Foundation Of The American Academy Of Ophthalmology

TO ADVANCE AAO'S PRIORITY PROGRAMS IN EDUCATION, QUALITY AND DATA SCIENCE, AND PUBLIC SERVICE.

GRANTS TO AAO TO SUPPORT "ADVANCING LIFELONG OPHTHALMIC EDUCATION": MEDICAL KNOWLEDGE AND THE PACE OF SURGICAL AND THERAPEUTIC INNOVATION IS GROWING RAPIDLY, AS IS AN INCREASED EMPHASIS ON PATIENT OUTCOMES AND VALUE-BASED CARE. FAAO SUPPORTS AAO PROGRAMS THAT SPEED THE TRANSFER OF OPHTHALMIC KNOWLEDGE AND INNOVATION TO OPHTHALMOLOGISTS WORLDWIDE. BY RAISING PHILANTHROPIC GIFTS GLOBALLY AND MANAGING ITS INVESTABLE ASSETS, FAAO PROVIDES GRANTS TO AAO PROGRAMS IN OPHTHALMIC EDUCATION AND QUALITY OF CARE, INCLUDING THE ONE NETWORK, IRIS REGISTRY, R&D FOR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES, AND INTERNATIONAL OUTREACH IN DEVELOPING COUNTRIES.

OTHER PROGRAM SERVICES INCLUDE OWNING AND MAINTAINING PROPERTY, WHICH IS LEASED TO THE AMERICAN ACADEMY OF OPHTHALMOLOGY (FAAO'S SUPPORTED ORGANIZATION) FOR USE WITHIN ITS GENERAL OPERATIONS.ADDITIONALLY, FAAO PROVIDED A GRANT OF $4,000,000 DURING FY2023 TO AAO FOR GENERAL ORGANIZATIONAL SUPPORT.

GRANTS TO AAO TO SUPPORT "PUBLIC SERVICE": ONE IN SIX PEOPLE AGE 65 AND OLDER HAS VISION IMPAIRMENT THAT CANNOT BE CORRECTED WITH GLASSES. THIS IS OFTEN CAUSED BY COMMON EYE CONDITIONS AND DISEASES DETECTED BY EYE EXAMS. MANY PEOPLE OFTEN DELAY GETTING CARE THAT COULD SAVE THEIR SIGHT BECAUSE THEY CANNOT AFFORD IT. EYECARE AMERICA, THROUGH ITS 4,383 VOLUNTEER OPHTHALMOLOGISTS, REMOVES THIS BARRIER BY PROVIDING CARE AT NO OUT-OF-POCKET COST TO PATIENTS. EYECARE AMERICA ALSO RAISES AWARENESS ABOUT EYE DISEASE AND PROVIDES FREE EYE HEALTH INFORMATION. IN FISCAL YEAR 2022-2023, EYECARE AMERICA REFERRED 26,508 INDIVIDUALS NATIONWIDE FOR CARE. IN ADDITION TO EYECARE AMERICA, FAAO SUPPORTS THE MUSEUM OF VISION, WHICH PRESERVES THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE, AND TRANSLATES IT INTO EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES FOR USE BY AAO'S MEMBERS, MEDICAL HISTORIANS, RESEARCHERS, AND THE PUBLIC AS THEY SEEK TO UNDERSTAND OPHTHALMOLOGY'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO SOCIETY, LEARN MORE ABOUT THE EYE AND THE SCIENCE OF VISION, AND TO ADDRESS SIMILAR OPHTHALMIC CHALLENGES TODAY AND IN THE FUTURE. IN FISCAL YEAR 2022-2023, THE MUSEUM OF VISION PROVIDED THESE RESOURCES TO 80,121 INDIVIDUALS.

GRANTS TO AAO TO SUPPORT "QUALITY AND DATA SCIENCE": FAAO PROVIDES SUPPORT TO THE H. DUNBAR HOSKINS JR., M.D. CENTER FOR QUALITY EYE CARE, WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED AS A QUALITY OF CARE AND HEALTH POLICY RESEARCH CENTER THAT ADVANCES THE ACCESSIBILITY TO AND APPROPRIATENESS OF EYE CARE SERVICES. THE WORK OF THE HOSKINS CENTER ENSURES THAT PATIENTS CONTINUE TO RECEIVE HIGH QUALITY, EVIDENCE-BASED EYE CARE WITHIN A TIGHTENING ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT THAT WILL DEMAND INCREASED VALUE FOR ANY SERVICES PROVIDED. ALTHOUGH EXTENSIVE IN SCOPE, THE HOSKINS CENTER IS ORGANIZED INTO FOUR MAIN PROGRAMMATIC AREAS: (I) EVIDENCED-BASED EYE CARE: PRODUCES GUIDANCE FOR EYE CARE PROVIDERS AND DEVELOPS PERFORMANCE-IN-PRACTICE EVALUATION TOOLS; (II) VALUE-BASED DELIVERY OF EYE CARE: IDENTIFIES AND ASSESSES VALUE-BASED EYE CARE PRACTICE MODELS FOR A VARIETY OF SETTINGS AND EXAMINES THE PUBLIC HEALTH NEEDS FOR QUALITY OF EYE CARE; (III) MEDICAL INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY STANDARDS: CREATES STANDARDIZED TERMINOLOGY, IMAGING AND EHR STANDARDS, AND MODELS FOR INTEGRATING E-PRESCRIBING AND TECHNOLOGY IN PRACTICE; AND (IV) FELLOWSHIPS AND GRANTS FUNDING: EXTENDS THE REACH AND SCOPE OF THE HOSKINS CENTER IN EMERGING OR UNDERSTUDIED EYE CARE AREAS BY FUNDING THE RESEARCH OF OUTSIDE INVESTIGATORS AND ORGANIZATIONS.