BVA only recently learned that the American Society of Ophthalmic Trauma (ASOT) presented BVA Past National President Dr. Tom Zampieri with its first ever “Advocacy Award” for legislation and policy achievements during his tenure at BVA, both as a staff member (Director of Government Relations) and as a Board Member (National Vice President, National President, and Past National President).
The award was presented to Tom by Grant Justin, M.D., President of Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland and a Navy Ophthalmologist.
The ASOT meeting was held in Houston with more than 190 ophthalmologists, optometrists, researchers, residents, and representatives from the American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO). ASOT is committed to the prevention, treatment, and management of eye injuries. The organization brings together experts from various fields to improve patient outcomes through education, research, and advocacy.
Col. Robert Mazzoli, MD (US Army, Ret.) introduced the advocacy award with an overview of some of Tom’s major impacts on both the Department of Defense and VA in improving the care of service members and veterans from 2007 to as recently as 2021. These include the congressional legislation that established the first joint DOD-VA Vision Center Excellence (National Defense Authorization Act – NDAA, FY 2008), the increases to the DOD Vision Research Program from $4 million up to $20 million between 2009 and 2018, the establishment by the Pentagon and Surgeon General in the United Kingdom of the DOD-UK Joint Ocular Trauma Task Group (JOTTG) in September 2020, and the legislation to establish the four military Ocular Trauma Centers (NDAA, FY 2021).
The accomplishments occurred as Tom closely collaborated for the better part of 16 years with a variety of professional eye care organizations: AAO, the National Alliance Eye Vision Research (NAEVR), the American Optometric Association (AOA), and other Veterans Service Organizations. Improving ophthalmic trauma care, defense vision research, and international collaboration on ophthalmic injuries and rehabilitation all continue today as Tom serves as a volunteer on the JOTTG representing blinded veterans and as a member of three VA research committees.
Tom has credited his advocacy successes to the cooperation and constant support from many associations and organizations. He also credits BVA’s rich history of advocating for blinded veterans since the organization’s founding in March 1945 and the Association’s commitment over decades to improve the care and rehabilitation of all blind and low vision service members and veterans. He accepted the award, he said, on behalf of the generations of them who could not be present but who most assuredly contributed to the award.
