Lens Education Society fellowship standards
- Council on Optometric Practitioner Education (COPE) continuing education accreditation
- Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society Dry Eye Workshop II (TFOS DEWS II) report
- American Board of Optometry board certification framework
- Tennessee Association of Optometric Physicians (TAOP) state affiliate guidance
Selection Methodology #
Optometry in Tennessee runs under the State Board of Optometry at TCA 63-8 with therapeutic certification (OD-T) required for ocular pharmaceutical agent use. The filter for the three practices above started at the TSBO license register, then worked through American Academy of Optometry Fellow status (FAAO) where claimed, AOA American Optometric Association membership, in-office diagnostic capability (Optos retinal imaging, Zeiss Cirrus OCT, visual field perimetry, corneal topography), scope detail across primary eye care, dry eye disease management, pediatric vision, low vision rehabilitation, and specialty contact lens fitting (scleral, hybrid, ortho-K), and Davidson or Williamson County office tenure. National retail-chain dispensaries without a tenured OD-T of record were excluded.
Frequently Asked Questions #
Q: Does the practice offer telehealth visits or only in-person care?
A: Many Nashville clinics now offer secure telehealth video visits for follow-up, medication management, and certain triage scenarios, while procedural and physical-exam visits remain in person. Ask whether your concern qualifies for telehealth, whether your insurance covers it at the same rate, and what platform the practice uses.
Q: How does the practice coordinate referrals to specialists?
A: Ask whether the practice has an internal referral coordinator who handles authorization, sends records, and books the specialist appointment, or whether the patient is expected to manage the chain. For HMO and similar plans, a documented referral on file is often required before the specialist visit will be covered.
Q: Are any of the three practices paid placements?
A: No. The three profiles above are editorial selections drawn from publicly verifiable sources. No firm sponsored placement.
Q: How does the practice transmit prescriptions and handle refills?
A: Most Nashville clinics send prescriptions electronically to your chosen pharmacy. For refills, ask whether the patient portal accepts a refill request, the standard turnaround time for refill approval, and whether any medication on your list requires an office visit or labs before the next refill can be authorized.
Editorial Note #
This guide was published on 2026-05-11 and reflects research current as of that date. Verify licenses, phone numbers, and current business status before engaging any firm.