2005 Year in Review

Dr. Jennings Celebrates Three Decades

Dr. David Jennings is joined by Julie Jennings, Tracy Muur, April Mauldin, Becki Damhoff, and Jennifer Hinton. Not pictured are Barb Siefken and Bobbie Jo Milnes.

All the ingredients for a fine celebration were in place Saturday, August 27, at the community room of the Odell Public Library.

There were fresh flowers, bouquets, and a rosy azalea plant. Cards and other gifts for the honoree lay on the table. Beside the guest book, attendees found a useful “party favor;” a basket held bags of eyeglass cleaner and a polishing cloth. Adding to the festivities was a cluster of brightly-colored balloons. Door prizes awaited both children and adults.

The guest of honor was the host of this celebration. From 11:00 to 2:00, optometrist David C. Jennings and his wife, Julie, hosted a reception for his patients that have been served over the last 30 years. The network of rapport and good wishes was clearly visible.

When asked how many people had attended the reception, Jennings replied, “I shook a lot of hands, but I was glad.” The guest book listed 218 names.

His seven staff members served sandwiches, helped with preparation and clean up, and awarded door prizes.

David Jennings moved to Morrison at the age of two, when his father began work with General Electric Company. He chose his successful profession by accident. “I was always going to be a dentist,” he stated. However, while in college, a friend said he was “going to optometry school” and that Jennings “ought to come, too.” Jennings added, “I haven’t regretted [that decision. Optometry has] been very good to me.”

Today, he has 12,000 active patients who reside in several states. One loyal eye patient “comes from Singapore once a year” for an exam.

Their ages span a large range, too. “I’ve seen month-old infants,” he explained. Babies at six months of age become patients if there is an hereditary eye problem. Crossed eyes are the most common condition in little ones. Jennings has “no patients over 100,” but several clients have been with him a long time.

Jennings uses two recent developments in the medical field to improve his diagnoses. The “Optomap” retinal exam looks for eye disease in the retina. It creates a laser image of the inside of the eye. The Heidelberg Retinal Tomograph (HRT) scans the optic nerve head for glaucoma. If caught early, improved treatment can prolong the patient’s vision.

That is the essence of being a doctor. Jennings offered a note of gratitude to his patients spanning three decades: “Thank you for continuing to allow me to care for you.”

by Stephanie A. Vavra, Guest Columnist
August 28, 2005