UAB Medicine News

Michael Callahan, MD, a professor with the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, was selected as a member of the Alabama Healthcare Hall of Fame. Dr. Callahan was chosen for this honor because of his outstanding contributions and exemplary service to health care throughout the state of Alabama.

“I have always strived to treat every patient with compassion while providing advanced ophthalmological care,” Dr. Callahan says. “This is truly an honor to be selected as a member of the Alabama Healthcare Hall of Fame.”

Callahan serves as director of Oculoplastic Services at UAB Callahan Eye Hospital & Clinics, teaches intricate surgical procedures of phacoemulsification and intraocular lens insertion, and lectures on ophthalmic plastic surgery. He also is heavily involved in providing ophthalmic care in the United States and in countries worldwide where medical care is not readily available.

“I’ve had the privilege of knowing Dr. Callahan for the past 25 years,” says Christopher Girkin, MD, chair of the UAB Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences. “As a resident-in-training and later as a colleague and friend, I have witnessed first-hand his broad clinical and surgical talents, along with his modesty and professionalism. He has been a leader in health care nationally and internationally and is widely regarded as a pioneer in ocular and oculoplastic surgery. His contributions have significantly impacted the education of a generation of ophthalmologists, the careers of pioneering researchers, and the sight of countless patients.”

Dr. Callahan, whose father founded Alabama’s renowned UAB Callahan Eye Hospital & Clinics, serves as president of the International Retinal Research Foundation and is a board member of the EyeSight Foundation of Alabama and Callahan Eye Hospital. He has been named a Distinguished Alumni of the UAB School of Medicine. He also is a member of the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery, the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the Medical Association of Alabama, the Jefferson County Medical Society, and the American Board of Ophthalmology.

“It’s very humbling and rewarding to work with a physician of Dr. Callahan’s caliber,” says Rett Grover, CEO of UAB Callahan Eye Hospital & Clinics. “He has dedicated his life to bettering eyesight through clinical work, supporting philanthropic efforts, and mentoring countless ophthalmologists. He is truly setting a standard of excellence for our organization and the Birmingham community.”

The Alabama Healthcare Hall of Fame was founded in 1997 with the purpose of recognizing people, living or deceased, who have made outstanding contributions to or rendered exemplary service for health care in Alabama.