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Eye Care Providers in Santa Fe
Dr. Mark Rasmussen and the entire eye care staff at Ultimate Eye Care Santa Fe, LLC are fully dedicated to caring for all your vision needs. Our optometric physicians handle everything from eye health exams to ocular emergencies, treatment of diseases, and co-management of eye surgeries, including LASIK. If you are a contact lens wearer, our doctors also care about fitting you in the lens design that best meets your needs for both vision and comfort. Our doctors take the time to get to know you and your medical history and decide the right course of treatment for you.
Our optometric physicians will always make sure to explain the results of your eye health exam, describe your options, and listen to your eye care needs. Because maintaining good eye health is an ongoing partnership, we encourage you to ask questions and share your health information, which could be vital to monitoring, diagnosing, and treating potential vision problems.
Dr. Mark A. Rasmussen
Optometric Physician
Dr. Mark A. Rasmussen has been practicing in Santa Fe for 30 years. He sees all age groups as early as three through adulthood. For many patients, he works closely with their primary care physicians to coordinate care regarding eye conditions like diabetes and the effects on their eyes. He is an expert in detecting signs of glaucoma for those at risk and helping those with glaucoma care for their eyes and manage the disease.
Dr. Rasmussen also works with kids through vision therapy and has assisted children with amblyopia. Dr. Rasmussen is a graduate of the University of Houston. He is a proud member of the American Optometric Association AOA & New Mexico Optometric Association NMOA. He is an outdoorsman at heart and loves to travel.
Dr. Carol Bottjer
Optometric Physician
Dr. Carol Bottjer grew up in the mountains of North Carolina. She earned a graduate degree in Environmental Health Science from the School of Engineering at the University of Kansas. She spent the 1990s in the environmental investigation and remediation field, working for a private engineering firm and then the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in the Kansas City area. Based on her own struggles with visual discomfort from her work computer use at that time, she changed careers and returned to school in the early 2000s to become an optometrist.
Read more about Dr. Carol Bottjer
She completed her professional optometric doctorate at The Ohio State University. Subsequently she completed an ocular disease fellowship (aka “residency”) in the Ophthalmology Department of the College of Medicine at the University of Kentucky. Additionally, she completed a graduate degree in Vision Science (the research arm of optometry) at The Ohio State University. Her thesis involved examination of possible season-associated triggers of myopic progression in young adults.
Dr. Carol has worked in several modes of optometric practice, including:
- The Ohio State University – clinical faculty member who supervised optometry student externs as they performed vision screenings at local preschool programs
- University of Kentucky – direct patient care and supervision of optometry student externs
- Indian Health Service in North Dakota (Turtle Mountain) and New Mexico (Mescalero) – direct patient care (including call for eye emergencies at the facilities’ ERs) and supervision of optometry student externs
- Private/commercial eye care practices in the Albuquerque greater metropolitan area since 2013 – direct patient care
- VA contractor–ophthalmic disability examinations for Veterans filing claims with the VA
She looks forward to providing direct eye care services to the greater Santa Fe area.
Dr. Shane Benally
Optometric Physician
Dr. Shane Benally, a Diné optometrist who splits his practice between Santo Domingo Pueblo and Santa Fe, has been named 2026 Young Optometrist of the Year by the New Mexico Optometric Association.
The award goes annually to an optometrist with fewer than 10 years in practice who has shown leadership and service in the field. Benally sees patients at Kewa Pueblo Health Corporation in Santo Domingo Pueblo and at Ultimate Eye Care in Santa Fe.
Read more about Dr. Shane Benally
Benally is one of a small number of Diné optometrists. He has presented to the University of New Mexico Optometry Club and shared his experience with students.
“I feel honored to be able to represent my fellow Indigenous people and encourage Native students to pursue a career in eye care,” Benally said. “I want Native health profession students to know that they belong because their representation leads to better care in Indigenous communities.”
Outside the clinic, Benally volunteers as a cross-country coach with the Notah Begay III Foundation, which supports Native youth through outdoor activity and wellness programs. He also serves on the foundation’s Healthy Hydration Advisory Board.