The visionary doctors at Ocala Eye have good reason to celebrate. For 40 years, they have been on the leading edge of innovation, providing Ocalans and residents of surrounding communities with the latest diagnostic services, medical equipment and surgical techniques, as well as topquality routine eye care, all with a personal touch. Since its founding four decades ago, this medical practice has logged more than 1.5 million patient visits and has grown to include a staff of 13 physicians, comprised of 11 board certified ophthalmologists and two optometrists.

Throughout its history, Ocala Eye has consistently been the fi rst practice in the region to offer innovative services, like smallincision, no-shot, no stitch, no-patch cataract surgery, customized LASIK vision correction and advanced lens implants. Its physicians have built strong glaucoma, retina, oculoplastics and cornea practices, and have established themselves as the leader in refractive surgery techniques used to reduce or eliminate one’s need for glasses. “Ocala Eye is the only multi-subspecialty ophthalmology practice in North Central Florida,” says Mark A. Jank, M.D., a cataract and refractive surgeon who joined the practice in 1988. He also points out that Ocala Eye has the distinction of being in the top 2 percent of ophthalmology practices in the country. “Very few medical practices have our track record,” he notes. 

As the date of its 40th anniversary in early November nears, Ocala Eye shows no signs of slowing down, but continues to expand offerings for patients. Its doctors perform thousands of surgical procedures a year, and see more than a hundred thousand patient visits annually at its four offices and surgery center. Dr. Jank and Peter J. Polack, M.D., cornea specialist and cataract surgeon, recently achieved Vision Lock outcomes insurance accreditation, attesting to their refractive surgery skills and expertise. Ocala Eye is one of the first practices in the country to offer em-Power! eyeglasses featuring electronically controlled lenses which automatically adjust focus for distance or near-vision viewing. An enhanced office experience now includes Wi-Fi in its waiting rooms for the convenience of patients. These are just a few examples of how Ocala Eye continues to innovate, providing skilled services and modern amenities. 

A History of Innovation 

The roots of Ocala Eye date back to 1971, when ophthalmologist Donald L. Smith, M.D. established an eye care practice on Silver Springs Boulevard. He quickly outgrew his original office and entered into a partnership with other physicians to build the multi-office brick-clad complex known as Ocala Medical Park, located at 1500 S.E. Magnolia Extension. In 1984, a Pennsylvania ophthalmologist by the name of Gordon C. Schwenk, M.D. relocated to Ocala in hopes of establishing a solo practice. “I was asked to cover for Dr. Smith while he was on leave, and the staff said they would try their best to keep my schedule light,” recalls Dr. Schwenk. “I saw 120 patients my first day.” Dr. Schwenk continued to work with Dr. Smith and they realized that their approaches to ophthalmology meshed quite well. “He invited me to become a partner in his practice, which I accepted. Our efforts were rewarded with a growing and loyal patient base. To this day I still see patients in my exam rooms from when I first partnered with Dr. Smith.” To keep up with patient demand, Dr. Schwenk made a call in 1988 to Dr. Jank, an ophthalmologist he had met at an earlier conference. Dr. Jank partnered with Dr. Schwenk and Dr. Smith, who retired in 1990. Ocala Eye services expanded that same year as John S. Deaton, D.O., and oculoplastics specialist Richard C. Warren, M.D., brought their skills to a practice that was blossoming into one of the premier eye care centers in Florida. By 1996, more specialty ophthalmologists joined Ocala Eye, including glaucoma specialist Michael Morris, M.D., retina specialist Chander N. Samy, M.D., and cornea specialist Dr. Polack.

During this period, Ocala Eye began a steady march in delivering the latest in diagnostic equipment and surgical techniques to the area. This naturally led to a host of services that only Ocala Eye offered to area patients. “Ocala Eye has been responsible for bringing more new technology and cutting-edge procedures to Ocala than any other practice,” notes Dr. Polack. Some of those innovative procedures include: 

• Small incision, no-shot, no-stitch, nopatch cataract surgery

• Advanced lens implants offering a full range of vision

• LASIK vision correction

• NearVision CK to correct reading vision for those over 40

• SLT (selective laser trabeculoplasty) treatment for glaucoma

• GDx optical nerve fi ber analyzer

• Surgical astigmatism correction

• Orbscan topography

• Digital fl uorescein angiograms

• YAG laser technology

• Optical coherence tomography

• DSAEK sutureless cornea transplants

• ExPress shunt glaucoma surgery

• AAAHC accredited ophthalmology surgery center

In 2005, Hina N. Ahmed, M.D., joined Ocala Eye followed by Jodie A. Armstrong, M.D. in 2006, retina specialist Robert J. Kraut, M.D. in 2007, and glaucoma specialist Mohammed K. ElMallah, M.D. in 2008. Optometrists Anne M. Menjivar and Juan A. Menjivar, O.D. joined in 2009 and 2010 respectively. 

