EYE SPECIALTY GROUP - Key Persons
Dr. Kirk received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Bethel College in North Newton, Kansas, and graduated from the Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, TN. with honors and other accolades pertaining to outstanding patient care and contact lens services. She completed her Ocular Disease residency at the Memphis Veteran Affairs Medical Center with an emphasis on diabetic eye disease, glaucoma, and vision correction consultations.
Joining Eye Specialty Group in 2019, Dr. Kirk manages Cataract, Cornea, and Lasik patients pre and post-operatively. Dr. Kirk sees patients in our Collierville and Memphis offices.
Andrew Crothers, M.D. is passionate about helping you achieve your best possible vision. A partner at Eye Specialty Group and medical director of Ridge Lake Ambulatory Surgery Center, Dr. Crothers is board certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, Tennessee Medical Association, Mississippi Medical Association, and the Memphis Medical Society.
He earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Illinois, where he was inducted into the prestigious Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society. He received his medical degree from Southern Illinois University and completed his ophthalmology residency at Virginia Commonwealth University, where he was named chief resident and recognized for his contributions. He then completed a fellowship in advanced medical and surgical care of the cornea and laser refractive surgery at the University of San Diego, where he served as a clinical instructor in the department of ophthalmology.
Dr. Crothers has performed thousands of successful eye surgeries and specializes in LASIK, advanced forms of cornea transplantation, and blade-free laser cataract surgery using the latest lifestyle lenses.
Job Titles:
- Emeritus
- Member of the American Medical Association
- Ophthalmologist Memphis
Andrew Mark Krauss, M.D. (Emeritus) received his medical degree from George Washington University Medical School in Washington, DC, graduating as a member of Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society in 1987. He completed his internship at Yale University-affiliated Danbury Hospital in Danbury, Connecticut.
He served his residency at the Nassau County Medical Center. Upon completing a retinal fellowship at the Vitreoretinal Foundation, he joined its staff in 1993. He became a partner of this group in 1995.
Dr. Krauss served as Clinical Instructor in Ophthalmology at the University of Tennessee Center for Health Sciences. Some of Dr. Krauss' particular interests include medical and surgical treatment of vitreoretinal diseases, particularly in diabetic eye disease and surgical repair of ocular trauma.
Before beginning his medical education, Dr. Krauss was a professional musician.
Dr. Krauss is a member of the American Medical Association, the American Society of Retina Specialists, the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Tennessee Medical Association, and the Memphis Medical Society.
Job Titles:
- Member of the American Society of Cataract
- Ophthalmologist Memphis
Brian Smith brought his passion for optimal patient care to the Memphis, Mid-South area from Chicago, IL, where he practiced as a cataract and refractive surgeon for over 20 years.
He received his undergraduate from Carlton College, Northfield, MD, and his Doctor of Medicine from Washington University, St. Louis, MO. Dr. Smith attended the University of Cincinnati for his Residency and Northwestern University Evanston Hospital for his Transitional Internship.
Dr. Smith is a member of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons, the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Diplomat, American Board of Ophthalmology.
Job Titles:
- General Optometry and Cataract Co - Management
Dr. Chu attended the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville, AR, and received his Doctorate of Optometry degree from Southern College of Optometry in Memphis.
He was in private practice in West Helena, Arkansas, before joining Eye Specialty Group in 2019.
Dr. Chu continues to see patients in the West Helena clinic and co-manages with the physicians at Eye Specialty Group along with other ophthalmology clinics.
Dr. Fingerhut, a partner with Eye Specialty Group, is a board certified ophthalmologist and Fellow of the American College of Surgeons specializing in medical and surgical retinal diseases. He obtained his B.A. with honors in Globalization from the College of Arts and Sciences at Indiana University. He has a post-baccalaureate in Biology, Physics, and Organic Chemistry from City College/City University of New York, NY. Dr. Fingerhut attended medical school at Indiana School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN. He then did his internship at New York Hospital in Queens, NY and his residency in Ophthalmology at Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine in the Bronx, NY. After residency, Dr. Fingerhut completed his two year medical and surgical fellowship in retina at Eye Specialty Group/Vitreoretinal Foundation in Memphis, TN. Dr. Fingerhut is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Society of Retinal Surgeons.
Dr. Fingerhut has several publications, including Photodynamic Therapy With or Without Intravitreal Bevacizumab for Polypoidal Chroroidal Vasculopath: Two Years of Follow Up. American Journal of Ophthalmology 2013. Cognitive Impairment in AMD, Ophthalmology 2013. Vitreomacular Adhesion and Neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration, Survey of Ophthalomology, 2014.
Dr. Fingerhut was in private practice in Raleigh, NC before returning to Memphis and joining Eye Specialty Group. He resides in Memphis with his wife and daughter.
Job Titles:
- Adjunct Professor at the Southern College of Optometry
- Eye Doctor Memphis / Dennis E. Mathews, O.D.
Dr. Mathews is an adjunct professor at the Southern College of Optometry in Memphis and a member of the Optometric Glaucoma Society.
Desirae Brinkley, OD is a native of Alamo, Tennessee. She received her undergraduate from the University of Memphis and graduated Cum Laude from the University of the Incarnate Word Rosenberg School of Optometry, in San Antonio, Texas. She completed her Ocular Disease residency from Southern Eye Associates, in Memphis, Tennessee, under the direct supervision of a mentor, Catherine Schanzer, M.D. Dr. Brinkley is a Consultative Optometrist with an emphasis on premium cataract surgery, refractive surgery and is Director of the Dry Eye clinic, at Eye Specialty Group.
