Jade Coats, OD, FAAO, of McDonald Eye Associates in Rogers, Arkansas never expected to take the path she did, but looking back, every twist and turn led her to a deeper understanding of empathy in health care.
Her journey began as an optician, helping people choose the right glasses and lenses to improve their vision. She loved the direct connection with patients, the way they would light up when they saw the world more clearly. It was in those moments, adjusting frames and explaining prescriptions, that she realized the importance of communication and trust in medicine.
“As an optometrist, I do feel that there’s an innate nature to being empathetic to some degree,” says Dr. Coats. “For most medical practitioners…there’s some level of empathy. I do think it’s a crucial skill for any health care provider and as an optometrist, it really plays a vital role in patient care and communications and the overall treatment success.”
As an optometrist, Dr. Coats developed a holistic approach to patient care, one that extended beyond simple diagnoses and prescriptions. She understood that vision loss was more than a medical condition—it was an emotional challenge. When a patient received a diagnosis of macular degeneration or glaucoma, the fear in their eyes was often just as telling as the results of their eye exam. She believes that her job wasn’t just to inform, but to support, reassure and guide.
A LEGACY OF CARE
“All of these things really build a trust and a rapport with the patient and help show genuine concern,” she says. “Not only can you build a relationship, but I feel like you can be a better doctor and get to the root of their symptoms because they may be able to better communicate their concerns with you. Patients who don’t feel heard or understood are not the ones who will be most compliant with their treatment plans.”
Dr. Coats’ ability to connect with patients on a deeper level stemmed from personal experience. After losing her brother to cancer, she, too, had been on the other side of a difficult diagnosis of cancer. The emotional toll of being both a family caregiver and later on a patient, as well as the overwhelming uncertainty of treatment, gave her a new perspective. She knew firsthand how isolating it could feel and how important it was to have medical professionals who genuinely cared.
It was in those moments serving as a caregiver for her brother that she realized the crucial role empathy played in healing. Even when medicine could not provide a cure, compassion could offer comfort.
EMPATHY IN ACTION
One afternoon at her clinic, Dr. Coats experienced a moment that reinforced everything she believed about empathy in patient care. She had just returned from lunch when she noticed that her 3 p.m. patient had already checked in. Without hesitation, she invited the patient in early, thinking she was simply doing a small favor. But as the appointment wrapped up, the patient surprised her by saying, “Thank you for seeing me early. My husband is getting chemo just around the corner, and he’s very sick today. Thank you for seeing me so that I can take care of him.”
“We probably see these caregiving patients every single day,” says Dr. Coats. “We probably encounter someone who’s actively a cancer patient or someone who is ill or sick or a hospice patient or people who have loved ones who are actively going through that.”
That moment struck a chord. It was a simple act—squeezing in a patient a little ahead of schedule—but it made a significant difference in someone’s life. These interactions were not just medical visits; they were opportunities to offer real human connection and support.
CLARITY AND COMPASSION
Delivering difficult news is never easy, but Dr. Coats believes in doing it with both clarity and compassion. She refuses to let her patients feel abandoned in the face of vision loss. Instead of simply stating a diagnosis, handing them a brochure and scheduling a follow-up, she makes sure they leave her office with a sense of hope.
“I have hope if you have hope,” she says to patients. “I’m your support.”
Beyond her clinic, Dr. Coats advocates for a more empathetic approach to health care on a larger scale. She emphasizes the need for optometrists to understand not just the science of vision, but the social and economic barriers that prevented people from receiving proper eye care.
Dr. Coats’ journey—from optician to optometrist, from patient to survivor, from caregiver to advocate—has been one defined by her unwavering commitment to treating people with kindness and understanding.
