The Wong
The Impact of Your Giving
JUNE 2025
With Deepest Gratitude: A Look at Your Impact So Far — and What’s Next
The Mitchel and Shannon Wong Eye Institute (MSWEI) has made significant strides in advancing ophthalmic care, education and research, thanks to your generous support This report highlights the impact of your contributions over the past year and outlines our vision for the years ahead.
Dear Wong family,
On behalf of Dell Medical School, I extend our heartfelt gratitude for your generous support and unwavering commitment to our mission Your contributions have made a profound impact on our ability to advance ophthalmic research, education and patient care
This impact report highlights the past year ’ s progress and achievements made possible through your philanthropy Among other things, your gift has helped us to expand access to specialized care, such as uveitis and cornea treatments These efforts are crucial in providing high-quality care to our patients, including those from underserved communities.
Your contribution is especially significant as we continue to develop The University of Texas Medical Center, always putting patients first This emerging academic health system is poised to become a hub of medical innovation, bringing together top-tier faculty, cross-campus research, cutting-edge technology, and state-of-the-art facilities, all with an unrelenting focus on the patient and our community.
We are deeply grateful for your partnership and the trust you have placed in Dell Medical School Thank you once again for your dedication and support. Together, we are making a difference in the lives of countless individuals and families
Warm regards,
CLAUDIA F. LUCCHINETTI, M.D. Dean, Dell Medical School
Senior Vice President for Medical Affairs, The University of Texas at Austin Frank and Charmaine DeniusDistinguished Dean’s Chair in Medical Leadership
Faculty Development and Recruitment
This year, we plan to appoint two outstanding faculty members to endowed chair positions, following their expected promotions: Gene Kim, M.D., will be named The Rose Tsao Wong Endowed Faculty Chair in Ophthalmology, supporting our residency program. Eric Crowell, M.D., MPH, will be named The Wong Family Endowed Chair for MSWEI, supporting clinical operations
This year, the institute hired Saleema Kherani-Ali, M.D., MPH, and Aman Mittal, M D Dr Kherani-Ali has expanded access to uveitis care, and Dr Mittal has done the same for the cornea bench. Both are excellent educators and have received multiple awards for their teaching skills. They are supported by funds from the Wong Family Distinguished University Chair as their clinical and surgical practices ramp up.
We are also bringing in a second neuro-ophthalmologist, Amy Durand, M.D., who is currently completing her fellowship at UPenn and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Her addition, beginning Sept 8, will significantly reduce the wait times for neuro-ophthalmology appointments, addressing a critical need in our community.
Additionally, we have received approval to recruit a glaucoma specialist, further enhancing our clinical capabilities Eileen Bowden, M D , our current glaucoma specialist, has a four-month wait for appointments, underscoring the importance of expanding our team.
Patient Care and Community Impact
Our commitment to serving safety-net patients remains strong We have numerous meaningful patient encounters, such as the case of a working uninsured woman, treated by Dr. Kim, who regained her vision after a cataract procedure This highlights the transformative impact of our work on the lives of our patients
Chair Jane Edmond, M D , treated a 15year-old girl from Dallas-Fort Worth who had to travel to see Dr Edmond because there were no neuro-ophthalmologists nearby who would take her case This underscores the critical need for additional specialists in our community and region
Residency Program Excellence
Our residency program continues to attract top talent, with over 650 applications for three positions per year This year we matched three exceptional medical students, all of whom are members of Alpha Omega Alpha. Additionally, one received the Gold Humanism Award Starting July 1, the Mitchel and Shannon Wong Eye Institute will be home to a full residency program 12 residents across all four years of training that will attract high-quality ophthalmologists to Austin for years to come
Every single residency application is reviewed using a unique rubric, developed by Dr. Kim, which gives a numerical score to multiple criteria such as GPA, Step 2 scores, publications, and extracurricular activities. After the ranking, the top 60-70 are interviewed, primarily to determine cultural fit This approach has ensured that we match residents who are intelligent, curious, responsible, and hardworking and will positively contribute to our team
Research and Scholarship
The Wong Family Endowed Excellence Fund supports Dr. Harry Aung’s nonclinical effort allocation as the associate chair of research Dr Aung oversees and supports the research efforts of our residents. Next year, we plan to move the Shore Lecture closer to the end of the academic year so that it serves as a resident research presentation event, plus a graduation dinner.
The family’s overall gift also supports all our faculty’s educational and research time, including resident education
Our faculty are actively involved in clinical trials, writing manuscripts for publication, and presenting at conferences, typically with our residents and/or medical students as coauthors. Dr. Bowden recently co-authored a paper in Ophthalmology entitled “Special Commentary: Reporting Clinical Endpoints in Studies of Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery.” Dr. Bowden is helping to shine a national spotlight on MSWEI.
Our Plans: Growing Our Clinic, Faculty and More
Looking ahead, we continue to support the new Ophthalmic Surgical Skills Center for resident surgical training through the current-use or resident education fund
It is also expected that the clinic of the MSWEI will be relocated to a new space (onsite or offsite) to accommodate the future expansion of the neighboring UTHA ambulatory surgical center While these discussions have just begun, Dr Edmond, as vice dean of professional practice, has been part of the leadership planning and is a strong advocate for ophthalmology
We are also planning to hire a low-vision optometrist part time to expand low-vision services to Austin One low-vision optometrist is currently serving all of Austin and does not accept lower-reimbursing insurances. Visually impaired safety-net patients also deserve low-vision services to help maintain their independence and engage in meaningful activities despite their vision loss.
We continue to be committed to recruiting a clinician-scientist and a second glaucoma specialist Ideally, we would attract a mid or senior career glaucoma specialist who is a clinician-scientist and would serve as associate chair of research, named as the Betty Wong Endowed Chair for Excellence in Ophthalmology
“Your contributions have played a pivotal role in advancing our mission — enhancing patient care, driving groundbreaking research, and training the next generation of ophthalmologists. We are honored to have you as a partner in this journey.”
JANE C. EDMOND, M.D.
Vice Dean of Professional Practice, Dell Medical School
Wong Family Distinguished University Chair, Department of Ophthalmology Director, Mitchel and Shannon Wong Eye Institute Professor, Department of Ophthalmology Professor, Department of Neurology
Thank You, Wong Family
Your generosity has been crucial in advancing the mission of the Mitchel and Shannon Wong Eye Institute.
Your support has enabled us to recruit top-tier faculty, foster a thriving residency program, and provide exceptional clinical and surgical comprehensive and subspecialty ophthalmic care to those who can, and cannot, afford eye care. Additionally, our faculty brings subspecialty care to Austin that has not existed in the past, like specialists in uveitis and adult and pediatric neuro-ophthalmology. We are deeply grateful for your contributions and look forward to continuing our partnership to achieve an even greater impact in the years to come.
Thank you.
