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forLife

A Publication of LifeBridge Healthwww.mdmdfor l i fe.org

A Special Edition of Md.MD for LifeMdMDLifefor

The Gift of Sightat the Krieger Eye Institute

Choosing the RightPair of Glasses

Who’s Your Doctor?

Choose from our list of Baltimore’s Best

C O N T E N T S

Treating Uveitis at theKrieger Eye Institute

1

The Optical Shop at Quarry Lake3

Know Your HealthFree Screenings7

The Short Listof physicians for you

8

Md.MD for Life is published by LifeBridge Health

Department of Marketing2401 W. Belvedere Ave.Baltimore, MD 21215410.601.WELL (9355)

Looking for a doctor?Call

410-601-WELL (9355)for the area’s

best!

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back

MdMDforLife

Maybe you saw lots of doctors, getting first, second and third opinions.You tried so many different medications that your bathroom startedlooking like a retail pharmacy. Maybe your medical condition

improved and you started to feel optimistic. But it didn’t last. The illness returned and was worse than it had ever been. The cycle from better to worse to better again is all one sick merry-go-round –

one you wish you could get off. And when the disease affects your eyes with an outcome that could include

blindness, the fear is multiplied tenfold. For more than a decade, this was my life. And the disease has a name. It’s called

uveitis. Never heard of it? You’re not alone. It was a word I’d never heard – before a doctor told me I had it. Simply stated, uveitis is an inflammatory diseasewithin the eye. It is an autoimmune disease that can affect an otherwise perfectlyhealthy individual. Sometimes uveitis is the result of other autoimmune diseasessuch as lupus, sarcoidosis or multiple sclerosis.My doctor calls it “arthritis of the eyes.” Instead of your joints becoming inflamed,

your eyes do. Over the years, I got tested for all sorts of things including HIV andsome of the autoimmune diseases. The tests all came back negative. And so, froma former doctor, I added a new word to my medical vocabulary: idiopathic. Anidiopathic disorder is a disease of unknown origin.The American Uveitis Society (AUS) is a nonprofit corporation whose mission

is to educate and encourage more research. According to AUS, an estimated38,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with uveitis each year. They further estimate 10 to 15 percent of blindness in the United States is due to uveitis. I am not a medical clinician. I am a writer in the Marketing department for

LifeBridge Health. I have been at LifeBridge Health for almost three years. Landingthis job turned into something grander than earning a paycheck doing work Ilove. (And that’s grand enough.) Joining LifeBridge Health ultimately meantgaining the gift of healthy eyes. The skill of a gifted ophthalmologist changed mylife and saved my sight. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

continued on page 2

Anyone who has ever been treated for a

debilitating illness for many years without

seeing much, if any, improvement knows

what a head game that can be.

Long Road

Fixing uveitis usually means control-ling it, Dr. Seitzman says. “It is oftena lifetime diagnosis. However, when

you have aggressive treatment ofuveitis, you can maintain control. Ifyou don’t have aggressive treatment,

you can lose your vision.”

phot

ogra

phy

by C

olby

War

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by Sandra Crocket

Krieger Eye Institute ... Celebrating its 20th anniversary! 1991 to 2011

2

As I recall, my journey to what I called the “Land of Uveitis”began when a few (then) co-workers and I volunteered to clean upat a Baltimore elementary school. It was a Saturday and we wereorganizing books in the dusty school library. Some of the bookswere shockingly old and in very bad condition. Those were theones we were boxing up to be replaced by newer books. I was wearing contact lenses at the time and remember picking

up one thick hard-covered history book that may not have beentouched in 20 or 30 years. As I was flipping through it, someshred of paper coated with dust flew into my right eye. That eyeturned red and became irritated. The irritation did not go awaydespite my best, albeit weak, home remedies. After a few days, Iwent to a doctor and was given prescription eye drops to use.Nothing helped.Now, did this seemingly random inci-

dent have anything to do with my eventu-ally getting a uveitis diagnosis? I haveabsolutely no idea. I do know that eyenever did get better but became worse andvery sensitive to any light. And soon theleft eye was just as bad.All I know, coincidence or not, is that

was the beginning. It turned out that thereis no definitive answer as to what causesuveitis. “There are hundreds of possiblecauses of uveitis and many more, which vi-sion scientists have not even discoveredyet,” the AUS website states. My uveitis condition wasn’t constant. Sometimes I would go a

few months without a flare-up but then it would always return.Eventually, most of the physical discomfort it gave me was gone,except for blurred vision. That meant I could not tell if the uveitiswas “quiet” or flaring because I had no pain. I had to have peri-odic checkups. I knew that complications from uveitis can be severe including

cataracts, glaucoma, retinal detachment and vision loss. As theyears went by, my medical file became quite hefty. I lived my lifebetween bouts of uveitis wondering what was going to happen. A change in jobs meant a change in health insurance and doc-

tors. I dutifully made an appointment at the renowned KriegerEye Institute at Sinai Hospital. Soon I was put in the medical hands of Gerami Seitzman, M.D.

After studying my case and meeting me, she looked me in the eyesand told me not to worry. Excuse me, doctor, for not quite allow-ing myself to completely trust at the time. But, I did dare to hope.And that was no small thing, considering my years of dealing withthis frightening disease.Fixing uveitis usually means controlling it, Dr. Seitzman says.

“It is often a lifetime diagnosis. However, when you have aggressivetreatment of uveitis, you can maintain control. If you don’t haveaggressive treatment, you can lose your vision.”The trouble with aggressive treatment is the side effects, which

include glaucoma and cataracts. “But cataracts are fixable and

glaucoma is controllable. So the side effects are significant butthey can be ‘overcomeable,’” the doctor says. Yes, I did develop cataracts and glaucoma. Most of us will probably get cataracts at some point, but mine

came about 20 years too soon, and it had completely robbed meof decent vision. In my fifties, I was unable to drive in the dark,just like my 80-something-year-old mother. The winter before last, surgery was planned both for the

cataracts and glaucoma. Dr. Seitzman would handle the cataractsurgery and Don Abrams, M.D., chief of the Department ofOphthalmology at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, and head of theKrieger Eye Institute, would perform the glaucoma surgery.There was one huge caveat: The surgery could not be done if the

uveitis was active. Also, the uveitis had to be“quiet” for six weeks prior to surgery. A few daysbefore surgery of the right eye was scheduled, myappointment with Dr. Seitzman showed the uveitishad flared up once again. The surgery to removethe cataract and ease the glaucoma was cancelled –or rather postponed. Was I disappointed? You betcha! But I also took

a Zen-like approach to the whole thing. It justwasn’t meant to be at that time. (One thing doc-tors had told me, stress is not good for uveitis.)And Dr. Seitzman looked me straight in the eyeonce again and said four words: “We will getthere.” Then she added, “I promise.”

Dr. Seitzman treated me for the uveitis with steroid drops andother medications; and there was this one other thing – a col-league told me her mother had uveitis and had been advised to trygiving up dairy products like milk and yogurt. Hmmm. Although Iwasn’t a huge dairy eater, I still ate my fair share. After years ofuveitis, I was up for trying almost anything. And giving up dairyseemed like a very small thing to do. So I did. It was fairly easy be-cause I had already been a vegetarian for many years. I merelybumped it up to another levelDo I have any proof that dairy sensitivity can cause, or exacer-

bate, uveitis? No. Let me repeat that. I have absolutely no researchstudies to offer up that there is a connection. This is just onewoman’s story. And I am the first to admit that giving up dairycannot and should not take the place of competent medical care. Fast forward three months, and with the help of Dr. Seitzman

and Dr. Abrams, I was ready for surgery. The two surgeons oper-ated – one at a time – on first the right eye. Then two weeks later,they operated on the left eye. It’s been more than a year since the surgery. The outcome?

