We Treat All Like Family! . . . . . We Care!

After years of experience, Emad Nakkash, MD returned to Detroit, MI in 2001, and opened the Eye Clinic in Hazel Park, MI.   The practice grew and grew!   Dr Nakkash had to accommodate the needs of the high volume of patients.   So, in 2012, Dr Nakkash opened a second location in Rochester Hills, MI.   Dr Nakkash built the fame of the Eye Clinic with long hours of hard work and sincere effort.  

The story of Emad Nakkash, MD

Emad Nakkash was born in the magnificent City of Baghdad, Iraq.   He came from a poor family; but his parents raised their three boys and one daughter with dignity and respect.   Despite the economical status, his parents were very intelligent, wise, and generous.   They made their children of noble elements:   Pride, reliability, and genuineness.   Education and high work ethics were some of the top priorities in the Nakkash Family.

Being interested in swimming and gymnastics, Emad earned a diploma in physical education with a minor in psychology from the University of Baghdad, at younger age than the rest of his peers.   He was only nineteen years old – the youngest teacher in Iraq at that time.   After an honorable discharge from the mandatory military service, he was assigned as a gym teacher.    Due to shortage of teachers in Iraq, he was asked to teach other subjects.   Dr Nakkash chose to teach sciences and mathematics, since these were the closest to his profession and interest.    During his very first year of teaching, all his 84 students passed the standardized national baccalaureate exam.   He was awarded the certificate of Achieving 100% of Success.   Due to the political unrest, The Nakkash Family left Iraq and immigrated to the United States – Emad followed them.

Emad Nakkash was in his early-twenties, with no money or any financial support.   Young Nakkash started working in a supermarket and then in constructions.   Being ambitious, he started attending school and work simultaneously.  It was not an easy life.   The struggle extended for many years.   He obtained a Bachelor of Science in Physics and then went to Wayne State University School of Medicine and earned his medical degree – Doctor of Medicine.   Dr Emad Nakkash is an appreciative and beholden person.   He is obliged and grateful to all of the people and the professors who encouraged, helped, and lifted him.   In fact, some of his teachers and mentors went out of their way to help Dr Nakkash to accomplish his goals.

After medical school, Dr Nakkash went into residency in general medicine and surgery.   He was accepted in the ophthalmology residency program at Saint Luke Case Western University, Cleveland, OH.   He became the Chief Resident in Ophthalmology.   Thereafter, Dr Nakkash took a special course in Cleveland Clinic and achieved a certificate in treating macular degeneration.   He became one of the pioneers in the photo-dynamic therapy (PDT) utilizing the compound “Vertiporfin” to treat the blood vessels of the retina.

Dr Nakkash returned to Detroit, MI and started practicing.   He joined Wayne State University Kresge Eye Institute and was awarded the academic degree of Clinical Instructor of Ophthalmology.   He was assigned to Sinai-Grace Hospitals to teach the ophthalmology residents.   As the private practice grew, Dr Nakkash had to reduce the teaching hours but continued attending the Detroit Medical Center (DMC) Wayne State University educational program to the present time.

Throughout the years, Dr Nakkash has served vast majority of people from all walks of life.   His honesty and sincerity created a great fame for the Eye Clinic.   Dr Nakkash has treated and operated on top city officials and their families.   Patients came from far distant.   With no exaggeration, the patient came from far towns, out of state, and even from Canada and the Middle-East.

Dr Nakkash has performed more than thirty thousand major and minor lids procedures, close to twenty thousand retina laser treatments, about ten thousands glaucoma laser surgeries, and more than five thousand cataract extractions with lens implants.

Dr Nakkash does not forget his roots, nor does he overlook the needy in our society.   He remembers how much the people have helped him.   Now he is able to pay back.   This is a great country.   Our society is full of diligent individuals, meticulous members and companionate citizens.   Dr Nakkash works with the Lions Club and other charities.   He is a volunteer participant in Eye-Care America, which is a national group of ophthalmologist provide free service founded by the American Academy of Ophthalmology.   The people in need can come to the Eye Clinic and receive free care.   They get free eye exams, free medications, free samples, and in occasions, free glasses.

The patients enjoy the friendly atmosphere and the high degree of respect.   Above all they receive the time that they deserve.   They are treated like family members.   Dr Nakkash does not leave the exam room until he has covered everything and his conscience is at comfort.   If he forgets to address even a minor issue, he feels guilty and contacts the patient immediately.   All of the patients can reach Dr Nakkash immediately through his mobile phone.    He always tells them:   “I am a phone call away!” to give them peace of mind and make them feel at ease.

The staff are in no different situations and yet more to enjoy.   The Eye Clinic system runs on low-pressure profile and a peaceful milieu.  The staff members operate as a big family with a team-work effort approach.   The staff members get top wages, free health insurance, free lunch time, paid vacations, paid maternity leaves, and end-of-year bounces.     Dr Nakkash encourages the staff members to pursue higher education.   He pays for the tuition and for the hours spent in seminar.    He believes that the more knowledgeable staff can serve and educate the patients better.  The educated patient is the safer patient.   The Eye Clinics throw parties to keep the staff and their family together in celebration to keep them closer to each other and to enhance cooperative doctrine.   Another party is thrown along with the staff for the neighbors and the city employees.   In these events, food and drinks and some gifts are given.

Dr Nakkash believes that all doctors are smart to be able to accomplish a medical diploma.   What make a good doctor are the amount of care and the magnitude of service they advance for their patients . . . . To explain to the patients, in simple words, their situations, treatment options, help them in choosing the preferred path, and above all respect their choice.   We physicians deal with life and death, vision and blindness!   Can we mix comedy with seriousness?   The answer is yes!   These two together help the patients accept the problem, alleviate their apprehension, and encourage them to deal with the burden.  

Dr Nakkash has seen and suffered a great deal of calamities.   How can a doctor tell a patient that the life expectancy due to this disease is only up to the third decade of life?   How can an ophthalmologist tell an attorney that he might have colon cancer just by looking at his retina?   How can an ophthalmologist tell a middle-aged engineer that he might have leukemia?   Worst of all:   How can an ophthalmologist tell a young mother, a newly-graduate pharmacist that she will go totally blind in the next five to ten years?    These are real example that challenges our love for what we do and contest our passion to heal . . . . To fulfill The Hippocratic Oath:   To DO No Harm . . . . To Relieve Pain!