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Description

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Mission
The Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary is a specialty hospital dedicated to excellence in the care of disorders that affect the eye ear nose throat and adjacent regions of the head and neck The Mass Eye and Ear provides primary care and serves as a referral center for outpatient and inpatient medical and surgical care

In conjunction with Harvard Medical School Mass Eye and Ear is committed to the education of future health care professionals as well as the education of the public concerning the prevention diagnosis and treatment of the diseases in its specialties and concerning the rehabilitation of patients handicapped by these diseases

In order to provide the highest quality of contemporary care and even better care in the future Mass Eye and Ear conducts laboratory and clinical research in its areas of specialty

Mass Eye and Ear recognizes its obligation to serve as a source of excellence in patient care teaching and research in Massachusetts the United States and the world

Our Vision
Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary will be the preeminent worldwide source of advances and leaders in preserving and restoring vision hearing balance and voice as well as in curing disorders of the head and neck

We will achieve this vision through our mission

Providing exceptional clinical care
Conducting cuttingedge translational and bench research
Teaching tomorrows leaders and todays medical community

Our Values
Quality Patient Care In every decision we make we will ensure that our primary focus is on the delivery of the highest quality of patient care possible and that we will continue to work to improve what is possible for patients everywhere

Service Excellence We want to make access to the care we provide easier for a wider range of patients expanding our range by forging new relationships and alliances We want our patients physicians researchers and employees to have the best experience possible in a healthcare environment respecting the unique needs and goals of all

Research and Academic Leadership The progress of patient care depends on the innovations created by our researchers and the future of our health care activities presumes superb educational programs

Fiscal Health To accomplish our mission we all must work to strengthen our financial performance

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History

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History of Mass Eye and Ear
In 1824 two young eye surgeons named John Jeffries and Edward Reynolds established a charitable eye clinic in Boston Soon they began to treat ear diseases as well and by the end of the nineteenth century their small clinic had evolved into the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary a nationally recognized specialty institution

In 1900 Dr Frederick Verhoeff Mass Eye and Ears first fulltime researcherpathologist established the first eye pathology laboratory in the United States and successfully established an endowed research department at Mass Eye and Ear

Another milestone in the Mass Eye and Ears early history was the establishment of the first isolation accommodations for infectious patients in the preantibiotic era

Throughout its 180plus year history Mass Eye and Ear has led clinical advances and research Its emphasis on the pursuit of knowledge has resulted in many groundbreaking medical and patientcare discoveries Mass Eye and Ear has discovered new drugs perfected new techniques identified diseasecausing genes and much more

Timeline of Mass Eye and Ear Historic Milestones

1824 Boston Eye Infirmary opened to alleviate suffering of less fortunate
brethren and to become a teaching center

1827 Incorporated as the Massachusetts Charitable Eye and Ear Infirmary

1866 First direct association with Harvard Medical School HMS clinical
instruction given to Harvard students in Ophthalmology every Thursday
morning

1876 Annie Sullivan was Helen Kellers devoted teacher and companion who
later became known to the world as quotThe Miracle Workerquot Nearly blind
herself Annie regained her vision only after treatment by Dr Henry Bradford
at the Mass Eye and Ear Annie brought Helen to Dr Bradford for treatment
20 years later

1888 Clarence John Blake MD named HMS Professor of Otology head of the
Department of Otology and one of the rotating Chiefs of Otology at Mass
Charitable Eye and Ear Infirmary He made lecture rooms and the clinic
available for teaching HMS students and nursing students Dr Blake worked
with Alexander Graham Bell on hearing research that led to Bells invention
of the telephone devised middle ear speculum and snare for removing aural
polyps

1900 Harvards ophthalmic and otolarygologic instruction was at the Mass
Eye and Ear where it remains today

19031939 The Mosher Course famed HMS postgraduate course in head and neck
anatomy established and taught by Harris P Mosher MD

19231974 Varaztad H Kazanjian MD DMD served as a member of the
Mass Eye and Ear staff its first chief of the Plastic Surgery Service and
Harvards first Professor of Plastic Surgery He was known as The Miracle
man of the Western Front for his treatment of soldiers in WWI

1925 Charitable dropped from the hospitals name now known as the
Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary

1928 Howe Laboratory of Ophthalmology initiated at Mass Eye and Ear as a
joint Mass Eye and EarHMS venture The Howe Library was opened at the
hospital as a joint responsibility of Mass Eye and Ear and Harvard

1958 EatonPeabody Laboratory of Auditory Physiology was established The
lab is currently the largest hearing research facility in the world

1969 Construction begins on the new Mass Eye and Ear tower completed in
1973

1974 The BermanGund Laboratory for the Study of Retinal Degenerations
formally opens The laboratory was conceived as a multidisciplined research
effort and represents a commitment of Mass Eye and Ear and Harvard towards
understanding the disease mechanisms involved in retinitis pigmentosa and the
more than 30 related diseases that affect the retina

1982 Mass Eye and Ear audiologists develop technology to screen for and
diagnose hearing loss in newborn babies This technology is now used to
screen the hearing of babies around the world

1986 Discovery of the first hereditary cancer gene

1993 Development of a surgical method to restore speech swallowing and
normal breathing in patients with paralyzed vocal chords

Discovery of VEGF a molecule implicated in diabetic retinopathy and AMD the
most common forms of blindness

Pioneered the use of photodynamic therapy for neovascular macular
degeneration which was FDA approved in 2000

2003 Discovery of stem cells in the inner ear that were converted into
mature hair cells which may someday lead to ways of restoring lost hearing

2003 Joan W Miller MD named Chief of Ophthalmology Mass Eye and Ear
and Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology HMS She is the first woman
to hold this position at HMS and Mass Eye and Ear