The Academy is proud to honor Dorothy M. Moore, MD, with the 2021 Outstanding Advocate Award. This award recognizes Dr. Moore for her extensive and exceptional advocacy efforts to champion the health and well-being of children, their vision and their ocular health.
The American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus and the American Academy of Pediatrics nominated Dr. Moore for her more than 30 years of advocacy on behalf of patients and the profession. Dr. Moore has positively influenced the lives of thousands of children in her care.
Dr. Moore has served multiple leadership roles at the local, regional and national level. On the local level in Delaware, Dr. Moore has been President of the Delaware Academy of Ophthalmology (DAO) and has held the position of Legislative Chair since 2000. She is considered the "go to person" when there is a governmental or legislative policy threatening the quality of care of patients in Delaware and beyond. Dr. Moore has also been active in the Medical Society of Delaware as Chair of the Public Laws Committee where she would review any laws proposed that could affect the quality of care for our patients in Delaware. The dedication of her advocacy was her term as Medical Society of Delaware President in 2016 bringing issues involving ophthalmology to the forefront.
On a national level, Dr. Moore has served on the Academy’s OPHTHPAC Committee and as Councilor from 2017 to present. Her tireless dedication to advocacy also involves working in concert with the American Medical Association’s AMPAC conferences to develop coalitions of like-minded health providers to make ophthalmology advocacy more impactful.
One of Dr. Moore’s significant contribution to ophthalmology is her involvement in 2015-2016, when optometrist regulations were going before the Sunset Committee of the Delaware legislature. The optometrists wanted it all—injections, lasers and minor surgical procedures. Dr. Moore, along with two other ophthalmologists who helped spearhead the efforts to fight scope issues, worked over one and a half years to weaken the bill. A diluted bill was signed into law where optometrists were prohibited from performing injections, surgery and laser surgery, and only allowed to perform minor procedures on the surface of the skin, conjunctiva and cornea under topical anesthesia. This win for ophthalmology can be greatly attributed to Dr. Moore’s undaunted commitment to protecting patients, her skillful negotiations with all the stakeholders, and her personal relationships with so many Delaware legislators.
Dr. Moore’s long history of advocacy and exemplary service is an example for ophthalmologists on the importance of physician advocacy.