Smith Eye Center welcomes Dr. Brinkley, Dr. Williams

Constance Smith, M.D. of Blytheville has been serving Mississippi County and the surrounding area for 27 years. She is happy she chose Blytheville as her home and practice. She is pleased to announce that Dr. Desirae Brinkley will be assisting in her practice several days a month. She also has Steven Williams, M.D., with the Mid-south Retina Associates seeing patients one day a month at her Blytheville office. Dr. Williams has been coming to Blytheville since 2018.

Smith Eye Center is located at 533 N. Tenth Street in Blytheville. They moved to their new location in January of 2017. The building is the former gas company facility and just a few doors down from the former location. The new site opened up more space for the office. Dr. Smith gave her husband, Tim Smith, the credit for the remodeling of the building which has worked out well for the doctors and staff. Plans to have an open house and a 25-year celebration had to be canceled due to COVID-19.

“Blytheville has been good to me,” Dr. Smith said.

Dr. Smith was brought to Blytheville by the Baptist Hospital. She is a native of Robstown, Texas and trained in Richmond, Va. She also attended medical school at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, and the Methodist Hospital of Dallas, Texas.

She also operates a surgery center at the Physician Surgery Center, an ambulatory surgical center, in Blytheville since 2004 where she offers state-of-the-art cataract surgery and more. She offers Implants that can correct astigmatism and eliminate the need for glasses for most activities, including reading.

Dr. Brinkley will be assisting Dr. Smith in her practice several days a month and offers optometric expertise. Dr. Brinkley will be seeing patients some Saturday hours by appointment. She will be offering contact lens fittings, also.

Dr. Brinkley, received a Doctorate of Optometry from Rosenberg School of Optometry in San Antonio, Texas, in 2016. She is a native of Alamo, Tenn. She is with the Eye Specialty Group in Memphis, Tenn.

Dr. Brinkley has received numerous awards and scholarships. She has participated in mission trips to Oaxaca, Mexico and Chimbote, Peru. She is a member of the American Academy of Optometry.

“We are very fortunate to have her join us,” Dr. Smith said.

She went on to express her appreciation to Dr. Williams,

“Many of my patients can’t get to Memphis or to Jonesboro,” Dr. Smith said. “It is so great to have him here one day a month.”

Dr. Williams will see an average of 300 patients a week in Memphis, Jonesboro and Blytheville.

He attended medical school at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, receiving a pre-doctoral fellowship: Doris Duke Clinical Research Fellowship, Columbia University; and did undergraduate at Harvard University.

He is an assistant professor at the University of Tennessee and has hospital appointments at St. Francis, Veterans Affairs, Methodist LeBonheur, and Baptist in Memphis.

Dr. Williams has received numerous awards and honors and has several publications throughout his career.

Dr. Smith said she is very happy to have Dr. Brinkley and Dr. Williams in Blytheville.

“It is an honor to be associated with these highly trained su-specialists and a tremendous asset to our community to have their expertise in treating retinal diseases locally,” Dr. Smith said. “Dr. Brinkley’s coverage one Saturday a month might also assist other optometrists in town needing extra coverage for patients on Saturday.”