Eichenbaum Acorns: Collaborative retina care with Jeffry D. Gerson, OD, FAAO

Eichenbaum Acorns is an editorially independent series powered by Modern Retina and hosted by David A. Eichenbaum, MD, FASRS, partner and director of research at Retina Vitreous Associates of Florida. This podcast series explores the overlooked corners of the retina profession through candid conversations with thought leaders. Eichenbaum is the Yiddish translation for acorn tree, and the aim of this series is to plant acorns of insight that grow into oaks of understanding.

In this special cross-brand episode with Optometry Times, Eichenbaum speaks with Jeffry D. Gerson, OD, FAAO, about career development, mentorship, and collaboration between optometry and ophthalmology in retinal care.

Gerson practices in a collaborative OD-MD setting at Grin Eye Care in Olathe and Leawood, Kansas, where his work includes primary care as well as secondary care with an emphasis on retinal disease. His interest in retina began early in his career after completing optometry school and entering residency. At the time, therapeutic options were limited, but he found the field compelling and noted how much has changed. “Over the last few decades… there’s been a dramatic change in what there is available for our patients.” His experience working for several years in a retina referral practice further shaped his trajectory, where he says he “kind of got bitten by that bug and have been able to get rid of it ever since.”

Gerson attributes much of his early development to timing and exposure to emerging diagnostic technology. When optical coherence tomography first became commercially available, daily use in the retina practice accelerated his clinical experience. Having access to the device “instantly made me one of the most experienced, only because I just had one.”

Mentorship also played a central role. Gerson highlighted his residency director, Tim Harkins, OD, as a key influence who “changed the way that I think about things.” More broadly, he emphasized the value of pursuing areas of interest. “You’re good at what you enjoy, and you enjoy what you’re good at.”

The discussion also explored education and interdisciplinary collaboration. Gerson became active in optometric education after recognizing a gap in retina-focused training and began lecturing at meetings and conferences. He advocates for collaborative care models centered on patient needs rather than professional boundaries. “It’s not my patient; there is a patient.”

Both clinicians note that optometry plays an important role in identifying early retinal disease, particularly conditions such as severe non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy and geographic atrophy, which often present first in primary eye care settings. Looking ahead, Gerson anticipates increasing optometric involvement in medical retina and hopes for less invasive treatments that may expand collaborative care models.