Meet Doctor Winthrop

Dr. Winthrop was raised in Los Angeles, and moved to Santa Barbara in 1981 to begin his practice in ophthalmology. He attended college at UCLA and graduated Phi Beta Kappa. He then earned his medical degree at USC, where he graduated first in his medical school class, and where he was voted into the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society in his third year of school.

After his ophthalmology residency at USC, Dr. Winthrop trained as a cornea fellow at the prestigious Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary of Harvard University. During his cornea fellowship, he was the recipient of the Heed Foundation Fellowship, a top distinction among ophthalmologists pursuing advanced fellowship training. Dr. Winthrop has been the co-author of several articles in assorted medical journals. Please see Curriculum Vitae for more detailed information.

Certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology, Dr. Winthrop is a Fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, a member of the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery. and a member of the International Society of Refractive Surgery. He is also a member of the California Association of Ophthalmology, the California Medical Association, and the Santa Barbara Ophthalmology Society. He has taught Cornea care to the eye residents at Jules Stein Eye Institute (UCLA) where he has been an Assistant Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology for the past 15 years. Locally, he has served the medical staff of St. Francis Hospital as Secretary and Vice Chief of Staff.

He is past President of the Santa Barbara Ophthalmology Society. He has served as the Medical Director of the Lions Eye Bank at St. Francis Hospital. Dr. Winthrop is a standout leader in the Santa Barbara medical community, and has been voted "Best Ophthalmologist" by the readers of the Santa Barbara Independent for several years.

As a cornea specialist, Dr Winthrop performs delicate cornea transplant surgery and cares for especially difficult anterior segment and corneal problems.

Since 1991, Dr. Winthrop has been actively involved with laser vision correction of myopia (nearsightedness), hyperopia (farsightedness) and astigmatism. He was named a "visionary doctor" by Summit Technology of Boston, the developers of the excimer laser - the technology approved first by the FDA for laser vision correction procedures. When the FDA granted approval in late 1995, Dr. Winthrop had already arranged for the laser to be available to the Santa Barbara community at Cottage Eye and Laser Insititute.

He has continued to pursue all necessary avenues to ensure that our community continues to acquire each "next generation" development in the technology. In fact, Dr. Winthrop was the first surgeon in the United States to receive and use the second generation microkeratome, the "Hansatome". 

In 2000, Dr. Winthrop opened his private Laser Center and brought the LADARVision system to the Santa Barbara community: the latest advance in technology for LASIK.  His patients can be assured that they have access to the very best medical care available for laser vision correction. 

Dr. Winthrop has also been active in raising large charitable donations for the benefit of our local hospitals.

In addition to specialized cornea care, which includes transplants, LASIK, and PRK, Dr. Winthrop provides comprehensive ophthalmology care including contact lens care, laser surgery, and small-incision, no stitch, phacoemulsification cataract surgery. His patients are constantly amazed at the miracle of improved vision that occurs with the use of modern surgical techniques. Dr. Winthrop performs his eye surgeries at Cottage Eye and Laser Institute, St. Francis Hospital and his own private Laser Center, all in Santa Barbara.

Dr. Winthrop was one of three physicians to form the first specialty IPA (Independant Physician Association) in California for Ophthalmology. The IPA has grown to include over 40 physicians and covers over 200,000 patient lives.

Dr. Winthrop has served as President of Coastal Counties Eye Care Medical Group since its inception. More recently, in keeping with the fast moving trends in medical care, Dr.Winthrop was involved with the formation of Premier Medical Services, Inc., a multispecialty physician organization, or MSO, which functions much in the same way as an IPA for contracting with HMO"s and other insuring entities. Dr. Winthrop was also elected to the Board of Directors of Monarch-Select IPA by Santa Barbara physicians to represent the Santa Barbara medical community in their dealings with PacifiCare, Aetna and Prudential Insurance companies.

Dr. Winthrop lives on the Santa Barbara Riviera with his wife Elizabeth, and their three children Sam, Mia and Rachel.  He takes an active role in his family, coaching AYSO soccer, YMCA basketball and city baseball teams. In his spare time, he regularly heads down to Santa Barbara's beautiful beaches for 5-mile runs along the coastline.