Performance Eyecare is a relatively new name to personal care in the Warren County area. The St. Louis-area company last year took over the office of Dr. Kevin Biermann in Warrenton, and since then has worked to combine focuses on personal connections and technology that improves the patient experience.

Performance offers medical eye exams, eyecare check ups, treatments, and glasses sales. Cindy Teague, who directs the office staff, said a primary goal of their team is to make people happy with the care they received.

“We like helping guests and making them feel good. We enjoy the one-on-one with people and helping them feel good when they pick out their glasses,” Teague commented.

Although some features of the office might have changed with new ownership, one consistent presence is optician Colleen Myers, who has worked at the same location under multiple owners for 25 years. She said the importance of personal relationships is one of the few things that hasn’t changed over the years.

“People who used to be little kids that I fitted with glasses are bringing in little kids of their own now,” Myers commented. Performance Eyecare sees clients from a huge range of ages, she said, with the current youngest being around 3 years old and the oldest over 90.

The staff members said one of the most positive changes to come with Performance Eyecare’s ownership is an emphasis on technology that improves the experience that clients might have become used to in previous visits. Most notably, the office is employing new eye imaging cameras to perform exams without the need for uncomfortable eye drops and dilation prior to examination.

“It’s actually better for the doctor and the patient,” explained lead tech Katie Jones. She said patients can see the same thing the doctor is seeing, while the camera images provide a consistent, clear look at the whole eye which helps the doctor diagnose any issues.

Plus, without dilation, people don’t have to wait hours for their eyes to go back to normal, Jones added.

Dr. Erik Peyton, the office optometrist, said the emphasis on staying current with technology allows their staff to provide the best possible service, and even to assist other doctors in the area. For example, eye exams can help monitor diabetes’ effect on the body’s blood vessels.

“The eye is the only place where we can directly see blood vessels, so it’s a way for us to monitor patients’ diabetes to make sure it’s under control. So we work with a lot of local doctors here,” Peyton explained.

The optometrist is relatively early in his career, having started seeing patients four years ago. When he came to Warrenton, he said he found a welcoming, family-oriented community that makes him hopeful he can build long relationships here. He said working with young children is always great.

“It’s always cute when you get a kid who’s 5 to 7 years old, and they didn’t know they had vision issues. ... To see their face when they get a pair of glasses and notice the difference, it’s pretty rewarding,” Peyton commented.

He added that the office is also equipped to treat eye emergencies such as injuries or chemical burns, such as a recent injury involving a detergent pod that burst.

“For most eye-related things, we recommend people come here rather than urgent care. ... We usually leave some spots in schedule that we can squeeze people in if they have an emergency.”