From left, C. L. Max Nikias, Mark Humayun, Edward Roski, Gayle Roski, Rohit Varma and Tom Jackiewicz are seen during the Sept. 7 unveiling of the remodeled USC Roski Eye Institute clinical space on the Health Sciences Campus.
University and hospital leaders gathered during a lively ceremony recently to celebrate the opening of the remodeled clinic space for the USC Gayle and Edward Roski Eye Institute. Keck School of Medicine of USC Dean Rohit Varma, MD, MPH, was joined by USC President C. L. Max Nikias, PhD, USC Trustee Edward Roski and Gayle Roski during the Sept. 7 celebration on the fourth floor of Healthcare Center 4.
Varma, who also serves as director of the USC Roski Eye Institute, presented opening remarks.
“This is a very special day for us because we are unveiling our newly remodeled eye clinic, and for this, we are deeply grateful to Gayle and Ed Roski, whose gift has allowed us to be in this new space,” Varma said.
Nikias added, “Together, we have celebrated many successes at the USC Roski Eye Institute, but today stands out as particularly special. This beautifully remodeled clinic is all about vision — saving it, preserving it and restoring it. You, the doctors and the staff who bring this clinic to life, stand at the fore of these important efforts and are the finest in the nation.
“Dean Varma and Dr. Mark Humayun, the clinic’s co-directors, have assembled a team of doctors and staff who are expert at lifting the clouds from our vision,” Nikias continued.
Nikias then expressed his profound gratitude to the Roskis for their vision and generosity.
Gayle Roski, a noted artist in addition to her work as a philanthropist, was treated for cataracts by Keck Medicine of USC ophthalmologists, and as a result, “she and Ed resolved to find an institute with the most ambitious goal possible – to eliminate blindness,” Nikias said.
“With their support, the USC Roski Eye Institute is stronger than ever. It’s one of the top two funded eye institutes in the nation and a leader in research funding from the National Institutes of Health,” Nikias continued. “Its residency program runs in the top ten nationwide, and it just expanded for the first time in years. And in 2016 this institute, my fellow Trojans, treated more than 100,000 patients.”
“It’s an honor to help support people who will be behind the new breakthroughs in the future of this field,” Gayle Roski said. “And I want you to know that Ed and I are grateful for your presence here today and thankful for the work you do each and every day.”
Among the attendees to the event were USC Provost Michael Quick, PhD; Tom Jackiewicz, MPH, senior vice president and CEO of Keck Medicine; and USC Trustee Glorya Kaufman. With the conclusion of remarks, the Roskis officially unveiled the clinic’s striking signage and Varma invited attendees to tour the new, state-of-the-art facilities, which includes 31 rooms for patient care, an outpatient surgical area, labs, a staff lounge and more.
By Leigh Bailey