Our History
The first ophthalmologist in the School of Medicine at Vanderbilt University, Doctor Giles C. Savage, was born in Mississippi in 1854, and received his medical degree from Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia in 1878. After two years of post-graduate work in ophthalmology in London and Vienna, he returned to Tennessee to practice. In 1886,
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| Dr. Giles C. Savage |
In 1934, Henry Carroll Smith, M.D. took over as the Director of the teaching program in Ophthalmology at Vanderbilt University, and he became Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology and Head of the Division of Ophthalmology in 1955. The resident training program in ophthalmology was begun in 1957, and was granted full approval in 1962 under the guidance of George W. Bounds, M.D.
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| James Elliott, M.D. |
In 1966, James Elliott, M.D. became the first full-time faculty member in the division of ophthalmology since Doctor Savage. Dr. Elliott was appointed Director of the Ophthalmology Training Program, which at that time trained two residents per year. This number was increased by Dr. Elliott to three per year. Under Dr. Elliott’s leadership, the Drs. Elliott and Steven Andrews received Vanderbilt’s first NIH vision research grants. Departmental status was granted in July, 1970 and Dr. Elliott was named inaugural Chair. On Dr. Elliott's retirement from the Chair in 1992, Denis O'Day, M. D. was appointed to the position.
For many years the department has had a strong association with the Lions Clubs of Middle Tennessee. The lions founded the Eye Bank at Vanderbilt in the 1960’s and through the Middle Tennessee Lions Sight Service, supported the care of indigent patients(children and adults) treated at Vanderbilt hospital. In 1993, the Lions again demonstrated their commitment with their decision to fund a clinic devoted to eye care for children at Vanderbilt.
In October, 1994, the Department moved into the newly constructed, state-of-the-art facility on the eighth floor of Vanderbilt Medical Center East encompassing clinical areas, testing and treatment facilities, research laboratories and administrative offices. In August of 1997, the Department celebrated the dedication of the Tennessee Lions Eye Center at Vanderbilt Children's Hospital, located on the first floor of the Medical Arts Building.
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| Denis O'Day, M.D. |
Under Dr. O’Day’s leadership, the Department grew considerably to include full-time faculty in each subspecialty: retina, glaucoma, cornea and external disease, pediatric ophthalmology, oculoplastics, and neuro-ophthalmology. The residency program increased to four residents per year. Dr. O’Day supported Dr. Karla Johns as Chief of Ophthalmology at the Nashville Veteran’s Administration Hospital, and oversaw the transition in leadership at the VA to Dr. Amy Chomsky. Under their leadership, Dr. Johns and Dr. Chomsky established the VA as a wonderful venue for resident education, fighting for better facilities, operating rooms and equipment. Dr. O’Day also reestablished a relationship between the Vanderbilt ophthalmology training program and Metropolitan Nashville General Hospital. As a pioneer in the Vanderbilt-Meharry Alliance, Vanderbilt ophthalmology residents returned to “the General” as they had for many years in the past when the hospital had been located downtown.
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| J. Donald Gass, M.D. |
In addition, Dr. O’Day recruited the Department’s first full-time Director of Research, John S. Penn, Ph.D. Reflecting a greater emphasis on scholarship, the Medical School renamed the department: Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. Dr. O’Day was instrumental in recruiting Dr. J. Donald M. Gass, the world’s preeminent medical retina specialist, to join the Vanderbilt faculty after his retirement from the faculty at the Bascom Palmer Eye Institute. Prior to his death in 2005, Dr. Gass continued to provide expert retina consultative services and train residents and fellows. Dr. O’Day’s tenure also saw the establishment of the Vanderbilt Ophthalmic Imaging Center (VOIC) and the Vanderbilt Laser Surgery Center.
From left to right: James Elliott, M.D., Paul Sternberg, Jr., M.D., Denis O'Day, M.D.
In January, 2003, Paul Sternberg, Jr., M.D. relocated from Emory University to succeed Dr. O’Day as Chair. Shortly thereafter, he established the Vanderbilt Eye Institute, reflecting the broad mission of clinical care, education, and discovery. Since his arrival, the Eye Institute faculty has tripled, with each discipline represented by more than one physician. In 2007, the successful comprehensive ophthalmology practice, Eye Physicians of Middle Tennessee, merged with Vanderbilt, expanding the clinical practice footprint to include offices in Franklin, Spring Hill, and Bellevue. With continuing growth in outpatient volume (90,000 visits/year), the Eye Institute moved into a new 50,000 square foot facility in April, 2008, which now houses the clinical operations. This building consolidates the adult and pediatric practices, as well as increasing designated space for the educational programs, clinical trials unit, business office, and departmental administration.
In addition, there has been unprecedented growth in the vision research program. NIH funding now ranks 17th in the nation, up from 37th three years ago. The Eye Institute moved into additional new state of the art vision research laboratories in the Jacobson Research Building in the fall of 2006. In addition, Vanderbilt received a gift from Dr. and Mrs. William Snyder that year to established an endowed chair for the senior researcher and Vice Chair, Dr. John Penn. In 2009, another endowed chair was created, the Coleman Chair, which is currently held by Dr. Sean Donahue, Chief of Pediatric Ophthalmology.