What Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology does

The Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology (PAAO) is a non-profit professional medical association founded in 1939 by Harry S. Gradle, Moacyr Alvaro, and Conrad Berens, and headquartered in Pantego, Texas (USA). It serves practicing ophthalmologists, ophthalmology trainees, and allied researchers across 35+ countries in the Western Hemisphere, plus Spain and Portugal, through a network of 20+ national ophthalmology societies and 15+ subspecialty societies. Its mission centers on continuing medical education, blindness prevention, and scientific and cultural exchange among eye care professionals.

PAAO operates a digital platform ecosystem comprising the main website (paao.org), a member portal (network.paao.org integrated with Authorize.net for payments), and the Campus PAAO learning management system (campuspaao.org), unified under the Pan-American Hub of Science (PAHS). Core products and services include the peer-reviewed multilingual Pan-American Journal of Ophthalmology (PAJO), the biennial Pan-American Congress (next: PAAO 2027 in Lima, Peru, March 17-20, 2027), the annual Pan-American Research Day (PARD) co-hosted with ARVO, the annual "Lo Mejor de la Academia en Español" virtual event, regional courses, 78+ archived webinars, 13+ asynchronous online courses, the Virtual Surgical Series, the Leadership Development Program (Curso de Liderazgo), the Visiting Professors Program, and a portfolio of fellowships (Gillingham $20K), scholarships (BCC $3K), and named awards including the $50K Paul Kayser/RRF Global Award and the $10K Troutman-Véronneau Prize. The Pan-American Ophthalmological Foundation (PAOF), a 501(c)(3) established in 1959, fundraises via the Circle of Vision program to support these initiatives.

Revenue is generated through annual membership dues (Active $200, Member-in-Training $50, Affiliate $75), event registration fees (with member discounts), online course and certificate fees, and tax-deductible donations to PAOF. Membership is renewed annually through network.paao.org, with special dues-collection arrangements in place with national societies in Bolivia, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, and Peru. A small executive team — Executive Director Teresa J. Bradshaw, Administrator Terri Grassi, Public Relations (Mapy Padilla, Lima), and IT/Graphic Design (Krista Jonas, Barcelona) — runs the association, governed by an Executive Committee led by President Carol L. Karp, MD (2025-2027) and a PAOF Board chaired by Miguel N. Burnier Jr., MD PhD (2024-2027).

Name

Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology

Legal name

Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology

Website

https://paao.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1939

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology is a 1939-founded non-profit professional medical association serving ophthalmologists across 35+ countries via membership, biennial congress, online courses, journal, and fellowship programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Medical Association — Ophthalmology

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Comprehensive Eye Exams & Vision Care (HLAKAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Neuro-Ophthalmology (HLAKAKAH), Cornea, External Disease & Refractive Surgery (LASIK/PRK) (HLAKAKAF), Ocular Imaging & Diagnostic Testing Centers (HLAKAKAN), Schools of Optometry (EDAHAGAN)

Keywords

• Ophthalmology professional association
• Continuing medical education
• Medical society membership
• Ophthalmology conferences
• Blindness prevention programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Arlington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees constitute a primary revenue stream. Active members pay US$200/year, Members-in-Training pay US$50/year, and Affiliate Members pay US$75/year. Membership runs January 1–December 31 and is renewed annually through network.paao.org.
2. Event Registration Fees: Revenue from registration fees for the biennial Pan-American Congress, regional courses, PARD, and Lo Mejor virtual meeting. Members receive discounted registration; non-members pay higher rates.
3. Online Course Fees: Revenue from asynchronous online courses available through Campus PAAO. Members receive special rates; non-member pricing is higher. Certificates for courses are available for a fee.
4. Pan-American Ophthalmological Foundation Donations: Tax-deductible donations to the PAOF (a 501(c)(3) organization) fund scholarships, fellowships, travel awards, and the Circle of Vision leadership giving program. Key funded programs include the Gillingham Fellowship ($20,000 each), BCC Scholarship ($3,000 stipend), and the $50,000 Paul Kayser/RRF Global Award.
5. Pan-American Journal of Ophthalmology: PAJO operates as a freely available online publication. Revenue is not explicitly described as a commercial stream; the journal serves member value rather than direct revenue generation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

The Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology (PAAO) is a non-profit professional medical association founded in 1939 that serves practicing ophthalmologists, trainees, and affiliated national/subspecialty societies across 35+ countries in the Western Hemisphere. It delivers continuing medical education through webinars, asynchronous online courses, the peer-reviewed Pan-American Journal of Ophthalmology (PAJO), and the biennial Pan-American Congress, while funding scholarships, fellowships, and awards through its charitable arm, the Pan-American Ophthalmological Foundation (PAOF). Members pay annual dues and gain access to a multilingual education ecosystem (English, Spanish, Portuguese) for blindness prevention and professional development.

Product overview

The Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology operates a comprehensive platform ecosystem for ophthalmology education and professional development across the Americas. The core offerings include the main website (paao.org), a member portal (network.paao.org), and a learning management system (Campus PAAO/campuspaao.org) unified through the Pan-American Hub of Science. Educational products span the Pan-American Journal of Ophthalmology (PAJO) scientific journal, annual events including Pan-American Research Day (PARD) and Lo Mejor de la Academia en Español, online asynchronous courses covering clinical specialties and emerging technology including AI applications, the PAAO Leadership Development Program (Curso de Liderazgo), biennial Congresses, Regional Courses, the Virtual Surgical Series, Visiting Professors Program, and Fellowships/Scholarships. The Pan-American Ophthalmological Foundation (PAOF) supports these initiatives through fundraising and donor programs including the Circle of Vision. PAAO membership provides access to all these services with tiered benefits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PAAO Membership Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Scholarship funding available: Gillingham Pan-American Fellowship up to $20,000 (up to 2 fellowships), BCC Scholarship $3,000 stipend, multiple ARVO/PARD travel awards of $500 each, Troutman-Véronneau Prize $10,000, Paul Kayser/RRF Global Award $50,000.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

