A Dynamic Duo—
Recognized Experts in the Field of Retinal Care
C. Joseph Beck, MD and
Kim Darden, PA-C
A Team-Centered Practice Bringing Quality Retinal Eye Disease Treatment with a Patient-Centered Style of Health Care Delivery.
Central Plains Eye MDs
316-712-4970
7717 E. 29th North
Wichita, KS 67226
C. Joseph Beck, MD is a vitreoretinal surgeon practicing in Wichita, Kansas. Following extensive training at Tulane and Ochsner Foundation in New Orleans, he was recruited by the Eye Clinic of Wichita, in part to transition retinal surgery from the hospital to the ambulatory setting.
Dr. Beck founded Central Plains Eye MDs in 2008, in Wichita, to deliver quality subspecialty eye care in a changing medical environment. “I recognized a need to redefine retinal care strategies given the exponential increase in diabetic and aging populations,” said Dr. Beck.
Dr. Beck has adopted a “team-centered” practice model at Central Plains Eye MDs, which relies on the collaborative efforts of an MD (Dr. Beck) and a highly trained Certified Physical Assistant (Kim Darden, PA-C) to provide more individualized patient care. While the team model has long been applied in a variety of medical specialties, ophthalmology has been slow to follow. Dr. Beck believes this integration allows him optimal control of the clinical product with a focus on patient safety.
Dr. Beck’s philosophy of care is simple: He wants his patients to walk out of the office feeling that they just received the best medical care of their lives, that they know what to do, and that things are going to be OK. Respect for the individual is a priority in the practice, both toward patients and among referring doctors. Dr. Beck points out that “Diabetes is such an insidious disease and can cause such dramatic complications in a patient’s ocular health, it often requires clinicians to spend extra time educating patients.” Working in collaboration with a certified physician assistant allows Dr. Beck and Ms. Darden to spend that extra time with their patients.
Dr. Beck and Ms. Darden both recognize the value of mutual respect to a successful partnership, and agree that if you are going to see each other and work together almost every day, you had better start from a position of deep respect for one another.
“He is a very smart man, and cares very deeply about his patients,” explains Darden, “but it was Dr. Beck’s commitment to my development that helped me the most, because that sort of relationship is important to all PAs.” “It’s important to have a physician who is willing to invest some time in you and agree with the way you want to take care of patients. When you’re on the same page, it makes for a great partnership.” In turn, Dr. Beck says “Kim is the one that makes the rest of us look good. Just ask any of our patients.”
Both agree that when it comes to creating a successful practice, it can’t be all about numbers and dollars. “Because at the end of the day, you have to think first about patient care,” explains Dr. Beck. “When we can empower our patients to take control of their own disease, it’s amazing to us to see them transform for the better.”
More about C. Joseph Beck, MD
Dr. Beck received his initial pilot certification when he was 18 years old. He has competed in (and won) sanctioned aerobatic competition and is licensed to fly formation in waivered airspace. He owns and operates an ex-Navy Stearman biplane built by Boeing Wichita in 1942. Dr. Beck holds single engine land/sea, multiengine land, instrument and commercial ratings. As a certified flight instructor, he is able to extend his passion for teaching beyond medicine.
Dr. Beck is intimately involved with his local Boy Scouts of America troop. His older son is an Eagle Scout and his younger boy is advancing through the upper ranks. Dr. Beck regularly participates on BSA high adventure crews, including backpacking trips to New Mexico and remote canoe excursions in Canada. He enjoys upland hunting with his German Shorthair Pointer, Gracie, bowhunting deer and turkey, and fly-fishing.
Addressing south central Kansas’ need for subspecialty ophthalmic care and enjoying outdoor recreation is not all that drives Dr. Beck. Over the past 15 years, he has provided retinal expertise on multiple foreign medical mission projects taking laser technology to three remote continents through Medical Ministries International. His family has joined him on recent select trips depending on the risk level.
More about Kim Darden, PA-C
Ms. Darden has been a pioneer for both physician assistants and women. She was one of the first female athletic trainers for the University of Kansas’ football program and then Wichita State University’s baseball program at a time when athletic trainers did not cross genders within sports. She then became the first female athletic trainer with the University of Washington’s men’s baseball program while also taking care of the women’s soccer athletes. After obtaining her degree as a physician Assistant she became the first PA-C for Wichita Clinic’s gastroenterology department. Currently she is the only PA in Kansas specializing in ophthalmology/retina.
Ms. Darden also shares Dr. Beck’s love for adventure outside of the medical field. She married her husband on a sailboat after both became interested in sailing. Then, after eight years of marriage, the Darden’s passed along their passion for sailing to their three adopted children, whom they have been blessed to parent for the past two years.
Ms. Darden is not afraid of a challenge and becoming one of the first physician assistants in the U.S. to work on the retinal side of ophthalmology was no minor feat. The initial skepticism by fellow MDs is quickly fading, however, as Ms. Darden and Dr. Beck’s successful results are attracting the attention of their peers. Ms. Darden is also becoming a trailblazer in medical research, having discovered successful treatment trends using specific drug combination therapies to manage retinal diseases.