Kirk A. Sturridge, M.D.

Glaucoma Specialist

Kirk A. Sturridge, M.D., received his medical degree from the University of the West Indies in Mona, Jamaica. He completed an internship in internal medicine in 2006 and a residency in ophthalmology in 2009 at State University of New York Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York. At SUNY Downstate, he served as Administrative Chief Resident, Department of Ophthalmology, and as a clinical assistant instructor of medical students. In 2009 he accepted a glaucoma fellowship from University of Iowa ospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, Iowa. His fellowship training included selective laser trabeculoplasty (SLT), laser peripheral iridectomies, laser iridoplasty, trabeculectomies with antimetabolite, glaucoma tube surgeries, trabectome surgery, cyclophotocoagulation and combined cataract surgery/glaucoma surgery. 

Dr. Sturridge is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Glaucoma Society and the International Society of Refractive Surgeons. He has earned numerous civic and medical awards including the New Kingston Rotary Club award for community service. At the University of the West Indies he achieved the Award for Honors in various medical fields including microbiology and pathology, physiology, pharmacology, medical biochemistry and community health.

Dr. Sturridge with his wife, Andrea, and family reside in Dothan.

Zsolt C. Bansagi, M.D.

Cataract Surgeon, Laser Refractive Surgeon & General Ophthalmology

Dr. Zsolt C. Bansagi attained a B.A. degree, with honors in Biology, from California State University at San Bernardino. Upon completion of his undergraduate degree, he received his M.D. from Albany Medical College located in New York. Dr. Bansagi performed his Internship training at the Albany Medical Center and subsequently fulfilled his Residency in Ophthalmology requirements at the Lion’s Eye Institute, also located in Albany.
 
Before obtaining his Medical Degree, Dr. Bansagi served in the United States Air Force in Medical Administration and also served as the Assistant Director of Clinical Operations for the Bristol Park Medical Group based in Irvine, California.
 
Dr. Bansagi has a special interest and training in cataract and refractive surgery as well as minor oculoplastic and glaucoma procedures. He is a Member of the Florida State Ophthalmologic Society, the New York State Ophthalmologic Society and also the American Academy of Ophthalmology.
 
Dr. Bansagi and his wife Angela Marie reside in Panama City Beach with their daughter.

William L. Bennett, M.D.

Cataract Surgeon & General Ophthalmology

Dr. William L. Bennett received a B.S. degree from Baylor University in Texas, an M.S. from the University of Arkansas and his M.D. from the University of Arkansas College of Medicine. He completed his Residency training in Ophthalmology at the University of Florida, during which he underwent advanced training in microsurgery, lens implantation and laser surgery. In medical school, Dr. Bennett was awarded the McGuire Scholarship, the Barton Scholarship, the Merk Award and the Buchanan Key for Academic excellence. He was also inducted into the Alpha Omega Honor Medical Society.

Dr. Bennett is a member of the American Medical Association, the Medical Association for the State of Alabama and the Houston County Medical Society. He is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Dr. Bennett has been Board Certified in Ophthalmology by the National Board of Medical Examiners. Dr. Bennett specializes in small-incision "no stitch" cataract surgery, refractive surgery and medical ophthalmology. Originally a native of North Carolina, Dr. Bennett has been providing patients in the Wiregrass area with medical and surgical eye care since 1986.

Richard W. Bryant, M.D.

Facial Cosmetic & Orbital Reconstructive Surgeon

Born in Huntsville, Alabama, Dr. Bryant received his undergraduate degree in Chemistry and Mathematics (Summa Cum Laude) from Birmingham Southern College in 1992. His medical degree was conferred by the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in 1996. He performed an internship in General Surgery and a residency in Neurosurgery at Emory University School of Medicine through 1998. Furthering his training, he completed a second residency in Ophthalmology in 2002 from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Most recently, he completed Fellowship training in Orbital and Facial Cosmetic and Reconstructive Surgery from the prestigious Jules Stein Eye Institute at the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) and Beverly Hills, California.

Dr. Bryant is certified by the National Board of Medical Examiners as well as the American Board of Ophthalmology. Dr. Bryant has received numerous research awards, and lectures on a national basis while training new oculoplastic surgeons.

Dr. Bryant's specialty includes plastic surgery procedures on the face and around the eyes.

John G. Fortin, M.D.

Retina & Vitreous Specialist

John G. Fortin, M.D. graduated from Montreal University with a B.A. degree in 1964. He earned his M.D. degree from McGill University. His internship and Ophthalmology residency were both performed at the Montreal University affiliated hospitals. Subsequently, he received fellowship training in Retinal and Vitreous Diseases and Surgery at Montreal University in Montreal, Quebec.

Dr Fortin is a Fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and a Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Canada. He is also a member of the American Medical Association and the Alabama Academy of Ophthalmology.

Dr. Fortin joined Eye Center South in 1980 bringing his expertise in medical and surgical eye care to patients in the Wiregrass area. He specializes in the management of disorders such as diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration and retinal detachment.

Sunil Gupta, M.D.

Vitreo-Retinal Surgeon

Sunil Gupta, M.D., is a Board-Certified Ophthalmologist specializing in diagnosing and treating disorders of the retina including Diabetes, Macular Degeneration, Retinal Blood Vessel disorders and Tumors.

 Dr. Gupta is a highly skilled surgeon who is constantly performing research on new drugs, innovative procedures and better surgical equipment and is one of the most respected retina specialists in the country. Dr. Gupta's background includes a B.S degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Washington, a medical degree from the University of Cincinnati, and a residency in Ophthalmology at the Cullen Eye Institute at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, and a fellowship in Vitreo-Retinal Diseases and Surgery at the University of Iowa.

