Residency

The Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences was established at Montefiore Medical Center in the late 1930’s with Dr. Samuel Gartner as its first director.  Dr. Max Chamlin developed the ophthalmology program at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and was appointed chair in 1948. These two institutions were formally unified in 1963.

Paul Henkind, M.D., was selected as the first chairman of the unified Department, and was instrumental in enhancing the Department’s reputation, particularly in retinal vascular and degenerative diseases. After Dr. Henkind’s death, Dr. Arthur Gold was appointed Acting Chairman until the appointment of a full-time chairman in 1988, Dr. Ronald M. Burde, formerly Professor of Ophthalmology, Neurology and Neurological Surgery at the Washington University School of Medicine.  Dr. Burde retired in September 2000.  Dr. Harry M. Engel, Program Director, noted retinal specialist and educator, has held the position of Interim Chairman from November 2000 to the present.  With the appointment of the new Dean, Dr. Allen Spiegel in 2006, an active search has begun for a permanent departmental chair.

The Department has flourished with an expanded full-time faculty, the recruitment of research scientists and the development of a large, dedicated staff of voluntary physicians. The Department is committed to excellence in patient care, residency training and scientific research, with emphasis on humanistic values.

Montefiore Medical Center’s humanistic tradition began in 1884, when New York’s philanthropic community sought to honor the memory of Sir Moses Montefiore, the most widely known Jewish leader and philanthropist of the nineteenth century.  The Montefiore Home for Chronic Invalids, established a charity hospital for the care of indigent patients with incurable disease, has since evolved into a modern high-technology medical center, which continues to reach out to the most needy members of the community.

Albert Einstein College of Medicine, chartered in 1950, has become one of the nation’s most distinguished centers for medical education and research. The founders of both the College and the Medical Center envisioned institutions of higher learning that would be accessible to members of all ethnic and religious minorities.

State-of-the-Art Facilities

The Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science has clinical and research facilities on both the East and West Campuses of the Montefiore Medical Center.

Clinical Locations
The East Campus includes the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, the Weiler Hospital, and the Rose Kennedy Center, the Jacobi Medical Center and the College Eye Institute.  Out-patient services are provided at the Eye Clinic at the Jacobi Medical Center and the adjacent College Eye Institute.

On the West Campus, facilities include the Sol and Evelyn Henkind Eye Institute, the Montefiore Eye Clinic, the Gartner Library, the Lion’s Microsurgical Teaching Center and North Central Bronx Hospital.

Research Locations
Moses Tower, Montefiore Hospital: A consolidation of our research facilities into contiguous space has been accomplished, providing a renovated area of 1000 square feet. This includes facilities for experimental and practice surgery tissue and animal research.

The Kennedy Center (on the grounds of the Jacobi Medical Center): 1300 square feet of renovated and designed space for Scott Nawy, Ph.D.  Animal facilities are available at the Moses Building and the Kennedy Center, as well as the Ullman Building of Albert Einstein College of Medicine.

Ullman Building: Dr. Cvekl’s laboratory, a highly compact facility of 1200 square feet with five and one half laboratory benches, is a major research and training center in molecular genetics.

Environment

A great variety of cultural, scientific and sports facilities lie within minutes of both the East and West Campuses of the Montefiore Medical Center. The Lehman Center for the Performing Arts features opera, music, and dance. Often it’s exactly what you would find at Lincoln Center or Carnegie Hall, but at considerably lower ticket prices.

The world-renowned New York Zoological Park, better known as the Bronx Zoo and the Bronx Botanical Gardens lie just a short drive from either Campus. City Island, an authentic fishing village, is also close, and offers restaurants and marinas. Nearby Pelham Bay Park is a premier site for hiking, swimming, horseback riding, golf, cycling and birding.

The University Hospitals of Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine are a short distance from Manhattan, which is easily traveled by automobile or public transportation.

Areas near and adjacent to both the East and West Campuses offer good residential living. On the West Campus, studios, one and two bedroom apartments are available to house staff. Additional apartment space is available in lovely nearby Riverdale and is served by Montefiore’s Shuttle vehicles.

The surrounding neighborhoods are predominantly characterized by attractive middle-class homes and apartment buildings that house families who take great pride in their community. The northern Bronx is also close to northern New Jersey and offers excellent access to the Hudson River Valley.