Bascom Palmer Eye Institute

What Bascom Palmer Eye Institute does

Bascom Palmer Eye Institute is the ophthalmology specialty hospital of the University of Miami Health System, established in 1962 and headquartered in Miami, Florida. The institute provides comprehensive eye care across the full acuity spectrum — from routine ophthalmic exams to complex surgical interventions — through a network of locations spanning South Florida (Miami, Coral Gables, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Naples, and West Palm Beach) and a newly opened 70,000-square-foot international facility in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (operations commenced December 2025). It serves four identifiable patient segments: a general patient population seeking routine and surgical eye care, complex disease patients (including inherited retinal disease candidates for gene therapy), pediatric patients requiring myopia progression monitoring, and multi-cultural/international patients with diverse care needs. The institute has been ranked the number-one ophthalmology hospital in the United States by U.S. News & World Report for 24 consecutive years.

The institute's technology stack combines clinical care delivery with active research programs across several distinct areas: rose bengal photodynamic antimicrobial therapy (RB-PDAT) for infectious keratitis (evaluated in a 330-patient REAGIR randomized controlled trial, with the Fusarium subgroup showing a directional favorable signal — 0.17 lines better visual acuity, p=0.1 — versus standard of care, the first such signal in nearly 50 years); AI-enabled computer vision tools for image analysis, clinical triage, and disease monitoring; predictive analytics for diagnostics; 3D imaging technologies for pediatric myopia progression tracking under an NIH grant; and gene therapy research for inherited retinal diseases. The institute also holds foundational intellectual property, including the Vitreous Infusion Suction Cutter (VISC) co-developed by Dr. Jean-Marie Parel in 1970, which became fundamental to modern retinal surgery. AI capabilities are deployed in feature-level roles (image analysis, remote patient monitoring, virtual care) rather than as the institute's core differentiator.

The business model is a hybrid nonprofit academic medical center revenue structure with three identifiable streams: patient care services (insurance reimbursements and self-pay, with financial assistance available up to 400% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines and a price estimator tool covering 300 standard procedures), federal and institutional research grants (including a $628,100 first-year NIH grant for pediatric myopia research), and international patient services with dedicated coordinators for scheduling, insurance verification, travel, and medical visas. The institute operates within the University of Miami Health System's broader GTM motion — enterprise field sales via referral networks of 1,200+ specialty-trained physicians across 100+ specialties, conference-driven thought leadership (Digital EyeCon, ARVO), and an academic medical center referral network. As a private, nonprofit component of the University of Miami, the institute has no external equity investors; the only documented capital inflows are research grants.

Name

Bascom Palmer Eye Institute

Legal name

Bascom Palmer Eye Institute

Website

https://umiamihealth.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Bascom Palmer Eye Institute, part of the University of Miami Health System, is the nation's top-ranked ophthalmology hospital (U.S. News, 24 consecutive years) delivering comprehensive eye care, advanced research, and physician training across South Florida and a new Abu Dhabi facility.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ophthalmology Services

NAICS

Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals (62231), Specialty (except Psychiatric and Substance Abuse) Hospitals (622310), Offices of Optometrists (62132), Diagnostic Imaging Centers (621512)

SIC

Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011), Services-Hospitals (8060), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Ophthalmic Specialty Hospitals (HLAFAHAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ophthalmology Surgery Centers (HLAFAIAF), Ophthalmology Clinics (Medical & Surgical Eye Care) (HLAKAKAC), Retina & Vitreous Specialists (HLAKAKAE), Vision & Ophthalmic Diagnostic Centers (Optometry/OCT/Retinal Imaging) (HLAFAKAI), Ambulatory Surgery Centers (Ophthalmic/Outpatient Eye Surgery) (HLAKAKAO)

Keywords

• Ophthalmology services
• Eye care treatment
• Retinal surgery
• Ophthalmic research
• Vision care

Headquarters

HQ city

Miami

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Patient Care Services: Healthcare services provided to patients including eye exams, surgeries, treatments, and procedures. Revenue generated through insurance reimbursements and patient payments.
2. Research Grants: Federal and institutional research funding including NIH grants such as the $628,100 first-year grant for pediatric myopia research.
3. International Patient Services: Care for international patients with dedicated coordinators for scheduling, insurance verification, travel and hotel accommodations, and medical visas.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Bascom Palmer Eye Institute is the nation's top-ranked ophthalmology hospital operating as part of the University of Miami Health System. The institute delivers comprehensive eye care services spanning routine eye exams, complex surgical interventions (including pioneering retinal surgery), and specialty treatments for glaucoma, inherited retinal diseases, infectious keratitis, and pediatric myopia. It also operates research programs in AI-driven diagnostics, 3D imaging technologies, and gene therapy, along with ophthalmologist fellowship training.

