A year after graduating college, where she majored in anthropology and minored in French, Dr. Tara Goecks traveled to Burkina Faso, West Africa, with the Peace Corps. This trip, which lasted two years, changed the trajectory of her life.
“I was a health volunteer and worked in health clinics in a remote village,” she says. “There, I saw a lot of different diseases and pathology and was able to help with training and education, vaccination campaigns and prenatal health care. I saw a world of medicine that I hadn't been exposed to in the U.S.”
When she returned to the States, she made the decision to go to medical school. While there, she took part in a public healthcare initiative for expanding neurosurgical care in rural Tanzania. Later, during her fellowship, she traveled once again, this time to Panama and Ethiopia, to train physicians in oculoplastic surgery.
Today Dr. Goecks is a board-certified ophthalmologist and oculoplastic surgeon. “I love ophthalmology because the eyes are truly a window to the soul,” she says. “There's so much that you can learn about a person and their health status by looking at their eyes and doing an eye exam.”
Oculoplastic surgery was a great combination of her three fields of interest – ophthalmology, plastic surgery and dermatology. “As a plastic surgeon, I can remove eyelid lesions and also do reconstructive work from skin cancers. I love being able to make a really big difference in people's lives.”
Dr. Goecks had the privilege of working in several practices before opening her own clinic, the experience helping her gain insight into what she wanted to incorporate into her practice with specific ideas regarding patient care. “I felt like I had a different outlook on business and the way I wanted to run my practice,” Dr. Goecks remarks. “It was about the relationships that I wanted to have not only with patients, but with staff. I wanted very collaborative, healthy relationships.”
So, on March 8, 2022, which is International Women's Day, she founded Evergreen Oculofacial Plastic Surgery (OPS). Originally in Grand Junction, Colorado, she opened the Bend office on March 22, 2024.
In addition to surgery, Dr. Goecks also wished to offer a variety of non-surgical aesthetic treatments for every part of the face. “The practice is all encompassing for the aesthetic realm as far as fillers and other injectables and also includes laser resurfacing. We’re actually the only practice in Central Oregon to have UltraClear® Laser Resurfacing, which is the newest technology for skin resurfacing. It's really a game changer – it totally refreshes the skin and creates a nice youthful appearance.”
Other non-surgical options include Latisse® for thicker, more voluminous and longer eyelashes, chemical peels, and Kybella®, which targets and destroys fat cells.
When it comes to surgery, the most requested procedures at Evergreen OPS are upper and lower eyelid lifts. “It's such a great surgery because it has minimal downtime and it’s not painful,” Dr. Goecks notes. “It really freshens up the eyes and makes a huge difference from an aesthetic standpoint.”
Surgical cosmetic services include endoscopic forehead lifts, mini-face lifts, as well as fat grafting. Dr. Goecks is also able to perform tumor removal, tear drainage system repairs, surgical reconstructions, and more.
To make patients feel comfortable and confident, Dr. Goecks spends time answering their questions and giving them all the information needed. “My staff is really great at providing a lot of the pre-and post-operative care and following up with patients after surgery to make sure everything went well and that they're happy with the outcome.”
Having her own practice is everything she dreamed of, and she’s thrilled that she decided to return to Oregon. “I grew up in the Portland area, and when I was deciding where I wanted to put down my roots for what I hope is the remainder of my career, it was really deciding between staying in Colorado or coming back to Oregon. One of the reasons I really wanted to be closer to home was because my grandpa just turned 95 and he's in the Portland area.”
As an avid hiker, snowshoer, and skier, Bend was the perfect choice for her long-term home. “I love getting outside, especially with my dog,” says Dr. Goecks. Finn, a rescue pup, is a mix of Husky and Cattle Dog.
“I’m just really enjoying the community here and getting to know people. It's been very welcoming.”
While she takes short trips for pleasure these days, she does want to eventually return to humanitarian aid work. “I would like to get more involved on an international scale, but since COVID-, things have really changed,” she says. “Plus, having started my own business, it’s been a whirlwind, in a great way.”
EvergreenOps.com.
“I love ophthalmology because the eyes are truly a window to the soul. There's so much that you can learn about a person and their health status by looking at their eyes and doing an eye exam.”
— Dr. Tara Goecks, MD, FACS