Eye Center Embraces Community Change

The year 2020 held significant meaning and high expectations for the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. What started off as a joyous celebration of the Year of the Eye – with the completion of the first year of their residency program and anticipation of a new clinic location in Northborough – quickly shifted focus to all things COVID-19 and efforts to keep our community members and caregivers safe. However, while still in the midst of the fight against the coronavirus, our country was faced with yet another heart-wrenching crisis – this time focused on systemic racism and social injustice.

Serving as home to one of the most culturally diverse departments at the Medical Center, the team placed all eyes on the future. Looking at the crises through the lenses of a both a health care provider and a community leader, it was evident that it was time for change and a fresh start. The first place they looked was to the face of the Eye Center – it’s icon. With the department’s four missions in mind – clinical excellence, advanced research, superb education and strong community outreach, Shlomit Schaal, MD, PhD, MHCM, chair of the department, wanted to ensure that the Eye Center artwork presented a fresh, modern look that spoke to those missions. The end result creates a unified message of inclusion and excellence in eye care with each mission being carefully and artistically incorporated into the new icon:

Clinical Excellence – To represent the department’s devotion to its patients, the orange color, which is used to in our Everyone, Everyday materials that recognize exceptional caregivers, was chosen to signify the compassionate and high-quality care provided by the entire Eye Center team.

Advanced Research – With research defining the future of eye health, it was important that the science of the team’s work was included in the new artwork. This is portrayed with the intertwining of the orange and blue lines to represent the double helix of a strand of DNA.

Superb Education – Depicting the department’s role within the UMass Chan Medical School and its commitment to education, the school’s iconic blue color was incorporated into the top line of the icon.    

Strong Community Outreach – To reflect the broad diversity of the department’s team members as well as that of Eye Center’s patients, the artwork depicts outstretched arms, ready to welcome all who walk through its doors.  

And of course, at the center of it all, rests the eye, where the work of the department is focused.

Congratulations to the Eye Team for your nimble, innovative and progressive approach to caregiver, patient and community care. Thank you for being a change leader at UMass Memorial Medical Center.