Owner and President, Hudson Ophthalmology
“There is no way I could do what I do as successfully as I do it without the support of my husband, Richard Couch, and my children, Camilla and Camden. I stand on their shoulders every single day.”
After listening to ophthalmologist Dr. John Mitchell’s lecture about global eye-care surgery, Dr. Kerline Marcelin — then a second-year medical student — was inspired to join his surgical team on a mission to Haiti.
“My family is Haitian, but at the time, I’d never been to Haiti or considered ophthalmology. I felt this was my calling,” says Marcelin.
After earning her medical degree from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in 1995, Marcelin completed her ophthalmology residency at New York University and a glaucoma fellowship at New York Eye and Ear Infirmary (NYEE). Since 2001, she has been teaching glaucoma and cataract surgery to NYEE residents.
Marcelin launched Hudson Ophthalmology in 2010, following tours with various Westchester practices. Since her initial trip to Haiti, in 1993, she’s completed two other missions. Beyond providing care, her teaching experience and fluency in Creole enabled her to teach local ophthalmologists the latest surgeries and techniques.
“It was a life-changing experience to see so many people in Haiti who needed our care. They couldn’t conceive that after surgery, they would be able to see again,” shares Marcelin.
Marcelin also played a key role in establishing the nonprofit Vision Restoration Project, which provides ophthalmic care to people of the Caribbean and on whose board she currently sits.
