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Home > PA Providers > Retina Specialists

Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD

Accepting New Patients

(4 Ratings)

Specializes in: Ocular Oncology, Vitreoretinal Diseases (Retina and Vitreous) and Pediatric Ophthalmology

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Professional interests include: cancer, eye problems, eye cancer

840 Walnut Street Suite 1440
Philadelphia, PA 19107

(215) 928-3105

Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD is an oncologist in Philadelphia, PA specializing in ocular oncology, vitreoretinal diseases (retina and vitreous) and pediatric ophthalmology. She graduated from University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD is affiliated with Jefferson Health, Wills Eye Hospital and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital.

Office Locations

840 Walnut Street Suite 1440
Philadelphia, PA 19107

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Some issues Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD can help you with:

Eye Problems

Millions of people every year have problems with their eyes. Some of the most common eye problems are refractive disorders, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, and cataracts.

Refractive disorders happen when the shape of the eye doesn't let allow someone focus very precisely. They might be myopic (nearsighted), hyperopic (farsighted), or have an astigmatism, which is a focus problem caused by the cornea. Refractive disorders can be corrected by glasses or contacts.

Glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in the United States. It happens when fluid pressure builds up within the eye and damages the optic nerve. It is treated with medications and surgery.

Diabetic retinopathy is a common complication of diabetes. The retina is tissue at the back of the eye that is filled with numerous, tiny blood vessels. When diabetes damages these delicate blood vessels, they burst or leak, leading to blind spots and blurred vision. Diabetic retinopathy can be treated with laser therapy and surgery, but often vision cannot be restored.

Macular degeneration is common in older adults. The macula is the central part of the retina and is responsible for crisp center vision. Over time, the cells in the macula begin to die, making central vision blurry. An early symptom of macular degeneration is that straight lines appear wavy.

Cataracts happen when the clear lens in the front of the eye becomes cloudy, making things look blurry or faded. They are extremely common in older people. By age 80, more than half of all Americans will have had a cataract. In early stages, prescription glasses and magnifying lenses can help. As the cataracts get worse, surgery to replace the lens may be the best option.

More than just one of the five senses, the eyes are heavily relied upon to communicate, work, and get around every day. It's important to have regular eye exams for vision stays in good shape for years to come.

In The News (see more mentions in the news)

“In an accompanying commentary, Carol Shields, MD, and Sara Lally, MD, both of Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia, praised the researchers for "transitioning this medication from a purely skin tumor...”—"Compounded Imiquimod Shows Promise for Ocular Surface Cancers", MedPage Today, December 2025

“In an accompanying commentary in JAMA Ophthalmology, Carol L. Shields, MD, of Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, and colleagues observed that while a 12% noninferiority margin risks...”—"Three Cycles of Chemo Noninferior to Six for Rare Childhood Eye Cancer", MedPage Today, October 2024

“"Over the past 30 years, we have made enormous headway in the management of retinoblastoma," said Dr. Carol Shields, director of ocular oncology at Wills Eye Hospital, where both Vivian and Thomas...”—"To save their young children's vision - and lives - a Tennessee couple quit their jobs and headed to Philly", Philly Voice, July 2024

Noteworthy Medicare Patient Procedures Performed by Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD in 2023

Click on any procedure below to see further details on volume and pricing among Medicare patients.

Top 5%

By Volume:

corneal lesion excision

focal photocoagulation for retinal lesion

ophthalmic ultrasound

photocoagulation

radical excision of soft tissue tumor

removal of lesion

strabismus surgery

sub-Tenon's injection

temporary suture tarsorrhaphy

By Affordability:

anterior segment surgery

focal photocoagulation

focal photocoagulation for retinal lesion

photocoagulation

tarsorrhaphy

temporary tarsorrhaphy

In 2023, among providers in related specialties within Pennsylvania, Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD performed more corneal lesion excision, diagnostic A-scan, diagnostic B-scan, diagnostic imaging, excision, eye procedures, focal photocoagulation for retinal lesion, ophthalmic ultrasound, photocoagulation, radical excision of soft tissue tumor, removal of lesion (e.g. growth), strabismus surgery, sub-Tenon's injection, and temporary suture tarsorrhaphy procedures for Medicare patients than 95% of them and she also had a list price for anterior segment surgery, A-scan, B-scan, diagnostic A-scan, eyelid procedures, focal photocoagulation, focal photocoagulation for retinal lesion, photocoagulation, tarsorrhaphy (eyelid closure), and temporary tarsorrhaphy that was lower than the list prices billed to Medicare by 95% of them. Actual amounts paid by patients can vary widely depending on a number of factors, including insurance coverage. A lower list price, however, might mean lower fees when paying without insurance.

