Getting to Know Gulf Coast Eye Institute
When Dr. Victor Gonzalez was looking to establish his first practice (Valley Retina Institute), he searched for a region of the country where he could maximize his skills as a surgeon and clinical researcher. Dr. Gonzalez eventually stumbled upon some research out of Houston that showed a higher than average number of people developing diabetes in the Rio Grande Valley region of Texas. This region also showed an increased incidence of blindness. “Interestingly, other parts of the country we’re seeing the same increase in diabetes but not the same increase in diabetic-related blindness,” said Dr. Gonzalez, who ascertained that the reason had to do with lack of access to retina care and clinical research in the Valley region.
Dr. Gonzalez set his sights on southern Texas as a result of his findings. “I had a real interest in developing a retina program to help combat the blindness that was unnecessarily occurring in the region and also in establishing a research program committed to raising awareness and reversing the trend,” said Dr. Gonzalez. So he got to work developing his practice, the Valley Retina Institute. To this day, Valley Retina Institute works in tandem with Gulf Coast Eye Institute to enable Dr. Gonzalez and the whole team to continue advancing retina research and treatment. Over the years, both of these practices have decreased the incidence of diabetes-related blindness by focusing on cutting edge research, screenings, and treatments.
Over the years, Dr. Gonzalez has systematically grown Valley Retina Institute and Gulf Coast Eye Institute: the thriving multi-location, multi-specialty practice that it is today. By combining the esteemed expertise of the Valley Retina Institute with the general eye care and laser vision correction offered at Gulf Coast Eye Institute, we believe we have created a practice you can wholeheartedly trust with your eye care.
Dr. Gonzalez has recruited the field’s best talent and has in place a powerhouse team of vision specialists to serve the generations of families who live in the Rio Grande Valley region of Texas as well as those who travel from across the border for vision care. Dr. Gonzalez is constantly looking to the future of Gulf Coast Eye Institute.
