What Loyalty Looks Like: Celebrating Abel Espino’s 15 Years

Some people find a place that fits and stay. Abel Espino is one of those people, but "staying" doesn't quite capture it. In 15 years at Panhandle Eye Group and Southwest Retina Specialists (SRS), Abel has built a career, expanded his skills in ways he never expected, and become exactly the kind of person patients ask for by name.

How It Started

Abel came to SRS as a medical assistant intern. He put in his hours, liked what he found, and when they offered him a permanent full-time job, he said yes. Simple as that.

"Everybody was so kind and warm and welcoming," he said. "And that's what really kept me here."

He didn't have a grand plan. He wasn't mapping out a 15-year trajectory. He just showed up to a place that felt good—and kept showing up.

The Work Behind the Scenes

For most of his time at SRS, Abel has worked in photography, but not the kind most people picture. He takes diagnostic images that help our retina specialists determine what's happening with a patient's eyes, supporting the clinical decision-making that happens long before a treatment plan is ever discussed.

He also works in research photography. Research images have to be taken with precision, stripped of patient-identifying information, and sent to a reading center, where they're graded as part of larger clinical studies—studies that work toward FDA approval for treatments that could eventually reach patients everywhere.

"I feel like we're making an impact here," Abel said.

He's not wrong. The process by which drugs make it to market and the treatments that restore patients' vision run through people like Abel, who do meticulous work most patients never see.

The Part That Surprised Him

About three to four months ago, Abel added something new to his role: surgery. It wasn't a sudden decision. He'd been thinking about it for a while, putting it off, telling himself it wasn't for him. Then his colleagues nudged him. It's fun. Give it a shot. So he did.

"I thought I would never be doing surgeries," he said. "'Cause I was scared and timid about it."

He went through the process, which included shadowing a colleague, learning how to pass instruments and maintain sterility, and taking a certification test. And now, just a few months in, it's part of his day.

If you'd told his younger self that he'd one day be assisting in surgery and contributing to FDA research studies, he wouldn't have believed it. Fifteen years has a way of expanding what you think you're capable of.

The Patients Who Make It Worth It

Ask Abel what he enjoys most about his day-to-day, and the answer is immediate: the patients.

"I love talking to patients 'cause you get to hear their story," he said. "Some of them get to know you really well, and they request you." Not shocking to anyone, Abel gets a lot of requests.

One patient in particular had a real impact on him. She never missed a chance to make him smile when she came in—always dressed up, always warm, always happy to see him. When she saw Abel, it made her day. "So it would make mine in return," he said.

What 15 Years Means

Abel has had a handful of jobs in his life. None of the others came close to this. "I think I'm pretty loyal," he said, when asked what 15 years says about him. He also credited his wife, Jacy, who works remotely for SRS, for keeping him motivated and grounded along the way. Having someone at home who understands the work, the rhythm, and the culture of this place is its own kind of support system.

Looking ahead, Abel is excited about where the field is going: new medications coming down the pipeline and new imaging technology changing what's possible in a clinical setting.

"The eye world is changing so quickly," he said.

And Abel Espino is right there with it—still learning, still growing, still showing up.