Academy Secretary for State Affairs Kurt F. Heitman, MD (center), presented the Commitment to Advocacy award to BUMC Residency Program Director Jean E. Ramsey, MD, MPH, and Department Chair Stephen P. Christiansen, MD.
The Boston University Medical Center (BUMC), Department of Ophthalmology is the recipient of the Academy's 2019 Commitment to Advocacy award. The award was presented to BUMC by the Academy and the Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology (AUPO) leaders in January 2020 during AUPO's annual meeting in Rancho Mirage, Calif.
The Academy’s Secretariat for State Affairs created the award to recognize a training program and its leadership for demonstrating commitment to the Academy’s Advocacy Ambassador Program. The Advocacy Ambassador Program gives residents and fellows hands-on training in advocacy and policy development, and supports their attendance at the Academy’s annual Mid-Year Forum and Congressional Advocacy Day. The BUMC Department of Ophthalmology has demonstrated an ongoing commitment to engaging and educating members in training about the importance of advocating for their patients and their profession, and has collaborated closely with the Massachusetts Society of Eye Physicians and Surgeons.