CONTRIBUTED CONTENT — Many areas of health care in St. George, being a small city, are supplemented by visiting physicians bringing specialty care to patients on a rotating basis. If you see a visiting retina specialist, you’ll likely receive excellent eye care when your doctor comes to Southern Utah. But what happens when they’re back at their own clinic in another city or state, and you need help?
As a board-certified ophthalmologist and vitreoretinal specialist, as well as a native of the St. George area, Dr. Ken Lord is committed to providing exceptional patient care within the community he loves. He established Retina Associates of Southern Utah 10 years ago so local patients no longer had to travel to Las Vegas or Salt Lake City for medical and surgical retina care. Today, it’s still the only full-time retina specialty provider in the region.
“We’re going to be there,” he said. “There’s not a time when we aren’t available to patients. If you’re having a problem, you’ll get in that same day.”
Ophthalmology, and particularly retina care, is a tech-driven field of eye care. Retina Associates of Southern Utah recently opened a brand-new, state-of-the-art facility on Riverside Drive in St. George to better serve patients with the latest treatment options. By comparison, visiting specialists may not have retina-focused equipment at their disposal because they usually work out of a general ophthalmology practice.
Being proactive about your eye health is essential to maintaining your sight and enjoying all the benefits that it provides. That’s especially true when it comes to any vision-related concerns you may be having. If you typically see a visiting specialist and develop an acute retina problem, there’s no guarantee you’ll receive care in a timely manner.
“There’s more risk involved with a visiting specialist,” Lord said. “It’s absolutely in the best interest of the patient to be seen by a local provider.”
Retina Associates of Southern Utah welcomes patients for regular office visits five days a week and keeps a physician on-call 24/7 for emergencies. Although headquartered in St. George, the clinic serves patients living in rural communities throughout Southern Utah, Northern Arizona and Eastern Nevada with multiple office locations.
Retina Associates of Southern Utah employs two full-time retina specialists and plans to add a third in the near future as the community keeps growing. Lord works alongside Dr. Joshua Carlson, who joined the practice five years ago, to diagnose and treat a variety of retina issues, including retinal detachments, surgical complications and uveitis. They address ocular trauma and oncology as well.
The clinic also welcomed optometric physician Dr. Reed Gibb earlier this year to facilitate follow-up and post-operative appointments and manage care for patients with conditions like macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and retinal vein occlusions. After practicing at a cataract and LASIK office in the St. George area for the past 19 years, Gibb is a familiar face among patients and well-respected by providers in the local eye care business.
As a leader in advanced retinal treatment and surgery, Retina Associates of Southern Utah is committed to providing exceptional patient care with compassion, respect and integrity. The clinic’s approach is rooted in evidence-based medical practices focused on improving eye health and elevating quality of life.
“There’s no substitute for working with a local eye care provider,” Lord said. “We are board-certified, fellowship-trained retina specialists at your disposal. We live in this community, we support this community, and we’re committed to you.”
Find out more about how the specialists at Retina Associates of Southern Utah are helping patients see more clearly at SouthernUtahRetina.com.
Written by ALEXA MORGAN for St. George News.
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Resources
- Retina Associates of Southern Utah | Address: 585 E. Riverside Drive, Suite 201, St. George | Hours: Monday-Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. | Telephone: 435-216-7032 | Website.
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