UC Regent William De La Pena M.D. Given Distinguished Service Award

(Newswire.net — December 4, 2017) Arlington, TX — Last month, during the Circle Vision Luncheon at the start of the 2017 American Academy of Ophthalmology Annual Meeting held in New Orleans last month, UC Regent and ophthalmologist, Dr. William De La Pena was presented with the Distinguished Service Award by the Pan-American Ophthalmological Foundation Association (PAOF). Dr. De La Pena has served as chairman of the PAOF from 2012 to 2015 and currently sits on its executive board. Under his leadership the foundation has flourished. 

The PAOF was formed in 1959 to support the Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology (PAAO) and its educational programs. The focus of these organizations is the prevention of blindness through education and exchange of information among ophthalmologists across international borders in the Western Hemisphere.

The Honorable William C De La Pena MD has not only lived up to the mission of the PAAO/PAOF but has strengthened it. In the last five years the PAOF has strengthened its financial standing and expanded its scholarship programs.

Regarding the work he has done with the PAOF, Dr. Dela Pena said,

“It has been a great honor to serve in this position. The funds we raise for the PAAO, (the largest Latin American Supranational Ophthalmological Association) have undoubtedly improved eye care in the region.” 

About the PAOF:

The Pan-American Ophthalmological Foundation (PAOF) was founded 1959 by Dr. Brittain F. Payne, Dr. J. Wesley McKinney, Dr. James H. Allen, Dr. Algernon B. Reese, and Dr. A. Edward Maumenee of the United States to support the Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology (PAAO) and its educational programs. The PAOF is a 501 (c)(3) under the Internal Revenue Code of the United States. Financial information is available upon request by contacting the PAAO/PAOF Administrative Office.

The PAAO is dedicated to the prevention of blindness through lifelong education and cultural exchange among ophthalmologists in the Western Hemisphere.