Duke Eye Center

What Duke Eye Center does

Duke Eye Center is the ophthalmology specialty division of Duke University Health System, a nonprofit academic medical center affiliated with Duke University. Founded as part of Duke University Medical Center in 1965 and headquartered in Durham, North Carolina, the center delivers comprehensive specialty eye care including diagnosis, surgery, and non-surgical treatment across corneal disease, retinal disease, glaucoma, eye cancer, cataract, dry eye, vision correction (LASIK, PRK, ICL, CLE), pediatric ophthalmology, and low vision rehabilitation. It operates across multiple clinic locations serving the Triangle area of North Carolina (Raleigh, Durham, and surrounding communities) with approximately 237 employees.

The center's clinical technology stack centers on advanced ophthalmic diagnostic imaging (fundus photography, optical coherence tomography) and dedicated surgical suites equipped for eye surgery with specialized anesthesiologist and nursing support. Patient-facing technology includes the My Duke Health (MyChart) portal for online appointment scheduling, health record access, and care management, with mobile applications available on iOS and Android. The center maintains active clinical research programs, including gene therapy for inherited retinal diseases, and its physicians hold leadership roles in professional ophthalmology societies.

Duke Eye Center generates revenue through fee-for-service patient care billed to insurance providers and self-pay patients, with no publicly disclosed pricing or contracted revenue figures. Patient acquisition occurs through a combination of direct-to-consumer channels (MyChart self-scheduling, phone scheduling at 919-681-3937, social media), intra-network physician referrals within Duke Health, and external referring physicians. The center ranked 7th nationally in ophthalmology by U.S. News & World Report for 2025-2026, making it the highest-ranked ophthalmology program in North Carolina, and functions as part of an integrated academic health system with revenue reinvested into research, education, and patient care infrastructure.

Name

Duke Eye Center

Legal name

Duke University Health System

Website

https://dukeeye.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Duke Eye Center is the ophthalmology specialty division of Duke University Health System, providing comprehensive eye care across the Triangle region of North Carolina. It ranks 7th nationally in ophthalmology and offers diagnostic, surgical, and rehabilitative services to adult and pediatric patients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ophthalmology Services

NAICS

Offices of Physicians (62111)

SIC

Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011)

akta.pro primary industry

Ophthalmology Clinics (Medical & Surgical Eye Care) (HLAKAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ophthalmology Surgery Centers (HLAFAIAF), Retina & Vitreous Specialists (HLAKAKAE), Glaucoma Specialists (HLAKAKAG), Cornea, External Disease & Refractive Surgery (LASIK/PRK) (HLAKAKAF), Oculoplastics & Orbital Surgery (HLAKAKAI)

Keywords

• Ophthalmology services
• Eye care treatments
• Vision correction surgery
• Retinal disease treatment
• Cataract surgery

Headquarters

HQ city

Durham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Patient Care Services: Healthcare services revenue from diagnosing and treating full range of eye conditions including corneal disease, retinal disease, glaucoma, eye cancer, and others. Services include diagnostic testing, surgical procedures, and non-surgical treatments billed to patients and insurance providers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Duke Eye Center provides specialty ophthalmology care for the full range of eye conditions, including diagnosis and treatment of corneal disease, retinal disease, glaucoma, eye cancer, cataracts, dry eye, eye movement disorders, eye stroke, ocular immunology, optic nerve disorders, and uveitis. Services span advanced diagnostics (fundus photography, OCT), surgical and non-surgical treatments (LASIK, PRK, ICL, CLE, cataract, corneal transplant, retinal detachment repair, gene therapy, oculoplastic surgery), pediatric ophthalmology, low vision rehabilitation, and urgent eye care. Care is delivered through multiple clinic locations in the Triangle area of North Carolina and accessed via MyChart online scheduling.

Product overview

Duke Eye Center is a comprehensive ophthalmology specialty care provider within the Duke Health system, offering a unified portfolio of eye care services. The center provides diagnostic, surgical, and non-surgical treatments for the full spectrum of eye conditions through specialized service modules including corneal disease treatments, retinal disease services, vision correction surgery (LASIK, PRK, ICL, CLE), cataract surgery, glaucoma management, cosmetic/oculoplastic surgery, and low vision rehabilitation. The center utilizes advanced imaging technology including fundus photography and OCT for diagnosis, and serves patients through the My Duke Health (MyChart) patient portal for scheduling and access. Pediatric ophthalmology services are also available through a dedicated subspecialty program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Duke Eye Center: Specialized ophthalmology and eye care services including diagnosis and treatment of corneal disease, retinal disease, glaucoma, eye cancer, and vision correction procedures.

