Category:Optometry

From Guide to YKHC Medical Practices

The Optometry Department provides routine eye exams; treatment and management of ocular diseases, i.e. glaucoma, diabetes, and red eyes; diagnosis of ocular abnormalities; follow-up care for surgeries; follow-up care for glaucoma/diabetes, i.e., fundus photo/visual field; scheduling, glass repair, and ordering for patients; provide specialty clinic four times per year; 30 village trips per year to provide eye care; educational needs related to eye care. Patients range in age from pediatric to geriatric.

Optometrist visit the subregional clinics quarterly.

Mechanism Used to Meet Patient Care Needs

The eye department uses a screening questionnaire or interview process in performing eye exams and providing eye care. The staff utilizes and maintains patient records through RAVEN for each patient visit.

How the Unit is Staffed to Meet Patient Care Needs

The Optometry Department is staffed with one Department Head Optometrist and three licensed staff Optometrists, three Optometry Technicians and intermittent Optometric Externs. There is an orientation period for new employees. All employees receive an annual performance review.

Hours of operation are Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Patients are scheduled between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Referring to Optometry

If you want a patient to have a vision screening, either for concerns from parent/child or due to developmental delay referrals, please:

  • call the front desk for optometry at the time of the visit 6336, OR
  • give the parent the phone number (543-6336) to call and make an appt
  • Optometry recommends calling the clinic directly rather than placing the "Refer to Optometry Internal" Order

If you want to refer to an optometrist in Anchorage for any reason (most commonly coordination of care with other subspecialty visits), use the "Refer to (Peds/Adult) Other External" order.

Consulting Optometry

You can reach the Optometrist on call through Tiger Connect by Tiger Texting the "Optometry on Call" Role.

Please complete/review the Optometry Consult Checklist prior to consulting them.

Visual Acuity

A visual acuity can be obtained on most patients. Start with one eye at a time, move from right eye to left eye, then both eyes open. If they are supposed to wear corrective lenses, make sure they are wearing them. Note whether the visual acuities are with or without correction.

If patients claim they cannot see the chart, attempt to quantify it by other methods. Remember to cover the eye that is not affected. Is their vision completely black? Is it just blurry? Can they see lights? Can they see your face or hand? Can they count your fingers? Note what they can see and at what distance.

Examples: Finger Counting at 3 ft; sees face but no details; no light perception; able to fixate and follow finger at 2 ft

Tonopen Instructions

  1. 1 gtt of Proparacaine in each eye.
  2. Click blue button once.
  3. Holding tonopen perpendicular to patient’s eye, tap in the center of the cornea (aim for the pupil) TEN times. T
  4. he tonopen will show you an average reading.
  5. Replace used Tonopen cover with a new one after each use before storing.

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