The American Board of Ophthalmology is pleased to announce the appointment of Tamara R. Fountain, M.D., immediate past president of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, to its Board of Directors. Dr. Fountain’s four-year term with the ABO began January 1, 2022 and is renewable for an additional four years.
As an ABO Director, Dr. Fountain will apply her ophthalmic expertise to the development of professional standards designed to protect the well-being of eye care patients.
“The ABO is delighted to welcome Dr. Fountain to its Board,” said Chief Executive Officer George B. Bartley, M.D. “I have had the privilege of working with her for many years through various ophthalmic organizations. She is exceptionally smart as well as wise, understands the challenges facing private practitioners as well as academicians, and follows up her commitments with action. Both the public and the profession will benefit from her service through the ABO.”
A diplomate and examiner for the Board, Dr. Fountain is a professor of ophthalmology at Rush University Medical Center and an oculoplastic surgeon in private practice in Illinois. She earned her medical degree at Harvard and trained at Johns Hopkins Hospital’s Wilmer Eye Institute before completing specialty training in oculoplastic and reconstructive surgery at Doheny Eye Institute.
Throughout her career, Dr. Fountain has continuously given back to the ophthalmic community as the AAO’s secretary for Member Services, an at-large member of the Board of Trustees, and as an editorial member of EyeNet Magazine. Dr. Fountain is also past president of the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ASOPRS) and the Illinois Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons, is a member of the prestigious American Ophthalmological Society, and has received the AAO Lifetime Achievement Award and the ASOPRS Orkan Stasior Leadership Award.
Dr. Fountain achieved ABO certification in 1995 and participates in the Continuing Certification program.
Over 106 years, fewer than 200 ophthalmologists have been appointed to the Board to serve in this prestigious role as a peer leader and patient advocate.
About the American Board of Ophthalmology
The American Board of Ophthalmology is an independent, not-for-profit organization that sets and upholds rigorous certification standards for eye physicians and surgeons in the United States. Since 1916, more than 32,000 ophthalmologists have continued the professional tradition of demonstrating their knowledge and skills through ABO certification—the nation’s first and oldest medical specialty credential. By designing programs that promote excellence in practice and engagement in career-long learning, the ABO strives to continuously improve the quality of patient care. The ABO is one of 24 certifying boards recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). Patients can search for a certified ophthalmologist online at abop.org.