Get to know our in-house optometrist at COLONY, Dr. Caitlin J. Morrison

Q: What is your background?

A: I am born and raised in Arizona and am very excited to be back! I grew up in Tempe and went to the University of Arizona for my undergraduate degree.

Q: What school did you attend to learn about optometry?

A:  I was lucky enough to spend four years in Boston at the New England College of Optometry and Boston still remains one of my favorite cities to date. After graduation, I moved to New York City to complete my Cornea & Contact Lens Residency program at SUNY College of Optometry. It was here that I learned how to fit specially designed contact lenses for the most complex and sick eyes. Taking someone from legal blindness with glasses to seeing 20/20 is one of those experiences that makes me love being an eye doctor.

Q: Where have you worked in the past?   

A: I spent the years after my residency program in New York City working at the New York Eye & Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai hospital’s cornea department. I saw a lot of interesting and complex medical cases here and am looking forward to bringing that knowledge to my patients here in the Valley.

Q: What is your practice philosophy?

A: Above all, I really cherish getting to know my patients and educating them about their eyes. I take the time needed to listen to my patients and create individualized treatment plans. I want every patient of mine to feel heard and confident in the fact that their eyes are being well taken care of, that their vision is the best it can be, and that they feel informed on the condition of their eyes.

Even something as simple as a glasses prescription can be fine-tuned and modified depending on how people use their eyes during the day. A lawyer and a construction manager are going to have very different visual needs but finding out all facets of this takes time, which I am able to spend with my patients.

Q: Do you have any special interests?

A: My passion is treating advanced corneal conditions and designing unique contact lenses to help people see clearly. Patients who have corneal diseases that distort the cornea, or have previous trauma or surgeries, generally cannot see their best with glasses or soft contact lenses. They need lenses made of a special material, which you design based on measurements and knowledge of the eye to help them see again.

Research is changing rapidly in contact lens technologies. For example, a person with a distance and reading prescription can correct both with special contact lenses. The technology in these lenses has changed in the past few years, so if you weren’t successful in them before, you may be able to be now.

Q: What do you like to do outside of work?

A: Right now I am busy learning to golf and enjoy hiking. Two things that are much easier to do in Phoenix than in New York City! I also love researching different things, which my husband calls “looking stuff up and writing stuff down”.  It’s how I stay current on new ophthalmological research but also on fun things like how to pair food with wine!