Darby Miller, M.D. Assumes Florida Society of Ophthalmology Presidency
Cavuoto, Ruttig, Eichenbaum, Wellik, Maharaj, Kishor, Katz round out board executive leadership
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Darby Miller, M.D., officially assumed the role of Florida Society of Ophthalmology president at Masters in Ophthalmology 2018, FSO’s annual meeting, held June 8-10 in Orlando.
As FSO president, Miller will help lead the nonprofit association, which represents more than 500 medical doctors focused on protecting the medical and surgical specialty of ophthalmology. In addition to active participation in legislative advocacy and the dissemination of responsible information to physicians and patients throughout the state, the FSO also provides continuing medical education opportunities.
“I am honored and humbled to serve as the Florida Society of Ophthalmology president,” Miller said. “Over the next year, I look forward to serving our membership and continuing to enhance what our organization stands for. Along with our board of directors, we will ensure that patient safety is paramount and that our scope of practice is preserved.”
Miller is a cornea and cataract specialist and an assistant professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. He completed his cornea fellowship at the New York Eye and Ear Infirmary and his ophthalmology residency and medical school at George Washington University Medical Center.
Miller completed his internship and earned his M.S. degree at Georgetown University. He completed his M.P.H. degree at Harvard University and his undergraduate studies at the University of Kansas. In 2016, Miller received the Michael R. Redmond, M.D. Outstanding Young Ophthalmologist Leadership Award.
The FSO also announced the elections of Kara Cavuoto, M.D. as president-elect, Nate Ruttig, M.D., as vice president of advocacy, David Eichenbaum, M.D., as vice president of education, Sarah Wellik, M.D., as vice president of outreach and Arindel Maharaj, M.D., as secretary/treasurer. Krishna Kishor, M.D., who preceded Miller as president, will assume the role of immediate past president, while Adam Katz, M.D., will assume the role of past president.
Cavuoto is an assistant professor of clinical ophthalmology and clinical pediatrics at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She evaluates and treats patients with pediatric eye disorders, including amblyopia and strabismus, as well as adults with strabismus.
In addition, Cavuoto serves as the director of medical student education in ophthalmology at the University of Miami. In this role, she oversees all ophthalmology clerkships and pre-clinical graduate coursework and advises University of Miami medical students applying for ophthalmology residency.
Cavuoto attended both college and medical school at the University of Miami as part of the Honors Program in Medicine combined BS-MD degree program. She completed an internship in internal medicine at Jackson Memorial Hospital followed by ophthalmology residency and a pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus fellowship at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute.
Ruttig is a board-certified comprehensive ophthalmologist and practice administrator of Eye M.D. of Niceville in Niceville, Fla. An Ohio native and former flight surgeon in the Navy, he received his bachelor's degree and medical degree simultaneously as part of the six-year combined BS/MD program at Youngstown State University and Northeastern Ohio University's College of Medicine in Rootstown, Ohio.
Upon graduating in 2000, Ruttig served in the U.S. Navy, where he completed his internship in Internal Medicine at the Naval Hospital in Portsmouth, Va. Ruttig received his aviation medicine training at NAS Pensacola, Fla., where he first enjoyed living on the Emerald Coast. Ultimately, he concluded his service at Training Air Wing Four in Corpus Christi, Texas, where he served as the VT-35 Stingrays flight surgeon from 2002 to 2006.
At the end of his naval commitment, Ruttig furthered his education as a resident of ophthalmology from 2007-10 at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Mich. He is a diplomate of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Ruttig worked in private practice for five years before starting Eye M.D. of Niceville.
Eichenbaum, who was re-elected to the same role, has been employed at Retina Vitreous Associates of Florida – St. Petersburg, Clearwater, and Tampa – since 2007. He is also a clinical assistant professor in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of South Florida College of Medicine. Eichenbaum received his Bachelor of Arts and medical degrees from the University of South Florida.
He completed a fellowship in vitreoretinal surgery at Tufts/Ophthalmic Consultants of Boston and has co-authored multiple research interests and articles. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. In 2015, Eichenbaum received the Michael R. Redmond, M.D. Outstanding Young Ophthalmologist Award from the FSO.
Wellik, who previously served as Chair of the FSO Public Relations Committee, has been an instructor of clinical ophthalmology at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and Miami Veterans Affairs Hospital since 2005 and has been an associate professor since 2012. She practices at UHealth at Plantation in Plantation, Fla.
A diplomate of the AAO, she has practiced at the University of Miami Hospital (2011-present), Anne Bates Leach Eye Hospital in Miami (2004-present), Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami (2005-present), Miami Veterans Affairs Health System (2005-present) Boston University Medical Center (2001-04) and Yale-New Haven Hospital in New Haven, Ct. (2000-01).
An author of numerous published research pieces, Wellik received her Bachelor of Science and medical degrees from the University of California, Irvine. She completed an internal medicine internship at Yale University, served her ophthalmology residency at Boston University School of Medicine and completed her clinical fellowship in glaucoma at Bascom Palmer.
Maharaj, who previously served as the FMA Specialty Society Section Representative, has been an assistant professor at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine since 2014. An author of several published works, he received his Bachelor of Science from SUNY Stony Brook and medical degree, along with a doctorate in experimental pathology from Harvard Medical School.
Maharaj completed his internship and ophthalmology residency at the Baylor College of Medicine before serving his glaucoma fellowship at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute.
Kishor is an Assistant Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology at the University of Miami/Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. In 2008, he was appointed to the Ann Bates Leach Eye Hospital and has also been at the Veterans Administration Medical Center in West Palm Beach, FL since 2011.
Kishor received his Bachelor of Science degree from Virginia Commonwealth University, and Doctor of Medicine degree from Medical College of Virginia/Virginia Commonwealth University, where he also completed his residency. Kishor has co-authored multiple publications, book chapters, and abstracts. In 2011, he received the Michael R. Redmond, MD Outstanding Young Ophthalmologist Award from the FSO.
Katz has been practicing medicine in Vero Beach, Fla., since 2009. He was born and raised in New York, where he completed most of his education before moving to Florida. He received his Bachelor of Science from Union College and then obtained his medical degree from Albany Medical College.
For his post-graduate training, he completed an internship in New York City at Lenox Hill Hospital, followed by a three-year residency in ophthalmology at St. Vincents Hospital in Manhattan. Katz went on to complete a one-year medical retina fellowship at NYU, followed by a two-year fellowship with world-renowned retinal surgeon Steve Charles, M.D.