Dr. Jerde graduated from Truman State University in 2007, receiving his Bachelor of Science in Chemistry. He then graduated in 2012 from the University of Missouri-St. Louis, earning a Doctor of Optometry degree.
After school, Dr. Jerde has worked in private practice clinics in St. Louis, Missouri; Fayetteville, Arkansas; Springdale, Arkansas; and Rogers, Arkansas. For 5 years, he worked for Mercy Hospital in Springfield, Missouri. While there, he became the Clinical Director of Optometry for the Central Region of Mercy. During that time, his patient satisfaction was recognized with the Professional Research Consultants “Five Star Excellence Award,” given to doctors receiving the highest level of “Excellent” scores from patients.
Dr. Jerde developed a successful high volume scleral contact lens clinic in Springfield, receiving referrals from fellow optometrists and corneal ophthalmologists due to his advanced skill and high success rate. Scleral contact lenses are designed to cover the entire corneal surface and rest on the “white” of the eye (sclera). This allows the lens to functionally replace the irregular cornea with a perfectly smooth optical surface to correct vision problems caused by keratoconus and other corneal irregularities.
Dr. Jerde also has a passion for state-of-the-art dry eye treatments and therapies. Dry eye symptoms often include itchy eyes, red eyes, and/or watery eyes. His services to treat this common and uncomfortable disease include but are not limited to the application and removal of amniotic membranes to heal injured and severely dry eyes.
Dr. Jerde has worked with primary care physicians, endocrinologists, rheumatologists, neurologists, hospitalists, and Urgent Care physicians to provide eye exams and treatments for patients with vision troubles. He communicated daily with retina, glaucoma, cataract, and pediatric ophthalmologists, regarding the care and management plans for co-managed patients. Many of his patients have been referred to him from these ophthalmologists to monitor and treat their chronic eye diseases.
In addition to his clinic work, Dr. Jerde spent multiple years traveling around the country giving lectures to optometry students, preparing them for taking their National Board Examinations. While teaching, he covered the topics of Geometric Optics, Physical Optics, Physiological Optics, Contact Lenses, Ocular Motility, Binocular Vision, Visual Perception, and Neurologic Ocular Disease.
Dr. Jerde is ready to bring highly needed, innovative dry eye and scleral contact lens treatments to the St. Louis community, including but not limited to Sunset Hills, Webster Groves, Kirkwood, and Crestwood.