Matt Oliva

MATT OLIVA, MD

CORNEA, CATARACT, AND REFRACTIVE SURGERY SPECIALIST

Dr. Oliva is a board certified ophthalmologist and fellowship trained corneal surgeon. He specializes in surgical and medical treatments of the anterior eye including cataract and refractive surgery, LASIK, refractive lens exchange, corneal transplantation, pterygium, corneal tumors and dystrophies, keratoconus, complex dry eye, and infection related eye diseases. He has a special interest in reducing patient’s need for glasses through customized treatment plans.

Matt Oliva, MD: Medical Eye Center
Medical Eye Center provider working in Ethiopia

Dr. Oliva is heavily involved in international service work and serves on the board of directors for the Himalayan Cataract Project, a non-profit aimed at eliminating needless blindness in the developing world. He directs the foundation’s work in Ethiopia and Eritrea and travels multiple times per year to perform and teach eye surgery. His work has been featured on NPR and VICE TV.

Dr. Oliva serves as the Medical Director of the country’s largest eye bank, SightLife, based in Seattle, and is an Affiliate Assistant Professor at Casey Eye Institute at Oregon Health Sciences University.

Dr. Oliva featured on National Public Radio (NPR)

Dr. Oliva and his work with the Himalayan Cataract Project in Ethiopia was featured on NPR All Things Considered.  Click above to hear Jason Beaubien’s experience with HCP during a high volume cataract outreach at Bisidimo Hospital.

VICE Beating Blindness cover

Beating Blindness

Dr. Oliva gave the crew of HBO’s ‘Vice’ an intimate look into the sight-restoring efforts of medical teams treating cataracts in developing countries. This Emmy-winning series followed Dr. Oliva and the Himalayan Cataract Project to Ethiopia, where they performed nearly 700 surgeries over the course of a week. Watch the complete video.

Restoring Sight in Ethiopia

Photographer Amanda Conde had the opportunity to witness cataract procedures that treated the blind in Harar, Ethiopia. Dr. Oliva was one of the doctors performing the life-changing procedures. Click to view the full story on CNN iReport.

Humanitarian Award

He has received the Alumni Humanitarian Award from the University of Washington and the Beyond Duke Service and Leadership Award from Duke University.

Making It Matter

To promote its new tablet running on Windows 8, Hewlett Packard and Microsoft interviewed people in a variety of industries to find eight leaders who are making a difference in the world. After an exhaustive search, Dr. Matt Oliva was selected because of his commitment to international service. Working in Nepal and Ethiopia, as well as here in the United States, Dr. Oliva is using the latest technology to help eradicate preventable blindness. Click on the video to learn more about his efforts to give the gift of sight to people around the world.

Outside of the office, Matt enjoys spending time with his wife and two children, traveling, river rafting, and running.

Education and Training

Fellowship, 2004
Cornea and Refractive Surgery—Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne, Australia

Residency, 2003
Ophthalmology—University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington

Internship, 2000
Medicine and Surgery—Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, Washington

Medical School, 1999
University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, Washington

Undergraduate, 1994
Duke University, Durham, North Carolina

Appointments

Affiliate Assistant Professor, OHSU
School of Medicine, Casey Eye Institute, Portland, OR

Board Member and Director of Ethiopian Programs
Himalayan Cataract Project
Burlington, VT
www.cureblindness.org

Domestic and Global Medical Director
SightLife Eye Bank, Seattle, WA
www.sightlife.org

Dr. Oliva joined Medical Eye Center in 2008.
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