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2012 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD treated as an oncologist in Philadelphia, PA during 2012 were eye procedures, ultrasound (sonogram), diagnostic imaging and injections.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD for Medicare patients.

ablation	16
diagnostic imaging	616
doctor visit	807
excision	26
eye procedures	2650
injections	45
removal of lesion (e.g. growth)	42
ultrasound (sonogram)	641

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2013 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD treated as an oncologist in Philadelphia, PA during 2013 were eye procedures, ultrasound (sonogram), diagnostic imaging and removal of lesion (e.g. growth).

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD for Medicare patients.

ablation	25
diagnostic imaging	661
doctor visit	805
excision	34
eye procedures	2778
injections	51
removal of lesion (e.g. growth)	59
ultrasound (sonogram)	690

2013 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD.

**Gender**
Male	339
Female	418

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	714
Black	19
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	391
From 75 to 84	243
85 and over	84
Less than 65	39

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD in 2013

Hypertension	66
High Cholesterol	63
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	31
Depression	11
Chronic Kidney Disease	13
Asthma	7
Osteoperosis	8
Atrial Fibrilation	9
Heart Failure	11
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	9
Diabetes	27
Dementia	6
Cancer	15

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2014 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD treated as an oncologist in Philadelphia, PA during 2014 were eye procedures, ultrasound (sonogram), diagnostic imaging and removal of lesion (e.g. growth).

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD for Medicare patients.

ablation	21
diagnostic imaging	825
doctor visit	1083
excision	21
eye procedures	3588
injections	18
removal of lesion (e.g. growth)	42
ultrasound (sonogram)	887

2014 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD.

**Gender**
Male	419
Female	537

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	889
Black	26
Hispanic	23
Asian	0
Other	0
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	506
From 75 to 84	315
85 and over	95
Less than 65	40

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD in 2014

Hypertension	68
High Cholesterol	63
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	32
Depression	10
Chronic Kidney Disease	12
Asthma	6
Osteoperosis	7
Atrial Fibrilation	11
Heart Failure	11
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	9
Diabetes	29
Dementia	4
Cancer	14

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2015 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD treated as an oncologist in Philadelphia, PA during 2015 were eye procedures, ultrasound (sonogram), diagnostic imaging and removal of lesion (e.g. growth).

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD for Medicare patients.

ablation	17
diagnostic imaging	934
doctor visit	1272
excision	33
eye procedures	4203
injections	12
removal of lesion (e.g. growth)	50
ultrasound (sonogram)	1000

2015 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD.

**Gender**
Male	960
Female	1190

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	1982
Black	60
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	52
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	1096
From 75 to 84	740
85 and over	208
Less than 65	106

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD in 2015

Hypertension	66
High Cholesterol	62
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	29
Depression	11
Chronic Kidney Disease	13
Asthma	9
Osteoperosis	9
Atrial Fibrilation	11
Heart Failure	9
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	8
Diabetes	25
Dementia	5
Cancer	14

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2016 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD treated as an oncologist in Philadelphia, PA during 2016 were eye procedures, ultrasound (sonogram), diagnostic imaging and removal of lesion (e.g. growth).

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD for Medicare patients.

ablation	15
diagnostic imaging	880
doctor visit	1183
excision	44
eye procedures	3903
removal of lesion (e.g. growth)	59
ultrasound (sonogram)	963

2016 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD.

**Gender**
Male	439
Female	605

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	969
Black	27
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	23
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	554
From 75 to 84	352
85 and over	90
Less than 65	48

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD in 2016

Hypertension	64
High Cholesterol	59
Stroke	3
Ischemic Heart Disease	29
Depression	13
Chronic Kidney Disease	17
Asthma	11
Osteoperosis	8
Atrial Fibrilation	9
Heart Failure	8
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	9
Diabetes	23
Dementia	6
Cancer	14

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2017 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD treated as an oncologist in Philadelphia, PA during 2017 were eye procedures, ultrasound (sonogram), diagnostic imaging and removal of lesion (e.g. growth).

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD for Medicare patients.

ablation	12
diagnostic imaging	824
doctor visit	1098
excision	23
eye procedures	3599
removal of lesion (e.g. growth)	35
soft tissue surgery	12
ultrasound (sonogram)	909

2017 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD.

**Gender**
Male	420
Female	583

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	931
Black	19
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	34
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	548
From 75 to 84	309
85 and over	102
Less than 65	44

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD in 2017

Hypertension	64
High Cholesterol	52
Stroke	3
Ischemic Heart Disease	28
Depression	14
Chronic Kidney Disease	21
Asthma	6
Osteoperosis	8
Atrial Fibrilation	10
Heart Failure	10
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	8
Diabetes	24
Dementia	5
Cancer	15

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2018 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD treated as an oncologist in Philadelphia, PA during 2018 were eye procedures, ultrasound (sonogram), diagnostic imaging and removal of lesion (e.g. growth).

