Eye Center at GBMC helps patients see clearly

State-of-the-art eye care has been a focus of GBMC HealthCare since its inception. Carrying on the tradition first laid by one of its founders—the Presbyterian, Ear, & Throat Charity Hospital—GBMC has built a comprehensive ophthalmology program to serve the needs of the community.

With two locations in Towson – one on GBMC’s main hospital campus and the other on Joppa Road, the Eye Center at GBMC is fully staffed with optometrists and ophthalmologists who can treat a wide variety of patients, from infants to seniors.

Elizabeth McGinn, OD, director of contact lens services at the Eye Center at GBMC, is one of the Center’s many providers and says the team approach is what makes eye care at GBMC different from anything you’d get at a commercial location.

Flexibility on which location patients can visit is an added benefit of receiving eye care from GBMC.

“People seem to feel more comfortable knowing we’re part of the hospital and that a few of us work at both locations,” Dr. McGinn says. “The Eye Center at Joppa Road has a lot of parking and offers the convenience of a smaller practice, but with the benefit of being affiliated with the hospital.

“We all have different specialties. I’ll pull in partners to ask questions, and a patient may have more than one doctor checking up on them. We all work together really well, and our opticians are personable, knowledgeable, and friendly.”

She also mentions the Joppa Road optical department offers glasses for everyone’s budget and both locations accept most insurance plans.

Beyond everyday vision care, many of the doctors at the Eye Center are specialists and can treat more complex issues, such as oculoplastic and cataracts.

Most importantly, Dr. McGinn adds, if you have concerns about your vision because of a sudden change, you won’t have to wait a week to be seen.

“If someone has a pressing need, we get them in within 24 to 48 hours.”

Some of those sudden issues can include:

• Change in vision
• Double vision
• New floaters or flashes of light
• A curtain coming down over your vision
• An eye injury

While an issue with your vision can be unnerving, Dr. McGinn emphasizes it’s best to call the Eye Center to make an appointment instead of going to the Emergency Room (ER).

“One of our doctors is on call for the ER every day, and that’s who the ER would reach out to, so it’s easier to just call the Eye Center directly to be seen. We have lots of doctors with lots of different specialties, and we all work as a team to help you see clearly.”