Dr. Jennifer Hartel, M.D.
By Mary Ann Hutchenson
Service with a Smile
Never underestimate the power of “Take Your Sons and Daughters to Work Day,” which is typically observed on the fourth Thursday of April each year. The celebratory theme day was initially created in 1993 to build self-esteem in girls by giving them an opportunity to explore and witness a wide variety of employment positions and role models, especially in fields where females were often underrepresented.
Dr. Jennifer Hartel was inspired to become an ophthalmologist by observing the work of her father, Dr. Walter Hartel, up close and personal as an elementary school student. She excitedly explained, “I watched my father perform cataract surgery,” and described watching the live surgery via video projection straight from the operating microscope. The cataract surgery was a “clean surgery, with no blood involved,” says Hartel. Rather than instilling fear in the bright, young girl, the experience sparked a heightened interest in her father’s profession.
It is obvious Hartel was drawn to the field of ophthalmology by more than genetics. She thoroughly understood at a young age that optimum vision significantly improved the quality of life and automatically recognized that this was how she wanted to help people. The road to her professional ambition entailed rigorous academic commitments, diligence, excellence, and perseverance: four years of education at Wake Forest University, four years of medical school at Wake Forest Medical School, one year of internal medicine internship at the University of South Carolina, three years of ophthalmology residency training at the University of South Carolina, and one year of fellowship training in cornea, cataract, and external disease at Ohio State University.
Dr. Hartel and her husband, ophthalmologist Dr. Shawn Iverson, married during her fellowship year, and practice at Palmetto Ophthalmology Associates on Butler Street in Lexington. Prior to joining Palmetto Ophthalmology Associates in 2022, Dr. Hartel had the pleasure of practicing at Prisma
Health/University of South Carolina. She is adored by her patients for her warm bedside manner and admired by her colleagues for her sharp expertise, integrity, experience, and knowledge. This was further solidified by one of her patients, who recently had an in-house laser treatment, “Dr. Hartel and her technicians walked me through the entire procedure in advance so that I would be informed instead of worried or confused,” remarks John. “The treatment was a total success and went exactly as planned; Dr. Hartel’s gentle approach maintained a calm, peaceful atmosphere throughout the entire process.”
When asked about her priorities regarding patient care, Dr. Hartel stressed that the most important part of her job is improving the quality of life for her patients, “In health care in general, you talk to people from all walks of life. You have to be patient and understanding.” The couple enjoys spending quality time with their two beautiful, young daughters, as well as cooking, gardening, and hiking.
