About Ophthalmology Practice in Southeast Volusia County, FL

About Volusia Eye Associates

Our Practice

We are the longest established ophthalmology practice in Southeast Volusia County. We have been providing care for our neighbors at our New Smyrna Beach location since 1985. In November of 2018, we opened a new satellite office in Edgewater to more conveniently serve our patients in the south end of the county.
The mission of our practice is to provide excellent full service medical and surgical eye care to the residents of the Southeast Volusia area using the latest diagnostic and treatment techniques combined with small town, personalized service.
We strive for personal relationships with our patients; it helps in guiding care to improve quality of life. We believe in delivering the best care to our patients and value their time. We strive to reduce patient waiting time; both in the waiting area and in the exam room.

Meet the Team

Robert "Hank" Routh, M.D.

Comprehensive Ophthalmologist

Dr. Robert “Hank” Routh is a board-certified comprehensive ophthalmologist who grew up in New Smyrna Beach and returned home in 2013 to raise his family and provide exceptional eye care to the people of his hometown. He specializes in cataract and laser surgeries as well as minor oculoplastic procedures.

Dr. Routh earned his degree in biomedical engineering from Tulane University before attending medical school at the University of Florida. He completed his ophthalmology training at the LSU/Ochsner Ophthalmology program in New Orleans and is certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology.

Dr. Routh is an active member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Florida Medical Association, the Florida Society of Ophthalmology, and the Volusia Medical Society. He performs surgeries at AdventHealth New Smyrna Beach and the New Smyrna Beach Ambulatory Care Center.

Outside of his practice, Dr. Routh enjoys traveling and sailing with his wife and their three children.

Professional Organizations & Affiliations

American Academy of Ophthalmology
National Board of Ophthalmology
America Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons
Florida Medical Association
University of Florida College of Medicine Alumni Association
Southeast Volusia Chamber of Commerce

Educational Background

Tulane University School of Engineering, LA
University of Florida College of Medicine, FL
Ochsner Clinic Foundation, Internal Medicine, LA
LSU/Ochsner Ophthalmology Residency, LA

Chelsea E. Heck, O.D.

Dr. Heck moved to Volusia County to join Volusia Eye Associates. She is originally from Toledo, Ohio and is enjoying making this area home. Dr. Heck attended Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio for her undergraduate education and later attended Nova Southeastern University for Optometry school. The Ohio native is an avid Ohio State Buckeyes fan. “Eyes have been my passion since I was in 4th grade and received my first pair of glasses. I was intrigued when I found out that eyes are the only place in the body that we can examine the vessels and tissues of the body without making a cut.” When she is not seeing patients, Dr. Heck enjoys spending time with her husband, Dr. Knuckles, and their two girls, Madelynn and Juliette.

Professional Organizations & Affiliations

American Optometric Association (AOA)
Florida Optometric Society (FOA)
Volusia county Optometric Society (VOS)
Nova Southeastern College of Optometry Alumni Association

Educational Background:

Bowling Green University- Bowling Green, Ohio
Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry

Justin Knuckles, O.D.

Dr. Knuckles was born and raised in South Miami-Dade County, FL. After graduating from Florida State University in 2004, Dr. Knuckles spent time performing environmental research in the Florida Everglades. He began working in eye care in 2009, and graduated from Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry in 2017. After graduation, Dr. Knuckles completed a residency in Primary Eye Care in at the Daytona Beach Veterans Affairs. He is also an avid sports fan and has a deep love for fishing and spending time on the water. “As physicians, we spend many years acquiring the knowledge necessary to provide our patients with the very best care. It is my duty to utilize that knowledge for the benefit of my patients, and to also share that knowledge with my patients so that they can better understand how to preserve their ocular health.”

Professional Organizations & Affiliations

American Optometric Association (AOA)
Florida Optometric Society (FOA)
Volusia county Optometric Society (VOS)
Nova Southeastern College of Optometry Alumni Association

Educational Background

Florida State University
Nova Southeastern University College of Optometry
Residency: Daytona Beach Veterans Affairs

Samantha N. Habhab, M.D.

Samantha N. Habhab, M.D. is a Board Certified fellowship-trained ophthalmologist specializing in cornea, cataract and refractive surgery. She graduated with honors from the University of Michigan (2013) with a bachelor of science in neuroscience and a minor in near eastern studies. She received her medical degree at Wayne State University School of Medicine (2017) where she discovered her passion for ophthalmology. After medical school, she went on to rigorous and comprehensive training in ophthalmology at the Kresge Eye Institute in Detroit. During residency, she was awarded top scorer in the Ophthalmic Knowledge Assessment Program (OKAP) exam for three years in a row. She authored several review articles on presbyopic treatments and presented her research project on patient outcomes in a combined ophthalmology-rheumatology uveitis clinic at the American Academy of Ophthalmology Annual Meeting. After residency, Dr. Habhab completed a fellowship in Cornea and External Diseases at the prestigious Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia (2022) under world-renowned experts in the field. She trained extensively in the full scope of corneal transplantation including PKP, DMEK, and DSEK. She has a special interest in medical and surgical cornea as well as cataract and refractive surgery. Dr. Habhab is dedicated to providing compassionate, patient-centered care while providing the best possible treatments in vision correction. She considers it a privilege to help patients in such a meaningful way. In her free time, Dr. Habhab enjoys traveling, exercising, and spending time with her husband and daughter. Dr. Habhab invites you to call today to book an appointment.