WILLS EYE CELEBRATES $3.5 MILLION CORNEA SERVICE RENOVATION
The world-renowned nonprofit specialty eye hospital can see up to 10,000 more patients annually with these space upgrades.
PHILADELPHIA, February 11, 2026 – Wills Eye Hospital hosted a ribbon cutting for its newly renovated Cornea Service, inviting benefactors, vendors, and other stakeholders to celebrate the $3.5 million project’s completion. Improvements to the space will allow Wills Eye’s 12 cornea specialists to see up to 10,000 more patients annually with more than double the number of available testing and exam rooms, expanded waiting room capacity, and two new dedicated procedure rooms. Special guests at the event included members of the Board of Directors of City Trusts and Wills Eye Committee, Philadelphia City Councilmembers, Colleen McAllister representing State Representative Mary Isaacson, and partners from Bittenbender Construction and D2 Groups. Peter R. Laibson, MD, Founding Director of the Wills Eye Cornea Service (Director, 1973 – 1999) and his wife Ruth Laibson were also in attendance.
The Cornea Service, which began seeing patients in the late 1950s and was staffed by a single full-time Cornea physician – Dr. Laibson – beginning in 1965, now sees nearly 500 patients per week at Wills Eye Hospital and completes more than 450 corneal transplants each year. The Cornea Service expansion to 11,000 square feet will expand the number of exam rooms from 12 to 25, allowing the corneal specialists to see more patients. Patient diseases and disorders treated by the world-renowned Cornea Service include dry eye, cataracts, Fuchs dystrophy, keratoconus, near- and far-sightedness, and more. The department’s specialists are dedicated to improving vision with state-of-the-art procedures, preventing corneal and external diseases of the eye, and providing the best patient care available.
“Our expanded Cornea Service allows us to care for more patients with greater efficiency, advanced technology, and an environment designed to bolster our standard of excellence” said Julia A. Haller, Chief Executive Officer, Ophthalmologist-in-Chief, and William Tasman, MD Endowed Chair at Wills Eye Hospital. “We have created a space that better supports our physicians, trainees, and staff as they deliver highly specialized care to patients who rely on us every day. None of this would be possible without the benefactors and advocates in our community who have championed Wills Eye, to whom I extend my immense gratitude.”
Wills Eye cornea specialists are world leaders in corneal surgery and perform a wide range of state-of-the-art procedures for conditions that distort or cloud the normally transparent cornea. Along with the physical space improvements made as part of the renovation, the department updated its diagnostic equipment and upgraded several treatment modalities. Through the implementation of new technologies, the Cornea Service is at the forefront of new and improved treatments for diseases like lattice and granular corneal dystrophies and complex surgeries like corneal transplants.
“This is an incredibly meaningful moment for all of us on the Cornea Service”, said Christopher J. Rapuano, MD, Cornea Service Chief and Peter and Ruth Laibson Cornea Service Chief Endowed Chair at Wills Eye Hospital. “This beautiful new space reflects not only what we do, but how we do it, which is collaboratively, compassionately, and with a sustained commitment to excellent eye care.” Dr. Rapuano also currently serves as the President of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the world's largest association of eye physicians and surgeons.
Cornea specialists from Wills Eye play a leadership role nationally and internationally, sharing their research and knowledge with their colleagues throughout the world via publications, presentations, seminars, instructional courses, book contributions, and key roles in professional societies. In addition, the cornea service trains future generations of cornea specialists with three one-year cornea fellowships.
This renovation was made possible with generous philanthropic support, especially from the Gray Charitable Trust, William H. Lawrence, and the George and Ruth Harms Family, and funding from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program.
To learn more about the Wills Eye Hospital Cornea Service, please visit https://www.willseye.org/medical-services/subspecialty-services/cornea/.
About Wills Eye Hospital
Wills Eye Hospital is dedicated to the preservation and restoration of vision. As a trusted leader in ophthalmology, the clinical skill and innovative research of top-ranked, compassionate physicians combined with state-of-the-art diagnostic and treatment procedures make Philadelphia a global destination for eye care. As an independent, specialty hospital, with six regional surgical centers, Wills Eye Hospital serves as a comprehensive center for ophthalmology focused on patient care, research and education. Founded in 1832 through a bequest by Quaker merchant James Wills and registered as a 501(c)3 non-profit, Wills Eye Hospital has consistently earned top national ranking on U.S. News & World Report’s annual “Best Hospitals” survey.