Retinal Vascular Occlusion near Morganton, NC

Care Philosophy: Dr. Charles Richards is an experienced, board certified Retina surgeon with degrees from Emory University and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Richards received his ophthalmology training at Wake Forest University Eye Center and completed a retina fellowship at the University of Virginia. After four years of delivering top notch retina care as a faculty member at Wake Forest, he brings his skills and expertise to Piedmont Retina. He has been involved in many clinical trials for macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.Dr. Richards looks forward to continuing to provide excellent retina care here in his home community, the Piedmont Triad.

Care Philosophy: After growing up outside of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he attended Allegheny College, where he graduated summa cum laude, earning a B.S. in Biochemistry. He then obtained his M.D. degree from the Wake Forest University School of Medicine, where he was a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha and Gold Humanism Honor Societies. Dr. Haines received his ophthalmology training at Wake Forest University Eye Center and completed a fellowship in vitreoretinal surgery at the University of Colorado. His interests within the retina field include diabetic eye disease, retinal detachment, sutured intraocular lenses, and ocular trauma. Outside of medicine, Dr. Haines is an avid golfer and guitarist.

Care Philosophy: Alexander Walters MD, is a comprehensive ophthalmologist who specializes in medical and surgical care of the eye. He treats a wide variety of eye conditions including cataracts, glaucoma, and macular degeneration. His special areas of interest include advanced cataract surgery with multi-focal and astigmatism correcting intraocular lens implants to help decrease dependence on glasses, as well as custom minimally invasive glaucoma surgery (MIGS), and treatment of dry eyes. Dr Walters grew up in Hayesville, NC, and graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Care Philosophy: At Horizon Eye Care, eyesight isn't just part of our focus. It's literally all we do. Services at Horizon range from routine family and pediatric eye care to specialty services and surgeries for cornea, glaucoma, oculoplastics and retina conditions, along with cataract surgery and laser-assisted cataract surgery. Our physicians and staff have vast experience, and stay current with the latest treatments, technology and techniques. We are Always Thinking Vision.

Biography: Dr. Charles Tucker, MD is an Ophthalmology Specialist who practices in Gastonia, NC. He is 53 years old and has been practicing for 27 years. Dr. Charles Tucker, MD is affiliated with Novant Health Presbyterian Medical Center.

Care Philosophy: At Horizon Eye Care, eyesight isn't just part of our focus. It's literally all we do. Services at Horizon range from routine family and pediatric eye care to specialty services and surgeries for cornea, glaucoma, oculoplastics and retina conditions, along with cataract surgery and laser-assisted cataract surgery. Our physicians and staff have vast experience, and stay current with the latest treatments, technology and techniques. We are Always Thinking Vision.

Biography: Dr. Omar Punjabi is a board-certified ophthalmologist. He specializes in vitreo-retinal diseases and surgery at Charlotte Eye Ear Nose and Throat Associates (CEENTA) in Charlotte, North Carolina. He practices at the South Park, Matthews, and Concord offices. Dr. Punjabi was born in Mumbai, India, where he received a Gold medal and the highest honor among more than 125,000 students competing for medical school. He graduated with honors from King Edward Memorial Hospital, which is the top medical school in Mumbai. He spent two years as a post-doctoral research fellow involving retinal imaging at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami. Dr. Punjabi then went on to do his internship at the University of Miami, followed by residency training at Northwestern University in Chicago where he was selected as chief resident. After residency training, he completed his two-year fellowship training in retinal diseases and vitreo-retinal surgery at the prestigious Cole Eye Institute of the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Punjabi has published over 30 peer-reviewed articles and presented numerous scientific abstracts and textbook chapters. At the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, he was part of the team that was involved in the groundbreaking development of the spectral domain OCT used for retinal imaging. He was the recipient of the National Eye Institute research grant in 2006 from ARVO. He has won several academic awards and scholarships during his residency training and during medical school, including the best resident award in all three years of residency at Northwestern for his clinical, academic, and research performances, the Beem-Fisher Research Award from the Chicago Ophthalmological Society in 2010 and the Research Award from Northwestern University in 2010. He secured 99th percentile in the Ophthalmology Knowledge Assessment Program (OKAP) and also in the Ophthalmology Board Examination. During fellowship training, he received the Best Fellow Teacher of the Year award from the Cleveland Clinic. He was also the recipient of the exclusive Heed Fellowship from the Heed Ophthalmic Foundation, which is given to only a few fellows with excellent clinical, academic and research potential. Dr. Punjabi was invited to deliver the prestigious Havener Memorial Lectureship at Ohio State University Havener Eye Institute in 2019. Dr. Punjabi participates in clinical research and serves in a leadership role with multiple clinical trials involving macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy, including the prestigious DRCR Retina Network trials. He is co-chair of the North Carolina Retina club, and served on the Early Career Section committee of the American Society of Retina Specialists which helps mentor young retina specialists across the country. Dr. Punjabi received the Charlotte Magazine's Top Doctor award in 2020, as well as the prestigious Castle Connolly Top Doctor 2020 award, which are peer-nominated awards. Dr. Punjabi is a board-certified ophthalmologist and is an active member of numerous ophthalmological societies, including the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Society of Retina Specialists, the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology and the Society of Heed Fellows. He is an invited reviewer for multiple scientific journals. His areas of interest include medical and surgical diseases of the retina and vitreous, including retinal detachment, age-related macular degeneration, retinal vascular diseases, diabetic retinopathy, ocular trauma and uveitis. During his free time, Dr. Punjabi enjoys spending time with his wife and two young kids. He often volunteers to help uninsured patients in Charlotte. He is an avid sportsperson, and enjoys playing tennis, hiking and traveling. Office contact information for appointments (accepting new patients in all locations): SouthPark (6035 Fairview Road, Charlotte, NC) Concord (645 Amalia Street NE, Concord, NC) Matthews (724 Aubrey Bell Drive, Matthews, NC)

Biography: Dr. Brian Kosobucki, MD is an Ophthalmology Specialist who practices in Winston Salem, NC. He is 53 years old and has been practicing for 27 years. Dr. Brian Kosobucki, MD is affiliated with Novant Health Medical Park Hospital.