|
Beverly Roberts, CPOA and Linda D. Johnson, O.D.
AOA BESTOWS NATIONAL AWARDS AT ANNUAL MEETING
Exemplary service to
patients, profession of optometry, and general public honored
Mississippi
was recognized with two of the American Optometric
Association’s (AOA) five awards presented last week at the
Opening General Session of the 111th Annual AOA
Congress & 38th Annual AOSA Conference:
Optometry’s Meeting™ held in Seattle, Wash.
The 2008 AOA
Award recipients included Linda D. Johnson, O.D., of Jackson,
Miss., Optometrist of the Year and Mrs. Beverly Roberts, CPOA,
of Magee, Miss., Paraoptometric of the Year Award.
Optometrist of the Year
The
AOA Optometrist of the Year award recognizes a deserving
individual doctor of optometry for performance of outstanding
services on behalf of the profession and to the visual welfare
of the public.
Dr.
Johnson made history by becoming the first African-American
female optometrist in the state of Mississippi.
Since graduating from the Indiana University School of
Optometry in 1978, she has been committed to educating her
patients on health problems that are harmful to their vision,
particularly glaucoma, and the importance of routine eye
exams. Dr.
Johnson did her undergraduate work at Jackson State
University.
Dr.
Johnson serves as the Division Head of Optometry Services and
Women, Infant and Children Program Services for the
Jackson-Hinds Comprehensive Health Center.
She served on the board of directors of the American
Red Cross, Central Mississippi Chapter, and was its chair for
1995-1997. She
again made history by becoming the first African-American to
serve as chair of the organization, and she was the
chapter’s second female chair.
Dr.
Johnson has been active in the Mississippi Optometric
Association (MOA) since 1978 and served as its president from
2003-2004. She has served on the Mississippi Medicaid
Commission’s Eye Care Services and Technical Advisory
Committee, the advisory committee of the Mississippi Health
Systems Agency, was a member of the Jackson Eye Institute
Advisory Board, and served on Governor Ronnie Musgrove’s
Healthcare Commission on Medicaid. She received a commendation
from Gov. Kirk Fordice for her involvement on the Mississippi
Commission for Volunteer Service from 1996-1997. In 1993 Dr.
Johnson was named Optometrist of the Year by the National
Optometric Association.
Paraoptometric of the
Year Award
The award is given annually
to the optometric assistant or technician who has made the
most outstanding and worthwhile contributions to the
profession of optometry, paraoptometry, and the general
public. Mrs.
Roberts, CPOA, is employed by Dr.Steven Reed at the Family
Vision Clinic in Magee. She is president of the Mississippi Paraoptometric
Association and was named the state’s Paraoptometric of the
Year in 2007. She is also active in the Mississippi
Optometric Association (MOA) and the AOA.
Mrs.
Roberts contributes articles to the MOA’s newsletter and
participates in community-wide medical fairs in Magee,
Mendenhall, and Mount Olive with an emphasis on reaching
elderly patients who have little or no access to proper health
or eye care. She has participated in student health fairs and
a vision screening program for medical doctors in the area.
Mrs. Roberts also has experience in organizing vision
screenings for students who have never received vision care.
Mrs. Roberts also devotes her time to serving as an elementary
school reading tutor and mentor, serves in various capacities
in her church congregation, and coaches YMCA softball.
Other awards recipients included Arol
R. Augsburger, O.D., of Chicago, Ill., Distinguished Service
Award; Elizabeth Draper Muckley, O.D., of Uniontown, Ohio,
Young Optometrist of the Year; and Mr. James Kesteloot, of
Chicago, Ill., Apollo Award.
To contact
Dr. Johnson, please call 601-362-5321, extension 245
To contact
Mrs. Roberts, please call 601-849-5004.
Professional,
edited video on CD-Rom is also available from the award
winners or the American Optometric Association |