30 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Argentine Council of Ophthalmology (CAO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner national society. Co-hosts regional courses with PAAO. Located at Tte. Gral Juan D. Perón 1479, PB, Buenos Aires, Argentina. President: Dr. Roberto Ebner.
• Brazilian Council of Ophthalmology (CBO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner national society representing Brazil. Located at Rua Casa do Ator 1117 cj 21, Sao Paulo, SP 04546-004, Brazil. President: Dr. Maria Auxiliadora Monteiro Frazão.
• Colombian Society of OphthalmologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner national society. Co-hosts regional courses. Located at Calle 98 No. 21-36 Of. 701, Edificio Centro 98, Bogotá, Colombia. President: Dr. Cesar Carriazo.
• Mexican Society of OphthalmologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner national society. Has special membership agreement with PAAO. Located at Boston #99, Col. Nochebuena, Mexico 03720, DF Mexico. President: Dr. David Lozano Rechy.
• American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of the first Pan-American Congress in 1940; key strategic partner. PAAO has a seat on the AAO Council (current representative: Raquel Goldhardt, MD, 2024-2026). AAO's Annual Meeting content is reviewed annually at 'Lo Mejor de la Academia en Español.'
• Canadian Ophthalmological SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner national society representing Canada. Located at 1525 Carling, Ste. 610, Ottawa, ON K1Z 8R9, Canada. President: Mona Dagher MD.
• Chilean Society of OphthalmologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner national society. Co-hosted regional course in Santiago, Chile (March 24-26). Located at Av. Luis Pasteur 5280 Of. 104, Vitacura, Santiago, Chile. President: Dr. Gonzalo Varas Marchant.
• Peruvian Society of OphthalmologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost of PAAO 2027 Congress (Lima, Peru, March 17-20, 2027). Has special membership agreement with PAAO. Located at Parque Luis F. Villarán 957, San Isidro, Lima 27, Peru. President: Dr. Hugo Luglio Valdivieso.
• Dominican Society of OphthalmologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner national society. Located at Calle Santiago esq. Pasteur, Plaza Jardines de Gazcue, 2do Plata, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. President: Dra. Niurka Leonor.
• Panamanian Society of OphthalmologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner national society. Has special membership agreement with PAAO. Located at Apartado 8870, Zona 5, Panama City, Panama. President: Dr. Rodolfo Yi.
• Spanish Society of Ophthalmology (SEO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner national society (based in Madrid, Spain). Executive Committee includes Vice President José A. Gegúndez from Madrid. Located at c/Arcipreste de Hita 14-1º derecha, Madrid 28015, Spain. President: Dr. José Manuel Benítez del Castillo Sánchez.
• Portuguese Society of OphthalmologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner national society representing Portugal. Located at Campo Pequeno 2-13º, Lisbon, 1000-078, Portugal. President: Dr. Pedro Meneres.
• Bolivian Society of OphthalmologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner national society. Has special membership agreement with PAAO. President: Dr. José Marcial Bayá Terceros.
• Cuban Society of OphthalmologycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner national society. Located at Instituto de Oftalmologia 'Ramon Pando Ferrer', 76 e/ 31 y 41, Marianao, Habana 11400, Cuba. President: Dr. Juan Raul Hernández Silva.
• Puerto Rico Ophthalmology SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner national society. Located at PO Box 366274, San Juan, PR 00936-6274. President: Dr. Graciela Trabal Yulfo.
• Venezuelan Society of Ophthalmology (SVO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner national society. Co-administers the Arevalo Prize (Venezuela/SVO/PAAO). Located at Av. Luis de Camoens, Boulevard La Jolla, Centro Empresarial Loma Vista, P 4, Of. 4-2, Caracas, Venezuela. President: Dr. Sigfrido Alexander Miranda Sarabia.
• Other Partner National Societies (12 additional societies)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdditional partner national societies include: Haitian Society of Ophthalmology (President: Dr. Florence Burr-Reynaud), Uruguayan Association of Ophthalmologists (President: Dr. Juan Martín Nader), Costarican Association of Ophthalmology (President: Dr. Diana Rodríguez Cascante), Ecuadorian Society of Ophthalmology (President: Dr. Pablo Suarez Saona), Honduran Society of Ophthalmology (President: Dr. Carlos Maldonado), Paraguayan Society of Ophthalmology (President: Dr. Walter Martinez Torres), Guatemalan Association of Ophthalmology (President: Dr. Margarita Barnoya), Nicaraguan Society of Ophthalmology (President: Gloria A. Gaitán Gutiérrez), Salvadorian Association of Ophthalmology (President: Dr. Leon F. Colindres), Ophthalmological Society of the West Indies (President: Dr. Rajrishi Sharma).
• ALACCSA-R (Latin American Association of Cataract, Anterior Segment and Refractive Surgeons)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner subspecialty society. President: Dr. Claudio Orlich (Costa Rica). Participates in scientific programs at PAAO meetings and hosts PAAO visiting lecturers at its congresses.
• Pan-American Glaucoma Society (PAGS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner subspecialty society. President: Dr. Felipe A. Medeiros (USA).
• Pan-Cornea (Pan-American Cornea Society)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner subspecialty society. President: Dr. Luis Izquierdo Jr. (Peru).
• SPRV (Pan-American Retina Vitreous Society)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner subspecialty society. President: Dr. Mauricio Maia (Brazil). Co-organizes the Virtual Surgical Series and PARD.
• PAOOS (Pan-American Ocular Oncology Society)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner subspecialty society. President: Dr. David Ancona (Mexico).
• SOPLA (Latin American Pediatric Ophthalmology Society)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner subspecialty society. President: Dr. Luis Javier Cárdenas Lamas (Mexico).
• SP-ROP (Pan-American Retinopathy of Prematurity Society)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner subspecialty society. President: Dr. Claudia Zuluaga Botero (Colombia).
• SOPANOP (Pan-American Oculoplastics Society)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner subspecialty society. President: Dr. Rosa Balcells (Chile). Offers oculoplastics training scholarships in Latin America.
• CLADE (Latin American Strabismus Council)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner subspecialty society. President: Dr. Marlene Vogel (Chile).
• Pan-American Low Vision SocietycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner subspecialty society. President: Dra. Sylvina V. Conti (Argentina).
• IJCAHPO (International Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner subspecialty society. President: Dr. Michael W. Stewart (USA).
• Other Partner Subspecialty Societies (CLEO, PANIRD, CLAN, SPEIO, APTO, Sociedad Panamericana de Patología Ocular Lorenz E. Zimmerman)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdditional subspecialty partners include: CLEO (Latin American Ophthalmic Ultrasound Council, President: Dr. Mario D. De La Torre J., Peru), PANIRD (Pan American Inherited Retina Disease Society, President: Dr. Carlos Mendoza-Santiesteban, USA), CLAN (Latin American Neuro-Ophthalmology Club, President: Dr. Mario Perez, Colombia), SPEIO (Pan-American Society of Inflammatory Ocular Diseases, President: Dr. Emilio Dodds, Argentina), APTO (Pan-American Association of Ocular Trauma, President: Dr. Felipe Morera, Chile), Sociedad Panamericana de Patología Ocular Lorenz E. Zimmerman (President: Dr. Miguel N. Burnier Jr., Canada).
• ARVO (Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-sponsor of PARD (Pan-American Research Day), held annually the day before the ARVO meeting. ARVO presenters are invited to share their research in a 5-minute format at PARD.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO): Global umbrella body for ophthalmology with worldwide reach, focused on education, advocacy, and eye health policy. Operates as a broader incumbent than PAAO at the global rather than Western Hemisphere level, with overlapping educational mission.
• American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO): The largest professional association for ophthalmologists in the US and globally, with multi-thousand member scale, the One Network platform, and the annual AAO meeting whose content PAAO recycles in 'Lo Mejor en Español.' Direct content partnership and PAAO holds an AAO Council seat.

