SAN FRANCISCO – The American Academy ofOphthalmology has presented its Secretariat Award to more than 30 eye doctors for significant contributions to the Academy and to the ophthalmology profession.  

The Secretariat Award recognizes special contributions to the Academy and to ophthalmology. 

It was developed to increase opportunities for ophthalmologists to be recognized for contributions outside the scope of other Academy award programs. 

Recipients are selected by the Academy’s Senior Secretaries and Secretaries in their respective areas and approved by the Board of Trustees. Areas of recognition include advocacy and government affairs; clinical education; ophthalmic practice; member services; meetings; Ophthalmology Journal activities and Foundation activities.

The awards were presented at the 2006 Joint Meeting held in Las Vegas, November 11-14.

Awardees and their categories included:

Quality Care and Knowledge Base Development; New OphthalmicInformation; Ophthalmic Knowledge; Clinical Education:

• Steven V. L. Brown, MD                                  Evanston, IL                  
• Jeffrey S. Heier, MD                                         Boston, MA
• Robert H. Kennedy, MD                                   Arlington, TX
• Dennis M. Marcus, MD                                     Augusta GA
• David C. Musch, Ph.D.                                     Ann Arbor, MI
• Scott E. Olitsky, MD                                         Kansas City, MO                    
• Mark B. Sherwood,MD                                     Gainesville, FL
• Howard H. Tessler, MD                                    Gurnee, IL
• Jonathan D. Trobe, MD                                    Ann Arbor, MI
• Mitchell P. Weikert, MD                                    Houston, TX
  

Practice Management and Ophthalmic Practice:

• Ricky D. Bass, MBA, MHA                               Chapel Hill, NC
• Samuel N. Markowitz, MD                              Toronto, Canada

State Affairs, Federal Affairs and Advocacy:

• Gary W. Abrams, MD                                      Detroit, MI      
• Laurie Gray Barber, MD                                  Little Rock, AR
• James Chodosh, MD                                       Oklahoma City, OK                
• L. Neal Freeman, MD                                      Melbourne FL             
• Cynthia Hampton, MD                                   Henderson, NC
• Ralph C. Lanciano, Jr., DO                              Pennsauken, NJ                       
• Christie L. Morse, MD                                     Concord, NH
• Elwin G. Schwartz, MD                                    Middletown, CT
• Thomas L. Steinemann, MD                            Shaker Heights, OH                
• Trexler M. Topping, MD                                   Boston, MA    

Communications:

• Richard E. Bensinger, MD                                Seattle, WA
• Marguerite B. McDonald, MD                           New Orleans, LA
• Kuldev Singh, MD                                            Stanford, CA

Annual Meeting:

• A. Jan Berlin, MD                                            Portland, ME

Ophthalmology (editorial):

• Brian S. Boxer Wachler, MD                          Beverly Hills, CA
• Srinivas R. Sadda, MD                                  Pasadena, CA
• Steven D. Schwartz, MD                               Los Angeles, CA
• Rohit Varma, MD, MPH                                  Los Angeles, CA

Member Services:

• Richard J. Grostern, MD                                  Chicago, IL
• Charissa J. Wong, MD                                    Annandale, VA
• Harry A. Zink, MD                                           Wooster, OH

“Eye Net” (chief medical editor):

• David F. Chang, MD                                        Los Altos, CA
• Richard E. Hackel, CRA, FOPS                         Ann Arbor, MI

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About the American Academy of Ophthalmology
AAO is the world's largest association of eye physicians and surgeons—Eye M.D.s—with more than 27,000 members worldwide.  Eye health care is provided by the three “O’s” – opticians, optometrists and ophthalmologists. It is the ophthalmologist, or Eye M.D., who can treat it all: eye diseases and injuries, and perform eye surgery. To find an Eye M.D. in your area, visit the Academy's Web site at www.aao.org.