USC EYE INSTITUTE AND RETINAL CONSULTANTS OF ARIZONA UNITE TO ENRICH OPHTHALMIC SERVICES

AFFILIATION CREATES JOINT INTERNATIONAL FELLOWSHIP
AND INTEGRATED CLINICAL RESEARCH PROGRAMS

The USC Eye Institute and Retinal Consultants of Arizona are proud to announce a new collaboration enhancing eye care with a specific focus on a joint educational and research programs.

The USC-RCA vitreo-retinal fellowship program will provide fellows with top tier training from ophthalmologists who have years of experience in retina and vitreous surgery and have made significant technical and clinical advancements in the diagnosis and management of vitreo-retinal diseases.

Additionally, the collaboration creates an international ophthalmology program for teaching, research, and clinical care. Ophthalmologists from around the world will now be able to receive education from leading doctors at both the USC Eye Institute and the Retinal Consultants of Arizona. The collaboration allows those involved in the program to have access to a wider variety of specialized ophthalmologists, each with their own unique focus and background in the field.

“Advancing eye care and creating a new generation of leading ophthalmologists take collaboration and focus from the best ophthalmology programs,” said Rohit Varma, MD, MPH, Professor, and Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Director of the USC Eye Institute. “USC and RCA’s joint effort can make a difference in the world of ophthalmology in far less time than either organization working on its own.”

This collaboration further creates an extension program for epidemiological research with a specific focus on Native Americans, as well as clinical care in Arizona. Retinal Consultants of Arizona operates the Retinal Research Institute – the nation’s leading independent retina and vitreous clinical research facility – allowing ophthalmologists from both organizations to jointly investigate eye diseases and disorders that are prevalent in specific ethnic groups in the United States and throughout the world.

“The combination of talents and facilities at RCA and USC are complementary and will be beneficial locally, nationally, and internationally. It will provide patients with the best possible eye care in the world, set standards for clinical research and lead the retina community for decades with innovation and patient care,” said Pravin U. Dugel MD, Managing Partner, Retinal Consultants of Arizona and Clinical Professor, USC Eye Institute, Keck School of Medicine. “Together, we are working to not only improve ophthalmology and eye health in California and Arizona but worldwide.”

For 40 years, the USC Eye Institute at the Keck School of Medicine has been leading the way in ophthalmology care. Through research, clinical care, and education in a wide variety of ophthalmic conditions, USC doctors have made numerous advancements in improving our understanding of the mechanisms that cause eye disease and the way that eye disorders are diagnosed and treated. The USC Ocular Epidemiology Center has conducted multiple groundbreaking community eye health studies to assess and prevent various eye diseases among diverse populations. In addition, advanced eye treatments have been created at the USC Eye Institute, including the Baerveldt glaucoma implant and the Argus II retinal implant.

Headquartered in Phoenix, RCA is Arizona’s largest and most experienced retina practice and is a nationally and internationally recognized clinical research facility focused specifically on the diagnosis and management of diseases of the retina and vitreous. In many instances, RCA is the only retina group in Arizona to offer participation in specific research trials that evaluate treatments for blinding eye conditions such as macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.

About USC Eye Institute
The USC Eye Institute, part of Keck Medicine of USC, is led by Rohit Varma, M.D., M.P.H., and has more than 20 full-time faculty physicians covering all subspecialties of ophthalmology. USC’s ophthalmology program has been ranked in the Top 10 by U.S. News & World Report for 20 years and is No. 3 in research funding from the National Eye Institute. The USC Eye Institute is headquartered near downtown Los Angeles and has satellite clinics in Pasadena, Beverly Hills, and Arcadia. For more information, go to eye.keckmedicine.org.

U.S. News & World Report ranked Keck Medical Center of USC among the Top 10 in ophthalmology (No. 9), and among the Top 25 hospitals in the United States for urology (No. 20) and cancer care (No. 23). The medical center was also awarded an “A” grade from The Leapfrog Group in 2014, representing outstanding patient safety practices and overall patient outcomes. For more information, go to https://info.keckmedicine.org/beyond/

About Retinal Consultants of Arizona & Retinal Research Institute
Retinal Consultants of Arizona (RCA) was established in 1980 in central Phoenix. Since then, the organization has grown to be the largest retina group in the state, with 24 offices throughout Arizona. RCA is committed to providing improved access to the highest quality medical eye care and manages the country’s leading, highest ranking, independent clinical research & trials facility for the retina and vitreous – Retinal Research Institute – where RCA physicians investigate leading advancements of new therapies and treatments through clinical research studies.