Patients young and old have a new, welcoming space at Oregon Health & Science University to receive state-of-the-art eye care for issues ranging from macular degeneration to inherited conditions that can cause blindness.
On Dec. 8, the 60,000-square-foot Elks Children’s Eye Clinic building opened its doors after two and a half years of construction. As a result, OHSU’s ophthalmology department, better known as the Casey Eye Institute, is now based in two neighboring buildings.
The structure is named after the Oregon State Elks fraternal organization, which donated $20 million toward the $50-million project and has supported pediatric eye care at OHSU for seven decades. Among many other generous donations that made the new facility possible is a gift from the Wold family to support macular degeneration research.
The five-story building is home to:
- Elk’s Children’s Eye Clinic
- Wold Family Macular Degeneration Center
- Paul H. Casey Ophthalmic Genetics Division
- Doug and Jo Peterson Retina Floor
- Andree Stevens Clinical Trials Center
- Evelyn L. Jones Low-Vision Rehabilitation Center
“The new Elks Children’s Eye Clinic represents a monumental game changer in pediatric ophthalmology,” said Daniel Karr, M.D., director of the Elks Children’s Eye Clinic and professor of ophthalmology in the OHSU School of Medicine. “Because of the Oregon Elks’ enduring commitment to our program, we are now reaching a new plateau of care.”
One of the project’s most striking features is the dynamic skybridge that connects the new structure with the original Casey Eye Institute building, both of which are located in the 500 block of S.W. Campus Drive on Portland’s Marquam Hill. The skybridge is adorned with a special, color-changing glass that shifts between green, yellow and blue hues as lighting conditions evolve.
For more information, see the OHSU Casey Eye Institute announcement.