Wilmer Eye Institute’s faculty members are world renowned for treating conditions from the mild to the complex. But while the faculty numbers 150 people, nearly 800 people work at Wilmer.
“As a patient, you may not know a doctor directly, so you go to an institution that has a track record of trust,” says Ian Han, M.D., a Wilmer alum. “But then, once you step foot in the door, there’s this whole team of people in addition to the doctor that makes sure that you get the best care possible.” After six years at Wilmer as a resident, fellow and chief resident, he knows well the number of people involved in running a clinic — many of whom patients never meet.
“By my chief year, I had already gone from being a resident and not knowing any ophthalmology to having to supervise the most junior trainees,” says Han. “I realized very quickly that how I was going to survive my chief year was with the help of all the staff.” He formed a strong bond with those he worked with that hectic year — everyone from preop and postop nurses to security personnel. “The physicians at Wilmer are supported by a lot of indispensable personnel,” Han says. “Whether or not the patient physically interfaces with them, those people are really important.”
Emblematic of a staff member indispensable to Wilmer but unknown to most patients was Cathy Taylor, the residency program coordinator for more than 15 years. She passed away in 2022. “It was very tragic,” Han says. Taylor was a constant presence in his life for the entire time he was at Wilmer.
“When I started out as a resident, Cathy could tell I was shy and that I was quite intimidated to be at Hopkins,” Han recalls. “The first thing she said to me was, ‘Ian, don't worry. Everybody’s scared when they first show up.’” Her emotional intelligence positively affected everyone she worked with — particularly the residents. “She provided a listening ear, always shared needed words of encouragement, and had a laugh so loud it would literally reverberate down the halls,” says Han.
“She did so many things for people that lifted their spirits, and even in her passing, she had the same effect,” he says. After she died, Han wrote a blog for Ophthalmology Times that shared his memories of Taylor. When it was published, many people reached out to him — some whom he knew but hadn’t heard from in a long time, and some he did not know — because “we shared this Cathy relationship. People like her knit us together.”
Last year, faculty members and Wilmer alumni, including Han, established the Cathy Taylor Staff Resident Advocate Award. The annual award is given to a staff member who goes above and beyond to support Wilmer’s residents. Faculty and alumni donors have funded the honor, which gives the winner both recognition and a monetary award.
“Philanthropic recognition of a staff member in Cathy’s name — that’s a really nice thing,” Han says. “We now have a formal way that honors very influential staff members and recognizes them in a meaningful way. That’s not something that’s typical in major institutions.”
Cathy Taylor was anything but typical. This award is a fitting tribute to her.