“I am passionate about whatever I take on. When it comes to patient care, I give it everything; my attention and my heart.”

Creating deep connections with patients is what drew Dr. Kim to ophthalmology. He joined EHNW in 2007 because he was attracted to the staff and doctors’ reputation for impeccable ethics. Dr. Kim is a corneal specialist with a special interest in contact lens related corneal infection and herpetic eye disease. He also enjoys performing surgeries including cataract, refractive and corneal procedures, trying hard to incorporate emerging technologies into his practice while adhering to the highest standards of patient safety.

Though corneal transplants have been performed for decades, Dr. Kim is excited to offer a new way of performing transplantation surgery called Descemet’s Stripping Endothelial Keratoplasty (DSEK). In traditional corneal transplants, a patient’s entire cornea is removed and replaced. Using DSEK techniques, only 5 % of the cornea is removed and replaced, making the procedure less traumatic and leading to faster visual recovery and decreased risk of graft rejection.

Patients find Dr. Kim’s warmth and sincerity very engaging. “I try to put myself in my patients’ shoes and treat them like I would want them to treat my own family”. He developed this keen sensitivity and empathy towards others from formative experiences in his childhood. As a youth, Dr. Kim’s grandmother lived with his family for over 10 years. During that time, she was blinded by an incurable eye disease. Living under the same roof with her and watching her adjust to her vision loss deeply affected him.

Growing up, Dr. Kim’s childhood was steeped in an environment of public service. He remembers his dentist father making multiple trips to Africa to provide free dental care. After his second year of college, Dr. Kim spent the summer building a medical clinic in the Dominican Republic. Another summer, he taught English in Mexico. He looks forward to accompanying other EHNW doctors on future international medical trips. Dr. Kim also believes in community service on the local level. He frequently gives health education talks on diabetes, glaucoma and cataracts, and has participated in local health fairs.

Dr. Kim, his wife June and daughter Elise recently moved from northern California in 2007 and immediately felt at home in Portland. They love the coast and mountains and overall friendliness of people here. A favorite pastime is exploring the outdoors on a family hike.

Dr. Kim has always been a huge sports fan and enjoys running and playing golf in his free time. In 1999 and 2000, he ran the New York City marathon and after moving to Portland, ran the Hood to Coast race.

DR. KIM'S EDUCATION: