Gift to support service to West Virginians

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Over the next two years, the West Virginia University Eye Institute will receive $80,000 from the Bernard McDonough Foundation in support of specialized ophthalmological outreach clinics and charity care.

Many geographically and socio-economically isolated citizens in southern West Virginia have difficulty making trips to Morgantown, so the WVU Eye Institute offers specialized care in rural areas of the state. The McDonough Foundation’s gift will allow the Institute to expand its services and increase the number of patients receiving care in more remote areas of the state.

“One of the greatest challenges facing rural West Virginians, especially in the southern region of our state, is access to quality health care,” said Robert Stephens, Ed.D., McDonough Foundation president. “Thanks to the WVU Eye Institute those families have access to quality eye care provided by well-trained professionals. We at the Bernard McDonough Foundation are pleased to be partnering with the WVU Eye Institute to provide these essential services.”

Each year, the WVU Eye Institute sees approximately 31,000 patients from all 55 counties in West Virginia through its Morgantown facility and various outreach programs around the state. These clinics provide specialized care and treatment of eye problems that without attention, could sometimes lead to long-term vision loss.

“We are so grateful for the Bernard McDonough Foundation’s generous investment in our vision-saving work,” Judie Charlton, M.D., director of the WVU Eye Institute, said. “This will have a long-lasting impact on many people in West Virginia.”

The Bernard P. McDonough Foundation continues the philanthropy of its namesake, a longtime resident of the Mid-Ohio Valley who envisioned a “healthier, more educated and culturally appreciative citizenry.”

For more information about the WVU Eye Institute, see www.wvueye.com.