Among other research accomplishments, Dr. Gupta was involved in the recent design of the widely-acclaimed Alcon Vitrectomy Surgical System Constellation which has revolutionized vitrectomy surgery.

Tyler A. Hall, M.D.

Cornea & Refractive Surgeon

Tyler Hall, M.D., graduated Summa Cum Laude with a B.S. degree and an M.D. degree from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. He then conducted a year of clinical research in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, publishing numerous scientific papers on topics ranging from blepharospasm to the relationship between cataracts and cognition.

Dr. Hall completed residency training in ophthalmology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham where he served as chief resident during his senior year. He then completed a fellowship in cornea, external disease and refractive surgery at Emory University where he received advanced surgical training in laser vision correction (LASIK and PRK), corneal transplantation (traditional and DSEK) and ocular surface reconstruction.

A recipient of numerous awards, Dr. Hall was named the Terry Hale Intern of the Year and elected to the national medical honor society, Alpha Omega Alpha. His professional memberships include the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. His primary clinical interests include advanced corneal transplantation techniques and the diagnosis and management of refractive surgical complications.

Dr. Hall and his wife, Alison, reside in Dothan with their two children.

Marnix E. Heersink, M.D.

Cataract & Laser Refractive Surgeon

Marnix E. Heersink, M.D. graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.A. degree and an M.D. degree from the University of Western Ontario in London, Ontario. His internship was completed at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal, Quebec, while his residency in ophthalmology was performed at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He completed a fellowship in cataract surgery and intraocular lens implantation in Philadelphia and following his training came to Dothan for his ophthalmology practice. 

As a professional, his activities and affiliations are numerous. He is a Fellow and member of a number of Professional Organizations including the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the International College of Surgeons, the American College of Surgeons, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons.

He is certified by the American Board of Eye Surgeons. His professional memberships also include the Houston County Medical Society, the Medical Association of the State of Alabama, the American Intraocular Implant Society and the American Medical Association. Dr. Heersink has a special interest and training in the diagnosis and surgical treatment of cataracts as well as laser vision correction.

Dr. Heersink and his wife, Mary, have six children and reside in Dothan. Dr. Heersink has volunteered and participated in a number of organizations including the Boys Club and the Boy Scouts of America. In addition, he has coached numerous youth sports teams for the City of Dothan. He has been on the Executive Board of Alabama/Florida Council of Boy Scouts and on the Executive Board of the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind.

Irene H. Ludwig, M.D.

Pediatric Ophthalmologist & Strabismus

Dr. Irene H. Ludwig earned her M.D. degree from the Cornell University Medical College in 1979. She performed her Internship in general surgery at the University of Virginia Hospital in Charlottesville. Dr. Ludwig then served as a Resident in Ophthalmology at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation in Ohio. Following two years of research at the National Eye Institute, she took a fellowship in Pediatric Ophthalmology at the Children's Hospital National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., with Dr. Marshall M. Parks. In 1986, she joined the staff of Mary Imogene Bassett Hospital, Cooperstown, New York, where she was appointed to the position of Clinical Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology, Albany Medical College of Union University. In 1992, she joined the faculty at LSU Eye Center in New Orleans, where she is an Assistant Professor and performs teaching and research in new surgical techniques. 

Dr. Ludwig is a member of the American Ophthalmological Society, the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Association of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus as well as the Costenbader Society. She is also a diplomat of the American Board of Ophthalmology. Her accomplishments in the field of Pediatric Ophthalmology include lecturing at scientific meetings and publications in a number of ophthalmological papers.

Micheal B. Minix, Jr., M.D.

General Ophthalmology & Medical Glaucoma

Micheal B. Minix, Jr., M.D., received his Bachelor's and medical degrees from the University of Kentucky. Following an internship in internal medicine at The Christ Hospital in Cincinnati, Ohio, he completed an ophthalmology residency at the University of Kentucky in Lexington in 1999. Upon graduation he served as a faculty member there. Dr. Minix was certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology in 2003 and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. He is also a member of the Alabama Academy of Ophthalmology and the Florida Society of Ophthalmology. Licensed in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky and Indiana, Dr. Minix practices general ophthalmology with a special emphasis on medical diseases of the eye. Prior to joining Eye Center South, he worked in private practice in Kentucky and south Florida. Born in Savannah, Georgia, Dr. Minix comes from a long line of ophthalmologists and optometrists dating back to the early 1900's. 

Before following in the family footsteps, he pursued his love of baseball, attending Vanderbilt University on a baseball scholarship and becoming a draft pick for the New York Yankees in 1987.

Dr. Minix and his wife, Emily, enjoy spending time with their two young children.

Magdalena "Maggie" Shuler,
M.D., Ph.D.

Vitreo-Retinal Surgeon

Magdalena "Maggie" Shuler, M.D., Ph.D. graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. in Biology and a B.A. in Mathematics from Emory College.

In addition to completing her medical degree at Emory School of Medicine, Dr. Shuler has a PhD. in Genetics and Molecular Biology from Emory Graduate School. Dr. Shuler completed her residency in ophthalmology at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami, FL followed by a fellowship in Vitreoretinal Surgery at Willis Eye Hospital in Philadelphia. She is well published and has participated in various research projects and clinical trials throughout her career.

Dr. Shuler specializes in performing complex vitreo-retinal surgical procedures such as recurrent retinal detachments and diabetic retinal detachments. She also has an interest in pediatric vitreoretinal conditions. Dr. Shuler is certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology. She holds medical licensure from the States of Alabama, Florida, and Georgia.