Chapters Transcript Video New State-of-the-Art Eye Care Facility Opens at UC Davis Health This is an amazing 78,000 square foot building that is centered specifically around eyes. So what we've done here is we've created a world class center in which we can treat any disease of the eye from a dizzy, we like to say from cornea to cortex. The building is really set up for increased numbers of patients but in a way that provides care in an intimate setting that's very comfortable for patients and very easy for physicians. What we had in mind was if you had an eye problem and didn't see very well, what would you need to be able to travel through this building comfortably and safely? So for instance the waiting room, it's very clear where the waiting room is and where the main walkway is. The signage for the drinking fountain exits the check in desk are very high contrast and they're very hard to miss. So we truly tried to design a building that would provide easy way finding for patients with visual disabilities. The unique thing about this eye institute is that we do have researchers and clinicians all under one roof. As part of the eye center, we have the center for ocular regenerative therapy and this unit will be dedicated to gene therapy and other new treatments for retinal degenerative diseases that today have no cure. We wanted to create a space where there would be chance encounters between people taking care of patients and people doing hardcore basic science research. So this pairing of the clinicians and the basic scientist really uh catalyze is new thinking, new ways of treating patients Ernest Chan in this year turned 97. So earnest is actually a patient of mine, whom I've known for probably a decade or more. And I think what Ernest wanted was to give back to the world of ophthalmology and patients who may suffer from similar blinding diseases. In addition to Ernest Chan in we we also have a whole group of people that are just so excited about the eye institute and have been also are major donors. It's just a lot of supporters that believe in the mission that we believe in. The opening of the new building really provides us with a wonderful opportunity to house some of the most sophisticated eye care in the region and to bring it to patients in a very warm, welcoming and efficient atmosphere. Created by
