Welcome to Blount County Eye Center!
Dr. Will
WILLIAM TANTUM, OD
Optometric Physician
CEO & Practice Director
CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Currently seeing patients through LOVE Eye Care
Dr. Will was born and raised right across the Tennessee River in Knoxville. He grew up in Rocky Hill and graduated from Bearden High School. Dr. Will ventured out west to play football in college and received his degree in Biology from Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana.
Dr. Will attended Southern College of Optometry in Memphis to receive his Doctor of Optometry degree. He completed several clinical internships to complete his training & education. These internships included a private practice rotation in Knoxville, an internship at The Eye Center in Memphis and a clinical internship at a surgery center in East Tennessee. Dr. Will was awarded Southern College of Optometry's Top Clinician Award during his 3rd year studies, and he received the Academic & Clinical Excellence Award at the completion of his 4th year. He was also named to Who's Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges while at Southern College of Optometry. Currently, Dr. Will holds his license to practice full-scope general and medical optometry in Tennessee, South Carolina and Montana. He is an active member of the American Optometric Association (AOA).
Dr. Will speaks regularly at conferences on the topics of practice management, leadership and community engagement. He was named as a recipient of the 2017 WIVK Lexus Leaders Award which recognized him for his continued contributions to his local community. In 2018, he was named to Knoxville's 40 Under 40 for the top young business leaders in the region. He was also named as the 2018-19 Outstanding Young Alumni by his undergrad, Rocky Mountain College. Dr. Will is part of the 2019 class of Leadership Blount. In 2013, Dr. Will created the LOVE Eye Care which helps to provide eye healthcare and eyewear to people around the world. LOVE Eye Care has grown over the years and now provides eye care and eyewear throughout the Blount County region.
In his free time, Dr. Will loves to woodwork and build things. Many of the pieces of furniture and art at BCEC were built by him! He also enjoys working in his yard and fly-fishing. He lives in Blount County and is very proud to live, work and own a business in such an amazing place.
Dr. Alex is originally from Chicago, IL. He received his undergraduate degree in Molecular and Cellular Biology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He went on to receive his Doctor of Optometry degree with honors from the Illinois College of Optometry. He also received the honor of membership into the Beta Sigma Kappa Honor Society, and the Tomb and Key Honor Society at ICO for excellence in academics and ethics.
He completed multiple internships around the country to further his education. These internships included a rotation at the William Chappel Veterans Affairs Clinic in Daytona Beach, FL, Ochsner Clinic in Metairie, LA, a private practice in Westmont, IL, and the Illinois Eye Institute in Chicago, IL. After completing these internships, he spent 6 years practicing full-scope optometry in the Chicago suburbs.
Dr. Alex currently holds licenses in Illinois and Tennessee. He has special interest in glaucoma, diabetic eye care and retinal disease. He also loves the outdoors and enjoys hiking, biking and golf.
Dr. Alex
Alex Bonk, OD
Optometric Physician
CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Currently seeing patients Monday through Saturday
Dr. Matt McBride
MATTHEW MCBRIDE, OD
Optometric Physician
Dr. Matt was born and raised in the small town of McKenzie, TN. After graduating from the University of Tennessee at Martin with a degree in cell and molecular biology, Dr. Matt earned his doctorate from Southern College of Optometry in Memphis. During optometry school, Dr. Matt completed clinical externships at Ducklo Eye Care in Nashville and Southeast Eye Specialists in Knoxville. During his rotations, Dr. Matt gained extensive experience in managing glaucoma, retinal pathology, contact lens care, pediatric eye care, and more. Dr. Matt earned multiple clinical honors distinctions throughout his time in optometry school.
After graduating from SCO, Dr. Matt completed his residency in ocular disease and hospital-based eye care at the Memphis VA Medical Center. His particular areas of interest include glaucoma care and retinal disease, including macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. Dr. Matt practices full scope medical and primary eye care, and enjoys seeing patients of all ages!
AVAILABILITY: Currently seeing patients Monday through Saturday.
Dr Sarah is originally from Northwest Ohio. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Zoology and Pre-Optometry from Ohio Wesleyan University. She attended The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, where she earned her Doctor of Optometry and Master of Science in Vision Science concurrently. She completed several clinical internships to complete her training. The internships included rotations through various clinical services at Ohio State, a primary care rotation at Family Eye Care Centers in Sandusky and Clyde, Ohio, and an ocular disease rotation at the Dayton, Ohio VA Medical Center. She also participated in a eye care mission trip to Masaya, Nicaragua.
Following optometry school, Dr Sarah completed a residency in Primary Care at Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, TN. She earned her Fellowship in the American Academy of Optometry shortly after finishing her residency. She has practiced in East Tennessee since 2007 and recently joined BCEC.
Currently, Dr. Sarah holds her license to practice full-scope general and medical optometry in Tennessee and Ohio. She is a member of the American Optometric Association and the Tennessee Association of Optometric Physicians. She enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons, hiking and traveling. She is involved with both the Knoxville alumnae association and University of Tennessee chapter advisory board of her undergraduate sorority. She also plays her flute in her church orchestra and is a founding member and officer for The Ohio State University Alumni Club of Knoxville. Dr. Sarah loves taking care of patients of all ages and enjoys that "ah-ha" moment when people see better for the first time or fully understand the problems their eyes are experiencing.
