MARCH 20-21, 2026 | The Outliers Ophthalmology Meeting

March 2025 Speakers

All New Topic Line-Up

Robert Melendez was raised in California and met his wife while visiting family in New Mexico where he met his wife of 30 years. He graduated from the University of New Mexico in 2000 and then He completed his ophthalmology training at his number one choice at The University of Texas Health Sciences Center where he was chosen as Chief Resident and voted resident eye surgeon of the year in 2004. Dr. Melendez worked for 16 year performing high volume cataract and refractive surgery with over 2000 cataracts per year and learned LASIK/PRK in 2006. After his surgery training, he completed his MBA at UNM Anderson School of Management where he held many leadership positions both nationally and at the state level. Dr. Melendez served as the Secretary for Online Education of the American Academy of Ophthalmology where he helped create the first education app for eye surgeons. He was on the Young Ophthalmologist (YO) committee where he served for 9 years, 3 years of which were as chair. Dr. Melendez also served in the U.S. Air Force where he served as a Flight Surgeon and completed his term of service in 2020 as a Lieutenant Colonel. He also started The Juliette RP Vision Foundation (JulietteFoundation.org) in 2008, named after his mother who went blind, where they raise money for blind college students and for research grants. Dr. Melendez started his own practice, Juliette Eye Institute (JulietteEye.com) in 2020 where his focus is on Refractive Surgery performing cornea and lens based surgeries including SMILE, LASIK, PRK, ICL, RLE, and Laser Cataract Surgery with a majority of premium IOLs using the most sophisticated technologies in New Mexico. He also created his own business magazine called Ophthalmology Business Minute that is distributed to 4000 ophthalmologists in the U.S. and started the Outliers Ophthalmology Meeting in 2022. He is also publishing his first leadership book, Focus on Your Passion, not the Position later in 2022. He is passionate about education and mentoring the next generations. He was just promoted to full Clinical Professor at the University of New Mexico School of Medicine where he teaches medical students about ophthalmology and the business side.

First in Albuquerque to implant the Light Adjustable Lens, First in Albuquerque to implant the Alcon Clareon Vivity lens, and Staar Surgical EVO VISIAN Implantable Contact Lens.

Eva Kim, MD, is the Front Range (Denver) Medical Director and Vice President of Operations for ICON Eyecare in Denver, CO as well as an ophthalmologist who is fellowship-trained in Uveitis and Cornea/External Diseases. She specializes in cataract and refractive surgery and uveitis. She performs corneal and intraocular refractive surgery (RLE and ICL). Dr. Kim is also a speaker for various industry-leading companies such as RxSight, Alcon, Staar Surgical, and ArcScan.

After receiving her Bachelors in Science from Stanford University, Dr. Kim went on to obtain her medical degree from the University of California, San Francisco. She completed her internship in Internal Medicine at Kaiser Permanente San Francisco. Her ophthalmology residency took place at Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary before finishing her clinical fellowship in Uveitis and Cornea/External Diseases at the University of California, San Francisco.

Dr. Kim practiced with Northern California Kaiser Permanente from 2006-2016 as a comprehensive ophthalmologist, cataract surgeon, uveitis specialist, and Chief of Patient Service. For seven years she also held the role of Lead Communications Consultant, focusing on elevating the quality of physician to physician and physician to patient communication and service experience. For five years straight based on patient feedback, Dr. Kim was ranked 1st patient service scores out of 258 Ophthalmologists in Northern California.

In 2013, Dr. Kim was elected to the Northern California Permanente Medical Group Emerging Leaders Cohort, a two-year leadership and business course led by professors from the most prestigious business schools in the United States. She also has over 18 years of medical research and resident teaching experience and is a member of the AAO, ASCRS, and has co-authored many published medical chapters, papers, and posters. In 2016, Dr. Kim and her family moved to Denver, Colorado where she began her time with ICON EYECARE.

Outside of work, Dr. Kim loves spending time with her family. She and her husband Chuck have three amazing children (10, 13, 16) who inspire her to be the best mother and doctor that she can be. As a family, they love to ski and attend the many sporting events in which the children are involved. She is also a lover of music and dance.