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Eye Surgeons Look At New Building

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By KENNETH KNIGHT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 9, 2008

TEMPLE TERRACE - In hopes of finding quieter surroundings, an eye surgeon's practice on Fowler Avenue is building new offices a few blocks away on 56th Street.

Retina Vitreous Associates of Florida has hired Titan Custom Builders to construct a 6,000-square-foot office on a vacant lot bordered by live oaks at Gibson Avenue and 56th Street, which is between Fowler and Fletcher avenues.

"We are moving off Fowler because it's too crazy on that road," said Pam Pautler, the associates' administrator.

The new office will be a mile north of the associates' location at 5208 E. Fowler Ave., Suite A, a busy stretch of road two blocks east of the University of South Florida campus.

The two surgeons in the office, Scott Pautler and Karina Billiris-Findlay, will move their practices to the new building by early next year.

Scott Pautler is a board-certified ophthalmologist who specializes in diseases of the retina and vitreous and performs surgery at University Community Hospital, according to the associates' Web site. He is a clinical associate professor at the University of South Florida. Scott Pautler and Pam Pautler are siblings.

Billiris-Findlay began her practice in 1997, according to the Web site. She completed her ophthalmology residency at USF and her retina fellowship with Retina Vitreous Associates of Florida. She also performs surgery at University Community Hospital.

The doctors tend to patients with retinal conditions and diseases such as diabetes and macular degeneration.

Phil Dumas, the building contractor, said July 2 that he expects to start construction within two weeks.

Dumas said the building was designed by architect Mike Gordon of Mount Dora, and Chris Weddle of Aurora Civil Engineering in Brandon worked with city of Temple Terrace planners on the site plan.

"A lot of planning was put into saving as many trees as possible," Dumas said.

In addition to the location on Fowler Avenue, Retina Vitreous Associates has a practice at 2705 W. St. Isabel St. in South Tampa and offices in St. Petersburg and Clearwater.

Dumas, the building contractor, said his longtime friendship with one of the associates' partners, Steve Cohen, helped save his father's eyesight and eventually led to him getting the job to build the new office.

Dumas said his father, Phil Sr., who lives in Wisconsin, was probably a year from losing his sight because of diabetes when he brought him to Florida for an appointment with Cohen.

Reporter Kenneth Knight can be reached at (813) 865-4842 or kknight@tampatrib.com.

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