Message from the PAOF Chair
J. Fernando Arevalo MD PhD
PAOF Chair, 2021-2024
Happy Holidays 2022
Dear Friends,
As the year draws to a close, we look back at a year with satisfaction and success at PAAO.
With education as a core mission for the Pan-American, we have kept updated in 2022 through the XXVI Pan-American Regional Course in conjunction with Bascom Palmer’s XLIV Inter-American Course (CURSO) October 16-19, 2022 in Miami, FL. The Bascom Palmer Eye Institute and the Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology (PAAO) united in Miami for the first joint CURSO and Pan-American regional course. The event was a resounding success with more than 600 attendees and was a wonderful opportunity to get together with friends and colleagues in Miami to learn about the latest in clinical problems in ophthalmology. In addition, we had webinars, our digital journal PAJO, and courses to help our members give the gift of sight to their patients.
The PAAO, through education and with the generosity of many of you, has contributed significantly to the prevention of blindness in the Americas and is building the future leaders of ophthalmology in our region. It is that time of the year to enjoy our families and friends, to celebrate and to be thankful for what we have. In addition, it gives us the amazing opportunity to look ahead with hope and optimism for what is coming in 2023.
The PAOF continues to work tirelessly and supports the PAAO membership, particularly our junior/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 New Year is always a fresh start full of promises, and the holiday season an opportunity to give. 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 XXXV Pan-American Congress of Ophthalmology, March 17-20, 2023 in Buenos Aires Argentina! It’s at these superb meeting where ophthalmology from all the Americas come together to meet and you cannot miss that!
Happy Holidays!
Fernando Arevalo MD PhD
PAOF Chair