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.
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.
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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