Products and services

• Comprehensive Ophthalmology Services Specialty ophthalmology care encompassing diagnosis, surgical, and non-surgical treatments for the full range of eye conditions in adults, delivered across Duke Health clinic locations in the Triangle area of North Carolina.
• Corneal Disease Treatments Medical and surgical treatments for corneal diseases, including corneal transplant surgery (keratoplasty), for patients with corneal conditions.
• Retinal Disease Services Specialized care for retinal conditions including diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, retinal detachments, and gene therapy for inherited retinal diseases.
• Vision Correction Surgery Surgical vision correction options including LASIK, photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), clear lens extraction (CLE), implantable Collamer lens (ICL) surgery, and specialty contact lenses for patients seeking to correct refractive errors.
• Cataract Surgery Surgical removal and treatment of cataracts to restore vision clarity for patients with cataract-related vision impairment.
• Glaucoma Management Diagnosis and ongoing treatment for glaucoma to prevent optic nerve damage and vision loss.
• Cosmetic and Oculoplastic Surgery Procedures including blepharoplasty, facial rejuvenation, and oculoplastics for functional and cosmetic purposes around the eyes.
• Low Vision Rehabilitation Program Dedicated program staffed by occupational therapists who use a variety of equipment and assistive technology to maximize quality of life for patients with vision impairment.
• Pediatric Ophthalmology Specialized eye care services for children addressing conditions affecting young patients and developmental vision issues.
• Urgent Eye Care Emergency eye care services for urgent conditions such as ocular trauma, infections, acute visual problems, and other ocular emergencies.
• Dry Eye Treatment Diagnosis and treatment for dry eye conditions to improve eye comfort and health.
• Eye Cancer Care Specialized oncology care for eye cancers and related conditions.
• Advanced Imaging Technology (Fundus Photography and OCT) State-of-the-art diagnostic imaging including fundus photography and optical coherence tomography (OCT) devices used by ophthalmologists to take detailed pictures of the eye for accurate diagnosis and treatment planning.
• My Duke Health (MyChart) Patient Portal Online platform for returning patients to schedule appointments, access health records, and manage their care, with new patient online scheduling available for some providers.

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Casey Eye Institute: OHSU's Casey Eye Institute is an academic ophthalmology center offering the full range of subspecialty services with a research-intensive model, comparable in scale and structure to Duke Eye Center and competing in the same top-10 national ranking tier.
• Massachusetts Eye and Ear: Harvard-affiliated specialty hospital consistently ranked among the top 5 ophthalmology programs nationally, Massachusetts Eye and Ear operates with the same academic medical center model and competes directly for complex cases, research grants, and faculty recruitment.
• Bascom Palmer Eye Institute: Ranked #1 nationally in ophthalmology, Bascom Palmer is the closest academic peer — comprehensive subspecialty services, advanced surgical suites, research-driven care, and a similar academic medical center model that competes for complex cases, faculty, and research funding.
• Wills Eye Hospital: Affiliated with Thomas Jefferson University and consistently ranked among the top 2 ophthalmology programs nationally, Wills Eye is a direct academic peer offering the same comprehensive subspecialty ophthalmology services and competing for U.S. News rankings, complex cases, and faculty.
• Emory Eye Center: Emory University's academic ophthalmology center in the Southeast offers comprehensive subspecialty services and competes directly with Duke Eye Center for regional patient referrals, faculty, and ranking position.
• Wilmer Eye Institute: Johns Hopkins' Wilmer Eye Institute is a top-3 nationally ranked academic ophthalmology program with comparable comprehensive subspecialty offerings, research intensity, and academic pipeline — directly competing for clinical reputation and complex referrals.
• Vanderbilt Eye Institute: Vanderbilt's academic ophthalmology program offers comprehensive subspecialty care within a major academic health system, serving a similar Southeast catchment and competing for complex cases, faculty, and ranking visibility.
• Cole Eye Institute: Cleveland Clinic's Cole Eye Institute offers comprehensive subspecialty ophthalmology care within a major academic health system, with a similar integrated care model and competing for top-10 U.S. News rankings and complex case referrals.
• Kellogg Eye Center: University of Michigan's Kellogg Eye Center is a comprehensive academic ophthalmology program with similar subspecialty breadth, research capabilities, and academic pipeline — a direct peer in size, scope, and national ranking tier.
• Stein Eye Institute: UCLA-affiliated academic ophthalmology center with comprehensive subspecialty care, advanced imaging, and a research-driven model — a comparable academic peer competing for U.S. News rankings and complex case referrals on the West Coast.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/DukeHealth
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/Dukemedicine
• Facebookfacebook.com/dukehealth
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/duke-eye-center
• Instagraminstagram.com/dukehealth

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Duke Eye Center