About Our Practice

Board Certification

• Diplomate, American Board of Ophthalmology

Professional Experience

• Founder and Medical Director of Eye Institute of Marin since 2004
• Director of Glaucoma Service
• Solano Regional Medical Foundation, Solano County, CA 2000-2004

Internship

• Internal Medicine Internship, Stamford Hospital, Stamford, Connecticut, 1996.

Residency

• Brookdale University Hospital and Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, 1999.

FELLOWSHIP in GLAUCOMA

• University of Southern California, Doheny Eye Institute, 2000.

Eye Care – Ophthalmology
Ophthalmologists are Doctors of Medicine who are clinically and surgically trained to diagnose and treat all types of eye disorders. They are the only eye care professionals certified to perform surgery on the eye. Ophthalmologists have graduated from medical school, first earning their Medical Doctorate (M.D.), and then continuing their medical education with specialized training in Ophthalmology (surgery and treatment of diseases of the eyes). Finally, some continue on to additional training (Fellowship) in a specific area of eye care, such as Glaucoma.

Professional Profile
“I fell in love with ophthalmology during my medical school rotation in this specialty,” says Dr. Najafi. “I find it very rewarding to help people by improving their vision.”

Dr. Najafi is a specialist in geriatric vision care, which includes treating cataracts and glaucoma. She completed a fellowship in glaucoma at Doheny Eye Institute and is an expert at managing glaucoma through medications and/or surgical techniques. She also treats children with glaucoma and cataracts.

“I was inspired to specialize in glaucoma surgery by a 90-year-old patient who was blind from glaucoma. ‘Dr. Najafi,’ she said, ‘if you had been my doctor 10 years ago, I wouldn’t be blind.’ This made me realize how many people with glaucoma are unaware of their condition. Had they been screened and received early treatment, their vision could have been saved.”

“I believe in offering the best quality care possible to my patients,” Dr. Najafi says. “This starts by being a good listener. You can identify many problems just by listening to your patients’ description of their problems.”

Dr. Najafi-Tagol is a strong believer in patient education. “I want each patient to thoroughly understand his or her condition and I encourage questions,” she says. “I also stress the importance of regular vision check-ups and screenings for eye diseases.”

Michael Hemond, MD, PhD, is a board-certified comprehensive ophthalmologist and cornea specialist. He grew up in the greater Boston area and graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University with a bachelor’s degree in physics before completing a doctorate in biophysics at Harvard University and the Harvard–MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, where he conducted research in structural biology. He received his medical degree from Tufts University and completed an internship in internal medicine at Mount Auburn Hospital in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and ophthalmology residency at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, California. He completed a fellowship in corneal, cataract, and refractive surgery at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York City, where he received advanced training from leaders in the field.

Dr. Hemond’s professional interests include cataract and pterygium surgery, dry eye disease, medical education, and development of medical information technology. He has extensive experience working with diverse patient populations; he is conversant in Spanish and French and welcomes referrals of patients who prefer to conduct their visits in these languages. He is committed to providing every patient with excellent, compassionate care.

In his spare time, Dr. Hemond enjoys hiking, sailing, jazz music, and photography.