Spectacular! The outcome is so good I can really get away with noglasses, although I do have a light prescription that I wear some-times. Dr. Seitzman is still keeping an eye on me. But the uveitis isquiet. This is the longest I have gone with no uveitis flare-up sincemy journey began. Dare I say it? Yes, I will. Perhaps my long,winding journey into the “Land of Uveitis” has come to an end.May quietness prevail.t

continued from page 1

Gerami Seitzman, M.D., and Don Abrams, M.D.

3

Take aLookat the Optical Shop

Choosing eyeglasses is a bit like picking a suitable mate. Your life will be so

much better if you find that your eyeware, like your mate, is the perfect

match. Personal preference plays a big role. Some like their glasses on

the flashy side. Others prefer a conservative style.

No matter what your preference, Karen Cohn, optician and manager of the Optical

Shop at the Krieger Eye Institute at Quarry Lake, can steer you in the right direction.

Watching her guide a customer into choosing the right pair of eyeglasses is like

watching a conductor at work. Call her the maestro of eyeware.

5

www.lifebridgehealth.org

4

In the spring of 2010, Sarah Martin* woke onemorning, looked in the mirror and was surprisedto see two red eyes staring back at her. And not

just red, but “bloodshot red,” she says. Sarah didn’t panic. “I said, ‘OK, pink eye.’ I workwith little kids and I have had pink eye before,” theyouthful-looking 50-year-old teacher says. Sarah didthe responsible thing and made an appointment withher primary care physician. He, too, thought it was pink eye and prescribed eyedrops, which Sarah dutifully took until her eyes returnedto normal. “But as soon as I stopped, it came rightback,” she says. “He told me to try again.”And so she did. For five days. With the same outcomeonce she stopped the medication. This time, she andher doctor figured that pink eye was probably not theproblem.“I thought it might have something to do with my sinuses, but he told me to see an ophthalmologist,” theHoward County resident recalls. She went to a nearbydoctor in her neighborhood who examined her andconfirmed that her eye condition needed the expertiseof a specialist. “He recommended that I see Dr. Seitzman, who hesaid was the best ophthalmologist in the Marylandarea,” Sarah says.

Gerami Seitzman, M.D., is director of Cornea, External Disease and Uveitis at the Krieger Eye Institute,which is part of Sinai Hospital of Baltimore.There arefew ophthalmologists around with her scope of experi-ence and medical expertise. Luckily, Sarah’s doctor refused to let ego stand in his way and did what hethought was best for his patient by sending her to theKrieger Eye Institute. Turns out Sarah had a “classic case of ocular rosacea,”Dr. Seitzman says. It’s inflammation of the eye that occurs as a result of rosacea, a chronic, inflammatorycondition that affects the skin on your face, nose andforehead. Many people with skin rosacea develop ocularrosacea, usually in combination with their skin symptoms,but occasionally it can occur on its own. Symptoms include very dry eyes. The proper type anddose of medication must be determined to manage thiscondition. Sarah experienced a few rough weeks before her ocular rosacea was finally controlled. “At night, when Iwould get up and go to the bathroom, my eyes wereglued shut. They felt dry and gritty,” she says. “And myeyelids were so puffy.” Sarah now applies antibiotic eye drops twice a day.Although there is no known cure, ocular rosacea can be controlled. Whatever the future holds for Sarah and the ocularrosacea she is plagued with, she knows that she’s in thebest hands possible. “My goal is to scale back (frommedication) as much as possible. And I’m sharing mystory so that others will understand.” a

* Not her real name.

