Message from the PAOF Chair
PAOF Chair, 2021-2024
We just came from the American Academy of Ophthalmology Annual Meeting in San Francisco, CA, and the Pan-American Ophthalmological Foundation (PAOF) celebrated its 12th anniversary of the Circle of Vision program on November 3rd, 2023. The Circle of Vision celebrates donors that contribute more than $1,000 a year to the PAOF in support of the Pan-American’s educational programs.
This year the Circle of Vision luncheon paid tribute to Dr. Alice R. McPherson of Houston, Texas, and Dr. Francisco Contreras, of Lima, Peru. Both were beloved pillars of the Pan-American community for decades and both passed away this year at the age of 96.
Dr. McPherson, through her Retina Research Foundation, was a staunch supporter of education and research with support of the Gillingham Pan-American Fellowship and the Paul Kayser/RRF Global Award, among many other programs throughout the years.
Dr. Contreras was an educator and worked along with Drs. Bronwyn Bateman (USA) and Rafael Cortez (Venezuela) to support the education and training of ophthalmologists in developing countries through support of the BCC scholarship fund.
It was quite an emotional lunch with beautiful presentations by our PAAO president Dr. Paulo Dantas (Brazil), Dr. Bronwyn Bateman, and Dr. Rafael Cortez. We will certainly never forget our friends Alice and Francisco, and they will remain with us always through their vision and legacy.
left to right, members of the Contreras family with Drs. Bateman and Cortez: Dr. Jose A. Roca, (Peru), Dr. Cecilia Contreras (Peru), Dr. Brownyn Bateman (USA), Mrs. Ana Contreras (Peru), Dr. Rafael Cortez (Venezuela)
The PAOF continues to work tirelessly and supports the PAAO membership, particularly our young/early-career members via various grants/awards, and opportunities through our Travel Awards, and scholarships. We are in the process of creating more opportunities for you as we speak. We hope that 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.
The future is great if we stick together as a Pan-American community! We are better, stronger and the goal is to meet again at our XXVII Pan-American Regional Course of Ophthalmology, March 15-17, 2024 in San Juan, Puerto Rico! And at the XXXVI Pan-American Congress of Ophthalmology, May 30-June 2, 2025 in Bogota, Colombia! It’s at these superb meetings where ophthalmology from all the Americas come together to meet and you cannot miss that!
See you soon.
Dr. Fernando Arévalo
PAOF President