UAB Callahan Eye Hospital's newly renovated operating room facility features new pre-op, recovery and operating rooms, making it one of the largest eye facilities in the United States.The University of Alabama at Birmingham’s Callahan Eye Hospital and the Department of Ophthalmology have expanded their operating room capacity from nine to 16 operating rooms, making it one of the largest eye facilities in the United States.
With this expansion comes more efficient operating room workflow for doctors, nurses, staff and patients, in addition to improved integration of care with the Callahan Eye Hospital clinics.
“The mission of the UAB Department of Ophthalmology, the Callahan Eye Hospital and the associated clinics is to provide topnotch, cutting-edge care for vision-threatening disease across Alabama,” said Christopher A. Girkin, M.D., EyeSight Foundation of Alabama Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology. “The recent expansion in our operating room capacity will better meet the needs of our rapidly growing elderly population. When this is complete, the Callahan Eye Hospital will be one of the largest operating facilities in the United States solely focused on restoring vision.”
The explosive growth in the number of elderly patients from the baby boomer generation has resulted in a rapid expansion in the needs for surgical eye care, including cataract procedures, in addition to advanced procedures for glaucoma, retinal and corneal disease. This influx of new patients coming into the health care system now also includes some who might not have had access to medical insurance in the past. Hospitals must begin preparing for this fast-approaching era of increased patient volume.
“The UAB Callahan Eye Hospital has a rich heritage of serving the people of Alabama and the Southeast,” said Brian Spraberry, president and CEO of UAB Callahan Eye Hospital. “The eye hospital has been a part of our community for more than 50 years, and I am always pleased to hear the wonderful stories about how a patient’s eyesight was saved by one of our incredible surgeons.”
The new space is located on the third floor of UAB Callahan Eye Hospital.