Dear Friends of the Shiley Eye Center,

This year, 2004, represents a milestone for us since it is the 20th Anniversary of the Department of Ophthalmology at UCSD.

Twenty years ago this department began with two small antiquated examining rooms in Hillcrest, an office, five staff, and two faculty members. Two years later, we moved into a modest trailer on the La Jolla campus that allowed us to expand our faculty as well as our patient activities and clinical research.

As a result of many grateful patients, we went from this trailer to the Shiley Eye Center. This was quite a leap since we were the first to have a presence east of I-5. The campus east of I-5 has changed dramatically and we have also. With the construction of the Shiley Eye Center, totally financed by our community,we were able to fulfill our mission of teaching, research, patient care, and community service.

Along the way, our distinguished doctors have won almost every award available to ophthalmologists in the world. The list is almost endless. We rank among the tops of the medical school departments in the United States. Our clinical excellence is attracting patients from every corner of the world. We have begun service programs in our community unlike any in the United States. We reach out and take care of 10,000 underprivileged young children each year with our EyeMobile, as well as educate and treat over 10,000 adults with macular degeneration. Because of this remarkable progress and the help of grateful patients, we have been able to improve care for children by constructing the Ratner Children's Eye Center, enlarge our research program with the new Jacobs and Hamilton-White Retina and Glaucoma Centers, improve our teaching mission with the new Weyland Library, and secure our outreach programs with the new Schulman Community Ophthalmology Division.

All of this has been gratifying since our community has made this all possible. However, our success is rapidly becoming an obstacle with overcrowding which threatens our efficiency and patient care environment. To deal with this increase in activity, we have improved and enlarged our operating rooms and, in the next month, will increase the size and personnel in registration. However, the latter will be a temporary fix at best. Consequently, we must expand our clinical facilities in the near future and have initiated fundraising. I view this expansion as the most immediate need and most critical in our history. There are wonderful naming opportunities for the proposed new wing. Please call me personally if you or someone you know has a possible interest.

The year 2005, therefore, is an especially important year for us. I sincerely appreciate all of the contributions that have made these 20 years possible.

Thank you,
Stuart I. Brown, M.D.
Chairman and Professor