When You Need the Very Best

Recently, a 50-something-year-old male customer satbefore her seeking the right specs to suit his face, taste andbudget. Before suggesting a frame, Karen took the time tosize up his facial contours, specifically the angles on hisface. After determining that a slightly oval shape would suithim best, she gathered a few stylish pairs for him to try on. “You need a pair with a longer temple,” she told the customer while handing him eyeglasses. “And we can alwayschange the color or the frame.”Whew. It’s a good thing there are so many choices andoptions at the Optical Shop. It was the overwhelming opinionof the curious bystanders that the shape Karen recommendedwas perfect for this customer. The ones she guided him togave him a much more youthful appearance. Turns out itwas still a tough sale because he selected a different frame.Karen offered a blunt and honest opinion. “I don’t care forthese on you it, but you are the one who will be wearing them.” The Optical Shop at Quarry Lake is located within theLifeBridge Health Pavilion. It is just 3.3 miles from theKrieger Eye Institute at Sinai Hospital and offers personalizedand professional advice.

The Optical Shop has a wide selection of quality eyewearfor every budget. And the two opticians on staff have morethan 50 years of experience between them. Gwen Shive is the optician who specializes in fitting customers who prefer contact lenses. She believes a hugebenefit to choosing your glasses or contact lenses at theOptical Shop is that the doctors and the opticians are inclose proximity. “We work with the doctors,” Gwen says. “People arehappier getting glasses at their doctor’s office.” Gwen iscertified as a contact lens specialist but, make no mistakeabout it, she loves eyeglasses. “I am an optician because Ilove eyeglasses,” she says. “And we pride ourselves onfinding the right frame for the right person.” In the end, though, it is always the customer’s finalchoice on what he or she chooses to wear. In addition to the Optical Shop, a full range of diagnosticeye services and aesthetic procedures including botox, facialfillers and laser skin rejuvenation are available at the Quarrylocation.$

For more information about the Krieger Eye Institute andthe Optical Shop at Quarry Lake, call 410-601-2020.

Gwen helps a customer choose her frames.

6 7

For a full listing of the area’s best docs, check out the web version of Md.MD for Life at

mdmdforlife.org

May 17 and August 16Cataract and Diabetic Eye Screening

Krieger Eye Institute and Optical Shop2700 Quarry Lake DriveSuite 180Baltimore, MD 21209410.601.2020

5 to 7 p.m.

Krieger Eye Institute ophthalmologists will offer freediabetic eye and cataract screenings. The diabeticeye screening is for those who are diabetic or havebeen just recently diagnosed with diabetes. Preregistration is required.

Know your limits. Know your health. Find out more about being healthy and staying healthy.

Visit LifeBridge Health at, www.knowyourhealthbaltimore.org to find out information on a variety of

health-related topics, take one of our online health risk assessments, or register for one of our screenings

or lectures. Pre-registration is required for all events unless otherwise stated.

Register online or by calling 410-601-WELL (9355).

Choosing a physician from the Krieger Eye Institute (KEI)

means you have selected the best in ophthalmology health

care in the region. If you are a patient fortunate enough to

see a KEI physician and a doctor from the accredited Sinai Hospital

Ophthalmology Residency Program, congratulations. It is like

winning the jackpot in ophthalmologic health care.

You see, not only do you have a physician who is indisputably

among the best in the business – he or she must be to work at KEI –

you are also being seen by a resident who went through a national,

highly competitive and rigorous selection process.

“We receive hundreds of applications for two positions per year,”

says Laura K. Green, M.D., specialist in cornea, cataract and refractive

surgery and director of the residency program. “Ophthalmology

applicants have the best board scores and are among the most accom-

plished students in their medical schools.”

In fact, during the last selection process, there were 360

applicants, 40 were interviewed and two made the final cut. The

residents spend three years in the program and there are currently

six residents on staff.

The ResidencyProgram

Elizabeth Tegins, M.D., is in her second year of the three-year

residency program. “I applied for the opportunity to be trained by faculty who

were themselves trained at some of the best programs in the country,” she says.

“It has been a wonderful experience.”

