ORANGE PARK— A new ophthalmology office is boosting the availability of specialty eye services like cataract surgery, minimally invasive glaucoma treatment and laser vision correction.

Prior to its Kingsley Avenue office opening in December, Florida Eye Specialists had nine offices in Northeast Florida. Dr. Steven Maier will be the primary board-certified ophthalmologist serving the Clay County practice.

Ophthalmologists are specialty eye surgeons, whereas optometrists provide general eyecare and diagnoses. Dr. Amit Chokshi, an eye surgeon for 19 years who is affiliated with Florida Eye Specialists, said the practice noticed several patients coming from Clay County.

“Really the closest (office) we had was in Riverside,” Chokshi said. “It made a lot of sense to really follow our patients, so they wouldn’t necessarily have to travel as far for the specialty care we provide. It became pretty obvious to us we needed a presence there.”

He said there’s a need for specialty eyecare in Clay as the area grows, especially among older residents. He felt the Northeast Florida eyecare market wasn’t saturated and it needed more professionals.

“A certain percentage of people are going to need eyecare. In this area, there’s an influx just underneath the Medicare population age and that population needs even more eyecare,” Chokshi said. “What we’re seeing is, all of our doctors are busy. We don’t see the growth slowing down. What’s harder is getting specialty doctors.”

Chokshi said Florida Eye Specialists’ presence on the west side of the St. Johns River was lacking, so they made it a point to entrench themselves in Orange Park and County Road 210 in St. Johns County.

“We’re fortunate to have every area covered and now we can bring that to Clay County as well,” he added. “What is driving this, is the overall population growth of the greater Jacksonville area. It’s really been unprecedented.”

Florida Eye Specialists CEO and managing partner Dr. Rajesh Shetty said access to specialty eye care is essential for local patients and emphasized Clay residents having an office nearby.

“Patients with severe eye conditions may not be able to drive safely to our Jacksonville locations for the advanced treatments they need,” Shetty said. “... This new office will give Orange Park residents a safe and easy way to access top specialists.”