Today we’d like to introduce you to Michael Struck.
Hi Michael, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Before moving to Florida in 2024, my career was academic ophthalmology, at the University of Wisconsin Madison (for 25 yrs) and University of Missouri Kansas City and Children’s Mercy Hospital. My particular surgical subspecialty is eye alignment disorders and double vision (strabismus). I led residency and fellowship training programs in pediatric ophthalmology and surgical strabismus at both institutions. At these institutions, I had extensive experience and was involved in research, education, program quality and improvement, and of course clinical excellence and patient care. In 2021, i pursued an MBA in healthcare administration further expanded my perspective, and shortly after this, as a professor emeritus in ophthalmology, i sought out the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream of living closer to the water, in the tropical vibrant community of Tampa Florida. The Tampa medical community has been extremely welcoming, and in particular need of the type of subspecialty surgical eyecare that has been at the center of my career expertise. My practice is a based on referrals for this unique problem and has grown quickly and now serves not just the 5 county area around Tampa but as far as Pensacola to Miami.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The challenges that i have encountered particularly in the last decade, fall into 6 categories.
1) Clinical overload: Over the last ten years, academic medical centers (particularly not-for-profit) have increasingly shifted toward a corporate, productivity-driven model. The expectation is to maintain heavy patient volumes and surgical schedules to keep departments financially viable, leaving little “protected time” for education and innovation.
2) Hyper-competitive research funding: This has pushed academic physicians into long periods of financial dependency. Along with increase bureaucracy- strict compliance requirements and Institutional Review Boards (IRBs) creating added layers of administrative work (primarily after-hours).
3) Erosion of time for mentoring and education: The explosion of Electronic Health Record (EHR) requirements and insurance authorizations created a “data entry” requirement that fundamentally reshaped the role, time requirements and particularly opportunity in teaching.
4) The income gap: academic surgical salaries have struggled to keep pace with inflation over the past decade, and in most cases have precipitously declined. This was particularly true during COVID and did not recover. Creating a work/life balance crisis.
5) Moral Injury: and this one is a huge issue. Moral Injury: the distress of knowing what care a patient needs but being prevented from providing it due to institutional constraints, staffing shortages, or bureaucratic red tape.
6) Demographic and Pay Disparities: structural, programatic and institutional gaps that create a major hurdle for career advancement.
I can provide couple of anecdotes if that is helpful.
As you know, we’re big fans of Strabismus Surgeons of Tampa. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Strabismus Surgeons of Tampa is a highly specialized medical practice that occupies a unique niche in the regional healthcare market, alignment cases often require highly technical care that standard community ophthalmologists do not provide. The practice is known as a dedicated, specialized center for complex ocular alignment needs. We concentrate specifically on structural, muscular, and neurological alignment issues. We provide services that are truly specialized on referral from other medical care personnel, particularly when options in treatment have been exhausted, we have a facility equipped with specialized diagnostic and treatment options. Strabismus Surgeons of Tampa stands out by keeping its focus tightly trained on eye alignment, making them a key regional destination for intricate corrective muscle surgeries.
THE SEARCH problem: Because adult strabismus specialists are notoriously rare, patients frequently talk about the immense anxiety of searching for help before finding this practice. Many have faced a long string of dead ends from general eye doctors or insurance directories.One patient, Cynthia C., highlighted this exact struggle in a 2026 review:”Finding a strabismus surgeon felt like hitting one brick wall after another. Even my insurance representative was at a loss after contacting eight different offices without success. I was reaching a point of real distress until I finally found your name… At my age, facing double vision and the potential loss of my driving privileges was incredibly frightening.”
THE OUTCOME ISSUE: The brand isn’t just about standard clinical outcomes; it is about restoring daily functional independence. Reviewers heavily emphasize the life-altering results of having their double vision or misalignment corrected—particularly reclaiming the ability to work, read, or drive safely.As Cynthia noted after her procedure: “Thanks to your expertise, I am focusing clearly and—most importantly—I am back behind the wheel!… Thank you again for giving me my normalcy back.”
THE ART OF MEDICINE: While Dr. Struck expanded his specialized practice to Tampa, his multi-decade history as a professor and fellowship director yields deep perspective from long-term patients. Parents and grown patients consistently emphasize his gentle, unhurried demeanor with children.
A review from a parent whose child required surgery highlights how the practice minimizes the trauma of medical procedures for families:
“He did my daughter’s eye surgery, did wonderful work, and allowed me to stay with her until she fell asleep. Then we were brought to her before she woke up. Such an amazing experience and he explained every step and updated us frequently… His bedside manner more than made up for any delay! So great with kids!”
Another patient who saw him throughout their youth noted, “Saw Dr. Struck all throughout my childhood and he was one of the most patient, kind, and helpful doctors that I’ve ever had.”
In a nutshell: “Strabismus Surgeons of Tampa” brand is built on trust, extreme clinical relief, and high-stakes problem-solving. Patients view the clinic not just as a medical office, but as a crucial safety net that handles the frightening, specialized vision issues that other doctors turn away.
Any big plans?
I would potentially look at 3 opportunities for growth:
1 Champion the Private-Academic Hybrid Model
Having dealt with the exact clinical overloads and bureaucratic pressures that face modern academic medicine, position myselft to build a “best of both worlds” model in Tampa.
• The Move: Establish the private practice as a community-based teaching site. By offering rotations for residents or fellows from local institutions (like USF Health), the practice can maintain its dedication to education without being weighed down by university administrative red tape.
2) the adult patient market is experiencing a massive, underserved crisis. As patient reviews show, adults with sudden double vision face terrifying delays trying to find a surgeon who accepts their insurance and feels competent doing complex reoperations. The Move: Launch a highly targeted marketing and clinical campaign focused exclusively on adult diplopia, thyroid eye disease, and fixing failed childhood strabismus surgeries.
3) Very hopeful for this: Dr. Struck’s nonprofit work providing free eye surgeries in Central America is a powerful differentiator that speaks to the “heart” of the brand. The Move: Expand the philanthropic mission locally. Establish a local chapter or specialized clinic days in Tampa to provide pro-bono or subsidized alignment surgeries for underinsured families in West Central Florida.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://strabismussurgeonstampa.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61580448604666
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/strabismus-surgeons-of-tampa-tampa
