News for Supporters and Friends
2018 WINTER EDITION
Focused on a New Vision for Pittsburgh by Carrie Fogel
D
Evening view of the New UPMC Vision and Rehabilitation Hospital rendering
In a major announcement on November 3 of 2017, UPMC unveiled its plan to build three state-of-the-art specialty hospitals that would offer patients in Western Pennsylvania the very best in healthcare. One of these hospitals will be located on the UPMC Mercy campus in the Uptown neighborhood of Pittsburgh and will be dedicated to Vision and Rehabilitation. This investment is a major initiative in the clinical and scientific prowess of the UPMC Eye Center and University of Pittsburgh Department of Ophthalmology, led by its Chairman, José-Alain Sahel, MD.
r. Sahel explains that this new facility is one where clinicians and researchers will work together toward the common goal of maintaining and restoring vision. “This space was fundamental in accomplishing what I set out to achieve when I came to Pittsburgh. Researchers and clinicians require a close proximity to one another to have the kind of productive interactions that are necessary to allow for the type of cross-pollination that makes the Institute in Paris so successful.”
In This Issue Life Saving In Utero Surgery
2
Pitt – Building the Best Team for Macular Degeneration
3
Sharing What We Learn from Cancer Survivors
4
The McGuinn Retinal Fellowship – much needed support for Dr. Sahel
5
She was Never a Shrinking Violet – In Memoriam
6
Expanding the Albert C. Muse Prize for Excellence in Ophthalmology & Otolaryngology
6
Personalizing Treatment Plan for Voice
7
IRA Charitable Rollover
8
From the beginning, there were clear requirements for the location of the new Vision Institute. Dr. Sahel explained that access to an already existing facility was key, in order to capitalize on resources already in place. The new building would also have to be near the University of Pittsburgh’s main campus in Oakland, as many of the researchers and physicians also hold positions as teaching faculty. Most importantly, stresses Dr. Sahel, was the need for a new space that was accessible to the patients for whom the facility was being built. Many visually impaired individuals use public transportation, so access to a variety of bus routes was critical. In addition, the building itself would need to have direct street access and be easily navigable to those using assistive devices and other methods that would allow them to access the building independently. Fortunately for Dr. Sahel and his Department, he and the institution were able to make certain that these requirements were met and even exceeded with the opportunities the eventual site can provide in terms of community engagement. Dr. Sahel explained that, “as soon as I met the leadership and staff at UPMC Mercy, I sensed that this hospital had been built on the premise of humanistic, holistic and patient-centered care, which aligned with our values.” Mercy Hospital has been a fixture in the Uptown neighborhood of Pittsburgh for generations and would be an excellent resource to rely upon. Dr. Sahel soon discovered the proximity of other notable institutions with which he was interested in partnering, the most important being Blind and Vision Rehabilitation Services, which is Pittsburgh’s nationally-acclaimed rehabilitation program designed to help people with vision loss gain employment and work Continued on page 5