By Ric Rivers, MD, and Tina Tran, MD

OAS is happy to roll out a new series, designed to connect members from across the United States and showcase our communities. Ophthalmic anesthesia is a very niche field so we're working hard to give member every opportunity to connect, discuss and discover. 

The first in the series spotlights the Wilmer Eye Institute. We hope you enjoy it! 

This summer marks the 10-year anniversary of the opening of Wilmer Eye Institute’s Robert H. & Clarice Smith Building and Maurice Bendann Surgical Pavilion.

The first of its kind, this landmark building united ophthalmology research and care delivery to a degree not seen before in the field of ophthalmology. The building supports engineers, scientists, clinicians and their teams in working together and sharing ideas in an open, interactive, and collaborative environment. 

In light of this anniversary, here is a quick introduction to the Wilmer Eye Institute written by OAS members Ric Rivers, MD, and Tina Tran, MD.

About William Holland Wilmer & Wilmer Eye Institute 

William Holland Wilmer began to practice ophthalmology in 1889 and over the next 35 years became one of the most renowned practitioners in his field. In 1924, the Wilmer Foundation was started to raise funds to allow him to carry on his own research work and to train young doctors. An endowment of nearly $4 million was raised, and one year later, the foundation established the Wilmer Institute of Ophthalmology at The Johns Hopkins Hospital. The institute was the nation's first university eye clinic to combine patient care, research and teaching under one roof, and Wilmer was chosen, at age 61, to become its inaugural director. He remained in that position until his retirement in 1934.

At the beginning there was an ophthalmology emergency room, two ophthalmology operating rooms, and eight ophthalmology inpatient beds in a single same Wilmer building, spread over 2 floors. About 15 years ago we finally grew out of that space. Now Wilmer shares space in the Johns Hopkins adult emergency department, has seven ophthalmology operating rooms in the new Smith building, and admits patients to the main hospital. Wilmer currently performs almost 7000 cases per year and all subspecialties are represented.

The operating room operates with a team model that relies a couple of monthly meetings where nursing, surgery, anesthesia, materials management, and administration all participate to make an efficient operation. Patient care is optimized through the use of an electronic medical record that is shared by all members of the team. Daily routine includes morning debriefing sessions where nursing and anesthesia discuss the issues of the day whether it is related to equipment, personnel, or patients.

The seven dedicated operating rooms are separated from the main hospital in a separate building, across the street. All ophthalmology surgical cases except the smallest peds patients, and the critically ill, are performed in this facility. Ninety-five percent of the patients are outpatients and about five percent are planned post-op admissions (transferred by hospital-owned ambulance).