About Dr. Erin Seefeldt

Dr. Erin Seefeldt, MD is a board certified comprehensive ophthalmologist with advanced expertise in refractive and cataract surgery. With more than a decade of experience and thousands of procedures performed, she brings a steady, highly skilled approach to every patient and every decision. She completed her medical training through the military health system, including medical school at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and ophthalmology residency at Madigan Army Medical Center, then served as Assistant clinical professor where she trained and coached surgeons. Today, she continues to teach the next generation of Washington Ophthalmologists as an Associate Clinical Professor for the University of Washington while providing modern, patient focused care at Evergreen Eye Center in Federal Way, serving patients from Shelton to Seattle. Recognized as a ‘Top Doctor’ in the South Sound, Dr. Seefeldt loves her work and connecting with her patients. 

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A commitment to education. To be able to teach surgery is an honor. Dr. Seefeldt has always had a passion for learning. Teaching fellow doctors in clinic and surgery keeps her on the forefront of innovation and fosters an appreciation for the learning process and the awe of surgery. The beginners mindset in experienced hands is an awesome thing. She is currently an Associate Clinical Professor for the University of Washington.

A servant leader. Doctor Seefeldt is a Retired Army Colonel. During her 24 years of service she traveled and served in many places around the world with amazing people. The leadership experiences of leading a platoon, deployments and operating in challenging conditions, have given her an understanding of the complexity and nuance of leading teams of all types. She loves caring for fellow veterans and hopes she never has to jump out of a plane again.

Dr. Seefeldt is committed to global ophthalmology. Among the most rewarding of her experiences was providing cataract surgery and training surgeons in South America and the Caribbean. Providing surgery in underserved areas of the world is reinvigorating. She has had the opportunity to learn from and train amazing surgeons and colleagues around the world. Sharing her 20+ years of leadership and 10+ years of surgical experience, she helped provide thousands of cataract surgeries to those in need.

When not in clinic or the OR Dr. Seefeldt enjoys hiking and kayaking with her family, friends and dogs. On quiet or rainy days art and painting are her joy, a creative outlet and balance to the detail required of microsurgery and healthcare.

Why Eye Surgery?

A journey of purpose and connection

Patients often ask why I became an ophthalmologist. During medical school, I rotated through many specialties and genuinely enjoyed most of them. At one point, I was convinced I would choose orthopedic surgery. Then I started my ophthalmology rotation and everything became clear.

I realized how deeply vision shapes quality of life, safety, and independence. I listened to artists describe how vision makes their creativity possible, and grandparents share how much it matters to see their grandkids and watch their games. I met people who wanted to stay active, keep up with hobbies, and continue doing what they love. Protecting and improving vision can reduce falls and support better health across the lifespan.

I love partnering with people to protect their sight, reach their vision goals, and feel confident in the care they receive. I also love the teamwork and focus of the operating room and I am grateful every day to do this work with an outstanding team.

Education, Credentials and Awards

  • Undergraduate:

    • Degree: BS, General Science, 2000

    Medical:

    • Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences Bethesda, MD

    • Degree: MD, 2008

  • 2008-09 Internship (Transitional)

    • Madigan Army Medical Center

    • Joint Base Lewis McCord, Tacoma, WA

    2009-12 Residency (Ophthalmology)

    • Madigan Army Medical Center

    • Joint Base Lewis McCord, Tacoma, WA

  • Washington (Active, 2014-present)

    Nebraska (Inactive)

  • National Board of Medical Examiners: 2009 American Board of Ophthalmology: 2013, 2023

  • Honorary Order of Saint Lucia

    Meritorious Service Medal (2 Oak Leaf cluster)

    Army Commendation Medal (2 Oak Leaf Clusters) Army Achievement Medal (6 Oak Leaf Cluster) National Defense Service Medal

    Global War on Terrorism Service Medal

    Global War of Terrorism Expeditionary Medal Army Service Ribbon

    Overseas Service Ribbon Army Superior Unit Award

    Top Doctor

  • iFS, FS200

    VISX

    Allegretto 400, 500/Contura

    Vision EVO ICL

    Istent

    Kahook Dual Blade

    OMNI

    Botox

    Fillers

    Morpheus

    Solaria CO2 laser

  • Fellow, American Academy of Ophthalmology

    Fellow, American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons

    Member & Mentor, Women In Ophthalmology

    Member, AMSPA

    Member, Washington Association of Eye Professionals and Surgeons

  • Madigan Army Medical Center 

    Joint Base Lewis McCord, Tacoma, WA 2012- 2019

    Overlake, Seattle WA 2020-2021

    American Lake Veterans Administration Hospital 2025 - present

  • Academic Positions

    • Assistant Professor of Surgery, Department of Surgery

      Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences Bethesda, MD 2012-2021

