Diplomate Digest - The American Board of Ophthalmology Blog

Congratulations to the following American Board of Ophthalmology diplomates who were honored by the American Academy of Ophthalmology last month during AAO 2019 in San Francisco: Special Recognition Award: William L. Rich III, MD Dr. Rich's long and distinguished service for the Academy includes major contributions in advocacy, practice management and quality of care measurements for ophthalmologists. Outstanding Humanitarian Service Award: David F. Chang, MD and Graham E. Qu

The American Board of Ophthalmology is pleased to welcome the following newly board-certified ophthalmologists to our diplomate community following the Fall 2019 Oral Examination in Rosemont, IL. -A- Walid Abdallah, M.D., Alhambra, CA Osemelu Aburime, M.D., Atlanta, GA Christopher Adam, M.D., Detroit, MI Mona Adeli, M.D., Columbus, OH Esen Akpek, M.D., Baltimore, MD Tomas Aleman, M.D., Croydon, PA Rashed Alhabshan, M.D., McAllen, TX Mouhab Aljajeh, M.D., Newburgh, IN Erica Al

The American Board of Ophthalmology congratulates the following diplomates who were elected to membership of the National Academy of Medicine in 2019. Election to the National Academy of Medicine is considered one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine and recognizes individuals who have demonstrated outstanding professional achievement and commitment to service. Anthony P. Adamis, MD, senior vice president, development innovation, Genentech/Roche; and lec

American Board of Ophthalmology Diplomate J. Kevin McKinney, MD, will receive the annual John G. Clarkson Award for Quality Improvement at the 2019 American Academy of Ophthalmology Meeting in San Francisco. Dr. McKinney, a glaucoma specialist and comprehensive ophthalmologist at Eye Health Northwest in Portland, OR, will be honored during the MOC Learning Lounge on Monday, October 14 at 4:00 PM for his successful project to improve documentation for patients taking chloroqui

Give your certification status a check-up by checking in with the American Board of Ophthalmology at AAO 2019. All day Saturday, Sunday, and Monday during the American Academy of Ophthalmology Annual Meeting in San Francisco, American Board of Ophthalmology (ABO) staff will be available to answer your recertification questions. We'll be set up in an informational booth located inside the AAO Resource Center. No pre-registration is necessary. Stop by and say hello! On Sunday f

The American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) is seeking nominations for active diplomates to join the ABMS Stakeholder Council. Active diplomates must be board certified by an ABMS Member Board, participating in continuing certification/MOC, and not serving in a leadership position in any Member Board, Associate Member, or specialty society or association. The Stakeholder Council is an advisory body to the ABMS Board of Directors representing volunteer physicians and pati

Congratulations to American Board of Ophthalmology diplomates Allen C. Ho, MD, of Wills Eye Hospital, who recently became President of the Retina Society, and David I. Silbert, who was elected President of the Pennsylvania Academy of Ophthalmology. #professionalachievement #professionalism #diplomates

The National Center for Children's Vision and Eye Health at Prevent Blindness (NCCVEH) has named American Board of Ophthalmology Diplomate Anne L. Coleman, MD, PhD, as the recipient of the fifth annual Bonnie Strickland Champion for Children's Vision Award. The award recognizes significant efforts to improve children's vision and eye health at the state or national level and will be presented at the NCCVEH Annual Meeting on Sept. 14, 2019, in Baltimore, Md. Dr. Coleman is the

The American Board of Ophthalmology sends its congratulations and best wishes to the diplomates listed below who recently assumed the top leadership roles within their state societies and professional organizations: Jeremy K. Jones, MD, President, Georgia Society of Ophthalmology James J. Brown, MD, President, Mississippi Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons Neil T. Choplin, MD, President, International Joint Commission on Allied Health Professionals in Ophthalmology #profe

The American Board of Ophthalmology congratulates diplomate Julia A. Haller, MD, ophthalmologist-in-chief at Wills Eye Hospital, who will receive the 2019 Physician of the Year Award today, given by The Philadelphia Inquirer. The award, one of the news publication's "Influencers of Healthcare" honors, celebrates the city's leading healthcare professionals who go above and beyond to improve the collective health of Philadelphia and strive to make a difference in their patients

