Jeffrey Blanco, OD
Dr. Jeff Blanco, a former Diplomate of the American Board of Optometry, is a published author on the subject of macular degeneration, and has served on the staff of the Illinois College of Optometry, the Peoria Sight Center, and the Chicago Lighthouse. He holds a patent for low vision devices. Jeff was born in LaSalle Illinois. He attended La Salle Peru high school where he was a member of the National Honor Society, sophomore and senior class president and he was a four-year varsity letterman on his high school wrestling and tennis teams. After graduation he attended Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois where he completed his pre-optometry admissions requirements. He attended and graduated from the Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago, Illinois in 1976 with honors receiving the Gold Key Award for “outstanding scholarship and leadership” and the Feinbloom Award for “outstanding work in low vision”. After graduation he served on the staff of the optometry college for two years. After he left the college he was employed by the Peoria Sight Center, a low vision rehabilitation center. He established his first private practice in Spring Valley, Illinois in 1980. His most recent branch office was established in 2006 in Morris, Illinois. He presently lives near Starved Rock State Park in north central Illinois in the town of Oglesby. He and his wife Susan of 38+ years have two children, Nicole, a wife and mother, is an English teacher at Hinsdale South high school. His son Ryan is a Physician Hospitalist at Advocate Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn. Nicole’s daughter Tess is the love of his life! |
Ryan Kays, Od
Dr. Ryan Kays grew up in Mark, Illinois. He attended Illinois Valley Community College and completed an Associates of Science degree in 2000. He then continued his education at Illinois State University and received a Bachelor of Science degree in 2002. Dr. Kays received his Doctor of Optometry degree from Illinois College of Optometry in 2006. Upon graduation, he moved back to the Illinois Valley area where he began practicing optometry. Dr. Kays practices family care optometry including contact lenses and the treatment and management of ocular diseases. He is a member of the American Optometric Association and Illinois Optometric Association. Dr. Kays is married and has two children. He enjoys hunting, fishing, sports, and spending time with family. |
ELISE CORGIAT, OD
Dr. Elise Corgiat graduated from Illinois College of Optometry in 2005. Following graduation she had done a low vision/ocular disease residency with the Illinois College of Optometry and the Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Dr. Corgiat was then on staff at the Chicago Lighthouse from 2006 to 2017. Dr. Corgiat was drawn to low vision when she saw her grandfather struggling to live with macular degeneration. During her time working with low vision patients she was able to provide many with magnifiers, telescopes and tools for living with low vision. Dr. Corgiat has had experience assisting patients with a variety of eye conditions. Dr. Corgiat is a native of Oglesby, Illinois and she has been interested in the care of eyes since a very young age. She is a graduate of LaSalle Peru High School. She attended Illinois Valley Community College to earn her Associates in Science and Illinois State University to earn her Bachelors in Science. Upon graduating from the Illinois College of Optometry in 2005, she was presented with the Eschenbach Award. She is enthusiastic about becoming a part of Dr. Blanco and Dr. Kays practice which has been providing the area with affordable high quality eye care for many years. Dr. Corgiat is excited to be seeing patients in the area where she had grown up. She enjoys collaborating with people of all ages and working toward an appropriate plan for eye wear and eye care. She has two young sons, Aiden and Evan. Dr. Corgiat and her husband, Andy Rutkowski, love spending time with their children. |