Heaton Eye Associates

Physician-Owned | No Private Equity | Partnership Track | ASC Ownership Opportunity

Heaton Eye Associates is seeking a fellowship-trained retina specialist / vitreoretinal surgeon to establish and lead medical and surgical retina services in Tyler, Texas. Retina is the only major ophthalmic subspecialty not currently represented within our full-scope practice. This is not a replacement position. It is a rare opportunity to lead a service line with an established patient base, internal referrals, modern surgical infrastructure, and a genuine path to ownership already in place

Why this opportunity is different:

Physician-owned and physician-led - with no private equity. Our physician-owned model keeps clinical priorities, capital planning, and long-term strategy close to the practicing physicians who care for patients. The incoming retina specialist will join colleagues focused on long-term patient care, thoughtful investment, and community stewardship.

• Partnership track with the opportunity for ownership in our ophthalmic ambulatory surgery centers.
• Opportunities to develop multiple service lines and therapies in clinic and ASC such as advanced retinal injections, floaterectomies, vitrectomies, and other procedures.
• The ability to build and lead the retina service line, including clinical workflows, staffing, equipment strategy, referral development, and long-term growth.
• A ready-made internal referral platform from a full-scope ophthalmology and optometry team serving multiple East Texas communities.
• A culture of continued investment in advanced anterior segment technology, including the LENSAR ALLY system and the Lumera 750 Zeiss Artevo Microscope.

About Heaton Eye Associates: 

Heaton Eye Associates is an established, independent, integrated eye care organization serving East Texas. For more than 40 years, our team has provided comprehensive eye care across locations in Tyler, Longview, Athens, and Gun Barrel City. Our multidisciplinary team spans cataract and refractive surgery, glaucoma, pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus, oculoplastics, comprehensive ophthalmology, optometry, dry eye, and optical services.

The retina specialist will be highly visible and central to completing our subspecialty offering. Build a program with its own clinical identity inside an established, collegial, patient-focused practice.

What you will do:

• Provide high-quality medical and surgical retina care to patients throughout East Texas.
• Establish and refine retina clinic and surgical workflows with support from practice leadership and operations teams.
• Collaborate closely with ophthalmologists, optometrists, clinical staff, and referring providers across the region.
• Help guide staffing, technology, equipment, outreach, quality initiatives, and growth strategy for the retina service line.
• Develop enduring internal and community referral relationships.
• Contribute to a culture centered on excellent outcomes, thoughtful innovation, and an exceptional patient experience.

Qualifications:

• M.D. or D.O. degree and completion of an accredited ophthalmology residency.
• Completion of - or current enrollment in - a fellowship in vitreoretinal diseases and surgery.
• Board certified or board eligible in ophthalmology.
• Eligible for medical licensure in Texas.
• Collaborative, patient-centered, and motivated by the opportunity to build a program and become a long-term partner.

Why Tyler, Texas:

In separate studies, USA TODAY Homefront ranked Tyler No. 1 among 52 Texas cities for people considering a move and No. 1 nationally for retirees among 329 U.S. cities.

Tyler offers the professional depth of a regional medical center with a pace that leaves room for life outside medicine. The community is home to The University of Texas at Tyler and East Texas' first medical school. Residents enjoy lakes, trails, golf, the Tyler Rose Garden, Caldwell Zoo, performing arts, local restaurants, and convenient access to the Dallas-Fort Worth area. It is a community large enough to offer excellent amenities and healthcare resources, yet connected enough to feel like home.

Start a confidential conversation:

Noah Landrum

n.landrum@heatoneye.com | (903) 526-0444 | heatoneye.com

Confidential inquiries are welcome from current fellows, recent graduates, and experienced retina specialists.

JOB CODE: 175