Overview

The WesternU Health eye care specialists provide comprehensive patient care and education for you and your entire family. You will benefit from the very latest care provided by experienced WesternU faculty doctors of optometry and students. Together, these professionals maintain a close collaboration that promotes the highest level of patient-centered care.

At times, our eye care specialists are also asked to consult with other WesternU physicians in other departments on conditions that might relate to or confirm other medical conditions. The convenience of being located under one roof facilitates collaboration among the departments.

Our WesternU Health doctors have extensive experience in treating all types of vision and eye conditions. Whether you want a routine eye exam or have a more complex or unusual condition, the eye care professionals at WesternU Health are well equipped to provide the care you need.

You may come to WesternU Health on your own or with a referral from your primary care doctor, ophthalmologist, or optometrist. Second opinions are welcome.

Appointments are typically longer than they would be at a private optometry practice. This means that you will get a thorough exam using specialized state-of-the-art equipment and have adequate time to discuss your condition and recommendations.

Services

The Eye Care Institute offers a full range of services, including primary and highly specialized eye care for all ages. Services include low vision rehabilitation, vision therapy, neuro-optometric rehabilitation, and diabetic eye disease treatment.

Virtual Try-On

Get a free virtual view of how different frames look on your face with the WesternU Eye Care Institute’s (ECI) frames gallery. The frames gallery works for both established and new patients. Make an ECI appointment. Visit the frames gallery, virtually try on as many pairs as you would like, and then select as many as five frames. The ECI optical team will have the frames ready for your appointment. Save time and get a preview of the perfect frames for you.

WesternU Eye Care Institute’s (ECI) frames gallery

Primary Eye Care for all Ages

Routine comprehensive eye exams that evaluates vision and eye health

Detection and Prescription for Vision Related Problems:

  • Nearsightedness
  • Farsightedness
  • Astigmatism
  • Contact lenses
  • Reading difficulties
  • Headaches
  • Focus issues
  • Eye movements

Diagnosis, Treatment and Management of Ocular Diseases:

  • Glaucoma
  • Macular degeneration
  • Eye infections
  • Dry eye syndrome
  • Ocular allergies
  • Uveitis
  • Minor foreign bodies

Monitoring of Eye Health Problems and Ocular Complications Due to General Health Problems:

  • Retinopathy from diabetes or hypertension
  • Retinal vascular changes from high cholesterol
  • Complications from other conditions such as stroke, arthritis, thyroid disease

Pediatrics/Special Needs Populations

Comprehensive eye exam for newborn infants to adolescents; customized exams sensitive to the needs of special populations including those with developmental disabilities.

The American Optometric Association (AOA) recommends that all children have a comprehensive eye exam with an eye doctor at age 6 months, 3 years and age 5 years. The Pediatric service at the Eye Care Institute embraces the opportunity to test any child of any age and any developmental status. Good vision is crucial to overall development and readiness for school. Many children have a visual problem that is not obvious and responds to treatment better if identified promptly.

Our comprehensive exam for children includes more than testing for eyesight problems for glasses. It includes visual developmental and functional testing to identify problems in eye coordination, eye tracking, and visual perceptual processing. For more information about visual development and functional vision, please visit the College of Optometrists in Vision Development (COVD) website: https://www.covd.org/

The Eye Care Institute is proud to participate in a national program called InfantSEE®, in which

Optometrists see patients between 6 and 12 months of age for a comprehensive eye exam at no cost. To learn more, please visit the InfantSEE® website: https://infantsee.org/.

Low Vision Rehabilitation

Optimize existing vision of patients who have lost sight from birth, injury, illness or aging by prescribing custom lenses, optical systems, magnifiers, telescopes or adaptive technology so they may experience a quality of life that keeps them safe, healthy, and active

Visual Impairment is a loss of sight that cannot be fixed with ordinary glasses, contact lenses, medication or surgery. Some people are born with vision loss while others may lose vision later in life from eye diseases, injury, illness or aging. Our Vision Rehabilitation service will help you learn how to use your remaining vision despite any changes in vision. Vision rehabilitation optimizes your remaining vision with custom designed optical systems, adaptive technologies, training essential visual skills, and learning modifications in performing everyday activities. The Eye Care Institute at WesternU Health offers Vision Rehabilitation services to help achieve your visual goals. People will learn strategies that compensate for vision loss so they can remain safe, healthy, active, and independent. In the Vision Rehabilitation service, we collaborate with occupational therapists, orientation & mobility instructors, physical therapists, vocational rehabilitation, licensed clinical social workers, primary care physicians, and specialty medical doctors. Our interprofessional approach allows for improved functional and health outcomes.