Dr. Brinkley is a proud Memphis Tiger, an avid Memphis Grizzlies fan, and is the mom to two adorable fur babies, Sadie, a German Shepard, and Sebastian a King Charles spaniel.
Dr. Shermita Mitchell graduated from the University of Tennessee at Martin with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a minor in Psychology. She received her optometry degree from Western University College of Optometry in Pomona, California. Her clinical rotations included training in primary care, contact lenses, ocular surgery management, low vision, and ocular disease. She then completed her Residency in Primary Care with an emphasis in Ocular Disease at The Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, TN. Dr. Mitchell is a member of American Optometric Association and Tennessee Association of Optometric Physicians.
She was born and raised in Moscow, TN and now resides in Memphis. Outside the office she enjoys music, traveling, and spending time with family and friends.
Dr. Mitchell primarily focuses on retina management and sees patients at our Memphis and Collierville locations.
Job Titles:
- Eye Doctor Memphis / Henry G. McQuirter, O.D.
- Fellow of the American College of Optometric Physicians
Before joining Eye Specialty Group as a partner in 2006, he served as Director of the Memphis Eye Associates, the Director of Research of the Eye Care Center of the Mid-South. In addition, he was appointed the co-director of the Mid-South Glaucoma and Cataract Foundation. For the past 15 years, Dr. McQuirter served as Director of Research and Anterior Segment Disease of EyeTech of Memphis. He has participated in over forty investigational drug studies involving the treatment of ocular disease.
Dr. McQuirter is a fellow of the American College of Optometric Physicians and is board certified in Therapeutic Pharmaceutical Agents, Tennessee Board of Healing Arts.
James A. Savage, M.D. received a B.A. in Chemistry from Northwestern University and his medical degree from the University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio. He completed his internship at Baylor University Medical Center and his residency in ophthalmology at Ohio State University Hospitals in Columbus, Ohio, where he served as Chief Resident from 1978 to 1979.
Dr. Savage completed a clinical fellowship in glaucoma at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary at Harvard Medical School and has been in private practice for 40 years.
Dr. Savage has served on the faculties of Ohio State University Hospital, the University of Texas- Southwestern Medical School, and the Medical University of South Carolina. He is a Fellow of both the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Glaucoma Society. He has received the American Academy of Ophthalmology Honor Award and Senior Achievement Award. He has served as an instructor at numerous American Academy of Ophthalmology meetings since 1984 and has been a lecturer at numerous national and international glaucoma meetings. He is on the committees responsible for the educational services provided by the Academy. He has been a Journal Peer Reviewer for five ophthalmological publications since 1986 and, in 2004, was awarded a patent on a method and apparatus for the treatment of glaucoma.
After a successful career in amateur golf, he became a rules official for national and international competitions. In the off-season, he makes scale military models for veterans.
He and his wife, Mary, with their two daughters live in Memphis.
Job Titles:
- Clinical Associate Professor in Ophthalmology at the University of Tennessee Center for Health Sciences
- Ophthalmologist Memphis
John Lars Elfervig, M.D. (Emeritus), received his medical degree from Louisiana State University Medical Center (LSUMC) in New Orleans. He completed his internship and residency in Ophthalmology at Confederate Memorial Medical Center (now LSUMC) in Shreveport. In addition to completing a fellowship in Vitreoretinal Surgery at the Vitreoretinal Foundation (now the Eye Specialty Group) in Memphis, Tennessee, he completed post-graduate studies in External and Corneal Disease and Oculoplastics training. Dr. Elfervig has been associated with Eye Specialty Group since 1976. During this time, he has also been associated with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, working with Dr. Charles Pratt on children with Retinoblastoma.
Dr. Elfervig was appointed Clinical Associate Professor in Ophthalmology at the University of Tennessee Center for Health Sciences by Dr. Roger Hiatt in 1991. He has been a Fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology since 1978. His professional memberships include the American Society of Retina Specialists, the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Memphis Eye Society, the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology, the Memphis-Shelby County Medical Society, the Tennessee Medical Association, and the Southern Medical Association.
John Linn, M.D., a Chicago native, received his undergraduate and medical degrees from Vanderbilt University. He completed his residency training in ophthalmology at the Eye Foundation Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama.
He also completed a retinal fellowship at the Vitreoretinal Foundation in Memphis, Tennessee, serving as Chief of Surgery since 1985. In addition, Dr. Linn served as Clinical Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine. His professional memberships include the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, the Retina Society, and the American Medical Association. He is board-certified in ophthalmology.
Dr. Linn's special interests include the medical and surgical management of vitreoretinal pathologies, glaucoma, cataracts, and refractive surgery. He has served as the VRFESG Fellowship Training program director and has participated in several clinical trials, including the landmark DCCT study.
Subba Gollamudi, M.D. Dr. Gollamudi is a native Memphian who earned his medical degree from Yale University Medical School and completed his ophthalmology residency at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins Hospital in Maryland. He completed a corneal fellowship at the Bascom Palmer Institute in Miami and received advanced training in laser, surgical and medical treatment of diseases of the cornea. He did additional research work at the University of Tennessee Medical School at Memphis.
Dr. Gollamudi's professional memberships include the International Society for Refractive Keratoplasty, American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Medical Association, Tennessee Medical Association, Tennessee Academy of Ophthalmology, and Memphis and Shelby County Medical Society.
Dr. Gollamudi's special interests, other than the cornea and its related conditions, include state-of-the-art laser vision correction and refractive surgery, cataract surgery, glaucoma management, and laser treatment of diabetic eye diseases.