Patient-Centered Practice 

The dramatic increase in patient volume and 40 years of community loyalty stems from the doctors’ commitment to put patients first, focusing on personal care and building relationships. Determining the right procedure at the right time for each individual leads to high levels of patient satisfaction. “Our Customized Cataract Care program exemplifi es this,” explains Dr. Jank. “Through patient relationships we can tailor cataract surgery outcomes best suited for the individual, utilizing the most advanced lens implants available.

Whether the goal is to address specific visual needs, hobbies, or even spectacle independence, we are one of the few practices in Florida with the breadth of resources to deliver on those expectations.” Ocala Eye’s unique approach starts with a single doctor providing complete care for the patient, from the initial comprehensive eye exam to more specialized services. For example, the same physician who performs a routine eye exam on a patient may at a later time perform tests or surgery on their patient if needed. In certain cases, patients might be referred to another specialist within the practice, resulting in an easy intraoffice referral. But following the testing or procedure, the patient returns to the care of his or her original Ocala Eye physician. This continuity of care is not universal in ophthalmology. “At Ocala Eye, everything is encompassed in one medical practice,” states Dr. Armstrong. “This includes major subspecialties in ophthalmology, so the patient-doctor relationship stays intact from the most simple to the most complex procedures.” Dr. Morris explains further, “Because of the focus on personal care and building relationships, we can carefully match a specific procedure to a patient. When recommending any procedure, our physicians have to deem it a significant benefit for the patient. An example - for a patient with glaucoma, I would weigh the potential outcomes of a laser glaucoma procedure vs. valve or other glaucoma surgery vs. eye drops. In making a recommendation, we evaluate the best treatments for the patient, taking into account what approach will preserve or enhance vision.”

Back to the Future

For patients who do require more advanced procedures and high-tech vision solutions, Ocala Eye excels. Its wide range of available procedures includes:

• CustomVue, a custom LASIK procedure designed to reduce or nearly eliminate a patient’s need for glasses or contact lenses. Using Wavefront technology to precisely map the details of each eye allows for more precise reshaping of the cornea by the laser to treat nearsightedness, farsightedness and astigmatism. This procedure also better enhances night vision versus other types of LASIK surgery.

• Customized Cataract Care utilizing advanced lens implant procedures, giving cataract patients clearer vision, not just for distance viewing but also for intermediate-and near-vision ranges. Ocala Eye was the first practice in the region to offer a small-incision procedure, in which the physician makes an incision of smaller than 3 millimeters in the cornea. The physician then uses an ultrasonic handheld device to break up the cataract for easy removal. The physician can then implant a folded lens through the incision, which, when unfolded in place, provides the patient with clearer vision.

Once the procedure is complete, the incision self-seals. There’s no need for a patch or stitch.

• DSAEK sutureless cornea transplant surgery is an advanced technique used to restore vision in patients with cornea damage resulting from disease or infection. Ocala Eye is still the only practice in Marion and surrounding counties to perform this revolutionary procedure which dramatically shortens visual recovery and is safer than traditional transplant methods.

• emPower! electronic focusing eyewear is available exclusively at Ocala Eye. Using composite lenses with a thin transparent LCD-like layer, these glasses automatically focus distant and near objects utilizing miniature electronics housed in the frame. The LCD layer acts as an on-demand near vision component of a bifocal but without the visual side effects of progressive lenses.

For all of these and other procedures and services, patients can rest assured they’ll receive the highest level of expertise and professionalism, due in large part to the practice’s highly qualified physicians. “My partners and I have trained at some of the top eye-training institutions in the country,” says Dr. ElMallah, “including Cornell, Duke, Harvard, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, New York Eye & Ear Infirmary, the Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital, and Wilford Hall USAF Medical Center, the main U.S. Air Force hospital.”

Given all this, it’s no wonder Ocala Eye is still going strong as it celebrates its 40th anniversary. And there’s even more on the horizon. Within the next few months, the practice will begin offering aesthetic services, such as surgical and non-surgical procedures focusing on areas of the face around the eyes, designed to minimize wrinkles and help patients look younger. New procedures will also deal with conditions like rosacea, improving the appearance of patients as well as their eyesight. With these offerings and others to come, the physicians of Ocala Eye will certainly remain at the edge of innovation.

for information: 
Ocala Eye
www.ocalaeye.com
352.622.5183
Magnolia Office
1500 SE Magnolia Ext #106

Ocala 200 West Office
8520 S.W. State Road 200
Ocala

Ocala Eye at The Villages
1950 Laurel Manor Drive, #250
The Villages

Ocala Eye Retina Consultants
3130 S.W. 32nd Ave.
Ocala

Ocala Eye Surgery Center
3330 S.W. 33rd Rd.
Ocala  

THE OcalaEye TEAM

Gordon C. Schwenk, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Mark A. Jank, M.D.

John S. Deaton, D.O.

Richard C. Warren, M.D.

Michael Morris, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Chander N. Samy, M.D., F.A.C.S.

Peter J. Polack, M.D., F.A.C.S

Jodie A. Armstrong, M.D.

Mohammed K. ElMallah, M.D.

Hina N. Ahmed, M.D.

Robert J. Kraut, M.D.

Anne M. Menjivar, O.D.

Juan A. Menjivar, O.D.