Conditions that may cause vision impairment include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Macular degeneration
  • Glaucoma
  • Diabetic retinopathy
  • Optic atrophy
  • Cataracts
  • Retinitis pigmentosa
  • Albinism
  • Stroke
  • Stargardt disease
  • Trauma/eye injury
  • Optic nerve hypoplasia
  • Brain tumors

Specialty Contact Lens

Changing/enhancing eye color, concealing eye injuries, keratoconus, restoring/enhancing/near/far/computer vision, high activity sports, enhancing peripheral vision compared to eye glasses, vision therapy and ocular disease therapy, providing an alternative to laser surgical correction, substitution for thick eyeglasses, enhanced color contrast in color deficiencies and sports, special tints for light sensitivity and headaches.

The goal of the contact lens service at the Eye Care Institute of WesternU Health is to optimize vision through the use of contact lenses. Here we evaluate the suitability of custom contact lenses, including but not limited to soft, GP (gas-permeable), hybrid, cosmetic, myopia control, orthokeratology (corneal reshaping), high astigmatism, and keratoconus lenses. Schedule an evaluation with us today to determine if you would be a good candidate for contact lenses.

Good candidates for contact lenses include:

  • Children and adults of all ages
  • Athletes
  • Patients with keratoconus or pellucid marginal degeneration
  • Patients with a history of refractive surgeries with suboptimal outcomes
  • Patients with a history of diseases of the cornea desiring to improve appearance
  • Patients with high astigmatism
  • Multifocal spectacle lens wearers

Vision Therapy Services

Evaluation and treatment for concerns regarding oculomotor dysfunction (eye tracking), binocular vision dysfunction (eye teaming), accommodative dysfunction (focusing), visual information processing dysfunctions, amblyopia (lazy eye) and strabismus (an eye turn).

Vision Therapy is a form of treatment that can improve how you use your eyes to see, do schoolwork, process information, and perform better in sports and other hobbies. With targeted procedures during in office therapy, in combination with a prescribed home therapy program, individuals can learn to improve their vision to make everyday tasks easier, more efficient, and more comfortable. Vision Therapy is also a treatment option to straighten eyes when they’re not lined up properly. An evaluation can help to determine if you could benefit from this service.

Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation

Enhance visual capabilities, improve daily activities, and quality of life after strokes, falls, motor vehicle accidents, physical assaults, pedestrian accidents or brain surgery; serves as resource for rehabilitation hospitals and centers, physiatrists, occupational therapists, physical therapists, neuropsychologists and other rehabilitation health care professionals throughout the Southern California area

Myopia Management Clinic

At WesternU Health, we understand the importance of having a happy, healthy child. We know that vision changes a child’s world. Eyesight allows a child to see the faces of their loved ones, to learn, to play. The Eye Care Institute at WesternU Health is proud to offer a new service for children age 6-18 years of age, The Myopia Management Clinic.

  • Full-service optical department with a vast selection of glasses, contacts, sports eyewear and sunglasses
  • Diabetic eye disease management
Why choose WesternU Health Eye Institute?
  • Expertise: Experienced, award winning, and nationally recognized doctors to your health and wellness.
  • Team Approach: Eye care doctors and interns work closely together to promote the highest level of patient-centered care. Consultation with other PCC health care providers also occurs for coordinated care.
  • Caring Providers: Specialized doctors who care enough to listen and make sure that you understand your health issues. Doctors who are eager to answer your questions and help you participate in your care.
  • Modern Facilities: Private examination and treatment rooms, specialized testing areas, and a full-service optical department with a wide variety and selection of eye glasses and contacts.
  • State-of-the-Art Equipment: The Eye Care Institute offers a comprehensive, inter-professional approach with the latest instrumentation and techniques to manage even the most challenging eye and vision problems. Some of the specialized equipment pieces are generally not available in most private practice settings. Private practitioners often refer patients for more comprehensive diagnostics for complex conditions requiring more specialized assessment.