According to the Eye & Ear Foundation CEO Lawton Snyder, the New Horizons for Care Campaign responds to the community’s needs to address the increasing number of people affected by age-related conditions such as macular degeneration, glaucoma, and hearing loss. As the two academic research Departments are growing, “We saw an opportunity for Pittsburgh to be a world leader in finding new ways to advance care, first in our backyard, and ultimately the rest of the world. By raising and distributing philanthropic dollars to the Departments of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology, the Foundation encourages individuals, foundations, and businesses to support enhancing and advancing care for people with diseases and disorders of the eye, ear, nose, throat, head, and neck,” says Snyder. The Foundation intends to complete its Campaign by the end of 2023.
Department Chairman Jonas T. Johnson, MD, is focusing on AdvancemENTs in Patient Care. As described in a report from the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, nearly 50 % of people older than 60 have hearing loss. As more people live longer, these numbers are expected to grow, from 46 million in 2014 to 82 million in 2040. The Department of Otolaryngology is recognized for excellence in medical training, minimally invasive surgery, and hearing loss research. Dr. Johnson plans to build upon these strengths by creating new opportunities for excellence, developing new technologies and advancements in surgery, building our translational research capabilities, and personalizing care for every patient.
Auditory Science & Rehabilitation
Pittsburgh Hearing Research Center is positioned to be the top auditory neuroscience research group in the country. Combined with our clinical expertise in hearing loss and neurotology, the Department of Otolaryngology has the ability to transform treatments and therapies for patients with different conditions related to hearing loss.
Head and Neck Cancer Survivorship Program
Research has clearly demonstrated that treatment for head and neck cancer- even when successful in cancer control, introduces the patient to a state of having a chronic condition characterized—but not limited to – dysphagia, neck disability, pain, and sleep disturbances ongoing efforts to provide these services in an environment of education and research will require.
Pittsburgh CREATES
CREATES and the teaching laboratory offers an opportunity to contribute to surgical innovation, bring the training of new surgeons into a simulated environment (rather than working on humans) and provide metrics of surgical quality and continued education to an international platform for use across the United States and around the world.