    • Attending Staff and Associate Program Director, Cataract and Refractive Surgery 

      Ophthalmology

      Madigan Army Medical Center Tacoma, WA 2012-2016

    • Program Director Ophthalmology, Madigan Army Medical Center

      Tacoma, WA 2016 - 2019

    • Associate Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology

      University Of Washington

      Seattle, WA 2025 - present

    Course Moderator/ Instructor

    • Faculty

      Faculty Development FOCUS Course

      USUHS, Bethesda, MD - JBLM, WA

      2016 - 2020

    • Director

      Ophthalmology Continuing Medical Education program

      Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA

      2016 - 2019

    • Instructor

      Tri-service Ocular Trauma Course

      Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences Bethesda, MD, 2015

    • Mock-Oral-Board Examiner Madigan Ophthalmology Tacoma, WA

      2012 - 2019

    • Instructor

      Oregon Health Sciences/Madigan Cataract Wet Lab Portland, OR 2015, 2016

    • Orbital Dissection Instructor Annual Orbital Dissection Course

      Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA- April 2013

    • Facilitator Arbinger Outward Mindset

      Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA – 2015 to 2018

Research, presentations and professional activities

    • Seefeldt ES., Eric Bean. Calm Through Chaos: Techniques to Manage Surgical Stress, Reduce Burnout, and Enhance Engagement. American College of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons Annual Meeting, Los Angeles, CA, April 2025

    • Seefeldt ES. Common Causes of Low Vision and What is Low Vision, HVF Vision Fair, Tacoma WA, February 2022

    • Seefeldt ES. Pupil Examination. Kaiser Ophthalmic Tech Education Workshop March 2020

    • Seefeldt ES. Low Vision Workshop Director. Hope Vision Foundation Annual Workshop.  Lakewood, WA.  February 2020. 

    • Seefeldt ES. Military service and Transition Planning. Society of Military Ophthalmology, AAO San Francisco. October 2019.

    • Seefeldt ES. Teaching Skills for Large Group Didactics. Madigan Internal Medicine Educators meeting. Madigan, JBLM WA June 14, 2018

    • Seefeldt ES. Teaching Procedures Workshop. Madigan Spring Faculty Development Seminar. JBLM WA May 22, 2018

    • Seefeldt ES. Identifying and Assisting Patients with Low Vision. Washington Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons Annual Meeting. March, 30 2018 

    • Seefeldt ES. Learning Climate. Madigan Internal Medicine Educators meeting. Stone Education Center, JBLM WA January 17, 2018

    • Seefeldt ES. Red Eyes. Camp AL Samood, Kuwaiti National Guard Joint Provider Grand Rounds. Kuwait, January 2015

    • Mazzoli RA, Gross KR, Spott MA, Egan J, Bolenbaucher RM, Buchanan AG, Davis AS, Seefeldt ES, Oguntoye MO, Clemens KM, Oskvig DR, Karesh JW, Morgenstern AS. Worldwide ocular trauma conference: Improving combat eye casualty care through process improvement. (Poster) Association of Military Surgeons of the United States Annual Scientific Symposium (AMSUS 2015) San Antonio, TX- December 2015

    • Seefeldt ES. Front Line Management of Ocular Trauma for EMTs.  Camp Arifjan Kuwait, CME for George Washington University. 2015

    • Seefeldt ES. Eye Care for Providers.  21st Combat Support Hospital Provider Grand Rounds. Camp Arifjan,Kuwait January 2015

    • Seefeldt ES. Writing for Publication and Elements of an Abstract. Madigan - Annual Research Training Course. Oct 2014

    • Seefeldt ES. Process Improvement. Intern Transition Conference. 2014 

    • Oguntoye O, Seefeldt ES. Ocular Trauma.  Tacoma Trauma Trust Annual Meeting. 2014

    • Seefeldt ES. Managing Change. Senior Resident Conference. Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA- May 2013

    • Optics, Refractive and Cataract Lectures (Residency Program) Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA- 2012-present

    • Seefeldt ES. Performance Enhancement. General Surgery Grand Rounds. Tacoma, WA - 2013

    • Godbole NJ, Seefeldt ES, Raymond WR, Karesh JW, Morgenstern A, Egan JA, Colyer MH, Mazzoli RA. Simplified Method for Rapid Field Assessment of Visual Acuity by First Responders   After Ocular Injury. Military medicine. 2018 Mar 1;183(suppl_1):219-23.

    • Hartzell, M.D., FIDSA, J.D., Villines, M.D., Young, M.D., Seefeldt, M.D., Neff, M.D., Moores, M.D. and Yu, M.D., 2016. LEAD 2.0: An Interprofessional Leadership Curriculum.

    • Patterson J, Walsh R, Seefeldt E, Kang C. Man with right eye pain. Ann Emerg Med. 2013 Aug;62(2):125-31. doi: 10.1016/j.annemergmed.2012.10.042. PubMed PMID:  23870735.