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD for Medicare patients.

diagnostic imaging	741
doctor visit	975
excision	11
eye procedures	3581
injections	11
removal of lesion (e.g. growth)	11
soft tissue surgery	11
ultrasound (sonogram)	837

2018 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD.

**Gender**
Male	383
Female	525

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	836
Black	20
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	32
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	506
From 75 to 84	296
85 and over	76
Less than 65	30

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD in 2018

Hypertension	63
High Cholesterol	62
Stroke	2
Ischemic Heart Disease	29
Depression	15
Chronic Kidney Disease	21
Asthma	5
Osteoperosis	8
Atrial Fibrilation	9
Heart Failure	11
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	8
Diabetes	24
Dementia	6
Cancer	13

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2019 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD treated as an oncologist in Philadelphia, PA during 2019 were eye procedures, ultrasound (sonogram) and diagnostic imaging.

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD for Medicare patients.

diagnostic imaging	698
doctor visit	918
eye procedures	3391
ultrasound (sonogram)	800

2019 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD.

**Gender**
Male	367
Female	494

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	796
Black	20
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	26
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	462
From 75 to 84	297
85 and over	67
Less than 65	35

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD in 2019

Hypertension	67
High Cholesterol	67
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	29
Depression	16
Chronic Kidney Disease	24
Asthma	6
Osteoperosis	10
Atrial Fibrilation	11
Heart Failure	9
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	9
Diabetes	24
Dementia	6
Cancer	17

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2020 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD treated as an oncologist in Philadelphia, PA during 2020 were eye procedures, ultrasound (sonogram), diagnostic imaging and removal of lesion (e.g. growth).

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD for Medicare patients.

diagnostic imaging	413
doctor visit	559
excision	11
eye procedures	1612
removal of lesion (e.g. growth)	11
soft tissue surgery	11
ultrasound (sonogram)	452

2020 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD.

**Gender**
Male	258
Female	311

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	519
Black	13
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	21
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	331
From 75 to 84	162
85 and over	49
Less than 65	27

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD in 2020

Hypertension	63
High Cholesterol	63
Stroke	3
Ischemic Heart Disease	28
Depression	15
Chronic Kidney Disease	20
Asthma	5
Osteoperosis	8
Atrial Fibrilation	12
Heart Failure	9
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	8
Diabetes	22
Dementia	4
Cancer	12

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2021 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD treated as an oncologist in Philadelphia, PA during 2021 were eye procedures, ultrasound (sonogram), diagnostic imaging and removal of lesion (e.g. growth).

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD for Medicare patients.

diagnostic imaging	781
doctor visit	968
excision	77
eye procedures	2924
removal of lesion (e.g. growth)	77
soft tissue surgery	37
ultrasound (sonogram)	860

2021 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD.

**Gender**
Male	369
Female	510

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	809
Black	15
Hispanic	0
Asian	0
Other	33
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	482
From 75 to 84	293
85 and over	77
Less than 65	27

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD in 2021

Hypertension	66
High Cholesterol	66
Stroke	4
Ischemic Heart Disease	28
Depression	15
Chronic Kidney Disease	25
Asthma	5
Osteoperosis	13
Atrial Fibrilation	10
Heart Failure	10
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	8
Diabetes	26
Dementia	4
Cancer	12

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

2022 Medicare Procedure Volume

The top procedures that Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD treated as an oncologist in Philadelphia, PA during 2022 were eye procedures, ultrasound (sonogram), diagnostic imaging and removal of lesion (e.g. growth).

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD for Medicare patients.

diagnostic imaging	945
doctor visit	1200
excision	74
eye procedures	3934
photocoagulation	39
removal of lesion (e.g. growth)	74
soft tissue surgery	32
ultrasound (sonogram)	1074

2022 Medicare Patient Data

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD.

**Gender**
Male	428
Female	619

**Ethnicity**
Non-Hispanic White	953
Black	23
Hispanic	11
Asian	15
Other	45
Native American	0

**Age**
From 65 to 74	532
From 75 to 84	381
85 and over	90
Less than 65	44

Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD in 2022

Hypertension	74
High Cholesterol	75
Stroke	7
Ischemic Heart Disease	24
Depression	13
Chronic Kidney Disease	15
Asthma	9
Osteoperosis	18
Atrial Fibrilation	14
Heart Failure	9
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	10
Diabetes	23
Dementia	3
Cancer	18

Medicare Procedure and Patient Information

Average Medicare Procedure Volume From 2012 - 2022

Volume of procedures performed by Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD for Medicare patients.

