About Our Physicians

We provide the highest standard of care to our patients. With years of experience practicing medicine, we are renowned for our skill in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of a wide variety of conditions and disorders. Our doctors and our entire medical staff are always ready to provide expertise, experience and compassion to each and every one of our patients.
 

Dr. Jennifer Hartel, MD

Dr. Jennifer Hartel grew up in Dayton, Ohio. She graduated college from Wake Forest University and then attended Wake Forest Medical School. After medical school, she completed her residency training at the University of South Carolina followed by fellowship training in cornea, cataract, and external disease at The Ohio State University. Dr. Hartel worked at Prisma Health/University of South Carolina for one year prior to joining Palmetto Ophthalmology Associates in 2022. She lives in Forest Acres, SC with her husband who is also an Ophthalmologist. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, water skiing, cooking and gardening.

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Dr. Kunal D Kanitkar, MD

Dr. Kunal Kanitkar practices ophthalmology in Lexington, SC, where he has lived for 15 years. He was born in Columbia, SC, and graduated from Richland Northeast High School. His medical training took him to Harvard University, Vanderbilt University Medical School, Wills Eye Hospital, and Duke University Eye Center. He is thrilled to return home and serve his local community. He lives in Lexington, SC with his wife and two daughters. He enjoys reading, cooking, traveling, and exploring the natural beauty of the Midlands.

Dr. Mark S Keisler, MD

Dr. Mark Keisler is the founding member of Palmetto Ophthalmology Associates, and has been practicing ophthalmology for 35 years. Dr. Keisler is from Lexington, SC. In addition to practicing medicine, Dr. Keisler enjoys farming and producing cornmeal and grits under the Keisler's Mill label. 

Mark Keisler is a member of the following professional organizations:

Dr. Sara Shockney, OD

Dr. Sara Shockney currently practices optometry in Lexington, SC. After graduating from The Ohio State University College of Optometry in 2006, Dr. Shockney practiced in northern New York and Ohio. She moved to Lexington in 2012 where she practiced in several locations around the area until joining Palmetto Ophthalmology Associates in 2022. She was born in Celina, Ohio where she stayed through high school. In 1999, Dr. Shockney attended the Lima, Ohio branch of The Ohio State University for 2 years, after which she transferred to the main campus in Columbus, Ohio to finish her degree. She now calls Ridge Spring, SC home and loves the peaceful charm of the community. She has 3 children and loves spending time with her family, especially boating on Lake Murray and the Saluda River.

Dr. John R Walters, MD

Dr. J.R. Walters has been in practice at Palmetto Ophthalmology since 1989. After receiving his undergraduate degree in Chemistry from Furman University, he attended the University of South Carolina School of Medicine in Columbia, SC. He was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society and was awarded the Dean's Award at graduation. He completed his internship at Greenville Hospital System in Greenville , SC before finishing his residency in Ophthalmology at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta.

Dr. Lauren Williams, MD 

Dr. Lauren Williams grew up in Columbia, South Carolina. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of South Carolina Honors College with degrees in Public Health and Spanish. After university, she attended medical school at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC and completed her ophthalmology residency at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, AL. She is excited to return to her hometown and serve her local community. Her interests include medical and surgical management of cataracts, ocular surface disease and glaucoma. She lives in Irmo, SC with her husband and their son, Charlie. In her free time, she enjoys playing tennis, baking and spending time at the lake with her family.

Dr. Shawn Iverson, DO

Shawn M. Iverson, DO, is a cornea and external disease specialist with extensive training in ophthalmic surgery. He specializes in cornea transplants (DMEK, DSAEK, DALK, PKP) and complex cataract surgery. In addition to his cornea and cataract patients, Dr. Iverson has particular interest in glaucoma, treating patients both medically and surgically. Dr. Iverson attended Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, where he earned a bachelor's degree with honors. Following university he attended medical school at Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine and graduated amongst the top of his class. He furthered his education with three years researching glaucoma at Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Florida, focusing on the structure-function relationships in diagnosing and monitoring glaucoma. His internal medicine internship was conducted at Florida Atlantic University and he completed his residency in ophthalmology at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, where he served as chief resident. Dr. Iverson then completed a fellowship in cornea, external disease and refractive surgery at Price Vision Group in Indianapolis, where he trained under Francis Price, MD, a pioneer of the partial thickness corneal transplant known as Descemet's Membrane Endothelial Keratoplasty (DMEK). During his fellowship, he also gained extensive experience in complex cataract surgery and scleral fixated intraocular lenses. If you are interested in a consultation with Dr. Iverson, please call 803-359-8777 and our office will be happy to schedule an appointment.

Dr. Miller earned his BS degree at Purdue University in Indiana in 1982 and graduated from Medical School in 1986 at Indiana University. He completed his internship from St. Vincent's Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana in 1987 and residency in Ophthalmology at Indiana University School of Medicine from 1987-1990.

S Clay Miller is a member of the following professional organizations: