This is a list of current funding needs. Fundraising drives are underway for many of these projects.

You may make donations to these funding needs by clicking on this printable form. Donation forms are available for a credit card gift, for UAMS payroll deduction, and for printing and mailing with a check.

A Chair in Low Vision

When a patient permanently loses vision that cannot be improved by standard glasses or by medical or surgical therapy, they are said to have low vision. The most common causes of permanent low vision are age-related macular degeneration, diabetes and glaucoma. Even though normal vision cannot be restored, it is often possible to help people adapt through the use of low vision aids such as magnifiers, telescopes and other devices. An endowed chair in this area will ensure that this service will endure and be available to an increasingly large number of elderly patients.

A Chair in Ophthalmic Pathology

Although the diagnosis of eye diseases is often accurate based on clinical evaluation, pathological (macroscopic and microscopic) examination of excised tissue is necessary to confirm and/or clarify the disease process, particularly in conditions that are not straightforward clinically. Correct pathological diagnosis will guide the clinician in proper management and treatment of the patient. Since the eye is a very complex organ with many pathological conditions unique to it, the pathologic examination of ocular and adnexal tissues ideally should be performed by a pathologist with fellowship training in ophthalmic pathology. An endowed chair for ocular pathology will provide for needed research into the origins of many eye diseases.

A Chair in Cornea and External Disease

The external parts of the eye include the eyelids, conjunctiva, white sclera and the clear central cornea, which is the window of the eye. These structures are subject to many diseases including infections, genetic disorders and aging processes. In the last decade, our knowledge of these processes as well as improved medical and surgical treatments has increased greatly. Despite all these advances, ongoing research is needed to provide new tools to better help patients. An endowed chair for cornea and external disease will help achieve these goals.

A Chair in Glaucoma

Glaucoma is generally defined as damage to the optic nerve due to sustained intraocular pressure that is higher than the nerve can withstand. In some patients it may also be due to poor blood circulation to the optic nerve. Patients with glaucoma generally lose their peripheral vision slowly, painlessly and permanently before the disease is discovered. Support for education and research is needed which will lead to prevention as well as treatment. An endowed chair for a glaucoma specialist will provide for this need.

A Chair in Retina-Vitreous

Approximately 700,000 people each year are visually impaired from retinal diseases which include macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, retinal detachment, trauma, retinopathy of prematurity and uveitis. A cure for macular degeneration is urgently needed, and an endowed chair in retina-vitreous disorders will help support new discoveries.

A Chair in Neuro-ophthalmology

Neuro-ophthalmologists specialize in diseases of the optic nerve, movement disorders of the eye and disorders of the brain that affect vision. Investigation of these complex disorders is complicated, requires extensive training and generally requires collaboration with neurologists and neurosurgeons. Most neuro-ophthalmologists work at academic medical centers where they also teach and research. An endowed chair for neuro-ophthalmology will ensure that this special service can be provided and sustained.

A Chair in Ophthalmic Plastics

Oculoplastic surgeons deal with disease of the tissues and structures that surround the eye. This includes fractures of the orbital bones, tumors behind the eyeball, eyelid abnormalities such as droopiness and disorders which affect the tear drainage system. Their patients encompass all age groups. An endowed chair for this highly specialized practitioner will allow for research for new methods of prevention and surgical treatment.

A Chair in Pediatrics

Jones Eye Institute's pediatric ophthalmologists see their patients at Arkansas Children's Hospital. They treat all pediatric ophthalmologic diseases, which include misalignment of the eyes, amblyopia ("lazy eye"), cataracts, congenital optic nerve abnormalities and pediatric glaucoma. An endowed chair for pediatric ophthalmology will support the work that is so necessary to prevent and restore the vision of our future generation of young people.

A Chair in Comprehensive Ophthalmology

Comprehensive ophthalmologists provide total eye care: medical, surgical and optical. They perform complete medical eye examinations, diagnose and treat a wide range of eye diseases and prescribe appropriate medications. In addition, comprehensive ophthalmologists perform eye surgery, such as cataract removal, provide post-operative care and prescribe eyeglasses, contact lenses and other visual aids. This program is essential for the training of eye specialists, and an endowed chair in this area will help secure its future.

