News

Arthur R. Pilkerton, MD 1935-2026

Arthur R. Pilkerton (Ray) is regarded as one of the visionaries in the Washington, D.C. ophthalmic community. Dr. Pilkerton started the first retina program at Georgetown University, co-founded The Retina Group of Washington, and is admired for his contributions to the retina subspecialty of ophthalmology.

Dr. Pilkerton’s vast experience spans over four decades with academic appointments at Georgetown University and the Veterans Administration Hospital. His professional resume includes more than 40 published articles and a similar number of lectures and presentations. He served on numerous university committees and held leadership roles with more than a dozen professional groups and medical societies.

Throughout his professional career, Dr. Pilkerton demonstrated that the most important aspect of building an enduring medical practice is to emphasize quality, empathy and always doing the right thing. “You can be a great surgeon, but if you don’t listen to your patients and respect everyone in the health care team, your career will be an uphill battle.”

His compassion extended far beyond his practice. He gave generously of his time to disadvantaged patients through local charities and clinics. Even after retirement, he continued to serve others by running a free eye clinic.

A graduate of Georgetown University, Dr. Pilkerton earned the degree of medicine, cum laude in 1960. In 1964, he completed his ophthalmology residency at Georgetown, followed by a retina fellowship at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia. In addition to the Academy, Dr. Pilkerton was a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, Retina Society and American Society of Retina Specialists. His awards also include the Excellence in Medical Care Award from Mercy Health Clinic, Washington, D.C., and the Gonzaga (H.S.) Hall of Fame.

While his professional achievements were numerous and his career left a lasting impact on countless lives, the legacy he was most proud of was the family he built. In 1966, he married the love of his life, Sally Ann. Together, they shared 59 wonderful years of marriage and were blessed with five children and nine cherished grandchildren. Being a devoted husband, father, and grandfather brought him his greatest joy.

Dr. Pilkerton’s equanimity, passion for ophthalmology and commitment to quality patient care have made a great imprint on his colleagues.

May 29, 2026 – Dr. Michael Osman received the Thomas Haggerty, MD Award at the Northern Virginia Academy of Ophthalmology Gala. Established in 1976, the Haggerty award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated exemplary leadership, dedication, and service to ophthalmology in Virginia.   

The award also acknowledges excellence in ophthalmic care.  

Dr. Osman is the third physician from the Retina Group of Washington to receive this honor. 

Until recently, the Good Days program was able to assist patients with Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans with their coinsurance costs. Unfortunately, Good Days has not received adequate funding to continue. Patients who were previously supported by Good Days will now be responsible for coinsurance payments at the time of their visit. Our practice is required under federal law to collect these payments.

If you are impacted by this change to Good Days, please know that we are here to help you to continue to your care. We have a variety of programs that may help you to manage your out-of-pocket costs. Please keep your appointment and contact your local office for more information.

Questions about your bill? Please call: (301) 474-4679

Watch this video to see how retina doctors can impact vision.

The Retina Group of Washington and PRISM Vision Group are thrilled to announce that Reginald J. Sanders, M.D. FASRS, was recently named President of the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS). The ASRS is the world’s largest organization for retina specialists, serving as a national advocate and primary source of clinical and scientific information and education for its members.

Dr. Sanders is the first African American and the first PRISM affiliated physician to serve as President of the ASRS. Throughout his career, Dr. Sanders has made significant contributions to ophthalmology, evidenced by numerous academic publications, impactful presentations, and a collection of well-deserved honors and awards. His exceptional achievements include his election as a charter inductee into the Retina Hall of Fame, further solidifying his standing as a leader in the field.

Congratulations Dr. Sanders and thank you for all you do and have done to improve the lives of so many patients over the years.

March 2, 2023

We are thrilled to announce a groundbreaking, first in class treatment for Geographic Atrophy –SYFOVRE™ (pegcetacoplan injection) — and incredibly proud that our own Dr. Jordana Fein was the first physician in the Washington DC area to treat patients with it yesterday!

Jordana G. Fein, M.D., M.S., Retina Specialist stated: “I am excited to be able to deliver this groundbreaking, new treatment for advanced macular degeneration to our patients. Until the approval last Friday, there were no therapeutic options for patients with geographic atrophy, which is a progressive and blinding form of macular degeneration. This is a first in class medication which reduces the rate of the progression of this disease. I was privileged to be involved in the clinical trials that led to the FDA approval of SYFOVRE™ and am hopeful that our patients will benefit from this new therapeutic option.”

