| Wills Eye Institute | |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Location | 840 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States |
| Organization | |
| Hospital type | Specialist |
| Affiliated university | Thomas Jefferson University |
| Services | |
| Speciality | Ophthalmology |
| History | |
| Founded | 1832 |
| Links | |
| Website | http://www.willseye.org |
| Lists | Hospitals in Pennsylvania |
Wills Eye Institute is a non-profit eye clinic and hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was established in 1832 and is the oldest continually operating eye-care facility in the United States. It is affiliated with the medical school of Thomas Jefferson University.
Since 1990, Wills Eye Institute has consistently been ranked as one of the best ophthalmology hospitals in the United States by U.S. News and World Report.[1]
Contents |
James Wills, Jr., a Quaker merchant, was instrumental in the founding of Wills Eye through his bequest of $116,000 in 1832 to the City of Philadelphia. Wills stipulated that the funds were to be used specifically for the indigent, blind, and lame. Over the years it evolved into solely an eye hospital. The first Wills Eye Hospital opened in 1834 near Logan Circle at 18th & Race Streets.
Early surgeons at Wills Eye included Isaac Parrish, M.D. and Isaac Hays, MD[2], George Fox, M.D., and Squier Littell, M.D., who in 1837 wrote "A Manual of Diseases of the Eye." [3] In 1854, Littell also co-edited "A Treatise on Operative Ophthalmic Surgery" with Henry Haynes Walton.[4]
Wills Eye has pioneered many techniques in the field of ophthalmology, including:
The Wills Vision Research Center at Jefferson was established in June 2011 in order to forge a collaboration between clinicians and researchers in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of eye disease. More than 15 scientific disciplines participate, including ophthalmology, oncology, pathology, neurology and endocrinology. The primary focus is on translational research and studies that will have a major impact on improving vision health.