Eyes on the Future

Foundation provides $1 million grant to expand the impact of the Harry A. and Margaret D. Towsley Ophthalmic Imaging Center

Zion Grant was diagnosed with the rare progressive eye disease Leber congenital amaurosis as an infant. At 6 years old, he was treated at the W.K. Kellogg Eye Center with the first gene therapy approved by the FDA for any inherited disease. His continues to be a journey of diligence and hope, and his doctors keep a careful watch on his eyesight—with critical help from the team in our Harry A. and Margaret D. Towsley Ophthalmic Imaging Center.

Ophthalmic imaging is an essential part of caring for patients with a wide range of eye conditions, including many pediatric eye diseases, age-related “macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. Our photographers use sophisticated cameras and imaging equipment to enable ophthalmologists to diagnose eye diseases, create precise treatment and surgical plans, monitor the effectiveness of therapies, and pursue advances through research and clinical trials.

When the new clinical facilities in the Brehm Tower opened in 2010, the Harry A. and Margaret D. Towsley Foundation made a visionary investment in this often under-resourced area of eye care, building on a long history of pioneering ophthalmic photography at the University of Michigan. The grant was used to purchase leading-edge imaging equipment and to make digital images available to clinicians at the point of care. The center was fittingly named in memory of the foundation’s namesakes. Harry A. Towsley, M.D., spent his long career as a professor of pediatrics and communicable diseases and as a leader within the Medical School at U-M. Margaret D. Towsley, a civic leader and philanthropist, was the first woman to serve on the Ann Arbor City Council.

“My mother and father felt strongly about the Kellogg Eye Center, and I believe preserving eyesight is very important,” says Lynn Towsley White, chair of the board of the Towsley Foundation.

Today, the imaging center and Kellogg staff are among the top tier of ophthalmic imaging centers nationally, winning awards for excellence in the quality of imaging. Kellogg has grown fourfold in patient volume, expanded imaging services to satellite offices across the state, and increased care to underserved populations.

In recognition of this success, and looking ahead to the needs of future patients, the Towsley Foundation in July voted to make a second transformational philanthropic investment. The $1 million grant will fuel the purchase of the latest technology, enable Kellogg to fully integrate images from community office locations into our electronic medical records system, and support ongoing efforts to leverage big data and artificial intelligence to advance research and patient care. Most importantly, this investment will enable Kellogg to measure success by meeting our patients’ needs.

“In ophthalmic imaging, getting the best image requires connecting with the patient,” says Tim Steffens, director of ophthalmic imaging and information systems. “We have to make people comfortable, put them at ease. We must realize that they are worried about their vision and may not know what’s going to happen next. The Towsley Foundation’s generous partnership will help us continue to ensure that for every patient, what’s next includes the best possible eye care.”

This image of a corneal ulcer by Tim Steffens was recognized in the 2021 American Academy of Ophthalmology and Ophthalmic Photographers’ Society Photographic Competition — one of many awards received by our team