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Tuesday, April 29, 2025 6:00 am
OKLAHOMA CITY – In honor of the Dean McGee Eye Institute’s (DMEI’s) 50th anniversary in 2025, MidFirst Bank has pledged $250,000 over five years in support of the Institute’s mission of serving all Oklahomans and the global community through excellence and leadership in patient care, education, and vision research.
For 50 years, DMEI has garnered a strong national reputation by bringing the brightest minds in vision care to Oklahoma. To date, DMEI has given the gift of sight to hundreds of thousands using the latest clinical and surgical techniques, cutting-edge technology, and compassionate care. DMEI’s dedicated team of eye care specialists delivers advanced treatments tailored to each patient’s unique needs, ensuring the best possible medical outcomes. DMEI has the largest team of ophthalmologists with the widest spectrum of diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities of any organization in the state. In addition, as a non-profit organization, DMEI does not turn away anyone based on the ability to pay, making DMEI a critical part of Oklahoma’s public health fabric by serving as the state’s “safety net” for ophthalmic care.
Educating future ophthalmologists has been a top priority since DMEI’s founding. Its residency program, operated in affiliation with the University of Oklahoma (OU) College of Medicine Department of Ophthalmology, is one of the most competitive in the country with an admission rate of fewer than 1 in 100, and its fellowship programs bring numerous leading ophthalmologists to the Institute for specialized training. Generations of Oklahomans have benefited from the Institute’s educational efforts, as a significant proportion of the ophthalmologists in the state are graduates of the DMEI/OU program.
Over the past 50 years, DMEI has developed a reputation as a leader in research to understand the causes of blinding eye disease, and DMEI’s vision scientists have used that knowledge to undertake novel approaches to treatment. Researchers remain focused on accelerating breakthroughs in such areas as retinal degenerations, glaucoma, and infectious and inflammatory diseases of the eye using small molecules, antioxidants, stem cells, metabolic reprogramming, lipid nanotechnology, and other approaches.
“We are proud to support DMEI’s mission to offer all Oklahomans access to premier and personalized eye care,” said Jeff Records, Chairman and CEO of MidFirst Bank. “MidFirst Bank shares DMEI’s steadfast commitment to the community and the state of Oklahoma, and we are proud to have the opportunity to partner with an organization that not only supports patients today, but also invests in their future by educating the next generation of ophthalmologists.
“The success of the Institute, and the vital role we play in the health of Oklahoma, would not be possible without the support of generous donors such as MidFirst Bank,” said DMEI Chief Executive Officer Dr. R. Michael Siatkowski. “This 5-year commitment from MidFirst Bank will help propel the Institute into our next 50 years and allow us to continue providing the best in medical and surgical eye care, training the next generation of ophthalmologists, and searching for new treatments for eye diseases.”
About the Dean McGee Eye Institute
Over the past 50 years, the Dean McGee Eye Institute (DMEI) has grown into one of America’s largest and most respected centers for medical and surgical eye care providing 210,000 total patient visits and 9,000 surgeries, annually. Its residency and vision research programs are consistently ranked among the top programs in the nation. As the only nonprofit eye institute in the region, DMEI provides over $1.3 million annually in indigent care.
About MidFirst Bank
With $39.5 billion in assets, Oklahoma City-based MidFirst Bank is the largest privately owned bank in the nation and provides commercial lending, wealth management, private banking and mortgage servicing nationally. MidFirst Bank has banking centers in Oklahoma, Arizona, Colorado, Texas and California. MidFirst Bank serves California through 1st Century Bank, a division of MidFirst Bank.