    • Seehusen D, Seefeldt E. Postpartum Depression. Essential Evidence Plus. updated 2012. http://www.essentialevidenceplus.com/content/eee/851?section=103

    • Mary S. Gelnett, MD1; Erin S. Seefeldt2, MD; Darryl J. Ainbinder, MD2; Ellina K. Hall,  DO. Primary Ductal Adenocarcinoma of the Lacrimal Gland with Her-2/neu Expression.  Presented 2012 College of American Pathologists Annual Conference

    • Erin S. Seefeldt, Adita Metha, Ocular Manifestations of Myotonic Dystrophy. Eyewiki, 2014. https://eyewiki.aao.org/Ocular_Manifestations_of_Myotonic_Dystrophy. On-line Review.

    • Reviewer, AAO Practical Ophthalmology; A Manual For Beginning Residents Eighth Edition. 

    • Mazzoli RA, Butler RK, Stockinger Z, Torres MF, Mauffray RO, Bishop FM, Cockerham GC, Calvano C, Enzenauer R, Hayes BC, Johnson AJ, Walter PE, Allen C, Thomas KE, Weber E, Scott RAH, Jacks A, Colyer MH, Seefeldt ES. Initial Care of Ocular and Adnexal Injuries at Role 1, Role 2, and Non-ophthalmic Role 3 Facilities in Remote or Austere Environments.

    • Lewis D, Seefeldt ES. Phaco Dynamics and pearls. Guyana University Hospital. May 2019. 

    • Seefeldt ES, Oetting TA, Colyer MH, Boland M. Resident Training Programs in VA and DOD: Issues and Challenges for the Future. American Academy of Ophthalmology Annual Conference. Chicago IL. Oct 2016. (Panel Moderator)

    • Oguntoye MO, Seefeldt ES, Mines MJ, Lappan CS, Mazzoli RA. Programmatic evaluation of the maturation of an ocular e-consultation system: eye consult performance 2004-2015. (Poster)

    • Military Healthcare System Research Symposium (MHSRS 2016) Kissimmee, FL- August 2016

    • Godbole NJ, Kim NS, Seefeldt ES, Karesh JW, Morgenstern A, Egan JA, Colyer MH, Mazzoli RA. Simplified method for rapid field assessment of visual acuity by first responders after ocular injury. (Poster)

    • Military Healthcare System Research Symposium (MHSRS 2016) Kissimmee, FL- August 2016

    • Erin S. Seefeldt, Dennis J. Curtis. Phoneography and Teleconsultation in the Deployed Environment. Annual Meeting  Academy of Ophthalmology, Las Vegas, NV November 2015. Poster

    • Eric Bean, Erin S. Seefeldt. Developing Mental Toughness in Residents, Academy Of University Professors of Ophthalmology Annual Conference, Miami, FL, September  2013. Workshop.

    • Erin S. Seefeldt, Rob Mazzoli. Simulation in the Department of Defense. Annual Meeting Academy of Ophthalmology, New Orleans, LA, October 2012, Podium.

    • Seefeldt E, Frazier T. Introducing a Mental Skills Curriculum into an Ophthalmology Residency: A Pilot Program. Podium presentation at Madigan Research Day 2012.

    • Frazier T, Seefeldt E. Introducing a Mental Skills Curriculum into an Ophthalmology Residency: A Pilot Program. Free paper presentation at the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology. Jan 2013

    • Panama, 2023. Surgeon and Mentor. MSICS. 

    • Dominican Republic, 2013. Surgeon and educator. Strabismus and Small incision extra capsular cataract surgery. 

    • Panama, 2017. Beyond the Horizon, Surgeon and educator. Small incision extra capsular cataract surgery and pterygium. 

    • Panama, 2018. New Horizons, Surgeon and educator. Small incision extra capsular cataract surgery and pterygium.

    • Guyana, 2019. New Horizons, Surgeon and educator. MSICS.

    • Real World Ophthalmology - Volunteer Medical Student mock residency interviews. 2024, 2025

    • Board President and Founder. Hope Vision Foundation. 501c3 Dedicated to improving awareness of low vision rehabilitation and empowering those with vision loss. Founded 2017.

    • Co-Founder. Sewing Circle. Providing mentorship and camaraderie for military women surgeons. 

    • Lions Club Member. Lacey Washington.

    • King County Free Clinic, Free eye exams. 2017, 2018, 2019, 2023

    • SS100 member

Contact Dr. Seefeldt’s Team

If you have non-urgent questions please send a message here and one of Dr. Seefeldt’s team members will reach out. Please don’t leave private health info or use this for urgent eye issues. If you are having an eye emergency call the clinic or head to urgent care.

Contact Our Team