Community Programs at OHSU Casey Eye Institute
A core part of Casey's mission is simple yet ambitious: to eliminate preventable blindness in Oregon and beyond.
Our clinical expertise and pioneering research are vital to achieving this goal. But just as important is our work in and with the community, far beyond our clinic doors. We have programs in Oregon and around the world that bring eye care services directly to people who have the most trouble accessing care.
That work happens is because of you. Donor funds, along with dedicated volunteers, are the engines that power all of our community programs. Learn more about how to join our dedicated group of volunteers or consider donating to one of our programs.
Community and Global Programs
As part of the Casey Eye Institute, we improve access to eye care to preserve the gift of sight and eliminate preventable blindness in the communities we are privileged to serve. In collaboration with domestic and international community leaders we are committed to changing how vision care is provided through serving our global community by integrating the highest standards of service, education, research, scholarship, and clinical practice to meet each community’s unique vision health care needs. Learn more.
Elks Children’s Vision Screening
Thanks to longtime and generous support from the Oregon State Elks Association, we provide free vision screenings to about 8,000 preschool children each year. The screenings detect eye diseases that are most successfully treated while the child's visual system is still developing, before age 5. They also help provide vision correction for children who need it.
Learn more about preschool vision screenings.
Wold Family Macular Degeneration Center
Our center provides patients with the most advanced treatments and tools available to manage their disease, including experimental therapies not available elsewhere in the region. The center also sponsors one of the nation's largest patient-focused conferences on macular degeneration, attracting nearly 1,000 people each year. Learn more.
ReSpectacle
Uncorrected refractive error is the most important cause of preventable vision loss in the world. Organized by our residents and with the support of the OHSU medical students, the Casey chapter of ReSpectacle seeks to combat this important cause of vision loss by cleaning, measuring, and matching donated eye glasses for redistribution to underserved communities worldwide. Last year, the OHSU chapter of ReSpectacle processed over 500 glasses for donation.