Product overview

Bascom Palmer Eye Institute is the nation's top-ranked ophthalmology hospital (U.S. News & World Report for 24+ years) operating as part of the University of Miami Health System. The institute offers comprehensive eye care services, advanced ophthalmic research, and education programs. Its services include 3D imaging technologies for pediatric myopia, Rose Bengal photodynamic antimicrobial therapy (RB-PDAT) for infectious keratitis, AI-driven diagnostics, and gene therapy research for inherited retinal diseases. The institute recently expanded internationally with the opening of Bascom Palmer Eye Institute Abu Dhabi (November 2025), which includes the Abu Dhabi Eye Bank for local corneal transplants, an ophthalmologist fellowship program, and prevention-first care models with AI-driven diagnostics serving the Gulf region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Comprehensive Ophthalmic Care Comprehensive ophthalmology clinical services including routine eye examinations, disease diagnosis, and treatment for a full range of eye conditions, provided to patients at multiple South Florida locations.
• Retinal Surgery Services Specialized retinal surgery services leveraging the pioneering Vitreous Infusion Suction Cutter (VISC) device, providing intraocular microsurgery for patients with retinal conditions.
• International Patient Services Comprehensive care coordination services for international patients including scheduling, insurance verification, travel and hotel accommodations, and medical visa support.
• Telehealth and Virtual Care Services Virtual clinic consultations through the UHealth secure telehealth platform, allowing patients to access specialty ophthalmology providers remotely.
• Abu Dhabi Eye Bank Eye bank service established in Abu Dhabi to provide local corneal transplants for patients in the Gulf region, reducing dependency on outbound medical tourism.
• Ophthalmologist Fellowship Program Clinical fellowship program training regional ophthalmologists to build long-term clinical capacity in advanced ophthalmic care.

Quantifiable outcome

• Directional favorable signal (0.17 lines better visual acuity, p=0.1) versus standard of care in fungal keratitis for Fusarium subgroup
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability5 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• University of Rochester's Center for Visual SciencecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Interdisciplinary research partnership for pediatric myopia progression study. The team is developing new 3D imaging technologies to track how the eye's lens changes in children over time, aiming to identify early signs of myopia development and guide targeted treatment strategies.
• Provectus (VisiRose subsidiary)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2026Collaboration where VisiRose, Provectus's subsidiary commercializing rose bengal photodynamic antimicrobial therapy (RB-PDAT), intends to begin a Phase 2b/3 clinical trial following FDA pre-IND meeting, based on research presented by Bascom Palmer Eye Institute researchers at ARVO 2026.
• Department of Health – Abu DhabiflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Partnership with Abu Dhabi's Department of Health to establish the first international Bascom Palmer Eye Institute facility in Abu Dhabi. The new 70,000-square-foot institute provides advanced ophthalmic care, research, and education, reinforcing Abu Dhabi's position as a healthcare hub.
• August MedicalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Collaboration with August Medical to open the first international Bascom Palmer Eye Institute location in Abu Dhabi, providing comprehensive eye care services and building long-term clinical capacity for the Gulf region.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Cleveland Clinic Cole Eye Institute: A leading specialty ophthalmology institute within the Cleveland Clinic health system, consistently ranked among the top U.S. eye hospitals. Direct peer in specialty clinical care, research, and education.
• Massachusetts Eye and Ear (Mass General Brigham): Specialty hospital affiliated with Harvard Medical School and Mass General Brigham, ranking among the top U.S. ophthalmology programs. Direct peer in clinical care, research, and ophthalmology residency training.
• Wills Eye Hospital: A nationally top-ranked ophthalmology specialty hospital based in Philadelphia, providing a full range of medical and surgical eye care plus residency/fellowship training. Direct peer to Bascom Palmer in academic ophthalmology specialty care.
• Duke Eye Center: Duke University's academic ophthalmology center providing specialty medical and surgical eye care, vision research, and residency training. Direct peer in academic specialty ophthalmology.
• Moorfields Eye Hospital UAE: The international arm of the UK's Moorfields Eye Hospital, operating in Abu Dhabi and the Gulf. Direct international peer to Bascom Palmer Abu Dhabi in the same specialty and same city.
• Jules Stein Eye Institute (UCLA): UCLA's academic ophthalmology institute offering comprehensive specialty eye care, research, and ophthalmology training. Direct peer in academic ophthalmology specialty services.
• Wilmer Eye Institute (Johns Hopkins): Johns Hopkins's specialty ophthalmology institute and consistently top-3 U.S. News ranked program. Direct peer to Bascom Palmer in academic specialty eye care, research, and education; notably the prior institution of incoming Bascom Palmer Chair Dr. Pradeep Ramulu.
• NYU Langone Eye Center: Academic ophthalmology center at NYU Langone offering comprehensive specialty eye care, research, and education. Direct peer in academic specialty ophthalmology services.

Regional players

• King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital: A leading ophthalmology specialty hospital in Saudi Arabia providing advanced specialty eye care, research, and fellowship training. Regional peer in the Gulf/Middle East market Bascom Palmer is targeting for expansion.

Broad incumbents

• Mayo Clinic Department of Ophthalmology: A leading multi-specialty academic medical center with a specialty ophthalmology practice, consistently ranked in the U.S. News top 10. Broad incumbent peer offering ophthalmology as part of a wider integrated delivery network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bascompalmereye
• Facebookfacebook.com/bascompalmereye

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bascom Palmer Eye Institute