Steven Madreperla, M.D., Ph.D., President and CEO of PRISM Vision Group added: “This is truly a great day. As a Retina Surgeon, I am thrilled that a treatment is now available for the many patients we take care of with geographic atrophy. As the President and CEO of PRISM Vision Group, I am incredibly proud of our clinicians to be the first in the nation to utilize this treatment as well as all those on our team that led and participated in the clinical trials that led to SYFOVRE™’s FDA approval. Our doctor’s dedication to the progression of the science of medicine through our robust clinical trials program is one of the many things that sets PRISM apart.”

To learn more about how we may be able to assist your previously untreatable patients with GA, please contact any of our offices or physicians directly, via www.rgw.com or call 844 RGW DOCS

Dr. Mohsin H. Ali was recently featured in Retina Today.

Please click here to see the article:
https://retinatoday.com/articles/2023-jan-feb-insert5/one-to-watch-mohsin-h-ali-md/

Dr. Brian K. Do was recently featured in Retina Today.

Please click here to see the article:
https://retinatoday.com/articles/2022-apr-insert/one-to-watch-brian-k-do-md

Lucy Xu, M.D., was recently honored as the 2021 winner of the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS) Retina Fellows Forum Research Award for notable work during her retina fellowship. This competitive national award is presented to a senior retina fellow for outstanding original research. Dr. Xu presented her work, Clinical Features and Outcomes of Infants with Retinopathy of Prematurity Who Fail Anti-VEGF Therapy, as a specially recognized paper at the recent 39th Annual ASRS Meeting in San Antonio, TX.

Dr. Xu completed her fellowship in vitreoretinal surgery at Emory University. She received her medical degree from Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University, and completed a residency in ophthalmology at The Cleveland Clinic Foundation Cole Eye Institute. Dr. Xu is certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology (ABO) and a member of the American Society of Retina Specialists (ASRS), Association for Research and Vision in Ophthalmology (ARVO), and the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO).

Reginald J. Sanders, M.D., FASRS, was named as the recipient of the American Society of Retina Specialists’s (ASRS) 2021 Packo Service Award in recognition of his exceptional service to the Society. The highly-regarded Packo Award is named in honor of its first recipient, Kirk H. Packo, MD, FACS, FASRS, ASRS President from 2001-2002. Dr. Packo’s dynamic leadership and strategic innovations helped shape and advance the Society for more than 30 years.

Dr. Sanders was selected based on his long involvement in the Society’s leadership, including 15 years of service on the Board of the ASRS and his distinguished track record in practice management policy, particularly his decade-long development and leadership of the Business of Retina meeting. A clinical professor at both Georgetown University School of Medicine and Howard University College of Medicine, Dr. Sanders has more than 50 papers, articles, and presentations to his credit, and has lectured throughout the United States and internationally. He has served as an investigator or sub-investigator in numerous studies of new retinal treatments.

Dr. Sanders has accumulated many professional accolades during his career, including being selected as a 2017 charter inductee to the Retina Hall of Fame, and being named to Washingtonian Top Doctor, Castle Connolly’s Best Doctors in America, and Castle Connolly’s America’s Top Ophthalmologists. Dr. Sanders joined RGW after completing his fellowship in vitreoretinal diseases and surgery at the Retina Associates/Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary/Harvard Medical School in Boston. He completed his ophthalmology residency at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, where he was named co-chief resident. Dr. Sanders completed his internship at Yale-New Haven Hospital, where he also received his medical degree.

Congratulations Dr. Sanders!

Frank A. Spellman, M.D., who retired from RGW in 2020 after providing eight years of exceptional patient care, was inducted into The Indispensable Role of Blacks (IRB) at Johns Hopkins University on June 17, 2021. A joint project between the Black Faculty and Staff Association and the Office of the President, IRB highlights the important ways in which people of color have helped shape Johns Hopkins, considered the first research university in the United States, and the institution’s vibrant multicultural background. Dr. Spellman was inducted into IRB as a Pioneering Retinal Surgeon and Gracious Mentor, one of 79 Black men and women honored since 2012 from all the schools within the university.

