James F. Hill, III, OD

Tala Kassm, D.O. is a board certified ophthalmologist sub-specializing in the treatment of glaucoma and cataracts. She joined the Department of Ophthalmology at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) in 2018 as a glaucoma fellow, honing her skills as a cataract surgeon while learning the fine details of glaucoma surgical and medical care. During her fellowship, she became femtosecond laser certified on the Catalys laser so that she can offer her patients laser assisted cataract surgery. She then decided to continue her career at MUSC as an attending physician and assistant professor. In her short time as the glaucoma fellow at MUSC, Dr. Kassm created and led the Glaucoma Support Group at the Storm Eye Institute as she has a passion for well-rounded patient care, offering her patients the opportunity to interact with each other as well as their physician in a relaxed environment while learning more about glaucoma. Prior to joining her colleagues at MUSC, Dr. Kassm earned her medical degree from A.T. Still University in Arizona. As a medical student, Dr. Kassm received the Outstanding Student Award and the Robert F. Crawford Scholastic Achievement Award which is only granted to one exceptional student in the graduating class for overall academic and clinical excellence. After obtaining her D.O. degree, she went on to complete her ophthalmology residency training at the University of Louisville School of Medicine in Louisville, Kentucky. During her residency, she developed a strong interest in educating fellow physicians about ophthalmology and delivered a wide variety of lectures to fellow physicians and medical students about ophthalmology. However, her greatest passion during her training was for learning and sharpening her skills as a cataract surgeon. During her residency alone, she performed hundreds of cataract surgeries, including surgeries using toric lenses to correct astigmatism and multifocal lenses to help patients gain independence from glasses. She has experience with monovision lenses, limbal relaxing incisions and LASIK. Since completing her training, she has performed over a thousand intraocular procedures.Dr. Kassm has thoroughly enjoyed dedicating her time and services to many community organizations such as the Storm Eye Sight Organization, West End Boys School Eye Screening Campaign, the Leukocoria Campaign in association with the Children’s Eye Foundation and Kentucky School for the Blind, Home of the Innocence, and Kendall Optometry Ministry, Inc. organizing and sorting glasses for those who cannot afford them.Not only does she have a robust dedication to both patient and physician education, but she also enjoys spending time with each of her patients in order to thoroughly explain their disease and treatment plan. Dr. Kassm is a precisely skilled surgeon who understands the importance of detail in such a field as ophthalmology.

Dr. Eric L. Berman joined the Storm Eye Institute as a clinical associate professor of ophthalmology in September 2017. He is a specialist in neuro-ophthalmology and oculoplastic surgery and is the director of the neuro-ophthalmology service at the Storm Eye Institute. He also is currently the Dr. William A. And Sandra F. Johnson endowed chair in neuro-ophthalmology. Dr. Berman relocated here from Sarasota, Florida, where he was in private practice for the previous 18 years. While there he served as a clinical associate professor of ophthalmology at the University of South Florida in Tampa, where he regularly gave lectures to the residents. Prior to that, he was in practice in Louisville, Kentucky, where he was clinical associate professor of ophthalmology and neurology at the University of Louisville. He also was a full-time faculty member in the departments of neurology and ophthalmology at the University of Rochester. Dr. Berman graduated with honors from the University of Chicago. He did his medical training at the State University of New York &- Downstate Medical Center. He also completed his ophthalmology residency at the State University of New York-Downstate Medical Center. He did fellowship training in neuro-ophthalmology, orbital and oculoplastic surgery at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Berman has been an active fellow in the North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society. He has spoken at national and international meetings and has authored numerous journal articles and chapters in medical textbooks. He is the co-author of the book MRI and CT, Clinical Neuro-Orbital Anatomy, published by the American Academy of Ophthalmology.

Dr. Jeremy Walz received his Doctorate of Optometry from the University of Alabama-Birmingham School of Optometry in 2009. He went on to complete a residency with an emphasis on ocular disease management at the Huntington VA Medical Center in Huntington, WV. He then received advanced fellowship training in traumatic brain injury vision rehabilitation at the Palo Alto VA Medical Center where he directed the Polytrauma Optometric Clinic for three years.Dr. Walz has served on the faculty at the Ohio State and University of California-Berkeley Schools of Optometry. He is a member of the American Optometric Association and a fellow in the American Academy of Optometry.