Today we’d like to introduce you to Mark Cannon.
Hi Mark, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I knew from an early age that I wanted to help people at work, so healthcare was a logical choice. After completing undergraduate work at Indiana University (with degrees in Biology and Psychology), I was not ready for grad school. So I worked as a marine biologist and then as a backpacking guide for troubled teenagers. I even worked as a microbiologist at a pharmaceutical firm prior to starting optometry school at Indiana University.
I met the love of my life (now known as Dr. Miranda Cannon) in grad school – and we got married less than a month after graduation. Then we took a leap of faith and moved out to Seattle before we had even secured a job. After working in a surgical ophthalmology clinic Dr. Mark J Cannon opened a new practice with his wife: Cannon EyeCare (in Market Optical at University Village).
Our clinic is different than others because all the testing is actually done by eye doctors- not a technician with on the job training.
In 2022 Dr. Mark opened a second location focussed on dry eye and medical care downtown: Cannon EyeCare at Pike Place’s Market Optical. His practice philosophy focusses on getting to the root of the problem to stop the progression of disease – not just treating symptoms with eyedrops like most doctors do.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
We definitely took a pay cut when we went from employed doctors to running our own medical practice, but we expected that. It took years to get back to our previous level of earnings.
Even worse, starting a new practice in downtown Seattle in 2022- the heart of the pandemic years- was a real challenge. It took two years before the Pike Place location was busy enough to turn a profit. In the end word got out that we do really good work and now both clinics are fully booked. The 5.0 star rating on Google (both locations with a total review count of over 400!) helped us spread the word.
Most people don’t realize how much impact online reviews can make. We strive to provide the best eye care in Seattle, and people have noticed.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
A big part of what I do at work is helping people age gracefully by optimizing their ocular health – and giving them the tools they need to adjust to the challenges of different life stages.
Our comprehensive eye exams are more thorough than most, and we take the time to explain the findings and our treatment plan after the testing is done. We also embrace technology and have cutting edge equipment at both locations. We have the most advanced retinal camera at our University Village location. At our Pike Place location we have the most advanced retinal imaging system (OCT) as well as an amazing camera for imaging the front of the eye – including the meibomian glands that are almost always implicated in the dry eye disease process.
Dr. Mark Cannon’s dry eye clinic really helps Cannon EyeCare rise above the competition. His treatment philosophy is relatively simple: teach people how to get their eyes healthy and stop the progression of this chronic disease. Many of his dry eye patients are able to get their dry eye disease under control with a few simple daily at-home treatments. Other strategies help those with demodex mite infestations or chronic styes (both of which exacerbate dry eye disease) get thing under control – typically without expensive medicated drops.
The drug reps who sell dry eye medications are always surprised that I don’t Rx their medicines very often. This is because I can typically solve problems for patients without the use of expensive long-term medications.
When patients need a bit more help, Dr. Mark does offer other advanced in office and pharmaceutical treatments. Thermal Gland Expression clears out the clogged oil (meibomian) glands in lids that need it. Tixel treatments utilize heat and gentle pressure to revitalize the same glands. Tixel is also used to do non-surgical lid lifts, remove brown spots/ melasma, and reduce facial wrinkles.
Any big plans?
We have discussed opening a new clinic with multiple exam rooms and employing doctors, technicians, opticians and front desk staff. The administrative time needed to start and manage a clinic like that would reduce the amount of time/effort we can put in to patient care though. Caring for patients in the Seattle Metro is really what gets us excited. Being the manager of a bunch of staff just does not sound as satisfying. So we are going to continue to optimize our current practices and enjoy the ride instead.
Pricing:
- A comprehensive eye exam is $225, or sometimes insurance will cover it.
- We do NOT take insurance like VSP, Davis, and EyeMed because they pay so little that we would not be able to practice how we do.
- Contact lens fittings (at an annual eye exam) add $110 to $160 in 2026.
Contact Info:
- Website: SeattleEyeCareDoctor.com
- Instagram: cannon_eyecare_seattle
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CannonEyeCareWA
- Linkedin: https://threebestrated.com/eye-doctors-in-seattle-wa
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Cannon_EyeCare_Seattle
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/cannon-eyecare-at-pike-places-market-optical-seattle?osq=cannon+eyecare
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@cannoneyecareseattle
