About - Drs. Jeff and Susan Kegarise

Dr. Jeff Kegarise

Dr. Jeff Kegarise is a graduate of The Ohio State University College of Optometry. Subsequently, he completed his residency at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He is a board-certified optometrist and Clinical Management Expert. Having lectured for many years on clinical disease, his management methods were recognized by one of three international experts by The Institute for Healthcare Improvement. This prestigious honor allowed him to be part of a national effort to improve the care delivered by doctors in practice through the Idealized Design in Clinical Office Practice Project. Through his lectures in healthcare, consultations and personal interactions, he has inexorably led practitioners toward enjoying the care they provide using innovative, patient focused service methods. Along with Cool Springs EyeCare, Dr. Kegarise’s wife, Dr. Susan Kegarise is an integral part of their other practices, including Donelson EyeCare, Performance Vision Therapy, and many other specialty clinical patient services.

Dr. Kegarise takes a personal interest in the vision and lives of his patients. Additionally, he founded The Tiger Institute where he provides insights and educational opportunities for all healthcare professionals (doctors, residents, students, administrators, managers and staff) to grow clinical, operational and developmental management skills, thus enabling them to build their own thriving practices.

Dr. Susan Kegarise

Dr. Susan Kegarise is a graduate of The Ohio State University College of Optometry and has completed a residency in family practice optometry at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Dr. Susan wears many hats as she is a part of the Cool Springs EyeCare team and has owned and managed Donelson EyeCare for the past 23 years. Not only is she an accomplished eye doctor, but a mother too. Dr. Susan Kegarise gracefully maintains a work-life balance for her and Jeff’s three children. Susan has an incredible work ethic and her philosophy to “treat each patient as family” shines through in her work with patients and team members.

Together this husband-wife duo has been providing quality eye care to the Nashville area for over twenty years. The doctors are two of only four optometrists in Williamson County who are board certified with the American Board of Optometry.

Awards and Achievements

2013-2018 Best Eyecare Practice in Williamson County (Sizzle Awards)
2018 Best of Parenting Award (Williamson County Parent)
2017 Best Optometrist (Franklin Lifestyle)
2016 Best Eyecare Practice (Williamson County Parent)
Institute for HealthCare Improvement Idealized Design in Healthcare Project Development Team Member
Practice Methods taught in Harvard’s School for Public Health
Consultant to Mayo, Geisinger and other large, well respected health care institutions
First Review of Optometric Business Innovator of the Year in Practice
First in State to add online scheduling and pick your doctor patient appointments
First to independently track Lasik outcomes of area surgeons
First to add airport scheduling boards to track patient flow and doctor’s schedules
First to create and build an in office gym to train/provide Sports Vision Improvement to athletes
Only eye doctor in the US to add clinical health coordinators for improved management of chronic eye disease conditions
Created The Tiger Institute for Cooperative Learning to train other doctors to provide enhanced clinical and business care in a collaborative, all specialties format
First to add dedicated Traumatic Brain Injury program to eye care practice in Middle TN
Numerous Local Awards for eye care practice
Wrote first Eye Care Improve your Practice, Patients, People and Processes manual for Dartmouth Microsystems
Member American Optometric Association
Member, Tennessee Association of Optometric Physicians (TAOP)
TAOP Carrier advisory committee representative (CAC)
AOA Third Party Care Member
Wrote Chapter in book on Ocular Pharmacology in Lippincott’s Manual of Primary Eye Care
Wrote Chapter in book on Leadership in Medical Practice Transformation with Information Technology
First Eye Doctor in US to write book on Improving the Patient Experience in Healthcare and Teaching Doctors how to develop and build their practice around a culture of patient focused, innovative care delivery
TN Quality Award recipient for Business
Local, Regional, National and International Presentations on Clinical Care, Leadership, Coordinated Care, HR management, Business methods
Adjunct clinical appointments at: University of Alabama in Birmingham, Arizona College of Optometry, Southern College of Optometry, University of Missouri-St. Louis School of Optometry
Consultant and adjunct faculty for Dartmouth Microsystems Program on Improving Care