Dr. Sarah
SARAH WATKINS, OD, MS, FAAO
Optometric Physician
CURRENT AVAILABILITY: Currently seeing patients several days each week by appointment.
Dr. Lloyd
LLOYD TANTUM, OD, FAAO
Optometric Physician
CFO & Medical Director
CURRENT AVAILABILITY: After over 42 years in practice, Dr. Lloyd officially retired in January 2021. His former patients are now being cared for by our other amazing eye doctors. We wish Dr. Lloyd the very best in retirement and thank him for his dedication to our community for so many wonderful years!
Dr. Lloyd was born in New Jersey, but discovered east Tennessee early on and has never looked back since. Dr. Lloyd attended the University of Tennessee in Knoxville and received his degree in Biology.
Dr. Lloyd attended Southern College of Optometry in Memphis to receive his Doctor of Optometry degree. He completed several clinical internships to complete his training & education. These internships included a rotation through an Indian Health Services clinic in Arizona, a private practice internship in Athens, TN, and a clinical internship at Southern College of Optometry in Memphis.
Following optometry school, Dr. Lloyd completed a residency in Ocular Disease at Vision America in Nashville, TN. He has also published several papers and posters as well as authored chapters in eye care textbooks.
Currently, Dr. Lloyd holds his license to practice full-scope general and medical optometry in Tennessee, North Carolina and Montana. He's a member of the American Optometric Association, the Tennessee Association of Optometric Physicians and the Tennessee Eye Care Alliance.
Dr. Lloyd loves to tackle challenging medical eye care cases. He's devoted his career of over 40 years in optometry to helping people to live healthier lives with better vision! Dr. Lloyd served as the eye doctor for Tennessee Lady Vols athletics for over a decade and he was able to be a part of several of the National Championship teams.
Meet Our Team
Skylyn
Clinic Assistant
Aislynn
Optical Shoppe Director
Monique, CPO
Clinic Assistant
Clinic Team Leader
Amanda
The Optical Shoppe Assistant
Ryan
Clinic Assistant
Adrianne, CPO
Clinic Assistant
Compliance Coordinator
Vision Therapist
Brittany, CPO
Clinic Assistant
Clinic Team Lead
Alaina
Business Development Coordinator
Daisy
Clinic Assistant
Jack
Clinic Assistant
Nicole
Clinic Assistant
Sarah
The Optical Shoppe Assistant
AN EYECARE EXPERIENCE!
What do you get when you build a culture of service, create an atmosphere of positivity & praise, and assemble a team of skilled & compassionate physicians? You go beyond "healthcare" and enter into the ultimate eye care experience!
Blount County Eye Center has been serving this community for over 50 years! During that time we've moved locations, added services and innovated eye care. Today, we are proud to be Blount County's most comprehensive eye care provider offering the region's largest eyewear selection through The Optical Shoppe. We're humbled by our past and extremely excited about where we're headed in the future!
Our Facility
In August 2015, Blount County Eye Center created one of the most innovative and unique eye care facilities in the country right here in the foothills of Blount County, TN. This award-winning facility is in our backyard and we'd love for you to come explore it!
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Check out the live view high atop BCEC via Maryville's Eye in the Sky!
Office Design Contest Winner 2017
- 2018 Finalist -
Community Impact Award
General
Q: How do I schedule an appointment?
There are three convenient ways to schedule an exam at BCEC!
1. Call our office at 865-982-6761
2. Send us an email at ContactUs@BlountEye.com or
3. Fill out the appointment request form on this website
Q: Do you accept my insurance?
Medical insurance and vision care plans change rapidly. The best way to know if we currently accept your plan is to call our office and speak to some of the world’s finest Front Office staff!
Q: Where are you located?
We are located at 702 S. Foothills Plaza Dr. in Maryville, TN. We are directly across the street from Matlock tire, down the road from the Post Office and adjacent to the Maryville Kroger Marketplace.
Exam
Q: What should I expect during my eye exam?
At BCEC you can expect to be treated with respect and like you’re a member of our family! We take great pride in providing some of the most thorough and compassionate care in our industry.
Optical
Q: How long does it take to get my glasses?
This number can vary greatly… BCEC typically has glasses back in about 7-10 business days when they are being made in our lab by our staff. Turnaround times can be longer however when insurance companies require your glasses to be made in their labs, and we have no control over this process.
Q: How expensive are your glasses?
The Optical Shoppe at BCEC was built on the belief that there should be a great selection of eyewear for every person and every budget. We have frame and lens packages starting as low as $59 all the way up to the top-of-the-line designer eyewear. Come in and browse the selection!
Other
Q: How can I start a career at BCEC?
We’re always looking for incredible people to add to our team! If you’re interested in applying, please fill out our online employment application here
Q: Why do your doctors go by their first names?
It all started in 2014 when Dr. Will joined BCEC. There were suddenly two "Dr. Tantums" and it got confusing very fast! To help patients, they just decided to go by their first names and it kind of stuck from there. Eventually it just became a part of our practice philosophy that aims to let patients know that our doctors are people, neighbors and friends they can talk to and trust with their eye care.
Hours of Operation
Contact BCEC
Mon. - Thurs. ... 8:00 am to 6:00 pm
Fri. .............. 8:00 am to 4:00 pm
Sat. .............. By Appointment Only
Sun. .................................. CLOSED
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