Orbit Center Expands Services

Orbit Center offers expanded patient services for complex eye diseases*

by Dr. James C. Fleming, Dr. Barrett G. Haik, and Dr. Gregory S. Carroll

Patients with complex eye diseases should benefit most from a multispecialty treatment program recently launched by UT Medical Group's Department of Ophthalmology and UT Bowld Hospital. The center is made possible through a multiyear grant by the UT Medical Group Development Fund and matching funds from UT Bowld. The Orbit, Oculoplastic and Ophthalmic Oncology Center, which is based at UT Bowld, provides surgical and medical management to patients suffering from ophthalmic cancers, inflammatory conditions, and the sequelae of facial and ophthalmic trauma.

"A lot of pieces of this have been available to people in the past few years, but it hasn't been put together until now," says James Christian (Chris) Fleming, M.D., the center's Director and Associate Professor of Ophthalmology.

A graduate of UT Memphis, Dr. Fleming is a specialist in the diagnosis and management of orbital disease and trauma with extensive subspecialty training in ophthalmic plastic and reconstructive surgery.

"Dr. Fleming is an internationally recognized authority in the field and a master clinician and surgeon," says Ophthalmology Department Chairman and Professor Barrett G. Haik, M.D. "We are extremely fortunate to have him directing this unique and critically important center for the care of patients with life and vision-threatening disorders. We are also grateful to Dr. Jeffrey Woodside of UT Bowld Hospital and Mr. Steve Burkett of UT Medical Group, Inc. for their support and encouragement during the formation of this center," he says.

Dr. Fleming says the center will unite the skills and resources of various medical specialties, such as head and neck surgery and neurology, into a single, coordinated team of experts. Although these resources already exist individually within the university system, he says the center will offer patients a more easily accessible framework that will facilitate physician-to-physician consultation and comprehensive treatment. At the same time, he hopes the multispecialty effort will raise the care to a new level, lending greater support to the university's research and education objectives.

Prior to his appointment as Director of the center, Dr. Fleming maintained an ophthalmologic practice in Memphis for more than 15 years. Since 1987, he has been the Chief of Service, Trauma and Emergency Ophthalmology, for the UT Memphis Department of Ophthalmology. He is the 1996-97 President of the Tennessee Academy of Ophthalmology and is past President of both the Memphis and Shelby County Medical Society and the Memphis Eye Society.

In addition to Dr. Fleming, patient care services at the center will be provided by Drs. Haik and Gregory S. Carroll. For more information, call 448-6650.

* The article above is reprinted with permission from UT Bowld Hospital's BOWLD STAFF Newsletter.