Dr. Jonathan B. Belmont, FACS is a Board-Certified Ophthalmologist, and a full-time practicing Retinal Specialist. He has been a member of the Wills Eye Hospital Medical Staff and the internationally renowned Retina Service of Wills Eye Hospital since 1982. He currently serves as an Attending Surgeon on the Retina Service of Wills Eye Hospital and is also a member of the medical staff at Abington Hospital, Lansdale Division, and Grand View Hospital.
Dr. Belmont is the son of an ophthalmologist (Owen Belmont, MD) and was born and raised in the East Oak Lane section of Philadelphia. He attended Central High School, graduating second in his class at age 16. Dr. Belmont received his Bachelors of Science degree from Pennsylvania State University and received his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, graduating in 1976 at the age of 21. He completed an internship in Internal Medicine at Lankenau Hospital in 1977 and completed his Ophthalmology Residency at Wills Eye Hospital in 1980. He was awarded a National Institute of Health Training Grant, and subsequently completed a Uveitis Fellowship at the Francis I. Proctor Foundation of the University of California, and then completed two Vitreoretinal Fellowships; the first with Dr. George Hilton at the University of California in San Francisco, and the second at the Scripps Clinic in La Jolla, California.
Dr. Belmont has been in full-time private practice since 1982. As an Attending Surgeon on the Wills Eye Hospital Retina Service, he has trained over 50 full-time retinal specialists, including 14 current and numerous prior members. Many of the retina specialists trained by Dr. Belmont have gone on to become nationally recognized leaders in the field of retina, including: the Director and Co-Director of the Wills Eye Retina Service, the Professor and Chairman of Ophthalmology at Tufts University School of Medicine, and the Professor and Chairman of Ophthalmology at Wake Forest School of Medicine. In addition, he has provided retinal training to well over 200 ophthalmology residents at Wills Eye Hospital, and is a recipient of the Golden Apple Teaching Award, given at the end of each year to the best clinical teacher.
Dr. Belmont pioneered the use and development of digital angiography and digital imaging at Wills Eye Hospital, utilized in the early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of retinal disorders. He served as the Principal Investigator for the Marina Study at Wills Eye Hospital, proving the utility and effectiveness of Lucentis, one of the primary drugs now used worldwide to treat macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and other vision-threatening disorders. He is a prior chairman of the Wills Eye Hospital Institutional Review Board, a prior President of the Wills Eye Hospital Society, and a prior President of the Wills Eye Hospital Retina Service, P.C. He is an active member of the American Society of Retina Specialists, and the American Uveitis Society, and serves on the Advisory Committee of the Wills Eye Hospital Society.
Dr. Belmont maintains a wide-range of clinical interests, including: the early diagnosis and treatment of age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and retinal vascular disease, including branch retinal vein occlusion and central retinal vein occlusion.
Dr. Belmont strongly believes that a practice environment in which each patient is seen by the same doctor for each and every visit leads to the most successful treatment outcomes and the best chance of maintaining optimal vision. He also believes that providing careful, personalized, and individualized care is essential to optimal management and best long-term vision outcomes.
Dr. Belmont is the proud father of three grown sons, and the proud stepfather of a teenage stepdaughter and stepson. He has numerous hobbies and interests that he pursues in his spare time, including: surfing; stand-up paddle boarding; landscape, sports, candid, and aerial photography; videography; reading; physical fitness; and computer database programming.
Locations
Specialties
- Comprehensive Eye Exams
- Retinal Specialist
- Macular Degeneration
- Diabetic Eye Exams
Education
Medical School
Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University
Fellowships
University of California, Scripps Clinic
Residency
Wills Eye Hospital
Certifications
- American Board of Ophthalmology