Ellicottville Eye Care
Ellicottville Eye Care
Optometrist office moves to Healthcare Complex; Welcomes new doctor
Photos / EVL Eye Care
Things are really coming into focus at Ellicottville Eye Care, according to Dr. Philip Sarikey, who co-founded the practice more than 30 years ago. With a new location and a new optometrist as part of the team, Ellicottville Eye Care is able to meet the needs of even more people in an accessible location in the Ellicottville Health Center at 6133 Route 219. Now open six days a week, Ellicottville Eye Care is happy to continue meeting the needs of the community and welcomes new patients who would like to establish care.
The original founders of the office - then called Ellicottville Optical - were Sarikey and optician Ross Moscato, who opened their doors at 2 Hughey Alley in 1992. Upon Moscato’s retirement in 2020, the practice name changed to Ellicottville Eye Care but remained in the same location until this summer, when Sarikey and his team opened the doors of their new office in the Ellicottville Health Center.
“On July 9th, Ellicottville Eye Care began treating patients in the new location, and it’s been a welcomed change,” said Sarikey. “The best thing, of course, is improved parking and handicap accessibility,” he said. “That’s a big plus! We’re in the health center, and everybody else is there - the primary care, the pharmacy, the dentist - it’s good to keep all the medical offices under one roof.”
Another important change over the past year has been the addition of optometrist Dr. Shelby Rockwell, who joined the practice last year. Up until that point, Sarikey had been the only optometrist in the practice. “She’s so caring and gets along well with the staff and the patients,” said Sarikey. “I think she already knows more people than I do!”
Rockwell, who recently purchased a home in Ellicottville, has dual citizenship in Canada and the United States. She earned her undergraduate degree in Biomedical Laboratory Diagnostics from Michigan State University and earned her Doctor of Optometry degree at Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Sarikey said Rockwell has been enjoying the area, including the different activities that each season offers. “I’ve never heard a younger person talk so positively about the area,” said Sarikey. “She’s really involved with skiing and biking and golfing.”
Dr. Rockwell can be found in the office regularly on Fridays and fills in for Sarikey when needed, “…and hopefully in the future more as time goes on,” he said. “Because of her being on board, we’re now open every day, Monday through Saturday. Because I was the only doctor there since 1992, we were always closed on Mondays, but with her working Fridays, the office is now open on Monday afternoons.”
Sarikey cautioned Rockwell that in the beginning, it may be a challenging transition because he’d been the only doctor in the practice for so long. “But it seems to be working out even smoother than I anticipated,” he said. “The patients are liking her and connecting with her as well… they seem to really be responsive to her being here.”
Ellicottville Eye Care is a full-service eye care and optical company. For more information including hours, accepted insurances, and more, visit www.ellicottvilleeyecare.com or call 716-699-5293.