The Year That Was

Wilmer was ranked Best Overall Program and the #1 Research Program in the Ophthalmology Times annual survey for the third consecutive year. In addition, Wilmer moved up to take the #2 spot for Clinical Care. This achievement is a testament to the tireless commitment of our faculty, staff and trainees to provide the best care for our patients and advance the field of ophthalmology.

2022 saw the launch of a program of rising professorships that are providing training and support to help accelerate the careers of Wilmer’s next generation of leaders.

On Oct. 4, Wilmer hosted an international audience for the 16th Annual Meeting of the World Association of Eye Hospitals (WAEH). Attendees came from as far away as Australia to hear remarks from Peter J. McDonnell, M.D., the William Holland Wilmer Professor of Ophthalmology, Wilmer speakers and others on a wide variety of topics relevant to the running of a successful eye hospital. Wilmer administrator Cathy Kowalewski is chair of WAEH.

Thanks to the dedication and hard work of both students and faculty members, Wilmer now boasts the most diverse residency program in its history.

Wilmer continued to extend its footprint in the community with the expansion of the Green Spring Station clinic, a new optical shop at Wilmer-Columbia, and the construction of a new Kashani Lab, expected to open later this year. The newly renovated Residents Lounge, seen here, boasts nearly twice the space as the previous lounge and features workstations for each of Wilmer’s 15 residents. 

On Nov. 1, Vision for Baltimore distributed its 10,000th pair of eyeglasses to Baltimore City Public Schools students during a ceremony in the East Baltimore school’s library.

As a research program coordinator at Wilmer Eye Institute, Dagmar Wehling often sees patients who have guide dogs to help them navigate. After Wehling’s family lost their own beloved dog, they decided to train a puppy who would provide greater independence for people with blindness or visual impairment.

Margaret “Maggie” Freeman, certified ophthalmic assistant, is combining her love for art with her passion for helping people: She’s training to become an ocularist. 

In a poignant Ophthalmology Times blog post, Wilmer alum Ian Han, M.D. remembers residency program coordinator Cathy Taylor. “Cathy’s parting gift to us was to knit us together more tightly,” says Han.