Optometry

Routine and acute eye care services are available to Active Duty Members. Patients needing routine eye exams are seen by appointment only. Please call the Hampton Roads Appointment Center 1-866-645-4584 to schedule an appointment. If you have an urgent eye problem during normal working hours call the optometry clinic directly at 757-953-8996. For after-hours urgent eye care problems go directly to the Emergency Room.

Active duty personnel are eligible to order one new pair of glasses in their frame of choice (FOC) and one new pair in plastic frames each year. Gas Mask inserts and ballistic inserts are provided to personnel who are deployable. Retirees are eligible to order one new pair of glasses each year in the navy-issue brown plastic frame. To order glasses or inserts, a current prescription (with-in the past two years) from either a military or a civilian doctor is required. If you have a current prescription, then no appointment is required to order glasses. Simply bring the prescription and your medical record to the clinic.

Contact Lens Services: Contact lens services are provided on a limited basis. Patients that currently wear soft disposable contact lenses may have their prescription renewed by bring their contact lenses and prescription or contact lens boxes to the clinic during their routine eye exam. Patients that have worn contacts in the past, but no longer have contacts may be refit at the doctors’ discretion and availability of trial contacts. The Navy only provides a supply of contact lenses to active duty patients enrolled in the Navy Contact Lens Program (Aviators in flying billets, some air crew, submarine and special warfare personnel). All contact lens patients must meet the following criteria at the time of their eye exam:

• The eyes must be free of any contact lens related irritation.
• Must have had a full eye exam with in the past 6 months.
• There must not be a major change in the prescription.
• There must not be a history of contact lens-related problems or abuse.
• Must be a current or prior contact lens wearer. We regret that we are unable to fit new contact lens wearers at this time (Exception: Contact lens program candidates).
• The doctor can deny updating or refitting contact lenses if they feel the patient is not a good candidate.

Laser Vision Correction

Laser Vision Correction is available to active duty Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Army personnel over the age of 21, on a wait-list basis. If you are interested in having laser vision correction, please schedule an eye exam so the doctor can determine if you are a good candidate for the surgery. Personnel who receive laser vision correction through the Navy will be required to remain on active duty for a minimum of 12 months following the procedure.