Our full-time comprehensive eye care practice is located at the OHSU Center for Health & Healing at South Waterfront. Our doctors provide vision examinations as well as screening and treatment for medical conditions of the eye such as diabetic eye disease, cataracts, glaucoma, and other diseases. They also perform cataract surgery, laser surgery, and other procedures. If you need specialty care for an eye condition, we can refer you to other physicians at Casey Eye Institute or in your area.
Faculty Staff
- Kelly D. Chung, MD
- Devin M. Gattey, MD
- Rebecca L. Armour, MD
- William F. Farr, M.D.
- Tammie L. Krisciunas, OD, MEd
- Malcolm Marquis, M.D.
- Robert C. Watzke, MD
Services
- Vision examinations for eye health preventative maintenance and glasses and contact lens prescriptions
- Screening examinations for eye conditions including diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, cataract, and macular degeneration
- Medical examinations and treatment of eye disease
- Surgical and laser treatment for a wide variety of eye diseases including cataract, after-cataract, glaucoma, and diabetes. We offer customized intraocular lenses for patients having cataract surgery.
How to make an appointment:
- Before calling, make sure you know which providers and what services your insurance covers. Many insurance companies offer separate plans for vision and medical coverage. Vision plans cover routine eye exams to check your eyesight, screen for potential medical problems, or prescribe eyeglasses or contact lenses. If you are scheduling a vision exam, it is your responsibility to call the benefits number on the back of your insurance card. The benefits specialist will clarify your eligibility (most plans only cover vision exams every 12 or 24 months), and confirm whether our doctors participate in your vision plan. They should also be able to tell you what your out-of-pocket expenses, if any, will be. You will want to confirm with your benefits specialist that in making an appointment with us, you are coming to a provider and facility where you will receive your maximum benefits.
If you are scheduling an appointment for a medical exam and your insurance company requires a referral, please call your primary care provider to request a referral to one of our specialists. If you do not have the proper referral when you arrive for your visit, we may not be able to see you.
- Call 503.494.4029 or 503.494.7672 during business hours.
- Please tell our receptionists which of the above services (vision exam or medical exam) you would like to schedule, as most insurance companies separate these benefits. If you are seen for a vision exam and a medical condition is found, we may ask you for your medical insurance information. Remember that depending upon coverage, you may be asked to return for another appointment if:
- Your managed care plan requires a referral to see specialists, or
Schedule does not allow for a complete work up of
your medical condition, or
Further testing is needed.
- If you have never been to OHSU before, please call registration at 503.494.8505 or 1.888.222.6478 to pre-register. Your completion of the registration process prior to your visit will enable us to have your chart ready for you when you arrive. Please bring all insurance cards as we will need to have copies of them upon arrival.
- If you would like to fill out a patient history form ahead of time and bring it with you, please print our patient history form here. Please bring a list of your current medications to your visit, including any vitamins, herbs or other supplements.
What to expect at your appointment:
Casey Ophthalmic Associates is on Floor 11 of OHSU's Center for Health and Healing at South Waterfront. The building is located at 3303 SW Bond Avenue in Portland, Oregon, just west of Macadam Avenue in southwest Portland.
- Check in at the front desk. You will be asked to fill out a patient history form or give them your previously completed form.
- An ophthalmic technician will begin your examination. This will be completed by your doctor.
- Most complete eye examinations require that your pupils be dilated so the doctor can examine the back part of your eye, including the retina. The process of dilation involves placing eye drops in your eyes that will, within 15-30 minutes, enlarge your pupils. The drops can make your vision fuzzy because they paralyze the muscles your eyes use to focus. For this reason, some people have difficulty driving, reading, or doing other activities that require near vision for the 4 hours following their appointment. Please prepare for this (you may want to arrange a ride home) and let us know if you do not want your eyes dilated.
- A complete vision evaluation can take from 1 to 1 1/2 hours, so please plan accordingly.
- Although our billing is processed off-site, if your insurance requires a copayment, please pay this at the time of your visit to our office. If you do not have evidence of insurance coverage for your visit, we will ask you to sign a waiver stating that you will be responsible for the charges. We may ask you to pay at the time of your appointment.
FAQs
What is the difference between an ophthalmologist and an optometrist?
An OPHTHALMOLOGIST is a doctor of medicine (MD) who is licensed to practice medicine and surgery and specializes in medical eye and vision care. This specialist's education typically includes four years of college, four years of medical school, one year of internship, and three or four years in an eye residency program. In diagnosis and treatment, the ophthalmologist uses and prescribes medicines, glasses, and performs surgery.
