VA Southern Oregon Rehabilitation Center and Clinics

Clinical Teaching Faculty:
Staff Optometrist/Student Externship Program Coordinator:
Kiana Saqr, O.D. Kiana.Saqr@va.gov

Staff Optometrists:
Aaron Severson O.D.
Christopher Jovez, O.D.
Kiana Saqr, O.D.

Location: 8495 Crater Lake Hwy, Building 212LN, Room 104, White City, OR 97503

Type of Practice: VA Rehabilitation Center and Clinics

General Information:

VA SORCC opened its doors to veterans in 1949 and is the former hospital of Camp White built during World War II. The 145-acre tract is seven miles north of Medford, and is easily accessed from Interstate 5, via local Highway 62. VA SORCC cares for approximately 400-plus inpatient veterans and 15,000-plus outpatient veterans. The mission of VA SORCC is to

1. Serve as a national resource for eligible veterans, providing quality residential treatment in addictions, medicine, mental health, physical, and vocational rehabilitation,
2. Provide high quality primary outpatient medical and mental health care to veterans living in the Southern Oregon and Northern California regions, and
3. Strive, in partnership with the veterans served, to optimize social and vocational integration of the veterans into their community.

The optometry clinic provides primary eye care services to inpatients residing at the facility, as well as outpatients in Southern Oregon and Northern California. The eye care team is composed of three full-time staff optometrists, one optician, two ophthalmic technician, two or three 4th-year optometry students, and one Optometry Resident. The optometry clinic has seven fully equipped exam rooms, one visual fields/OCT room, and one retinal photo room. All students will have electronic access to the patients’ computerized interdisciplinary records. Those veterans requiring specialty eyecare beyond the scope of practice of optometry are referred to local ophthalmology or VAMC ophthalmology in Roseburg or Portland.

Prerequisites for Student Interns:

• The desire to learn, work well with other multidisciplinary health care team members, and to provide high quality and compassionate eyecare to veterans.
• Please see Externships Documentation and Immunization Requirements page for additional requirements.

Educational Objectives:

• To foster the maturation of student clinicians into autonomous, confident, practitioners.
• To expand clinical reasoning skills and advance the competency of the student clinician through exposure to diverse and challenging patient problems..
• To provide opportunity for the integration of basic and clinical science into direct patient care.
• To challenge and motivate students to develop advanced intra-professional, inter-professional, and interpersonal skills.

Student Responsibilities:

• To provide care and service with courtesy, concern, and respect for the patient.
• Punctuality and attendance are expected. Clinic hours are from 8am until 4:30pm, although later hours should be anticipated depending on variations in complexity of daily schedule.
• Attend Tuesday Seminars from 7:30-8am each week and present at two seminar sessions throughout their rotation.
• Students are not permitted to render care or see patients independently. A licensed optometrist must be on site to supervise the students while they are examining patients. Students will have the day off if all optometry supervisors are on leave.
• Students will report any concerns to the clinic faculty or the affiliate institution in a timely manner.
• Students are expected to dress appropriately and to act in a professional manner at all times. Students will be respectful of the precepting faculty and other staff.
• Personal ophthalmic equipment is allowed, but not required.

Faculty Responsibilities:

• To delineate goals and expectations for the student at an orientation session, and provide site specific training at the start of each rotation.
• To serve as a mentor for students, and to counsel students regarding their actions with patients. This will include a discussion of differential diagnosis in each case, as well as a review of appropriate treatment options and management plans.

Housing:

• On site housing is provided for optometry students only at no charge. Housing consists of a furnished one-bedroom apartment with kitchen. Students will be responsible for their own meals.
• As of 2023, Students may not have significant others, family or pets stay in the provided housing. (Registered service animals may be an exception). Guests are allowed during visiting hours of 9am to 9pm, but no overnight guests.
• As the facility is a rehabilitation center, alcohol and/or drugs are prohibited on campus.

Parking:

• Parking is available. Vehicle must be registered with on-site police dept. to obtain parking permit.

College Affiliations:

• University of California at Berkeley
• Pacific University College of Optometry