ADVANCED EYE CARE SERVICES

Dr. Grant Aaker grew up in central Minnesota. He graduated summa cum laude from Lewis & Clark College with honors in philosophy. He attended Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City where he conducted extensive research on the aging population, receiving distinctions such as the Howard Olian Medical Student Scholar in Geriatric Medicine, the Henry Adelman Memorial Award for Excellence in Geriatric Medicine, and honors in research with his medical degree.  Dr. Aaker interned at New York Hospital Queens medical center. He went on to complete his residency training at the prestigious Casey Eye Institute of Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Oregon.

Dr. Penny Reck attended The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan via the school’s prestigious integrated premedical-medical program known as the Inteflex Program.  While at The University of Michigan, she obtained both her bachelor’s degree in linguistics and her medical degree and was recognized for academic excellence, commitment to leadership and community service through various accolades, which include: the William J. Branstom Prize, Class Honors, the Inteflex Program Director’s Award, and the Asian-Pacific-American Outstanding Student Leader Award.  Following graduation from medical school, Dr. Reck interned at St. Joseph Mercy – Ann Arbor Hospital and began her residency training in ophthalmology at the University of Michigan’s renowned W.K. Kellogg Eye Center.  In 2006, she was honored with the Walter R. Parker Resident Teaching Award for excellence in training medical students.  Research interests included work that investigated animal models of retinal regeneration, treatments for exudative age-related macular degeneration, central retinal vein occlusions and eye trauma.  Dr. Reck successfully completed a two-year surgical retina fellowship at The University of Illinois Eye & Ear Infirmary in Chicago, Illinois in 2008.  Dr. Reck is board-certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology.

Dr. Reck specializes in treating patients with retinal disorders such as ocular complications of diabetes, age-related macular degeneration, retinal vascular disorders, eye trauma and repair of retinal tears.  She believes in educating her patients while delivering individualized and compassionate care.  Dr. Reck has been a consultant for vitreoretinal diseases and a retina surgeon in the South Puget Sound area since joining Clarus Eye Centre in 2008.  After seven years of being the sole local operating retina surgeon in Thurston County, prior to the growth of The Retina Service with the addition of Dr. Jane Myung in 2015, Dr. Penny Reck began transforming her practice to focus on clinic-based care combined with in-office minimally invasive surgical procedures, as of 2020.

Outside of the workplace, Dr. Reck plays an active role as a supporter of public education and children’s music education.  She enjoys spending her free time with her husband and three kids.  She and her family have made Olympia, Washington their home.  Personal interests include cooking and the performing arts.

For Referring Providers: Our Commitment to You

Thank you for entrusting us with the care of your patients. Our goal is to deliver to your patients excellent retina care as soon as possible. We also believe that the best care for a patient is through a collaborative effort. After we see your patient, we will communicate with you our findings and recommendations. Additionally, we will convey the importance of integrating our retina care with yours, in order to optimize the overall visual health of your patient. From start to finish, we will work with you, and reinforce to your patient your role as their continued provider.

We are happy to speak with you over the phone and welcome your comments.

How to Refer a Patient:

You may refer to us by phone or by facsimile. Time-sensitive referrals (urgent/emergent) are best initiated over the phone. Refer by phone: Please call our main clinic number at (360) 456-3200. The operator will transfer you to our Retina Service Coordinator. We will ask for the following information to begin scheduling the patient in our system:

• Patient’s name
• Patient’s date of birth
• Patient’s contact information: phone number and mailing address
• Patient’s insurance(s)
• Reason for appointment

Our coordinator will request the following information be faxed to (360) 456-3894, following your phone call:

• On the cover page, please note: “Attention: Retina Service Coordinator”
• A copy of your patient’s demographics form that includes name, date of birth, insurance information, mailing address, phone number
• A copy of the patient’s recent visit with you, including the patient’s past medical and surgical history
• A current list of the patient’s medications and allergies

Refer by fax:

Please fax your referral request to (360) 456-3894 and the following information:

• On the cover page, please note: “Attention: Retina Service Coordinator”
• A copy of your patient’s demographics form that includes name, date of birth, insurance information, mailing address, phone number
• Reason for the referral
• A copy of the patient’s recent visit with you, including the patient’s past medical and surgical history
• A current list of the patient’s medications and allergies

WHY HAVE I BEEN SENT TO A RETINA SPECIALIST?

A retina specialist has unique skills to evaluate, diagnose and treat a very specific portion of the human visual system. Some people describe the area that retina specialists deal with as “the back part of the eye”. The retina is a thin tissue that lines the back of the eye. It is made up of light-sensitive cells called photoreceptors. The macula is the central part of the retina where there is the highest congregation of photoreceptors. Because of this, the macula is the area of the retina that provides us with sharp and detailed vision. Light rays travel through the eye and enter the back of the eye. These light rays are focused onto the macula and stimulate the photoreceptors. This leads to conversion of the light into electrical signals, which are sent to the brain. The brain processes that information as sight.

Another part of the back of the eye is the vitreous body, or more commonly referred to as “the vitreous”. The vitreous is a clear gel that fills the space between the retina and the lens. A variety of diseases conditions may affect the retina, macula, and vitreous. Commonly treated conditions include, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinal tears, retinal detachments, macular holes or macular puckers. The range of medical conditions may result in decreased vision or lead to blindness. A retina specialist can help you take care of these problems.

Retina specialists perform medical treatments and surgical procedures which are extremely exacting. Retina surgeries performed in the operating room require a microscope, and are referred to as “microsurgery”. Special lenses are used in addition to the microscope to visualize the back of the eye. Retina surgeons operate on very delicate tissues in an incredibly tiny space. Laser is an important tool used by retina specialists to treat eye conditions in the office and also in the operating room.

In order to diagnose retinal and/or vitreous disease, a detailed comprehensive dilated eye exam is required. Testing that requires highly technical equipment may also be necessary. Included in this folder are an assortment of sheets for various types of testing and procedures performed in our clinic or the operating room. If this is your first visit with The Retina Service, please understand that the information for procedures is included for educational purposes and that you are not automatically going to undergo each procedure upon your arrival. We find that it is helpful to understand the process behind the different modalities we may enlist to deliver high quality care to you. Please use these sheets as detailed references. For a general overview of your visit prior to arrival, please see the form: “What to Expect at your Retina Appointment”. Any of the procedures listed on the other sheets will be discussed with you prior to undergoing the procedure, if it is recommended. Please be assured that you will be informed and aware of each step of your care.

WHAT IS A RETINA SPECIALIST?

A retina specialist is a highly trained medical doctor. These doctors have graduated from medical school and completed medical internships and specialized ophthalmology residency training with additional fellowships in diseases of the retina and vitreous body of the eye. Sometimes the specialist is referred to as a “vitreoretinal specialist” or “retinologist”. Fellowship training for retina specialists varies. One-year fellowships are available for extra training in vitreoretinal diseases without additional surgical training; these physicians’ specialities are referred to as “medical retina”. One- or two-year fellowship programs include retina surgical training, in addition to training of medical management of vitreoretinal diseases. Another term for these types of retina specialists are “retina surgeons”.