The highest averages for the top procedures that Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD treated as an oncologist in Philadelphia, PA were eye procedures, ultrasound (sonogram), diagnostic imaging and removal of lesion (e.g. growth).

ablation	17
diagnostic imaging	756
doctor visit	988
excision	35
eye procedures	3287
injections	27
photocoagulation	39
removal of lesion (e.g. growth)	46
soft tissue surgery	20
ultrasound (sonogram)	828

Average Medicare Patient Data From 2012 - 2022

Information about Medicare patients treated by Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD.

**Gender**
Female	526
Male	398

**Ethnicity**
Black / African American	22
Asian / Pacific Islander	1
Non-Hispanic White	854
Hispanic	3
Native American / Alaskan Native	0
Other	24

**Age**
85 and over	85
75 to 84	308
Less than 65	40
65 to 74	491

Average of Total of Conditions of Medicare patients treated by Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD From 2012 - 2022

The highest averages of the most common conditions of Medicare patients that Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD treated were hypertension, high cholesterol, ischemic heart disease and diabetes.

Hypertension	60
High Cholesterol	57
Stroke	3
Ischemic Heart Disease	26
Depression	12
Chronic Kidney Disease	16
Asthma	6
Osteoporosis	8
Heart Failure	8
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease	7
Diabetes	22
Atrial Fibrillation	9
Dementia	4
Cancer	13

Education & Training

Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD graduated from University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. She completed residency at Wills Eye Institute. She is certified by the Board Certification: Ophthalmology and has a state license in Pennsylvania.

Medical School: University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine

Residency: Wills Eye Institute

Board Certification: Board Certification: Ophthalmology

Licensed In: Pennsylvania

Affiliations & Hospitals

Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD is associated with these hospitals and organizations:

Jefferson Health

Wills Eye Hospital

Thomas Jefferson University Hospital

Insurance Information

Please note: Insurance information may change at any time, and the provider may accept your insurance plan even if it is not listed below. Please contact the provider's office to confirm that your insurance is accepted.

Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD appears to accept the following insurance providers: Geisinger Health Plan, Keystone Health Plan East, MultiPlan, United Healthcare, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield, Blue Cross Federal, Medicaid, Aetna Medicare, CIGNA Commercial, Humana, Keystone 65 HMO, Personal Choice, Medicare FFS, Aetna Commercial - Excludes Marketplace Plans and Personal Choice 65.

Insurance Accepted by Provider includes:

According to our sources, Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD accepts the following insurance providers:

Geisinger Health Plan

Keystone Health Plan East

MultiPlan

United Healthcare

Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield

Blue Cross Federal

Medicaid

Aetna Medicare

CIGNA Commercial

Humana

Keystone 65 HMO

Personal Choice

Medicare FFS

Aetna Commercial - Excludes Marketplace Plans

Personal Choice 65

Ratings & Reviews

Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD has an exceptional overall rating with an average of 4.75 out of 5 stars based on 4 ratings. We collect ratings and reviews of Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD from all over the web to help you find the right in Philadelphia, PA.

4.75

Overall Rating

(4 Ratings)

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General Payments

These charts describe general payments received by Dr. Carol L. Shields, MD. Doctors may receive payments for a number of reasons, including meal compensation, travel compensation, and consulting.

**Payments by Company**
Carl Zeiss Meditec, Inc.	$20,150 Clarus 700 $13,150	CLARUS $4,000	$3,000
GLAUKOS CORPORATION	$4,616 $4,616
EyePoint Pharmaceuticals US, Inc.	$750 DEXYCU $750
Galderma Laboratories, L.P.	$147 $147
VisionCare Inc.	$114 Implantable Miniature Telescope $114
Other	$45 BOTOX $16	XIIDRA $16	$13

**Types of Payments**
Consulting Fee	$20,900
Compensation for services other than consulting, including serving as faculty or as a speaker at a venue other than a continuing education program	$4,616
Food and Beverage	$305

Biography

Dr. Carol Shields is a physician who specializes in ocular oncology, pediatric ophthalmology, and vitreoretinal diseases (retina and vitreous). Dr. Shields graduated from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Her residency was performed at Wills Eye Institute. Her areas of expertise include eye cancer. Patients gave Dr. Shields an average rating of 4.5 stars (out of 5). Blue California, Geisinger Health Plan, and CIGNA Plans are among the insurance carriers that Dr. Shields honors. She is professionally affiliated with Wills Eye Hospital and Thomas Jefferson University Hospital. Dr. Shields has an open panel in Philadelphia, PA according to Jefferson Health.