WVU Eye Institute celebrates 20 years , looks forward to future
The WVU Eye Institute is celebrating 20 years of serving patients in West Virginia ( WV ) and beyond . The education , research , and outreach done by the WVU Eye Institute has made it an international leader in the field , serving as a model for organizations around the world .
“ This milestone shows the strength of our commitment to providing state-of-the-art care to the people of our state and region ,” Thomas Mauger , MD , WVU Eye Institute professor , and Jane McDermott Shott , chair , said . “ Our organization has grown significantly in the last 20 years , allowing us to reach deep into the corners of the state and expand access to eye care and adaptive technologies .”
The WVU Eye Institute is the only provider of specialty eye care in the state . Patients travel from across the region in order to receive cutting-edge treatments for various eye diseases , including uveitis and thyroid eye disease . It is also home to the only threeyear ophthalmology residency program in the state and subspecialty fellowships available in cornea , retina , plastic surgery , and glaucoma .
Since 2001 , the institute has grown and expanded its reach , serving 19,159 patients during 77,262 visits in 2019 . Despite the coronavirus pandemic , the WVU Eye Institute never closed in 2020 and saw 18,236 patients during 70,872 visits .
“ The fact that the organization invested in the department and its mission improved public perception of our capabilities , we saw a 20 % increase in patient volume in the first year we were in the new building ,” Charlton said . “ It also improved our ability to recruit physicians and researchers . Our offices were formerly located in a double-wide trailer , and the new facility with offices and laboratory space made it much easier to bring in professionals who wanted to perform research and discover new treatments and technologies .”
Serving the underserved
The WVU Eye Institute provides care to populations not commonly treated by private practitioners , including those with complex medical and surgical problems involving their eyes . It also provides consultation on patients at WVU Medicine J . W . Ruby Memorial Hospital when requested .
“ We provide far more care for patients who have limited resources than you would in private practice ,” said Geoffrey Bradford , MD , WVU Eye Institute ophthalmologist and residency program director . “ We see patients every day from the far reaches of the state who have traveled to receive specialty care , and many of those come from impoverished areas .”
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