Residency-trained in Low Vision at the San Diego VA, optometrist Smit Patel anchors Point Loma hours on Midway Drive in the Midway District. Marshall B. Ketchum University schooling and UCSD undergraduate work frame the exam protocol, which routes systemic findings — diabetic retinopathy signs, hypertensive vessel changes — to Laura Williams Wayne, MD at FocusHealth Point Loma for medical follow-through. The low-vision specialty training means the practice handles macular degeneration, retinitis pigmentosa, and post-stroke visual field loss using magnification aids, contrast-enhancing tints, and telescopic spectacle fittings. Functional acuity below 20/70 correlates with elevated fall risk, so adaptation plans pair with the gait and balance conditioning run at RISE Physical Therapy for patients whose ophthalmic status changes how they walk. Lions Club volunteer history and rotations through the Center for the Partially Sighted in Santa Monica shape a workflow comfortable with assistive-technology referrals and community vision resources. The most complex appointments run a full low-vision evaluation — functional acuity, contrast sensitivity, and prescription of electronic magnifiers or bioptic telescopes for patients transitioning out of legal-driving vision.