Phoenix Indian Medical Center
4212 North 16th Street
Phoenix, AZ 85016
Contact Person: Kimberly Cunningham, OD, FAAO
Clinical Teaching Faculty:
- Kimberly Cunningham, O.D., FAAO kimberly.cunningham@ihs.gov
- Ryan Manning, O.D., MPH, FAAO(D) Commander US Public Health Service, Chief of Optometry
- Bruce Weaver, O.D.
Type of Practice: Indian Health Service
The Phoenix Indian Medical Center Eye Clinic is both a hospital and clinic based practice providing primary, emergency, and surgical eye care through combined Optometric and Ophthalmologic services. Optometry Services include pediatric eye care, Head Start vision screenings, ocular disease management, primary care co-management, emergency eye care services, and medically necessary specialty contact lens care. This is a highly medical optometry site. Ophthalmology Services include oculoplastics, retina, cornea, and general ocular services. The laboratory and radiology departments are available for diagnostic evaluations. The Eye Clinic is located in the Specialty Clinic building, which includes an on-site Pharmacy with compounding capabilities.
Demographic:
- 100% of patients are Native American.
- Predominately local tribes such as: Navajo, Apache, Pima, Tohono O’odham, and Hopi.
- The age range is from 1- 100 years old.
Prerequisites for Student Interns:
- Basic computer and typing skills to utilize the Electronic Health Record (E.H.R.)
- Completion of all the student volunteer forms:
- Immunizations (Hep B, Tuberculin, MMR)
- Letter of good standing as a student at UC Berkeley School of Optometry
Patient Services Provided:
- Glaucoma, Diabetic and Retina Care
- Pediatric Eye Exams
- Geriatric Eye Exams
- Primary and Emergency Eye Exams
- Medically Necessary Specialty Contact Lens Care
- Ancillary testing: Ocular Coherence Tomography (OCT), pachymetry, gonioscopy, B-Scan, Humphrey visual field analysis, fundus photography, autorefractor, and iCare tonometry.
Educational Objectives:
- Provide students a diverse learning experience with exposure to managing patients with a wide variety of ocular pathology.
- Provide students experience in co-managing patients with other disciplines in a hospital setting
- Develop the student’s abilities both technically and in developing assessments and treatment
plans
Student Responsibilities:
- Students must be professional, eager to learn, and respectful of the variety of Native American Cultures of their patients.
- Students must arrive on time and be ready to provide service at the start of each clinic day.
- Prepare a 15-20 minute case presentation to present to all Optometric Staff at the end of the rotation
- Comply with hospital regulations outlined in the orientation upon arrival.
Faculty Responsibilities:
- Oversee students during patient care
- Ensure students have a safe learning environment
- Provide students with a clinical performance evaluation at the completion of the rotation
- Ensure that Native American patients received the highest level of care possible.
Housing and Transportation:
Phoenix Indian Medical Center is located in downtown Phoenix, Arizona. Housing and transportation are the responsibility of the student. Current and former interns have used Airbnb and short term apartment rentals. Free parking is available to all students in staff parking lots on site. Parking passes are issued after orientation at PIMC. Lunch is provided by the Phoenix Indian Medical Center cafeteria to students at no cost. There are also refrigerators to store your lunch if you prefer to bring your own.
Miscellaneous:
- Exam lanes are fully stocked and students are not required to bring any equipment. Anything that is brought in, must be taken home at the end of the day as there is no storage area.
- A Wills Eye Manual or something similar is recommended.
- White coats are optional; business casual attire with closed toes shoes and no fragrances.