NAPLES, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bascom Palmer Eye Institute today opened its much anticipated new eye center in Naples, Florida, bringing world-class eye care to Southwest Florida.
“This $25 million state-of-the-art eye care facility reaffirms Bascom Palmer’s long-standing commitment to deliver the highest level of ophthalmic care, research and education to our patients in Collier County,” says Eduardo C. Alfonso, M.D., chairman of Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, the world-renowned department of ophthalmology at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine and the nation’s top-ranked program in ophthalmology as ranked by U.S. News & World Report.
Eleven years ago, Bascom Palmer opened the only university-based eye care center in Southwest Florida — a leased, 3,000-square-foot office located in Naples Community Hospital’s NCH Medical Plaza. Opened primarily to diagnose and treat retinal and macular diseases, the practice has grown considerably in size and scope. Now located at the intersection of U.S. 41 and Cypress Woods Drive, across the street from Park Shore Drive, the new, contemporary 20,000-square-foot center has more than six times the clinical space of the previous facility. The new building has 22 examination rooms and is LEED certified, a building certification program that recognizes leadership in energy and environmental design.
“The new Bascom Palmer campus at Naples will allow our doctors to treat virtually all eye diseases, from the most common to the most rare,” says Stephen G. Schwartz, M.D., M.B.A., associate professor of ophthalmology and medical director of the center. “The patient demand for our services in Naples has grown exponentially. Not only are we expanding the space and our faculty and staff, but the number of clinical research trials offered to patients will increase. We will also be offering on-site surgery in our ambulatory surgery center that will open early next year on the second floor of this spectacular building.”
As the only academic eye center serving Southwest Florida, the Institute is a magnet for the best and brightest eye care specialists. “Bascom Palmer’s highly experienced ophthalmic team, along with its sophisticated technology, is focused on the best possible outcomes for our patients,” says Schwartz. “Bascom Palmer’s physicians partner with its scientists who use the latest technology, including stem cell research and gene therapy, to find treatments that can be personalized for each person suffering from vision loss. Much of what we do and learn will take place right here in Naples.”
“While Bascom Palmer’s success is often focused on the achievements of our physicians and scientists, these accomplishments would not be possible without the help of our donors who support the Institute’s sight-saving mission,” says Alfonso. A large portion of the building has been funded through the generosity of foundations and families living in the Naples community.
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About Bascom Palmer Eye Institute
Founded in 1962, Bascom Palmer Eye Institute is the department of ophthalmology of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, part of UHealth – the University of Miami Health System. Bascom Palmer is ranked the best eye hospital in the nation, as published in U.S. News & World Report. The Institute demonstrates exceptional expertise in every ophthalmic subspecialty, treats more than 250,000 patients with nearly every ophthalmic condition, and performs more than 12,000 surgeries annually. Bascom Palmer has patient care facilities in Miami, Palm Beach Gardens, Naples, and Plantation, Florida. For additional information, visit bascompalmer.org. Patient appointments can be made at 800-329-7000.
