Retina Center Closes; Front Range Opens Grand Junction Clinic
Front Range Retina will open a Grand Junction office on November 6, 2026, after the Retina Center of Western Colorado closed.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Openings & Closings
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The Retina Center of Western Colorado closed its doors on October 30, 2026, after nearly 30 years of operation. Front Range Retina and Community Hospital have since announced new retina specialty clinics in Grand Junction.
Why it matters
The closure leaves the Western Slope with one retina specialist and no comprehensive surgical retina capacity. Macular degeneration, the leading cause of vision loss in U.S. adults over 60, is estimated to affect roughly 1 in 10 Americans over 50.
The Western Slope now has one retina specialist and zero comprehensive surgical retina capacity following the closure of a practice that operated for nearly 30 years. Front Range Retina plans to hire a second retina surgeon, but the timeline for that hire and for vitreoretinal surgery was not given.
The players
Front Range Retina
A retina care practice expanding into Grand Junction to fill the gap left by the closed Retina Center.
Community Hospital
A Grand Junction hospital that announced the Grand Valley Retina and Eye Center to preserve local retina care.
The details
Front Range Retina will open a Grand Junction office on Friday, November 6, 2026, offering in-office injections, laser treatment, retinal imaging, and treatment of several retinal conditions. Community Hospital's Grand Valley Retina and Eye Center, at 2373 G Road, Suite 270, retained provider C. Kiersten Pollard from the closed Retina Center.
Timeline
Friday, October 30, 2026: Retina Center of Western Colorado closed its doors.
Friday, November 6, 2026: Front Range Retina opens its Grand Junction office.
January 4, 2027: Former patients can continue care with Dr. Pollard.
January 2027: Grand Valley Retina and Eye Center slated for comprehensive launch.
Market Landscape
Macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss in U.S. adults over 60 and is estimated to affect roughly 1 in 10 Americans over 50. The Retina Center's closure reduces specialist capacity against that documented prevalence on the Western Slope.
Patients on the Western Slope who lost access to the Retina Center can now book care at Front Range Retina's Grand Junction office, open Fridays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Former patients of Dr. Pollard can continue care with her starting January 4, 2027.
The takeaway
Patients who relied on the Retina Center should contact Front Range Retina or Grand Valley Retina and Eye Center now to secure appointments before capacity tightens. Booking early matters while only one retina specialist remains on the Western Slope.
What happens next
Front Range Retina's Grand Junction office opens November 6, 2026, and Grand Valley Retina and Eye Center is slated for comprehensive launch in January 2027.
Further reading
For more on other facility changes in the area, see Openings & Closings coverage.
More information
Find office details on the Front Range Retina Grand Junction location information page.
Source note: This article includes information reported by The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel.
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