“Krieger is committed to training world-class ophthalmologists,” says Don

Abrams, M.D., chief of the Department of Ophthalmology at Sinai Hospital

of Baltimore, and head of the Krieger Eye Institute. “The residency program

combines the virtues of quality patient care and compassion with the resources

of a major community hospital.”

That was appealing to David Ellenberg, M.D., who is in his first year. “I

applied to the Sinai program because the combination of clinical, academic and

surgical training is excellent,” he says. “Our residency is an excellent mix of

being an academic program but with a community and a ‘family’ feel.”

Residents also have the option of gaining international experience by working

for four weeks at a hospital that specializes in eye disorders in India. Currently,

about 25 percent of all ophthalmologic residents choose that option.

Tegins has already worked in India and Ghana on her own. She plans on

taking the KEI option and returning to India during her third year of resi-

dency. “I have a strong interest in international medicine,” Tegins says.

Such high-quality residents working alongside KEI staff physicians benefit

everyone, especially the patients.

“Having residents improves all aspects of care at the Krieger Eye Institute,”

Green says. “Sometimes the resident has a unique idea that can improve a pa-

tient’s care. And the residents are involved in all emergent and trauma

surgery, and are an important part of our on-call team.

“When patients have the opportunity to see a resident and an attending

(physician) working together as a team, they should know that having two

doctors is better than one,” Green says. “The teaching and the learning

process keeps everyone on their toes.” 3

www.KnowYourHealthBaltimore.org

8

TRUSTIt’s a pretty bigthing around

here.

Patients at The HeartCenter at Sinai know a heart beats better inthe hands of Maryland’sbest cardiac surgeonsand cardiologists.

To put your heart in our hands, call 410-601-WELL (9355).

The freedom to trust

US

l i f e b r i d g ehe a l t h . o r g

A d i re c t o r y o f t h e a re a ’ s b e s t d o c t o r sMdMD

With more than1,200 physiciansfrom which tochoose, we can

help you find theright doctor foryou and yourfamily. Call

410.601.WELL(9355).

PhysiciansIf you’re searching for one of the region’s best medical experts, you need look no further. We’ve compiled a list of doctors who

specialize in ophthalmology. We’re sure you’ll find this list helpful and that you’ll want to keep this directory handy.

For a complete listing of all LifeBridge Health physicians, visit our website at www.lifebridgehealth.org. Or, if you need additional

help choosing a doctor, contact us at 410.601.WELL (9355).

Ophthalmology

Abrams, Donald A., M.D.Morton Mower, M.D. Off. Bldg.2411 W. Belvedere Ave.Baltimore, MD 21215410-601-6480

Ali, Salman, M.D.Morton Mower, M.D. Off. Bldg.2411 W. Belvedere AvenueBaltimore, MD 21215410-601-8579

Altman, Michael E., M.D.Morton Mower, M.D. Off. Bldg.2411 W. Belvedere Ave.Baltimore, MD 21215410-601-9084

Andorsky, Samuel P., M.D.2 Hamill Road345 W. QuadrangleBaltimore, MD 21210410-433-8488

Berkow, Joseph W., M.D.Morton Mower, M.D. Off. Bldg.2411 W. Belvedere Ave.Baltimore, MD 21215410-601-5700

Castelbuono, Anthony C., M.D.Morton Mower, M.D. Off. Bldg.2411 W. Belvedere Ave.Baltimore, MD 21215410-601-8579

Dankner, Stuart R., M.D.Village of Cross Keys2 Hamill Rd. 345 W. QuadrangleBaltimore, MD 21210410-433-8488

Elman, Michael J., M.D.9114 Philadelphia RoadBaltimore, MD 21237410-686-3000

Feinberg, Gilbert N., M.D.Morton Mower, M.D. Off. Bldg.2411 W. Belvedere Ave.Baltimore, MD 21215410-601-2020

Fiergang, Dean L., M.D.2 Hamil Road 345 W. QuadrangleBaltimore, MD 21210410-433-8488

