Our History

How Integrated Eyecare Started

Our history at Integrated Eyecare can be traced back to 1937 when Bend was but a "small village." Dr. Herbert Carpenter Staples established our practice in November of 1937. He eventually sold the practice to a "local boy who made good" in 1953 when Dr. Donald O. Schuman returned to Bend after graduation from Illinois College of Optometry. Dr. Schuman practiced for 29 years in Bend before he was recruited by Pacific University to teach in the College of Optometry in Forest Grove, Oregon. In 1976 Dr. Kit Carmiencke joined Dr. Schuman and the practice was transferred in 1978. In 2008 Dr. Kirsten Scott joined Integrated Eyecare.

History of Quality Care

Common trends can be traced from Dr. Staples through Dr. Schuman to our current doctors. First is the concern and caring for each patient and putting his or her visual needs ahead of any other concern. Second is the realization of the special visual performance demands of children in the learning years.

More About the Founder, Dr. Staples

Dr. Staples was the son of Senator Isaac Edwin Staples who had a large jewelry store and Optometry business in Portland. Herbert attended the University of Oregon and then began medical school in Portland. The depression was hard on business and as the family jewelry business failed Herbert had to drop out of medical school. Later he resumed his education at Keuser Institute of Optometry in Portland, and Reed College in Chemistry.

After teaching at the Optometry Institute, Dr. Herbert Staples moved his family to Bend in November of 1937. Jim Staples, the son of Dr. Staples, writes, "The night we arrived in Bend the electric power was off due to a storm, no street lights, candles in the windows. We thought the town must be primitive. The next day at day break we awoke to quite a nice little town of 8,000." Dr. Staples rented an office at 934 Wall Street. He developed a large following and during the war years in the early 40's saw a number of patients from Camp Abbot. Jim also commented that his "father's optometry business was his hobby, it was his life." He was active in the Optometric association and represented optometry at scientific meetings because of his background in the Chemists society.

Even in the early years Dr. Staples believed "any muscle needed to be exercised and the eye muscles should be exercised for accurate vision. He was deeply concerned about the lazy eye." Discipline was the key word in the eye exercise room. Many young people marched to his office after school for eye exercises.

More About Dr. Schuman

Dr. Donald O. Schuman grew up in Bend and was able to return home after completing his optometry program in Chicago at the Illinois College of Optometry. He obtained graduate study at Ohio State University in evaluation and treatment of vision problems of children. In the late 1950's Dr. Schuman moved his practice across the Newport Ave bridge to a small office on the banks of the Deschutes River. Dr. Schuman very much enjoyed his practice and the profession of Optometry and he served as the state association president in 1976.