K.V. Chalam, MD, Ph.D, MBA
Professor and Chair, Department of Ophthalmology
UF College of Medicine - Jacksonville
A visionary leader in patient care, education and research
Look no further than the University of Florida College of Medicine-Jacksonville for the highest standards in ophthalmology. K.V. Chalam, M.D., Ph.D., M.B.A., professor and chair of the department of ophthalmology, and his team consistently establish and raise benchmarks in patient care, education and research.
"We want to be No. 1 in everything we do and this cannot come without hard work," said Chalam. "We're always trying to get to the next level." A humble man who stresses teamwork, Chalam credits his faculty with building a department that has a national reputation for excellence. Clearly, he leads by example.
In 2000, Chalam was a faculty member in the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Columbia when former senior associate dean Louis S. Russo, M.D., recruited him to the UFCOM –J to head the department of ophthalmology and establish a residency program. Chalam recalled that the teaching hospital had just become Shands Jacksonville and its eye clinic saw 5,000 patients a year in two rooms in the Faculty Clinic. The department now treats 65,000 patients a year in 25 examination rooms in various locations on campus.
Chalam, who is also assistant dean for veterans affairs affiliations and program director of the ophthalmology residency, has a remarkable record of accomplishments in his decade with UF:
- Increased department faculty from one to 13
- Developed a 3-year Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education accredited ophthalmology residency program.
- Established what has become one of the country's most prestigious vitreo-retinal fellowships.
- Conducted significant clinical research, including using the proton beam for macular degeneration and manipulating retinal stem cell activity.
- Secured 10 grants totaling $1.6 million to study eye diseases.
- Established a training laboratory for new surgical procedures.
- Started programs in oculoplastics, contact lens placement, low vision aids services for adults and electrophysiology for children.
- Published more than 100 articles in medical journals, including five so far this year, with his faculty.
- Established a certified ophthalmic assistant program in collaboration with Florida State College at Jacksonville.
- Received numerous national awards, including the Pfizer Visiting Professorships in Ophthalmology Grant and the Senior Honor Award for Outstanding Contributions to the American Society of Retinal Specialists.
Reaching out to the VA
The Veterans Administration clinic had 800 ophthalmology visits in 2002 when Chalam walked across the street from the college of medicine to ask if they could use his services. Twelve months later, he was seeing 9,000 veterans a year in the VA eye clinic. The clinic has since moved to the UF campus to accommodate the current 25,000 visits per year. "They come from all over the country. They hear from the VA system that we have the best care," Chalam said, adding that his ophthalmology residents also benefit from the education they receive through the program.
An international reputation
A frequent lecturer worldwide, Chalam is also an invited examiner for the American Board of Ophthalmology; serves as ad hoc panel reviewer for the National Institutes of Health's research grants in ophthalmology; and chairs the Basic and Clinical Science Course Review Committee, Continuing Medical Education Division, American Academy of Ophthalmology.
Chalam said patients come from Florida and other states for his department's premier services, such as surgery for retinal diseases caused by diabetes, macular degeneration and procedures for infants with eye problems. Specialties delivered by his faculty include retinal degeneration implants, cornea disease, refractive surgery, glaucoma treatment, anterior segment surgery, ocular tumors, oculoplastic and orbital surgery, neuro-ophthalmology and electrophysiology. "All referrals come through word of mouth from the good work we do," he said, "No matter how much or little money people have, they will get the best quality care here."
Searching for cures
The department also is respected for its research. For example, Sandeep Grover, M.D., an assistant professor and associate program director of the ophthalmology residency, is one of three Florida researchers testing a protein-packed implant to limit cell deterioration in retinitis pigmentosa. The rare hereditary disease causes blindness and has no cure.
"Dr. Chalam is a skilled surgeon, excellent clinician, outstanding researcher and a great administrator," said Grover. "His endless energy motivates others in the department to work even harder."
Chalam is particularly gratified by watching his residents and faculty develop as exceptional ophthalmologists. He praised Robert C. Nuss, M.D., dean of the regional campus, for motivating him to excel in all of his responsibilities. "For the past 10 years he has been my role model," Chalam said of Nuss. "I try to use his philosophy in my work. He is straight-forward, honest and credible."
Nuss, in turn, applauds Chalam's contributions to the college of medicine: "Since his recruitment, Dr. Chalam has exceeded all expectations and his performance continues to be at the highest level in all aspects of academic leadership. His superb clinical acumen and efficiency have resulted in significant growth of the department of ophthalmology, as well as the creation of superb educational programs. In addition to being an excellent administrator, he is sought out by ophthalmologists around the world as a referral source for complicated ophthalmologic conditions."
Focused on training
Chalam chose ophthalmology because retinal disease was a new specialty in the late 1980s and he wanted to be in the forefront of its development. "This is a journey," he said, speculating on such advances as optic nerve regeneration and stem cell therapy.
Possessing a superior work ethic and self-discipline, Chalam received medical training in his native India, then again in Europe and the United States. "I'm the longest trained eye guy," he quipped, referring to his fellowships and multiple post-graduate degrees.
His academic credits include an M.S. in Ophthalmology from the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India; residency in ophthalmology at Catholic Medical Center, affiliate of Cornell University, N.Y.; M.D. from the University of the State of New York at Albany; M.B.A. from Webster University in St. Louis; Ph.D. in Molecular Biology from the University of South Carolina, Columbia; and the following fellowships: neuro-ophthalmology at the University of Texas Medical School, Houston; ocular oncology at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston; and vitreo-retinal surgery at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas. He also was an ophthalmology fellow at royal colleges in Canada and England.
Chalam's traits appear to be hereditary. Sunny, his 18-year-old son, is a freshman at the University of Pennsylvania in a dual degree program that awards an M.B.A. and engineering degree at the end of four years. Chalam's wife, Aruna, has a master's degree in computer sciences.
Work is fun
For relaxation, Chalam said, the fun starts at 1 p.m. every Sunday. Not kick-off or tee time, it's when he meets with his faculty in the lab to write papers. "My vocation is my avocation," he said. And it's fitting that the hobby he pursues in his rare free time, landscape photography, is visual.
Despite Chalam's awards, titles, achievements, publications and recognitions, he receives the most satisfaction from restoring a person's sight. "The most important thing to me is that my patients receive good care," he said. "At the end of the day, I'm a doctor. The best days are the ones when everyone sees well. That keeps me going."
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