Our Services

The Department of Ophthalmology at University Physicians Healthcare (UPH) provides clinical eye care consistent with the needs of the community. We will provide consultative/treatment services to patients referred by health care professionals outside of the University system if the patient’s medical coverage affords them eye care by UPH Specialists. We strive to treat each patient with dignity, respect and courtesy and we strongly support the need for patient/physician confidentiality. Provisions for eye care to patients who cannot afford or do not have access to these services is also available. We serve our community and region through education, clinical and outreach activities. We continue to offer our patients “state of the art” equipment for the diagnosis and treatment of many eye diseases and will continue to work toward achieving the highest level of care for our patients.

University Physicians Healthcare has been serving Tucson for over 32 years and The Department of Ophthalmology currently employs 11 full-time ophthalmologists, 2 full-time optometrists as well as 2 part-time clinical ophthalmologists. Our full-time physicians who supervise the care of our patients are faculty members of the UA College of Medicine. These doctors are responsible for training our resident physicians and for conducting individual research projects and/or clinical trials for major pharmaceutical companies. Being that we are a teaching facility, when you visit our clinic you will be helped by a team of medical professionals who will be happy to assist you during your eye exam. Remember to ask our doctors questions that concern you regarding your eyes so that you can leave your appointment feeling like you were given the opportunity to understand your eye condition and options for treatment.

We participate in an “open access” program that is designed to provide you with a same day appointment or an appointment within 48 hours of your call. Now that we have expanded our exam areas by adding three fully equipped exam lanes, we are able to provide more efficient day-to-day care for our patients. Also, the wait time to get in to see one of our specialists is shorter. This expansion plus the addition of at least six clinics scheduled weekly at our Ajo Way clinic will help us to meet the demands of a growing Tucson as well as the new development of communities south of Tucson.

Our Department currently staffs one of the few clinics in Southern Arizona with specialists in the following areas: cornea, cataract surgery, glaucoma, retina, oculoplastics and pediatrics. Our doctors are assisted by approximately 35 full-time or part-time staff to perform and oversee the daily operations. A priority of the Department is to remain at the forefront of diagnostic and treatment technology therefore we continue to offer “state-of-the-art” testing and laser equipment for the treatment of various eye diseases. We have an optical shop located next to the lobby of our Alvernon Eye Care Center and within a year we should be setting up optical services at our Eye Care Center on Ajo Way. We want to provide more convenient services to our patients that visit us for routine exams, glasses and contact lenses. Anyone with a doctor’s prescription for lenses is welcome to use The Optical Shop at UPH Clinics at Alvernon.

We also offer our patients an ambulatory surgery center that is licensed by the State of Arizona and is Medicare certified. This outpatient surgery center is located across the street (Alvernon) from the UPH Clinics at Alvernon and The Optical Shop. Fifteen full and part-time employees consisting of registered nurses, surgical technicians and administrative representatives staff the surgery center by assisting our specialists as well as community physicians in a variety of surgical procedures. The facility uses its own sterilization equipment and has two operating rooms as well as six recovery areas. Cases other than ophthalmology can be performed at the UPH Surgery Center.

The Optical Shop 707 N. Alvernon Way, 3rd Floor Tucson, AZ 85711 Hours of Operation 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Phone (520) 694-1461 Eyeglasses (520) 694-1462 Contact Lenses