Leaders from OU Health, DMEI, and the University of Oklahoma have spent several months discussing and planning the integration, which is expected to be finalized by January 1, 2026. This next chapter builds on DMEI’s decades-long role as the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine Department of Ophthalmology for the past 50 years. Pending Board of Regents approval, the department will be named the Dean McGee Department of Ophthalmology. The transition reinforces a shared commitment to academic medicine: delivering exceptional patient care, advancing research, and training the next generation of physicians and health professionals.
By bringing DMEI into the academic health system, OU Health will strengthen the foundation of eye care in Oklahoma and position DMEI, under the support and leadership of OU Health, to drive innovation, expand access, and set new standards of excellence in vision health.
“As Oklahoma’s flagship academic health system, OU Health is dedicated to advancing health care excellence for all Oklahomans,” said Richard P. Lofgren, MD, MPH, president and CEO of OU Health. “By acquiring Dean McGee, we are ensuring that its 50-year legacy of distinguished eye care not only endures but thrives under the strength and stability of OU Health. Joining the health system secures the Institute’s future and reinforces its leadership in innovation that will benefit generations to come. Together, we are expanding our mission to deliver exceptional care, foster groundbreaking discoveries, and serve our communities with unwavering excellence.”
The Dean McGee Department of Ophthalmology at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine will continue to train future ophthalmologists through robust residency and fellowship programs and conduct research and clinical trials that advance the science and innovation of eye care. As part of the acquisition, the OU Health Dean McGee Eye Institute will support these programs, creating a unified, mission-driven structure to enhance quality and outcomes.
Integration efforts have already begun, focusing on provider and staff alignment as team members join OU Health. As part of the agreement, OU Health will acquire DMEI’s clinical operations — including its flagship OU Health campus location, three Oklahoma City metro satellite clinics and a Lawton site — ensuring patients continue to receive seamless care from their trusted providers at these locations.
Ownership of the DMEI buildings and real estate will be transferred to the Dean McGee Eye Institute Foundation. The OU Health Dean McGee Eye Institute and the Dean McGee Department of Ophthalmology will continue to occupy the buildings, and the Foundation will continue with its charitable mission to support the Dean McGee Department of Ophthalmology.
“By formalizing the alignment of Dean McGee into OU Health, we are elevating specialty care within our academic health system through stronger positioning of clinical excellence, education, and a commitment to changing lives through discovery and healing,” said Ian Dunn, MD, FACS, FAANS, chief physician executive for OU Health and executive dean for the OU College of Medicine. “This step enhances our ability to deliver leading-edge eye care and train the next generation of ophthalmologists.”
DMEI providers already contribute to OU Health’s trauma, diabetes, cancer, and pediatric care programs. DMEI’s specialized surgical and diagnostic expertise supports these multidisciplinary programs, enhancing patient outcomes across complex conditions.
“Joining OU Health represents a natural evolution of the relationships between Dean McGee Eye Institute and OU Health. We have a shared purpose to deliver on the three-part mission of education, research, and clinical care. Becoming part of OU Health will solidify and amplify this mission,” said R. Michael Siatkowski, MD, MBA, CEO of DMEI and Edward L. Gaylord Professor and chair of the Department of Ophthalmology at OU College of Medicine.
