VA Hillsboro (CBOC)

PVAMC Hillsboro CBOC Optometry Student Program Coordinator:
Jonathon Thomas, OD
Jonathon.Thomas@va.gov (503) 906-5138

Clinical Teaching Faculty:
Jonathon Thomas, OD (Student Program Coordinator & Primary Clinical Mentor
Kirk Halvorson, OD kirk.halvarson@va.gov William Prunty, OD, FAAO William.prunty@va.gov Weon Jun, OD, FAAO (Director, Low Vision Rehab Services) Weon.Jun@va.gov Mark A. Williams, OD (Chief, Optometry Section): Mark.Williams3@va.gov

Type of Practice: Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center

General Information:

• The Portland VAMC (PVAMC) is a 303-bed consolidated facility with two main divisions (Portland & Vancouver Divisions) and eight community-based outpatient clinics (Bend, East Portland, Hillsboro, Newport, North Coast, Salem, The Dalles and West Linn CBOCs). The PVAMC serves as the quaternary referral center for Oregon, Southern Washington and parts of Idaho for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. In addition to comprehensive medical and mental health services, the PVAMC supports ongoing research and medical education, including the nationally funded Mood Disorders and Hepatitis C Resource Centers.

• The PVAMC Hillsboro CBOC (Community Based Outpatient Clinic) is located in Hillsboro, Oregon approximately 17 miles (27 km) west of Portland. This modern state-of-the-art facility provides eligible veterans with interdisciplinary outpatient health care services including eye care, primary care, mental health, radiology, laboratory, audiology, ENT and clinical pharmacy. It is also the location of the Compensation and Pension Service for the PVAMC. The Hillsboro CBOC patients and providers are fully integrated with the resources available at the PVAMC’s other CBOCs & Divisions.

• The PVAMC Optometry Section provides comprehensive eye and vision care services at the Hillsboro CBOC. The PVAMC Hillsboro CBOC Optometry Clinic also provides binocular vision and basic low vision care. More comprehensive interdisciplinary low vision rehabilitation services are available by consultation at the PVAMC Portland & Vancouver Divisions. All of the optometry staff are residency trained, and practice with broad clinical privileges to enable management of a wide variety of challenging ocular and visual disorders in patients with frequent comorbid systemic health problems. PVAMC optometry residents routinely rotate through the Hillsboro CBOC, and each of the three PVAMC Optometry Section academic affiliates are offered student externship placement at the PVAMC Hillsboro Division for each of their academic terms.

• The PVAMC Eye Care Team consists of both an Optometry and Ophthalmology Section which are highly integrated and collaborative in the provision of a full spectrum of eye and vision care services. These eye care services are provided at multiple locations. General ophthalmology services are available at the Hillsboro CBOC, and subspecialty ophthalmologic consultation is available at the Portland Division campus including cornea, glaucoma, neuro-ophthalmology, oculoplastics, medical retina, strabismus, uveitis, and vitreo-retinal surgery. The Ophthalmology Section also has a strong educational component including an academic affiliation with Oregon Health Sciences University’s Casey Eye Institute.

• The PVAMC Hillsboro CBOC eye clinic has 4 fully equipped eye exam rooms. Modern instrumentation includes a digital Retinal camera, Humphrey Field Analyzer II, Cirrus optical coherence tomography (OCT) and Heidelberg Retinal Tomography (HRT). All students will have electronic access to the patients’ computerized interdisciplinary records.

Continuing Education:

• Weekly Optometry Clinical Seminar: The PVAMC Optometry Section conducts a weekly clinical seminar each Wednesday afternoon for didactic presentations and clinical discussions between program faculty, residents and students. All PVAMC Portland Division, Vancouver Division & Hillsboro CBOC based optometry students will participate jointly in this weekly clinical seminar.
• VISN 20 Optometry Grand Rounds: The VISN 20 Optometry Grand Rounds is a one hour continuing education program presented by live video broadcast from the PVAMC to all Pacific Northwest VA medical centers on the second Tuesday of each month. These presentations are by a diverse group of interdisciplinary health care providers. All PVAMC optometry students attend the grand rounds presentations.

Demographics:

• The PVAMC Hillsboro CBOC optometry clinic has provided 3,185 patient care visits through the Hillsboro CBOC in Fiscal Year 2010, and demand for eye care at this new facility is rapidly expanding.
• Our patient population is composed mainly of men between the ages of 40 to 100, although younger adults and women are seen in increasing numbers as OIF/OEF veterans are returning from active duty.

Prerequisites for Student Interns:

• Must have a positive attitude, strong desire to learn, ability to work well with others and provide compassionate patient care.
• Please see Externships Documentation and Immunization Requirements page for additional requirements.

Patient Services Provided: Primary eye care.

Educational Objectives:

• Enhance technical, analytical, and patient management skills through patient-based experiential learning in a primary care eye clinic.

Student Responsibilities:

• Professional conduct with patients, staff, and peers is expected.
• All students are expected to equitably support the efficiency of the Eye Care Team.
• The student will report any concerns to the clinical faculty or the affiliate institution in a timely manner.
• Punctuality is expected. Student clinic hours are from 7:30 a.m. to approximately 5:00 p.m., although later hours should be anticipated depending on variations in the daily schedule.
• No personal ophthalmic equipment is required or recommended.
• A white clinic coat (jacket length) is required.

Faculty Responsibilities:

• To provide a safe environment for patient-based clinical education.
• To efficiently provide high-quality patient-centered optometric care for all eligible veterans.

Housing:

• No housing is available through the PVAMC. It is easy to find housing near the Hillsboro CBOC. Apartments in Hillsboro are readily available for month-to-month rental and many are within walking distance. Search online for more housing information in Hillsboro, Oregon.

Other Information:

• Parking is readily available for students at the PVAMC Hillsboro CBOC campus. A car is not mandatory for the rotation. Portland has a great public transportation system; bus and light rail services are available near the clinic.

College Affiliations:

• University of California, Berkeley
• Pacific University of Oregon, College of Optometry