Providing excellence in eye care with a personal touch
Retina First
Strives to give our patients outstanding specialized retinal care while also providing a unique personal experience. We evaluate and treat a wide range of retinal diagnoses including macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy along with other vitreous and retinal disorders.
Meet the Doctor
Ingrid Zimmer-Galler, M.D.
Following undergraduate studies at Johns Hopkins University, Dr. Zimmer-Galler completed medical school at Tulane University where she was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha honor medical society. At the Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Medicine, she completed an internship in internal medicine followed by a residency program in ophthalmology. After a short term as faculty at the Mayo Clinic, Dr. Zimmer-Galler pursued fellowship training in medical and surgical retina at the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute and was then recruited to join their faculty. She served as Associate Professor of Ophthalmology and was the first Medical Director for the new Frederick satellite since 1999. Her early academic focus was on remote retinal imaging for diabetic retinopathy which led to a more than 20-year interest in telemedicine. She was on the Board of Directors for the American Telemedicine Association and became the first Executive Director of Telemedicine for the Johns Hopkins Medical Enterprise. After 26 years, she retired from Johns Hopkins/Wilmer in 2020 and founded Retina First in Mount Airy to better serve her local community in Frederick County. Dr. Zimmer-Galler specializes in the full spectrum of retinal vascular diseases and vitreoretinal surgery. Her research work has been extensively published and she has been an invited speaker at national and international meetings. She is a member of the Retina Society, the American Society of Retina Specialists, the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the American Telemedicine Association. In addition to being a renowned retina specialist, Dr. Zimmer-Galler is an accomplished pilot. She has made many contributions to flight safety and is a consultant for the Federal Aviation Administration and has served on the Board of Trustees for the Civil Aviation Medical Association. As a resident of Frederick County for more than 20 years, she now looks forward to expanding Retina First with a second office in Frederick.
Expertise
Diabetic Retinopathy, Macular Degeneration, Medical Diseases of the Retina, Ophthalmology, Plaquenil Screening, Central Serous Choroidopathy, Retinal Detachment
Degrees
BS, Johns Hopkins University (1985)
MD, Tulane University School of Medicine (1989)
Training
Internship: Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education / Internal Medicine (1990)
Residency: Mayo School of Graduate Medical Education / Ophthalmology (1993)
Fellowship: Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University / Medical and Surgical Retina (1996)
Board Certifications
American Board of Ophthalmology (1994, 2004, 2014)
Our Services
Intravitreal injections and laser treatment for various retinal diseases and conditions
Fluorescein angiography
Optical coherence tomography (OCT)
Optomap imaging
Ultrasound
Visual field testing
Visit Us At Two Locations
1502 South Main St, Suite 305
Mount Airy MD, 21771.
And
87 Thomas Johnson Drive, Suite 102
Frederick, MD 21702.
Hours
Monday–Friday
8am–5pm
Phone
(301) 703-8856