Message from the PAOF Chair

Dear Colleagues:

One of the goals established at the recent PAAO board meeting was to provide more training and support opportunities to our Young Ophthalmologists in the Americas, Spain and Portugal. We are proud to announce the launching of a new program, the Richard & Chita Abbott YO Leadership Award which recognizes the most outstanding PAAO Leadership Development Couse Program (Curso de Liderazgo) project each year.

The purpose of the Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology (PAAO) Leadership Development Course Program (Curso de Liderazgo) is to provide both orientation and skill development to future leaders of national ophthalmology societies and subspecialty societies affiliated with the PAAO. A large component of the training course is that each participant must complete a project in support of their national or subspecialty society or their home community.

Dr. Richard L. Abbott, his family, and several close friends have made generous donations to the PAOF in memory of Chita Abbott, his wife, who sadly passed away last September.  Rich and Chita have been strong supporters of the PAAO’s Leadership Development Course since its inception in 2003.

We sincerely thank Dr. Abbott, his family, and friends who have come together to generously establish the endowed Richard and Chita Abbott Young Ophthalmologist Leadership Fund to fund this prize into perpetuity.  Chita will be sorely missed but she and Dr. Abbott will always be remembered with this important program which supports our PAAO Young Ophthalmologists.

Sincerely,

Jorge E. Valdez MD PhD,

Chair,  Pan-American Ophthalmological Foundation