Regional players

• Canadian Ophthalmological Society (COS): National ophthalmology society of Canada and a core PAAO partner. Comparable professional association model with annual meetings, educational programs, and journals, but focused exclusively on Canada rather than the Western Hemisphere.
• European Society of Ophthalmology (SOE): The European continental analog of PAAO, representing ophthalmology societies across Europe. Comparable structure as a regional umbrella association spanning multiple national societies, but focused on a different geography.
• Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth): UK-based professional body for ophthalmologists with training, examination, and educational programs. Comparable professional society structure to PAAO but with credentialing/regulatory authority and a UK focus.
• All India Ophthalmological Society (AIOS): India's largest national ophthalmology professional association with annual conference and educational programs. Functions as the dominant ophthalmology society in India and is comparable in member scale to PAAO, but focused exclusively on a single country.
• Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology (APAO): Asia-Pacific regional ophthalmology association serving societies across Asia and Oceania. Functions as a continental umbrella organization similar to PAAO, with a comparable congress and educational program model in a different geography.

Emerging players

• International Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (IJCAHPO): PAAO subspecialty society partner focused on ophthalmic allied health personnel training and certification. Overlapping content (CME, certification) but focused on ophthalmic technicians and assistants rather than physician ophthalmologists.

Direct peers

• Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology (ARVO): Global vision and ophthalmology research organization co-hosting PARD with PAAO. Comparable mission profile (research, education, scientific exchange) but with a stronger research and epidemiological focus rather than clinical practice. Headquartered in the US.
• Brazilian Council of Ophthalmology (CBO): Primary national ophthalmology society of Brazil and a core PAAO partner. Has its own annual congress, continuing education programs, and publication infrastructure, serving as the dominant national-level peer in PAAO's largest member country.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/PAAONET
• Instagraminstagram.com/paaonetworking
• Xx.com/paao_vision

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles30 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology