Message from the PAOF Chair
J. Fernando Arevalo MD PhD
PAOF Chair, 2021-2024
Dear Friends,
We just held our XXVI Pan-American Regional Course in conjunction with Bascom Palmer’s XLIV Inter-American Course (CURSO) on October 16-19, 2022, in Miami, FL. The event was a resounding success, with more than 600 attendees. It was a wonderful opportunity to get together with friends and colleagues to learn about the latest in clinical problems in ophthalmology.
Designed for ophthalmologists from Latin America and the Caribbean, this meeting emphasized practical approaches to clinical problems. The program provided hundreds of ophthalmologists with the knowledge and expertise shared by the outstanding guest faculty, as well as the faculty from Bascom Palmer Eye Institute.
Left to right : Eduardo Alfonso, Carol Karp, Angela Fernandez, Paulo Dantas, Miguel Burnier, Juan Batlle, Fernando Arevalo
During the meeting, the PAAO entered into an agreement with Dr. J. Fernando Arévalo, President of the Pan-American Ophthalmological Foundation and the Venezuelan Society of Ophthalmology (SVO), to create a new PAAO prize. This award, named the “Fernando Arevalo Prize for the Best Free Paper PAAO-SVO” will promote education and scientific advancement in Venezuela. The USD $1,500 travel grant to the next PAAO congress, will be given to the best free paper at the national SVO Congress. The winner will be invited to submit their work for publication in the Pan-American Journal of Ophthalmology.
Dr. Francisco Antonio (Tony) Millan, SVO president signing the agreement.
The PAOF continues to work tirelessly to support the PAAO membership, particularly our junior/early-career members, via various grants/awards and opportunities through our scholarships and travel awards. We are in the process of creating more opportunities for you as we speak.
We hope PAAO members will generously support the Foundation (https://paao.org/paof/donate/) throughout the year. No gift is small; donate what you can. The more gifts donated, the more support the Foundation can provide to PAAO programs.
J. Fernando Arevalo MD PhD FACS FASRS
Chair
Pan-American Ophthalmological Foundation (PAOF)