An OPTOMETRIST is a doctor of optometry (OD). This professional is licensed to practice optometry and specializes in determining the need for glasses while screening the patient for abnormalities of the eye. Optometrists attend four years of college and four years in an optometric college. The optometrist treats visual disturbances with glasses and contact lenses and medications on a limited basis.
Casey Ophthalmic Associates is staffed by faculty and resident ophthalmologists and an optometrist, in order to offer expert, cost-effective diagnostic and treatment services. The various specialists at Casey Eye Institute work as a team to deliver comprehensive eye care.
How about an optician?
An OPTICIAN is licensed to fit, adjust, and dispense glasses and other optical devices on the written prescription of a licensed physician or optometrist.
What is a resident?
A resident is a doctor of medicine (MD) who is training to specialize in medical eye and vision care as an ophthalmologist. This doctor's education typically includes four years of college, four years of medical school, one year of internship, and three additional years of specialty residency at the Casey Eye Institute.
What is the difference between "vision care" and a medical visit?
Vision care is a term insurance companies use to mean an eye examination assessing the need for vision correction (i.e., glasses) and to confirm good health in an eye that otherwise seems healthy. Most insurance providers delegate the task of providing vision coverage to a separate company, so you should verify your vision coverage benefits prior to scheduling your vision exam. When you schedule, please let our staff know whether you are requesting a ‘vision exam’ or a ‘medical exam’ so that the appropriate insurance company is billed. When you speak with OHSU registration (503.494.8505 or 1.888.222.6478) please provide your vision coverage information so that your billing process will go smoothly. It is important to note that Medicare allows coverage for medical diagnoses/conditions, but will not pay for routine vision care or for an exam designed to determine your proper glasses prescription, called a refraction. If you have an eye condition that requires medical treatment, such as diabetes, cataract, red eye or other problems, a medical appointment would be more appropriate. Use of the term ‘medical visit’ means the doctor is evaluating and managing an eye or medical disease. If you have a vision diagnosis ONLY, your medical coverage will not cover that visit, and we will be unable to bill with any diagnosis other than what is found on that exam.
What is the difference between a glasses prescription and contact lens prescription? And why do I have to pay extra to get a contact lens prescription?
Your glasses prescription is the starting point in determining the correct contact lens prescription, but the two prescriptions are not the same. You can't use a contact lens prescription to get glasses, and you can't use a glasses prescription to get contact lenses. The contact lenses actually touch the eyes, so they must be precisely fitted and the fit must be evaluated with the lenses on the eyes to be assured that the lenses are a healthy fit. The contact lens prescription cannot be finalized until the fit is seen to be healthy. Usually the contact lens specialist will need to see the lenses on the eyes after the lenses have been worn for an amount of time. The additional costs involved in getting a prescription for contact lenses reflect the extra time and expertise involved in fitting contacts.
How often is it recommended that I have an eye examination?
Patients need eye examinations when they experience symptoms (or their doctor finds signs) of eye disease, when they have a family history of eye disease, or when they reach the age when they are at a high risk for developing eye problems.
The American Academy of Ophthalmology recommends that:
- Infants be screened in the nursery for congenital diseases;
- Children be screened by age 3 or 4 for visual acuity, ocular alignment, and signs of ocular disease;
- School-aged children be screened for visual acuity and ocular alignment approximately every two years;
- Adolescents and young adults have occasional ocular exams from puberty to age 40 to detect asymptomatic ocular diseases;
- Adults age 40 and older have an ocular evaluation every two to four years.
- Adults age 65 and older have an ocular evaluation every one to two years.
- African Americans should have examinations more frequently due to a higher risk for glaucoma.
- Blurry vision uncorrectable by glasses or contact lenses
- Bulging of one or both eyes
- Crossed, turned, or wandering eye
- Diabetes
- Difference in the size of the eyes
- Dimming of vision that comes and goes, or sudden loss of vision
- Discharge, crusting, or excessive tearing
- Double vision
- Eye pain
- Family history of glaucoma
- Flashes or streaks of light
- Foreign body sensation, i.e., feeling as though something is in the eye
- Haloes (colored rays or circles around lights)
- Loss of side vision
- New floaters (spots, strings, or shadows)
- Red eye
- Swelling of any part of the eye
- Twitching or shaking eye
Emergencies
In the event of an emergency after office hours, our physicians share on-call responsibilities 24 hours a day. Dial (503) 494-8311 after hours to reach the doctor on call. Please call our office at any time if you have urgent care needs.
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