Renovated Phoenix VA clinic focuses on optometry

VA Secretary Denis McDonough met with Phoenix VA leadership and Veterans during a recent visit to the Thunderbird VA optometry clinic in Phoenix.

The newly renovated Phoenix VA Thunderbird Clinic focuses solely on optometry and provides services to hundreds of Veterans in the region.

“The goodness of VA is not the buildings. It’s not the machines, it’s not Central Office, it’s not the Secretary’s office. It’s you,” said McDonough. “Our job is to provide every Veteran here in Arizona with the world-class care and benefits they deserve, and we will never settle for anything less.”

As a clinic dedicated to optometry, Thunderbird provides Veterans with vision exams, preventative vision testing and treatment, and prescription eyeglasses. The average wait times at the clinic are relatively shorter than average with less than two weeks for existing patients and a month for new patients.

“Our unique way of providing optometry services increases access for Veterans.”

Thunderbird is affiliated with Midwestern University Arizona College of Optometry to train residents to practice the full scope of optometry within an integrated health care setting. Phoenix VA has 479 affiliation agreements with 163 institutions, and it supports and funds more than 166 medical and dental residents at Phoenix VA each year.

“The Ocular Disease residency program creates a patient care environment strong in clinical research and scholarship at Phoenix VA, which enhances the healthcare provided to our Veterans,” said Optometry Residency Program Director Heather Spampinato.

“We were glad to have Secretary McDonough here, to show off our Thunderbird clinic,” said Phoenix VA Director Bryan Matthews. “Our unique way of providing optometry services increases access and improves Veteran satisfaction. Secretary McDonough was very impressed with our staff and individually thanked them for the work they are doing on behalf of our Phoenix Veterans.”

Opened in 1951, Phoenix VA is part of Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) 22. It is a Joint Commission accredited, complexity level 1A tertiary care facility serving Veterans in Phoenix, Arizona, and surrounding communities in central Arizona.