Friedel, Samuel D., M.D.827 Linden AvenueBaltimore, MD 21201410-225-8077

Gambrill, John, M.D.750 Main StreetReisterstown, MD 21136410-526-3060

Gelkin, Michelle, M.D.Krieger Eye Institute2700 Quarry Lake Dr. Baltimore, MD 21209410-601-2020

Goldberg, Julian R., M.D.23 Crossroads DriveOwings Mills, MD 21117410-581-1500

Goldberg, Morton F., M.D.JHH, 713 Maumenee600 N.Wolfe StreetBaltimore, MD 21287410-955-6846

Goldman, Edward J., M.D.25 Crossroads DriveOwings Mills, MD 21117443-394-6400

Green, Laura K., M.D.2700 Quarry Lake Dr.Baltimore, MD 21209410-601-2020

Gruen, Richard A., M.D.10 Crossroads DriveOwings Mills, MD 21117410-654-5700

Harlan, Joseph B., M.D.1209 York RoadLutherville-Timonium, MD21093410-821-9490

Hirschbein, Marc J., M.D.Morton Mower, M.D. Off. Bldg.2411 W. Belvedere Ave.Baltimore, MD 21215410-601-8283

Honig, Marc A., M.D.23 Crossroads DriveOwings Mills, MD 21117410-581-1500

Kaplan, Jason A., M.D.901 Dulaney Valley RoadTowson, MD 21204410-337-4500

Karesh, James W., M.D.Morton Mower, M.D. Off. Bldg.2411 W. Belvedere Ave.Baltimore, MD 21215410-601-8143

Kolker, Richard J., M.D.600 N. Wolfe StreetWilmer Eye InstituteBaltimore, MD 21287410-955-5080

Laborwit, Scott E., M.D.Cross Keys Village1 Village SquareBaltimore, MD 21210410-435-8881

Levinson, Brett A., M.D.1 Village SquareBaltimore, MD 21210410-435-8881

Linares, Hugo M., D.O.901 Dulaney Valley RoadTowson, MD 21204410-337-4500

Malik, Khurram J., M.D.901 Dulaney Valley RoadTowson, MD 21204410-337-4500

Mansouri, Azad, M.D.901 Dulaney Valley RoadTowson, MD 21204410-337-4500

Meisels, Alfred A., M.D.20 Crossroads DriveOwings Mills, MD 21117410-356-2126

Polk, Timothy D., M.D.620 Boulton StreetBel Air, MD 21014410-893-0480

Sandler, Michael H., M.D.1838 Greene Tree Road Pikesville, MD 21208410-486-1010

Scharper, Philip H., M.D.Morton Mower, M.D. Off. Bldg.2411 W. Belvedere Ave.Baltimore, MD 21215410-601-6029

Schmoke, Patricia L., M.D.2401 Liberty Heights AvenueBaltimore, MD 21215410-669-2020

Scholz, Richard T., M.D.515 Fairmount AvenueTowson, MD 21286410-494-1377

Seitzman, Gerami D., M.D.Morton Mower, M.D. Off. Bldg.2411 W. Belvedere Ave.Baltimore, MD 21215410-601-5991

Singman, Eric L., M.D.2700 Quarry Lake DriveBaltimore, MD 21209410-601-2020

Snyder, Lee A., M.D.23 Crossroads DriveOwings Mills., MD 21117410-581-1500

Steiner, Joshua N., M.D.901 Dulaney Valley RoadTowson, MD 21204410-337-4500

Strauss, Leon, M.D.1777 Reisterstown RoadPikesville, MD 21208410-484-5550

Tanhehco, Tasha Y., M.D.Morton Mower, M.D. Off. Bldg.2411 W. Belvedere Ave.Baltimore, MD 21215410-601-5700

Vickers, William R., M.D.Morton Mower, M.D. Off. Bldg.2411 W. Belvedere Ave. Baltimore, MD 21215410-601-5339