“I am honored and humbled to be inducted into Indispensable Role of Blacks at JHU project. Hopkins appeared to be part of my destiny at a very early age. At age 5, I received my first pet, a puppy named Halstead. My parents informed me that it was named after the first surgeon at Hopkins, because they anticipated that I would one day graduate from Hopkins and become a surgeon,” said Dr. Spellman, “Today, I hope to continue mentoring young doctors. My dream is to help establish a mentoring program which will link African American pre-meds at JHU, with African American medical students, residents, and faculty at Johns Hopkins Medical School.”

The son and grandson of physicians, Dr. Spellman attended Johns Hopkins as an undergraduate, secured his medical degree at the University of California San Francisco, served a residency in ophthalmology at Harvard, and completed a fellowship in retinal surgery at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. Upon his return to Washington, D.C., Dr. Spellman opened a private practice focusing on retinal diseases and surgery. He was the first African American in the country to initiate and sustain this type of practice.

This fall, RGW is proud to initiate the first annual “Frank A. Spellman, M.D. Lecture” as part of RGW’s annual Retinal Symposium.

In recognition of National Doctors’ Day, we wanted to highlight our amazing doctors! Thank you for your commitment to providing excellent patient care.

Did you know that your eye operates in much the same way as a camera? Just as the lens of a camera focuses entering light on a piece of film to produce a sharp image, the lens of your eye focuses light on the retina to form a picture that is then sent to the brain.

At this point in time the lens sharpens, and projects the light onto the inner layer, which is known as the retina. Your retina acts in much the same way as film in a conventional camera, with millions of photo-receptors, which are known as rods and cones translating the focused light into full-color visual information. However, the information received by the retina is an upside down image that requires up-righting.

To protect the health of your eyes and to enjoy optimal vision, it’s important to see your ophthalmologist for routine exams and care.

Over the past year, Americans have tried to avoid crowds and remain at home in an effort to comply with COVID-19 protocols and stay well. Equally important, however, is ensuring that ongoing and new medical needs are taken care of in a timely fashion. PBS recently aired a segment about the devastating consequences of delaying medical care during the pandemic for retina diseases like macular degeneration (AMD) and diabetic retinopathy (DR). Watch the video at PBS.org. Early and consistent treatment is critical, so don’t delay your appointments. RGW doctors are available and committed to helping you maintain your vision health now, throughout the pandemic, and beyond. Call (844) RGW-DOCS (749-3627) to schedule your appointment today.

On August 11, RGW’s Dr. Reshma Katira was interviewed by WERA 96.7-LP FM for their weekly program, Aging Matters. Dr. Katira discussed eye issues related to COVID-19, virus protection strategies, and eye care professional practice updates. Listen to Dr. Katira’s interview on the Aging Matters podcast here.

On June 24, RGW’s Dr. Gayatri Reilly was the keynote speaker in a BrightFocus Foundation Chat titled “Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)-Your Questions Answered.” Dr. Reilly provided updates on the latest AMD-related news for people living with AMD and their families. Listen to Dr. Reilly’s discussion and/or view the transcript here.

To all RGW patients and caregivers,

As our country continues to navigate the “new normal” of daily life during the COVID-19 pandemic, the physicians and staff at The Retina Group of Washington (RGW) would like to express our thanks to and admiration for all of our patients and their families.

We know that daily life is very challenging now, as routines are disrupted and we all try to adopt and remain vigilant about new health and safety guidelines. RGW continues to provide in-office care for all essential and urgent retinal needs, as well as tele-health appointments for those who cannot come to our offices. In most cases, you will see your regular RGW physician. Our appointment schedule and waiting rooms have been reconfigured to increase social distancing, and you have the option of waiting in your car until your appointment time. Additionally, our entire staff continues to utilize appropriate personal protective equipment and recommended sterilization techniques.

RGW is constantly impressed by how our patients and their caregivers are handling the challenges of today’s world. Your positive outlook, cooperation and confidence in all of us at RGW is an endless source of inspiration.

