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At the Southern Eye Institute of Houma and Thibodaux, the dedicated doctors and staff members deliver clear sight to not only their patients but also those in need.
Dr. Keith Kellum, a graduate of the University Of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine and a magna cum laude graduate of The Ohio State University College of Medicine, joined the practice in 2000 and bought it from Dr. Bryan Hemard the following year.
“The practice is probably about four to five times bigger than it was when I took over in 2001,” Dr. Kellum says, “We had a very small office when I first joined him [Dr. Hemard] in the old Medical Arts building and now we have a six-thousand-square-foot office building with eight exam lanes and numerous room for diagnostic equipment. I’ve been very blessed with good success here.”
Dr. Nano Zeringue, a graduate of Louisiana State University Medical Center in Shreveport, joined Southern Eye in 2004 and partnered with Dr. Kellum. She provides eye care for the people in and around her hometown of Thibodaux and Houma. Ole Miss graduate and optometrist, Dr. Heather Cohen joined the two doctors in 2014. All three experts in their fields work well together in what Dr. Kellum describes as a fun atmosphere.
“We have a good working relationship. It’s a fun place,” Dr. Kellum says, “One of my patients earlier today was giving me a hard time, jokingly, about how much we were laughing in the hallway and having a good time. We also try to treat patients as if they are family members”
Dr. Cohen echoes those sentiments made by Dr. Kellum. “It’s very much like a family environment. Everybody gets along well,” Dr. Cohen says. “We work hard, but we definitely understand that it’s balanced.”
The doctors and staff of Southern Eye Institute certainly work hard with the significant amount of services they offer. They provide testing of the eye sight and make available lenses for people with nearsightedness, farsightedness, and/or astigmatism. They perform LASIK surgery, as well as PRK, which corrects refractive errors. These are laser-assisted vision correction procedures that reshape the cornea. They also treat diabetic eye disease, glaucoma, cataracts, macular degeneration, as well as all other general eye diseases and problems.
The doctors and staff also make sure to spread that family mentality to the less fortunate as well. Dr. Kellum participates in programs such as Eye Care America and the Community Outreach Program, which provides eye care for patients without insurance. He does mission trips to Honduras, where he spends a week performing cataract surgery for the locals.
Dr. Cohen partners with Southern Eye Bank and Chabert Ophthalmology to perform specialty contact lens fittings for corneal conditions. She also is a part of the Community Outreach Program.
“We are a family here. We work hard to make sure that the patients feel cared for, are treated well, their problems are addressed, and that they leave with a good understanding of what’s going on and what to do,” Dr. Cohen says.
446 Corporate Drive | Houma, LA | 985.872.5577
900 Canal Blvd. Suite 3 | Thibodaux, LA | 985.448.3353
