Meet the experienced and friendly doctors and staff who make EyeCare Center of Rome the leading provider of vision care products and services in Rome.
Dr. David Vinci was born and raised in the Rome area. He received a Bachelor of Science, Cum Laude from St. John Fisher and a Doctor of Optometry from Pennsylvania College of Optometry. He completed his optometric externships at the following: W.G. Hefner VA Medical Center in Salisbury, NC. Advanced Eye Care with Dr. Sarit Catchatoorian in Charlotte, NC and Wrigley Eye Associates in Philadelphia, PA. Dr. Vinci obtained honors recognition upon completion of all externships. He also completed an internship at The Eye Institute in Philadelphia, PA, focusing on pediatrics, low vision, ocular emergency, glaucoma services, as well as providing primary care. Dr. Vinci prides himself in giving his absolute best to his patients. You may see Dr. Vinci in two of our current locations; he divides his time between the Boonville and Rome offices. His true concern and friendliness towards his patients make him a true asset to the Eye Care Centers of CNY. He lives in Rome with his wife, Lanette, and their children Bruce, Simona, and John David.
Dr. Lauren Pierson is originally from Western Canada, where she earned her bachelors of science degree in Medical Laboratory Science with distinction from the University of Alberta. She completed her Doctorate of Optometry with Beta Sigma Kappa honors from The New England College of Optometry, Boston, MA. She completed externship training at the South Boston Community Health Center where she performed primary care optometric services at the Bascom Palmer Institute in Miami, Florida, where she specialized in Ocular Disease, Pediatrics and Vision Therapy. She recently moved to the area, and is excited about seeing patients in our Rome, Boonville, and Camden office She prides herself in giving thorough and compassionate care, and always listening to her patient’s needs.
Dr. Nichole Pollard grew up in New Hartford, NY. She attended SUNY College at Geneseo as a part of an accelerated program coordinated with SUNY College of Optometry in New York City. She graduated Geneseo cum laude with a bachelor’s in biology and minor in psychology. She then attended SUNY College of Optometry where she was a part of the Beta Sigma Kappa honor society and graduated with a Doctor of Optometry at the top of her class. Dr. Pollard participated in externships at Eyecare of CNY in Syracuse, SUNY Optometry Pediatrics, and at the Syracuse VA. During her externships, she fit and evaluated many patients in specialty contact lenses and treated mild to advanced ocular disease, including post-operative cases. She also evaluated patients from two months old to eighteen years old in both hospital and private practice settings, many of whom had special needs such as Down Syndrome and Autism Spectrum Disorder. At the Syracuse VA, Dr. Pollard loved giving back to the veterans as much as possible; she often sawand treated patients with potentially blinding diseases, including advanced diabetes, glaucoma, and macular degeneration. She completed her internship at SUNY College of Optometry, where she rotated through clinics heavy in ocular disease and contact lenses. Dr. Pollard is passionate about specialty contact lenses and serving the pediatric population but loves caring for patients of all ages. She currently lives in Westmoreland, NY and is excited to give back to the community where she grew up.
Donna- Office Manager: Donna has been with us for 10+ years and is our office manager she has previously served as our front desk coordinator so she has experience in many areas within the office. Her love of people and problem solving makes our office run efficiently and a fun place to visit. Donna is here to help you with many aspects of your visit from maximizing your benefits with contact lenses to helping you navigate all your billing inquires. If there is something that she can do to help make your visit with us even better than it already is, then please let her know because to her “If you are not happy, then neither are we and we need to fix it”. Donna prides herself on her people skills so nothing makes her happier than seeing smiles on our patients faces when they leave our office. Donna is from London England and now resides in Westernville with her family and a plethora of pets.
Brian- Billing Coordinator: Brian joined our team in 2021 and assists us on Tuesday-Thursday to answer any billing questions you may have. Brian lives in Rome with his wife Sheri with children Owen, Braden and Blake. Brian is involved with The Town of Lee Little League.
Kayla- Optician: Kayla joined our team in April of 2018; she is an ABO Certified New York State Licensed Optician that started her optical career in 2011. She has worked the front desk, pretesting patients, verifying insurance benefits, performing detailed tests such as fundus photography, visual fields, OCTS, and also assists with contact lens training. Kayla began an Optician Apprenticeship in 2015 which led to her becoming ABO certified in 2016 and fully licensed in 2017. Kayla is eager to learn about our patients needs in order to provide the best eye wear, and provide a pleasant experience for our patients. To be able to assist patients with the gift of better sight is her number one goal. She lives in Marcy with her husband John and their little girl Madelyn, who was born in 2020.
Lawrence Riolo- Optician: 40 years’ experience in the optical world. Mr. Riolo came to us in 2019 after running his own business for over 35 years, is well liked and respected among his peers. Mr. Riolo is a valuable member of our work family and is always here to answer any questions that you may have. Mr. Riolo, a native Roman, resides with his wife Rita. He enjoys doing yard work and spending time with his 7 grandchildren.
Erica- Apprentice Optician: Erica joined our team April 2021; she is currently enrolled in the Career Progression Program to become a NYS Licensed Optician. This program is through the American Board of Optometry in New York State; it takes two years and a series of tests that Erica will have to excel in to move on to the next step in the program. After Erica completes this program she is going to sit for a test where she can become ABO Certified which is another step closer to becoming New York State Licensed. As soon as Erica is ABO Certified and has passed the Career Progression Program she can then sit for the practical examination to become NYS Licensed. Erica loves to help patients find the perfect pair of glasses for their lifestyle. With Kayla, Joelle, and Mr. Riolo by Erica’s side in assisting her with her with her goals she is positive she will be NYS Licensed in two years’ time. Erica has two sport motivated boys named Wyatt, and Chase and they live in Taberg. Erica enjoys being outside with the boys whether it’s kayaking, camping or having a fire in the backyard.
Gabrielle is one of our optometric technicians that currently works at our Rome office. She has been with us since June of 2022. She assists the doctors with pre-testing during your eye health examination; which includes auto-refraction, visual field screenings, fundus photography, and visual acuities. She is also currently studying for her paraoptometric certification. Gabrielle enjoys hiking, playing guitar, and being with friends and family. Her friendly demeanor will make you feel at ease at your next visit.
Hannah is one of our optometric technicians that currently works at our Rome office. She has been with us since August of 2022. She assists the doctors with pre-testing during your eye health examination; which includes auto-refraction, visual field screenings, fundus photography, and visual acuities. She is currently studying for her level 2 paraoptometric certification. Hannah enjoys camping, music, and spending time with family and friends. She looks forward to assisting you at your next visit.
Courtney
Amanda is one of our Front Desk patient coordinators. Amanda joined our office in August of 2022. She is one of the first people you will speak to when you call or stop into the office. Her duties include scheduling appointments, billing insurances, and handling any questions that you may have regarding your visit to the office. She currently lives in Westernville with her husband Nick and their plethora of pets. Amanda enjoys mountain hikes, music, the Renaissance festival, and spending time with family.
