Spindel Eye Associates Celebrates Thirty-Five Years!

Spindel Eye Associates is proud to be celebrating its thirty-fifth year as one of the leading Ophthalmologic and Optometric practices in Southern New Hampshire. Spindel Eye provides complete comprehensive eye care including: routine eye exams, same-day emergency care, custom laser vision correction, cataract surgery, glaucoma treatment, contact lens fitting, cosmetic procedures, diabetic eye care, dry eye therapy and more.

Dr. Gerald Spindel purchased the practice from retiring doctor, Dr. Henry Panek, in 1985.  Armed with less than five employees and a genuine passion for patient care, he opened the practice to its first patients on Birch Street in Derry, New Hampshire. The Birch Street office was only the first of a number of Spindel Eye locations which have opened across Southern New Hampshire over the decades including: Hampstead, Plaistow, Salem, Londonderry and Windham. As the practice grew, diagnostic technology evolved and more staff was needed to meet the increasing patient load. By 2004, Dr. Spindel moved the Derry office from its origin on Birch Street to Overlook Medical Park on Tsienneto Rd. Today, the Tsienneto Rd location serves as the home base for a practice of fifty employees and nine doctors.   The two satellite offices are located in Windham and Londonderry.

Throughout his career, Dr. Spindel has been a devoted leader in his field serving as President for both the New England Ophthalmological Society (NEOS) and the New Hampshire Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons. He was appointed as Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Parkland Hospital and was also in the position of Chief of Surgery at the hospital.

From 1991 to 1996, Dr. Spindel provided his expertise to the FDA serving as an investigator for clinical trials regarding the Excimer Laser which is now utilized to perform LASIK surgery. In 1999, he completed his first LASIK case becoming one of the first Ophthalmologists to perform LASIK surgery in New Hampshire. Twenty-years later, Dr. Spindel has performed LASIK surgery on thousands of patients giving them the gift of clear sight without contacts or glasses.

Dr. Spindel has worked to ensure that every patient who comes through his practice will receive the highest quality care tailored to fit their needs. Spindel Eye is home to two Ophthalmologists, Dr. Spindel and Dr. Vazan, who regularly perform sight-saving surgeries and see patients across all three offices, many of whom have been loyal Spindel patients since the beginning of the practice. Four Doctors of Optometry practice within Spindel Eye prescribing glasses, diagnosing eye disease and taking the time to educate their patients on how to best care for their vision. Dr. Sarah Wood O.D., Dr. Douglas Blair O.D., Dr. John O’Block O.D., and Dr. Tina Porzukowiak O.D. each work daily to deliver the most compassionate and comprehensive care available.

For patients who find themselves with more complex cases, Spindel Eye hosts three part-time Ophthalmologists. Dr. David Ramsey, a retina specialist from Lahey Clinic, joins the Spindel Eye team every Wednesday to serve patients with advanced stages of macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy and other diseases of the retina. Dr. Naveen Rao, a cornea specialist from Lahey Clinic, can be found in the Derry location twice a month treating patients with complicated cases of keratoconus, consulting with patients following corneal injuries and caring for a variety of other corneal diseases. Dr. David Weinberg, a consulting oculoplastics specialist from The Eye Center of Concord, visits Spindel Eye once a month to consult with patients who experience challenges with ptosis or drooping eyelids, lesions, growths and other abnormalities of the exterior eye and eyelids. This system of talented physicians collaborating in the sole interest of quality patient care with easy accessibility to care is a cornerstone of Spindel Eye’s passion for medical excellence while improving the lives of our patients. As Dr. Spindel’s founding principal states, Spindel Eye is “Where Advanced Medical Technology Meets Better Vision.”

Dr. Spindel and his staff have made the effort to give back not only to Derry but to its surrounding communities. Ever happy to educate and share his knowledge, Dr. Spindel previously hosted a segment called “Eye on Health” on the local public television channel. He has always encouraged members of the Spindel Eye family to participate in philanthropic causes. Together, he and much of the staff are Lions Club members working in conjunction with the Salem, Derry and Londonderry Lions Clubs.  The practice is a committed supporter of the Derry Boys and Girls Club and attends the annual charity Silent Auction held at the club.  Eye exams and glasses are donated to the Boys and Girls club for them to disperse amongst the children in greatest need.

Recently, Spindel Eye Associates raised $16,000 over a period of two years to donate to the Independence Fund which is a nonprofit organization supporting mobility plans for disabled and wounded veterans. Dr. Spindel was honored for this act of altruism by the Gary Sinise Foundation at an Independence Fund event in Times Square in New York City. He was commended further by Bill O’Reilly himself.

For over ten years, Spindel Eye staff and doctors have administered vision screenings for thousands of children in the Salem, New Hampshire School District. Staff members travel to each of the elementary schools as well as Woodbury Middle School measuring visual acuity, screening for color blindness and stereo depth perception.  Dr. Spindel recognizes the importance of clear vision during these formative years, especially in the classroom. For students in the greatest need, he provides free exams and glasses giving clear vision to children who may have never seen clearly before.   In 2017, he was awarded the Children’s Champion Award given by Salem Family Resources for his commitment to helping children in need of eye care and services.

Dr. Spindel also served on the Board of Directors for Community Health Services (CHS), a program funded through grants and donations working to meet the health access needs of vulnerable residents.   He was awarded the CHS Extra Mile Award for his service.  He has also participated in the Eye Care America program through his professional affiliation with the Academy of Ophthalmology. Eye Care America provides free, comprehensive eye exams for any needful individual who contacts the Academy.

In our thirty-fifth year of medicine, Spindel Eye is still growing, thriving and changing with the industry as technology evolves and medicine advances. We are proud to be offering the same quality state of the art care and technology that Dr. Spindel has always promised. Staff and doctors attend NEOS lectures and conventions year-round often flying out of state to attend. In-service programs run weekly among the staff reviewing procedure and further educating on complex facets of care. Spindel Eye Associates is excited to celebrate their thirty-fifth year caring for the Derry community and beyond and look forward to another thirty-five.