The Elks Children’s Eye Clinic at OHSU Casey Eye Institute offers pediatric eye care services for babies, children and young adults. The clinic provides evaluation, diagnosis and treatment services for a wide range of conditions, from screening for normal vision correction and eye misalignment problems to caring for the most complicated eye conditions.
Regular vision and eye health examinations should be a part of every child’s regular pediatric health appointments, and at the Elks Children’s Eye Clinic, if there is ever a need for further evaluation or a specific concern, you can rest assured that the pediatric ophthalmologists and caring staff at the Casey Eye Institute are there for you.
With the generous support of the Oregon State Elks Association, the Elks Children’s Eye Clinic has one of the broadest collections of pediatric eye specialists in the nation and in addition to the main clinic in Portland, operates outreach clinics in other communities throughout Oregon. Watch this video for information about the Oregon Elks involvement.
The support of the Oregon State Elks Association also allows the Elks Children’s Eye Clinic to provide vision screening programs to school districts throughout the state. Learn more about the Elks Children’s Eye Clinic Vision Screening Program.
The Elks Children's Eye Clinic is the major charitable project of the Oregon State Elks Association. The clinic would not be possible without the organization's commitment to providing eye care for babies and children.
The Elks became involved with the University of Oregon Medical School, now the OHSU School of Medicine, in 1949. That year, Kenneth Swan, M.D., needed a piece of equipment called an oximeter for a baby whose father was an Oregon Elk. The Oregon Elks promptly raised $2,000 for the oximeter. Soon after, their continued generosity established the Elks Children's Eye Clinic.
Since then, the Elks have contributed enormously to the growth of the clinic, helping pay for the nation's first microscope for ocular surgery, the Northwest's first ophthalmic excimer laser and Oregon's first photokeratoscope for children. Today, the visual program of the Oregon State Elks Association contributes more than $2,000,000 annually to the Elks Children's Eye Clinic, working with 18,000 children each year.
Financial assistance is not the only service the Elks provide. Elks volunteers donate thousands of hours at the Casey Eye Institute. They assist patients, work on projects for staff and provide information to the public. The Elks have also funded up-to-date equipment for the pediatric ophthalmology examination room at OHSU Doernbecher Children's Hospital, staffed by faculty from the Elks Children's Eye Clinic.
Since 1949, the Oregon Elks have donated for 25 million dollars.
Volunteers from the Oregon State Elks Association donate thousands of hours volunteering at the Casey Eye Institute assisting patients and staffing the information desk.
Each child who arrives for surgery receives a colorful handmade quilt, courtesy of the Elks ladies around the state who sew and send them to the clinic.
The Elks help sponsor Casey Eye Institute's annual Summer Fest, where children visit Oaks Park to play games, get their faces painted and more. The Oregon Elks also sponsor a statewide poster contest for children. Hundreds of Elks throughout the state volunteer to help screen thousands of Oregon’s preschool children for vision problems.
The Elks Youth Eye Serve, or E.Y.E.S., is the major project of the Oregon State Elks Association. In 1949 Dr. Kenneth Swan needed a piece of equipment called an oximeter for a baby whose father was an Oregon Elk. The Oregon Elks promptly raised $2000 for the oximeter. Soon after, the Elks’ continued generosity established the Elks Children’s Eye Clinic. In the ensuing years, Oregon Elks contributed significantly to the growth of the clinic, helping pay for the nation’s first microscope for ocular surgery, the Northwest’s first ophthalmic excimer laser, and Oregon’s first photokeratoscope for children, just to name a few. But financial assistance is not the only service Oregon Elks contribute. Approximately 20 Elk members, widows and spouses from the Portland Metro Area Elks lodges make up the volunteer corp at the Oregon Elks Children’s Eye Clinic. These individuals donate thousands of hours annually volunteering at the Oregon Elks Children’s Eye Clinic: assisting patients, working on projects for staff, and providing information to the public with a smile. We have also funded up-to-date equipment for the pediatric ophthalmology examination room located at Doernbecher Children’s Hospital at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), and staffed by the faculty of the Oregon Elks Children’s Eye Clinic. In December 2020 the new Oregon Elks Children’s Eye Clinic opened thanks to a $20 million pledge from the Oregon Elks E.Y.E.S Program and the Oregon State Elks Association. This $50 million 60,000 square foot facility is the nation’s first freestanding pediatric eye clinic. This new facility is home base for the clinics team of world-renowned ophthalmologist. It includes an expanded Oregon Elks Children’s Eye Clinic, retinopathy of prematurity telemedicine, outreach programs, retina services, vision rehabilitation, the Paul H. Casey Ophthalmologic Genetics Floor, and a clinical trials center. Its most striking architectural feature is the glass walkway that connects the existing Casey Eye Institute facility via the 4th floor and dramatically shifts color to create a sense of wonder. The unique design is not merely aesthetic. The new clinic has earned multiple awards for its inspired and thoughtful design that accommodates all visual abilities. Attention was given to avoid sharp edges and to have contrasting colors on floors, walls, and signage help patients with limited vision navigate the building safely. And a special child friendly waiting room provides a comfortable, fun, darkened space for children whose eyes have been dilated and are sensitive to light. This facility is the future of children’s eye care in Oregon and this one-of-a-kind clinic stands as a testament to the enduring philanthropic impact of the Oregon State Elks Association of the more than 70 years.
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