The American Board of Ophthalmology congratulates the following diplomates, including current and former Directors, on the receipt of the American Academy of Ophthalmology's Life Achievement Honor Award. Recipients must have earned 60 AAO points and made significant contributions to the profession. Cynthia A. Bradford, MD William J. Fishkind, MD Evangelos S. Gragoudas, MD Sadeer B. Hannush, MD Douglas A. Jabs, MD A. John Kanellopoulos, MD Don O. Kikkawa, MD, ABO Director Dani

Diplomate Pankaj G. Shah, MD, reminded patients about the importance of choosing a board-certified ophthalmologist in a recent newspaper article. Diplomate and Examiner Tamara R. Fountain, MD, has been nominated as president-elect of the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Diplomate, Examiner, and Exam Development Volunteer Joan M. O’Brien, MD, was awarded the Retina Research Foundation Pyron Award by the American Society of Retina Specialists. The award is represented to outs

At the June 2019 Oral Examination in Rosemont, IL, two longtime American Board of Ophthalmology examiners reached the 20-examination milestone: John Welch, MD, of Hastings, NE, has been an examiner for the ABO since 1995. Dr. Welch has mentored nine new examiners and assisted with oral examination content development. Dr. Welch, who practices at Retina Center of Nebraska, earned a medical degree from the University of Nebraska College of Medicine and went on to complete his i

American Board of Ophthalmology diplomate Frank Culotta, MD, of Acadiana Retinal Consultants in Lafayette, LA, was recently named President of the Louisiana Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Culotta graduated from LSU School of Medicine in New Orleans and completed his ophthalmology residency at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore. He then completed a fellowship in Vitreoretinal Diseases and Surgery from Bascom Palmer Eye Institute in Miami. He has run Acadiana Retinal Cons

The following ophthalmologists achieved certification by the American Board of Ophthalmology following the June 2019 Oral Examination held in Rosemont, IL: -A- Musa Abdelaziz, M.D., Washington, DC Daniel Agarwal, M.D., New Haven, CT Faheem Ahmed, M.D., Herndon, VA Syeda Ahmed Naqvi, M.D., Cincinnati , OH Alaa AlAli, M.D., Toronto, ON Daniel Albertus, M.D., Falls Church, VA Sulaiman Alhumaid, M.D., miami, FL Mohsin Ali, M.D., Durham, NC Zegary Allen, M.D., Montgomery, OH Zane

The American Board of Ophthalmology congratulates diplomate Jerry A. Shields, MD, who was presented with the 2019 Lucien Howe Medal from the American Ophthalmological Society during the organization's Annual Meeting in May. Dr. Shields is Founder and Director Emeritus of the Wills Eye Hospital Ocular Oncology Service and Professor of Ophthalmology at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia. He was selected for the award in recognition

American Board of Ophthalmology Diplomate Peter Blackburn, MD was recently presented with the Kentucky Academy of Eye Physicians and Surgeons’ (KAEPS) Ophthalmologist of the Year award. The Ophthalmologist of the Year award is granted to a physician who has made outstanding contributions to KAEPS and made strides to significantly enhance the profession of ophthalmology. Dr. Blackburn is associate professor of ophthalmology and pediatrics in the University of Kentucky College

The community of ophthalmology mourns the recent loss of American Board of Ophthalmology Diplomate Patricia Bath, MD, the pioneering ophthalmologist, inventor, and educator who spent a lifetime making history as the first: African-American resident in ophthalmology at New York University; Woman to join the Jules Stein Eye Institute; Woman to lead a post-graduate training program in ophthalmology; African-American woman to serve on staff as a surgeon at the UCLA Medical Center

Join the National Academy of Medicine Action Collaborative on Clinician Well-Being and Resilience for a live webcast on May 28-29, 2019, beginning at 8:00am CT. This meeting will feature expert panels on issues related to redesigning the clinical learning environment. Click here to view the agenda. To ensure high-quality patient care and build a more effective health system, we depend on a healthy, productive, and engaged clinician workforce. But, increasingly, U.S. health

Congratulations to American Board of Ophthalmology Diplomate Lawrence Najarian, MD, of Bedminster, NJ, who received the 2019 Ellis Island Medal of Honor. Awarded annually to distinguished citizens who exemplify a life dedicated to community service and extraordinary accomplishments in their field, Dr. Najarian was one of 94 medalists recognized this year. In a May 11 ceremony held inside Ellis Island’s historic Great Hall, the original registry room and gateway for 12 million