UPMC Vision Institute Hosts Community Vision Day
January 21, 2026
More than 135 individuals attended the UPMC Vision Institute’s first-ever Community Vision Day on Saturday, December 6, 2025. The event offered walk-in vision screenings and eye health evaluations to people both with and without health insurance.
“Vision care plays an essential role in health and wellness, and our team has long been committed to ensuring that all people have access to it,” says Evan “Jake” Waxman, MD, PhD, professor and vice chair for education at the University of Pittsburgh Department of Ophthalmology. “This event allowed us to deliver that care and connect our neighbors with additional resources, like information about health insurance and other community programs that can benefit them.”
For many years, the University of Pittsburgh’s Department of Ophthalmology has brought vision care out into the community through its recently renamed Eyes on Wheels program, a mobile vision care unit that has made appearances at many community-based clinics and events. Community Vision Day welcomed patients to visit the Vision Institute’s state-of-the-art headquarters at UPMC Mercy Pavilion in Uptown Pittsburgh, which opened in May 2023 and features the latest technology and a host of patient-centered amenities.
"This event could not have happened without the strong support from UPMC leadership for our community initiatives,” says José-Alain Sahel, MD, distinguished professor and chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and director of the Vision Institute. “We are so grateful for their shared commitment and look forward to hosting more events in the future.”
The Vision Institute plans to offer Community Vision Day on a quarterly basis, with the next event scheduled for Saturday, February 21.
