609-294-8144
Meet Dr. J. Scot Ellis - Retired
Dr. J. Scot Ellis is a life long resident of Southern Ocean County. He was raised on Long Beach Island and is a graduate of Southern Regional High School. After high school, he studied biology and psychology at Wilkes University. His graduate medical studies were completed at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry where he received a Doctorate of Optometry in 1990. Dr. Ellis trained at the Philadelphia Naval Hospital, the Camden Optometric Center and the Eye Institute in Philadelphia, PA. Dr. Ellis established his practice in Sicklerville, NJ in August 1991 and opened his second office August 2000 in Little Egg Harbor. In December 2018, he sold his Sicklerville location so that he may concentrate fully on the Little Egg Harbor office.
​
As an Optometric Physician, Dr. Ellis is a Primary Eyecare Provider. Optometric Physicians are trained to diagnose, manage and treat both refractive and medical conditions of the eye. Some of the more common conditions managed or treated by Dr. Ellis are blurred vision, dry eyes, red eyes, glaucoma, diabetes, cataracts and refractive surgery. Dr. Ellis has been specialty trained by Kremer Eye Center to screen, treat and manage Lasik laser refractive surgery. He also co-manages surgical patients with Southern Shores Eye center in Manahawkin, The Witlin Center in Toms River and Kremer Eye Center in Cherry Hill. Dr. Ellis is currently the staff Optometrist at the US Coast Guard training center Cape May, where he sees the incoming recruits and active duty US Coast Guard members. In Little Egg Harbor he maintains an active specialty practice that caters too hard to fit contact lens patients and medical eyecare.
When away from the office, Dr. Ellis and his wife Suzanne enjoy boating, traveling and spending time with their family. They have two children – Kayla is a US Coast Guard officer and Jake is a US Navy Officer, and a beautiful new Granddaughter Annabelle.
​
Meet Dr. Tara Kirk
Dr. Tara Kirk grew up between Virginia and Florida the child of a Coast Guardsman. At the age of 13 she saw an optometrist at Andrews Air Force Base who allowed her to look at her sister’s eyes in the microscope and immediately made up her mind to become an optometrist herself. She attended Virginia Commonwealth University where she obtained her degree in Chemistry. She went on to Nova Southeastern University where she obtained degrees in Vision Science and a Doctorate of Optometry in 2009. She did her externships with McDill Air Force Base and the Wilmington, DE Veterans Affairs Hospital, along with rotations through the school's Pediatric, Glaucoma, Low Vision and Specialty Contact Lens clinics.
Dr. Kirk began her career in Pennsylvania, where she practiced for a few years before settling in Ocean County, NJ. In 2014 she partnered with The Optical Shop of Lacey and in 2023 she joined Ellis Family Eyecare. Dr. Kirk sees patients of all ages - and especially enjoys the pediatric population. She is an advocate of the InfantSee program and sees babies for routine care starting at 6 months old. She has certifications in OrthoKeratology and MiSight specialty contact lenses for myopia control. For many years she was a member of The Lions Club and helped charter a club in Toms River, running the school vision screening program there.
Outside of the office, you are likely to run into her in the neighborhood as she chauffeurs her 2 kids to scouts and sports at Pinelands.
Meet Dr. Akshari Patel
Dr. Akshari S. Patel is a lifelong resident of Atlantic county and attended Pennsylvania College of Optometry where she received her Doctorate of Optometry in 2021. She received her training at The Eye Institute in Philadelphia, PA and rotated through various specialties such as anterior segment and disease, contact lens, low vision, and primary care. She started working with Dr. Ellis as a student in 2017 and rejoined the practice once she graduated optometry school.
Dr. Patel is fluent in both English and Gujarati. When not at the office, she enjoys drawing and painting, the occasional Netflix binge, traveling, and spending time with her family and friends and their family dog, Lucky.
Please download and fill out appropriate forms from below before your appointment
Insurance Policy
Nearly all major insurance plans accepted
For your convenience we accept assignment of most major medical insurance plans. We also accept several major vision care plans. For those plans that we do not accept assignment, we will work with you to file the forms necessary for you to receive reimbursement.
Hours
Monday: 10am to 6pm
Tuesday: 8am to 3pm (Billing Office Only)
Wednesday & Thursday 9am to 5pm
Friday: 8am to Noon
Saturday & Sunday: Closed
Millers Mall - 691 US Hwy Rt. 9 South
Little Egg Harbor, NJ 08087
609-294-8144
Fax 609-812-5190