Transcript VA Chicago Healthcare System West Side Hines VA Hospital

Jesse Brown VA Medical Center
Hines VA Hospital
Residency in Ocular Disease &
Low Vision Rehabilitation
Ocular Disease
 Direct management 100%
 Large patient population with high
prevalence of acute and chronic disease
– Resident will manage many cases of a given
disease
Ocular Disease
 Attendings with experience
– most have 10 or more years working in VA
setting managing eye disease
– Chief has 32 years experience with 30 in the
VA
– See Web page ‘The Players’
Ocular Disease
 Attendings see patients with residents
– pass ongoing experience to residents
– assure quality of patient care
– always available for consultation
Ocular Disease
 Ophthalmology
– Shared rounds at VA
• both OD & MD residents present cases
– ODs attend grand rounds at UIC
• present cases
– Frequent clinical interaction
Ocular Disease
 Medical specialties
– Frequent interaction
– Resident does most if not all of the medical
work up
– Diagnosis confirmed by specialty
– Consult for other specialties (clinic, ward)
Ocular Disease
 Environment (see ‘The Experience’)
– fully equipped
– 10 lanes
– digital photography, angiography & OCT
– fundus topography
– ultrasonography (a & b scans / pachymetry)
– Perimetry (all types)
Ocular Disease
 Environment
– minor OR
– conference facilities
– electrodiagnostics
– lasers
Low Vision Rehabilitation
 Experience in continuum of care
– Hines Blind Rehabilitation Center
• 4 months 3 days per week rotation
• severely disabled (legally blind)
• comprehensive rehabilitation
– Chief has >25 years experience in Low Vision
Rehabilitation and research.
Low Vision Rehabilitation
 Hines BRC
– Multidisciplinary
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ADL
Communication
Orientation & mobility
Leisure skills
Psychology
Low Vision
– Gold standard for rehabilitation
Low Vision Rehabilitation
 Experience in continuum of care
– VICTORS
• Partially sighted
• comprehensive low vision rehabilitation
– Low Vision Rehabilitation (Outpatient)
• Partially sighted & Legally Blind
• comprehensive low vision rehabilitation
Low Vision Rehabilitation
 Experience in continuum of care
– Pediatric low vision
• 3 day trip to school for multiple disabled children
• Attend with pediatric ophthalmology fellow & ICO
faculty
Clinical Hours
 Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri 7:30 AM-~ 6 PM
 Wed = conference/lecture
– ~ 7:30AM – 6PM
 No weekends
– Unless patient needs to be seen (corneal ulcer, etc.)
 Off on 11 Federal holidays
 Sick days & vacation days
 Academy meeting
Overall
 Extensive exposure to ocular & systemic
diseases
– Routine & obscure
 Complete physical diagnosis & lab testing
 Comprehensive Low Vision
 Tough program, hard work, but well worth
it!!!
– Results in confidence approaching any condition
that you will encounter
General information
 Malpractice for practice in VA is covered
under federal tort.
– External practice (moonlighting) is
discouraged
– Malpractice is covered by resident or nonVA facility.
 VA offers vacation and health insurance
benefits with current Chicago stipend
$32k.
Certificate Requirements
 Successful completion of full 12 months of
clinical experience.
 PowerPoint presentation of case at ICO Grand
Rounds by 11 months
 Complete 1st journal review by 6 months with
JB Attendings
 Completing manuscript or presentation of
publishable quality by 12 months of program.