CHA Eye Center
Ophthalmology and Optometry • Somerville, MA • Since 1996 • 2 (Somerville Eye Center, Malden Eye Center) locations
About
Summary: CHA Eye Center is part of Cambridge Health Alliance (CHA), a nonprofit healthcare system and Harvard Teaching Hospital serving Cambridge, Somerville, Everett, and surrounding metro-north communities in Massachusetts. The Eye Center operates within CHA’s network of services that include primary, specialty, and mental health care, and benefits from CHA’s affiliation with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. CHA emphasizes whole-person care and teaching affiliations with Tufts University School of Medicine and Harvard Medical School. The Somerville Campus serves as one of CHA’s six US locations, with facilities and access to its eye care services among CHA’s primary and specialty offerings.
Clinic Type
Ophthalmology and Optometry
Address
236 Highland Avenue, Somerville, MA
Phone
617-591-4949
HIM3@CHAlliacne.org
Opening Hours
Highland Building, Somerville Campus | 1st Floor M, W: 8:00 am - 8:00 pm; T, Th, F: 8:00 am - 5:30 pm; Sa - Su: 9:00 am - 4:30 pm. Optical Shop Somerville Campus | 1st Floor M - F: 8:00 am - 4:00 pm, closed during lunch 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm
Telehealth
Same-day virtual visits via MyChart; video visits available
Emergency Care
Call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest emergency room; 24-hour care at CHA Cambridge Hospital and CHA Everett Hospital
Services Offered
Team
Insurance & Payment
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Languages Spoken
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FAQs
What services are offered at CHA Somerville Eye Center?
Ophthalmology, Eye Care, Surgery, Optometry, Laser Vision Correction, Laser-assisted Cataract Surgery, retina care, Optical Shop.
Do you have feedback on our services? Do you need a patient advocate?
Please contact our patient relations team at 617-665-1398 or use our easy web form.
How do I contact my clinic or provider?
Just call your clinic or provider directly. You can also contact us in MyCHArt.
How do I become a new patient?
For Primary Care, please call 617-665-1305 between 8:30 AM - 5 PM.
What should I do about insurance at CHA?
Please have your insurance card ready; CHA Financial Assistance is available at 617-665-1100.
Social Media
Photos
What Patients Say
Overall sentiment across review platforms: mixed
- Birdeye: 4.4/5 stars (352 reviews (aggregated))
- Doctor.com: 4.8/5 stars (49 reviews)
Patients praise
- Some patients express satisfaction with specific doctors (e.g., Dr. Steven Patalano, Dr. Madeline Barrott, Lynn Crawford)
- Some positive feedback regarding professionalism or care from individual providers
Common complaints
- Long wait times for appointments and in-office visits
- Unprofessional, rude, or unhelpful administrative and phone staff
- Poor communication regarding appointments, prescriptions, and billing (e.g., lost records, billing issues)
- Concerns about medical care quality and bedside manner from some providers
"Dr Steven Patalano answered all my questions, eased my anxiety regarding upcoming surgery."
— Doctor.com review"The worst place to be in. Long, long, long waiting. To be seeing for 5 minutes only."
— Yelp review"If I could rate CHA eye center Somerville a "0" I would. Their phone center needs major improvement!!! The lady that took my call was very rude to me to begin with..."
— LocalityBiz reviewSynthesized from public review platforms as of Jul 11, 2026 — sources: [1][2][3][4].
In the News
- Cambridge Health Alliance Hits 1M Visits and Expands Care — May 15, 2026
- Medicaid cuts loom, but CHA budget changes only modestly - Cambridge Day — Jun 30, 2026
- State Quality Organization Highlights CHA's Windsor Street Primary Care | CHA Newsroom — Apr 1, 2026
- CHA Newsroom - CHA Named a 2025 Leading Disability Employer — Oct 1, 2025
- CHA’s High Reliability Organization Initiative Helps Propel Windsor Street Primary Care to Patient Experience Awards - Massachusetts Health Quality Partners — Apr 8, 2026
Information sourced from the clinic's website as of July 11, 2026.
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