Accepting new patients

Merina Thomas, M.D.

Accepting new patients

  • Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, School of Medicine

Specialty

  • Ophthalmology

Clinical focus

  • Retina and Vitreous Disease
  • Retina Surgery
  • Macular Degeneration
  • Diabetic Retinopathy

Locations and contact

I see patients at
A brick building with trees in front of it in the winter.
Casey Eye Institute Vancouver
360 260-7132
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Building with several stories and all glass facing the patient drop off area and a walking bridge connecting to the neighboring building.
Elks Children's Eye Clinic
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About me

Dr. Merina Thomas went to medical school at Vanderbilt University, then went on to complete her residency at the Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary at the University of Illinois at Chicago and a fellowship in vitreoretinal surgery at the University of Michigan’s Kellogg Eye Center.

Her current research interests are tele-ophthalmology, clinical informatics, and diversity, equity, and inclusion in ophthalmology. Her clinical interests include age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy. She is the co-vitreoretinal fellowship director, the CEI clinical informaticist and EPIC Physician Champion, and the co-chair of the CADIO (Casey Advancement in Diversity and Inclusion in Ophthalmology) committee.

Dr. Thomas enjoys discovering new restaurants, traveling, and spending time with her husband and two children.

Education and training

  • Degrees

    • B.A., 2007, Northwestern University
    • M.D., 2012, Vanderbilt School of Medicine

  • Internship

    • General Surgery, Atlanta Medical Center--Atlanta, GA, 2012-2013

  • Residency

    • Ophthalmology, Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary, University of Illinois at Chicago--Chicago, IL, 2013-2016

  • Fellowship

    • Vitreoretinal Surgery, Kellogg Eye Center, University of Michigan--Ann Arbor, MI, 2016-2018
    • Research Fellow, Retina, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University--Baltimore, MD, 2010-2011

  • Certifications

    • American Board of Ophthalmology, 2017
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Insurance

Before scheduling an appointment

  1. Check your network. If you have health insurance,  call your company to find out if the OHSU Health location or provider you plan to visit is part of your network.
  2. Ask what you will pay. Your insurance company can tell you what your costs are likely to be.

If you schedule an appointment and your health insurance does not include OHSU Health, you may have to pay more than if you go to a provider in your insurance network. 

Visit our billing and insurance page for more information.

Ratings and reviews

Overall: 4.9 out of 5 (346 Ratings, 135 Reviews)

The patient ratings score is an average of all responses to the question "How likely would you be to recommend this provider to your family and friends (on a scale of 0 to 10)" on our nationally-recognized NRC patient surveys.

  1. Always friendly and professional, have no worries coming here

  2. Dr Thomas takes a moment to notice things, like my. Birthday and asked if we did anything special.

  3. She was very personable, knowledgeable, and efficient.

  4. Wonderful doctor, had researched my case. Listened to me! Doctors often don't. Explained things well. I felt very confident in her.

  5. My clinician was caring and direct about my eye condition and its progress. Made me feel confident and happy

  6. Excelente enfoque de la doctora con la paciente

  7. I feel very cared for, and trust the skillfulness of all the staff

  8. Dr. Thomas is my HAPPY DOC !!! Even though she sticks needles in my eye, I always look forward to seeing her !@@!

  9. Every thing happened in short and efficient manner. Dr Thomas is the best!

  10. Caring doctors

  11. In addition to Dr. Thomas' brilliance, exceptional training and experience, Dr. Thomas Is kind, caring while maintaining a cheerful, positive and professional rapport with patients and staff. Dr. Thomas listens attentively. Patients concerns matter to Dr. Thomas. She Is easy to work with. I have complete confidence in the treatment plan she has established for me.

  12. Excellent!

  13. Always top notch.

  14. Rushed

  15. They always treat me well!

  16. Dr Thomas is a very knowledgeable physician. She is very personable, very caring, and explained everything fully.

  17. Always it is a very good experience in each appointment.

  18. Excellent

  19. Best group of Docs and Staff I've had the pleasure to have them care for me.

  20. Competent and compassionate

  21. I have filled out several of these surveys and always had exceptional service at Casey!

  22. She is the best Doctor

  23. Very friendly, professional. She made my wife and I feel comfortable and able to ask any questions we might have.

  24. Dr Thomas is a gem! So nice, personable and makes you feel at ease. Explains your diagnosis in detail.

  25. Good

  26. I was impressed by her warm personal approach and her expertise. She gave me information and recommendations that I never received before.

  27. She knew my history and included me in decisions.

  28. Dr Thomas took unhurried time with me, did a thorough exam, listened to my issues, discussed the causes of my eye problems and how to help them heal. She was compassionate and offered that I could call and be seen quickly for further problems and she would send consultation note to my other doctors.She is a real doctor, not just a surgeon

  29. Dr. Thomas is quite knowlegeable and friendly. She is thorough and explains complicated issues easily.

  30. Excellent in all respects. I am a retired physician so I am very observant of practices in medical setting. Staff very professional and reassuring.