She taught me my first Commons lesson: Never Cut the Flowers. (She taught me this as I was cutting flowers just outside my back gate.) "Now that'll get you in more trouble than you can imagine—it's the worst sin here," she laughed. (Phyllis laughs a lot.) So naturally I listened when she told me of the near-miracle Dr. Ko had wrought.
"He's the best optometrist I've ever been to. I've had terrible problems with my eyesight for many years; and he's given me the most thorough exam ever!" She added, "For the first time in a long time, I can see well." With testimony like that, it's time to meet the impressive Dr. Ko, don't you think?
Meeting Jeffrey Ko
Often you'll see him around because he keeps a condo in GGC-II for trips into the city on weekends and for friends to use. And with his office downstairs, how convenient life must be! Walking out the door of Building II, turning left, then taking a few steps and—there's his Golden Gate Optometry practice. Smiling, calm, friendly, he's just what you want in a neighbor...and your health care provider.
But I found out more.
Dr. Ko arrived in our midst 15 years ago after moving from his 14-year-old practice at The Embarcadero Center. "I like it here better than The Embarcadero Center because the buildings there were towering walls with the hustle-bustle of the Financial District. And here," he adds, "we have the wonderful extra of the park, which you can see from almost every spot in the office."
"My office at The Embarcadero Center was so small and hard to find that often people had to call from a pay phone inside the building—just to find out where we were! Then," he laughs, "one of my employees would run down the hall trying to find the patient."
Even though Dr. Ko is all seriousness about his area of medicine, he's not all work and no play. He confesses to at least three loves: his wife, travel and his garden.
"Life is short, and we love to travel"
He and his wife of 35 years travel a lot. They've made a commitment to get away once a month to some place. Often it's just a long weekend. He admits, "We love to eat so we're going to New Orleans this weekend!" The philosophy of getting away once a month began four or five years ago—and it's even easier now that his wife has retired from teaching.
A Passion for Gardening
His second love is gardening. He finds it therapeutic. While he's working at the practice or teaching at the University, his entire focus is on patients—having to make major decisions on their health. So he finds it restful to "spot a weed, stoop over and just pull it—no thoughts, just instant reaction...then gratification!"
With a veggie garden and many varieties of Japanese maples to care for, he stays busy. "I have seedlings I'm going to plant. And when I put in the sacks full of manure, I think to myself, Is this what my education was for?" He laughs at himself. But I understand, I too had a farm and am well versed in the lore of manure.
On work
He has two associates—both women (former students). He says he hopes the office is fun for them. "The workplace has to be fun...If you have a sourpuss on your team, things don't work out nicely," he says. "That person contaminates the whole group, don't you think?"Admitting to being a perfectionist, he adds, "We're serious enough to get things done right, though. A healthcare practice has no room for compromise. We're dealing with peoples' health."
ABOUT DR. KO
Golden Gate Optometry
540 Davis Street
415.956.1850
EDUCATION
1973 Graduate, UC Berkeley School of Optometry
1980-present Associate Clinical Professor, UC Berkeley
1978-present (Wednesdays), Director, Ko Clinic, UC Berkeley
PERSONAL
Born, San Francisco
Reared, Berkeley
His wife of 35 years, Cynthia, is a retired school teacher.
Three grown sons:
OFFICE TEAM
Dr. Shen, an associate, specializes in laser-refractive surgery.
Dr. Han, an associate, covers the contact lens specialty.
Rhonda Thompson, optician (frame styling and fitting)
(Dr. Ko refers all eye surgery to ophthalmologists.)
"He's the best optometrist I've ever been to. I've had terrible problems with my eyesight for many years; and he's given me the most thorough exam ever!" She added, "For the first time in a long time, I can see well." With testimony like that, it's time to meet the impressive Dr. Ko, don't you think?
Meeting Jeffrey Ko
Often you'll see him around because he keeps a condo in GGC-II for trips into the city on weekends and for friends to use. And with his office downstairs, how convenient life must be! Walking out the door of Building II, turning left, then taking a few steps and—there's his Golden Gate Optometry practice. Smiling, calm, friendly, he's just what you want in a neighbor...and your health care provider.
But I found out more.
Dr. Ko arrived in our midst 15 years ago after moving from his 14-year-old practice at The Embarcadero Center. "I like it here better than The Embarcadero Center because the buildings there were towering walls with the hustle-bustle of the Financial District. And here," he adds, "we have the wonderful extra of the park, which you can see from almost every spot in the office."
"My office at The Embarcadero Center was so small and hard to find that often people had to call from a pay phone inside the building—just to find out where we were! Then," he laughs, "one of my employees would run down the hall trying to find the patient."
Even though Dr. Ko is all seriousness about his area of medicine, he's not all work and no play. He confesses to at least three loves: his wife, travel and his garden.
"Life is short, and we love to travel"
He and his wife of 35 years travel a lot. They've made a commitment to get away once a month to some place. Often it's just a long weekend. He admits, "We love to eat so we're going to New Orleans this weekend!" The philosophy of getting away once a month began four or five years ago—and it's even easier now that his wife has retired from teaching.
A Passion for Gardening
With a veggie garden and many varieties of Japanese maples to care for, he stays busy. "I have seedlings I'm going to plant. And when I put in the sacks full of manure, I think to myself, Is this what my education was for?" He laughs at himself. But I understand, I too had a farm and am well versed in the lore of manure.
On work
He has two associates—both women (former students). He says he hopes the office is fun for them. "The workplace has to be fun...If you have a sourpuss on your team, things don't work out nicely," he says. "That person contaminates the whole group, don't you think?"Admitting to being a perfectionist, he adds, "We're serious enough to get things done right, though. A healthcare practice has no room for compromise. We're dealing with peoples' health."
ABOUT DR. KO
Golden Gate Optometry
540 Davis Street
415.956.1850
EDUCATION
1973 Graduate, UC Berkeley School of Optometry
1980-present Associate Clinical Professor, UC Berkeley
1978-present (Wednesdays), Director, Ko Clinic, UC Berkeley
PERSONAL
Born, San Francisco
Reared, Berkeley
His wife of 35 years, Cynthia, is a retired school teacher.
Three grown sons:
- Ken, the eldest, is a volleyball coach at Washington State University
- Greg, is vice-principal at a Pleasanton grade school. (That son had been in business, but chose to "give up his millions to devote his time and effort to making life better for children.")
- Eric, the youngest son, works and lives on the Peninsula where he and his wife work in the computer technology field.
OFFICE TEAM
Dr. Shen, an associate, specializes in laser-refractive surgery.
Dr. Han, an associate, covers the contact lens specialty.
Rhonda Thompson, optician (frame styling and fitting)
(Dr. Ko refers all eye surgery to ophthalmologists.)