Research Endowment for Saving Sight

Research is the key to unlocking the dark door of blindness, and nowhere in the United States is the need for an aggressive eye research program more apparent than in Arkansas. The state's large population of elderly citizens carries with it many eye diseases that have no known cures. Because of an increased demand for treatment, apparent from the 200 percent increase in patient visits over a 10-year period, researchers in the Pat and Willard Walker Eye Research Center are in a unique position to impact the lives of many Arkansans.

Since its founding in 1987, Jones Eye Institute's research center has developed an outstanding national reputation. Now named the Pat and Willard Walker Eye Research Center, this facility will move to a new level of international prominence. New investigators will be recruited, new projects will be started and new discoveries will be realized. Arkansas' Jones Eye Institute will become a center known around the world for its work in preventing vision loss.

A Chair in Basic Research

Currently, the main focus of research at Jones Eye Institute is the retina, which is the back of the eye. Researchers at the Pat and Willard Walker Eye Research Center are investigating how the immune system reacts in the midst of infectious disease, especially viral diseases of the retina. Therefore, interest earned from the establishment of a basic research chair would provide funds to aid the fight against eye disease through the purchase of new equipment and supplies and recruitment of new research faculty and staff.

An Endowment for the Ophthalmic Medical Technology Program

Many practicing Arkansas physicians completed their ophthalmology residencies at UAMS. The residency program consists of three years of intensive training in all aspects of medical and surgical eye care at UAMS, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System and Arkansas Children's Hospital. Graduates of the program are well-trained and ready to begin practice as comprehensive ophthalmologists or continue their training in a subspecialty field.

The UAMS alumni and other ophthalmologists in the state depend on UAMS and Jones Eye Institute for continuing medical education as a source for cutting-edge information. The state's ophthalmologists also rely on the Jones Eye Institute to train support personnel who can assist them in their practices. Jones Eye Institute hosts two to three programs each year which provide continuing medical education to ophthalmologists and technicians around the state.

Nationwide, ophthalmologists are anticipating a shortage in trained ophthalmic technologists who can join practices with the necessary training to handle the myriad of tasks that make up a large portion of a total eye evaluation.

In response, the Jones Eye Institute established a baccalaureate Ophthalmic Medical Technology (OMT) Program. While the needed OMT Program was fully approved by all government and educational agencies, it was without start-up or support funding. Consequently, it became Jones Eye Institute's responsibility to fund the start-up of this program. Now the program, part of the UAMS College of Health Related Professions, needs funds to sustain this training and secure its future. An endowment would provide these resources.

The Stella Boyle Smith Library

As technology advances at a rapid speed, new innovations in medicine are shared through print literature and at an even faster pace via the Internet.

The new OMT training program, added to the ongoing education needs of faculty, residents and staff, creates a huge demand for library resources. Jones Eye Institute's current library, located on the eye institute's sixth floor, is the logical source to meet these educational needs, but its outdated textbooks and lack of computerized access to useful links drastically limit its usage.

The UAMS Library is the main biomedical library for the entire state, but its access on a day-to-day basis is inconvenient for quick and frequent use by students and staff at Jones Eye Institute. Finding time to utilize the three-story library involves cross-campus travel before one can begin the time-consuming process of locating a particular reference. Ophthalmologists who attend continuing medical education meetings at Jones Eye Institute will enjoy the convenience of utilizing a well-equipped, less intimidating library during their visit for a continuing education class.

Contributions to the library will support:

• Purchasing a basic collection of printed and audiovisual materials
• Obtaining funding to provide for document delivery services, interlibrary loan charges and database charges
• Purchasing up to four computers and workstations
• Installing AV equipment, including two slide projectors, a laptop computer, SVHS video projector and sound system
• A full time librarian staff member