We are also grateful for the many expressions of thanks and appreciation we have received from our patients during these challenging times. The support and positive feedback you provide about your experiences with our practice, a recent example of which is below, motivate us to continue providing the highest level of healthcare possible:

“I would like to thank your group of physicians, nurses, and your entire support staff at RGW for their dedication, kindness, and professionalism. Especially the surgical skills of Dr. Do who literally returned my sight! Oftentimes, people who provide such crucial gifts to others go unappreciated. I am relishing my retirement and my enjoyment is almost entirely predicated upon my ability to view what my future life has in store. The importance of what you all do is not lost on me and I wanted to take this opportunity to provide you all a heartfelt “atta-boy”… for a job well done!”

The entire RGW team – physicians and staff alike – remain, as always, committed to your ongoing health and well-being. From all of us at RGW, our thanks for your continued support of our practice, and our very best wishes that you and your family remain safe and well.

Best,

Richard J. Donnelly, Chief Executive Officer, and the Physicians of RGW

RGW is proud that Dr. Jordana G. Fein co-hosted the July 8 professional webinar, “Photodynamic Therapy: A Look at How This Treatment Fits Into Today’s Retina Practice.” By sharing her extensive experience and expertise, Dr. Fein is helping U.S. ophthalmologists gain continuing medical education credits on this important topic and clinical advancement.

Dear RGW patients,

The Retina Group of Washington (RGW) is pleased to announce that all of our offices in D.C., Virginia and Maryland will resume regular hours, effective Monday, May 11.

Because the health of our patients, staff, doctors and community remain our top priority, RGW has implemented the following safety measures. These measures will remain in effect indefinitely during the COVID-19 pandemic to help ensure that RGW can continue to provide the highest quality of care possible:

• Phone Screenings: Every patient will receive a phone call prior to their appointment from an RGW staff member, who will ask a series of health-related questions to determine if the appointment can proceed.
• Social Distancing: RGW has re-configured its waiting rooms to accommodate social distancing guidelines. We ask that, unless a support person is required, patients arrive for their appointments alone.
• Temperature Monitoring: All RGW patients are required to have their temperature checked upon arrival by an RGW staff member.
• Face Coverings: All RGW patients are required to wear a face covering during their time in the RGW office. If a patient does not have a face covering, RGW will provide one to them.
• Personal Protective Equipment: All RGW staff and physicians are complying with best practice guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and wearing face masks and gloves. Additionally, RGW staff and physicians wash their hands between every appointment and have their temperatures checked daily.
• Cleaning Procedures: RGW has intensified its usual high-caliber cleaning procedures during the pandemic. Every exam room and all equipment are thoroughly disinfected between each appointment. All other office areas are also sanitized several times each day.
• Telehealth Appointments: Because we know that some RGW patients may be unable to come into our offices, we’re continuing to offer telehealth appointments with RGW physicians by phone, mobile device or computer. Almost all insurance companies are now covering telehealth appointments.

To reinforce our commitment to keeping you as safe as possible during the COVID-19 pandemic, while still providing you with exceptional eye care, we have included photos below showing how our offices are operating on a daily basis.

As always, and perhaps more than ever, RGW is your trusted eye care partner. We will continue to be here for all of your ophthalmologic needs, both during the pandemic and well afterwards. Please call (844) RGW-DOCS (749-3627) with any questions, or to make an appointment.

Thank you,
RGW Physicians

On March 3, PRISM Vision Group™, the largest vertically-integrated eyecare services organization in the Mid-Atlantic region, announced that RGW will become its newest partner.

RGW’s Dr. Reginald Sanders said “Medicine is changing around us, and over the past several years we have seen continued consolidation, particularly in the field of ophthalmology. For the past few years, RGW has explored the idea of strategically aligning with a leading growth-oriented administrative services organization to facilitate integration in our market. After a year-long search, we determined that PRISM Vision Group is the best organization to help us achieve our goals.”

“RGW has a long legacy of providing high-quality patient care,” stated Steven Madreperla, MD, PhD, President and CEO, PRISM Vision Group. “We are excited to combine our operational expertise with RGW’s talented management team and physician partners who share PRISM Vision Group’s focus on delivering the highest-level of patient care.”

PRISM and RGW expect to finalize the agreement by the end of March, at which time PRISM will work closely with RGW’s management team and physicians on strategic initiatives to support integration as well as organic growth, optimizing the network model, enhancing administrative processes and operating efficiencies, investing in clinical technologies and supporting the highest level of patient care.