AAO's Mid-Year Forum is one of the Academy’s most significant yearly meetings, bringing the ophthalmology community together to implement the highest quality of care for patients through politics, policy, and practice management. The 2025 Mid-Year Forum was held on April 2-5 in Washington, D.C., where WAO Ambassadors were able to attend educational sessions, join advocacy efforts, and network with fellow colleagues.

Shared by Breanna Aldred, MD, on her time at the Mid-Year Forum:

"I had an incredible time at AAO’s Mid-Year Forum in Washington, DC as an Advocacy Ambassador, sponsored by the Wisconsin Academy of Ophthalmology!  This conference introduced me to advocacy and inspired me to continue advocating for our ophthalmology patients in the future.  The ophthalmologists from Wisconsin had the opportunity to meet with staffers from our Wisconsin representatives and discuss ophthalmology- and healthcare-related bills.  We focused on topics such as Medicare reimbursements, funding of the National Eye Institute, and ensuring safe surgery for our patients performed by ophthalmologists.  The conference sessions prepared us well for these meetings, making this advocacy work accessible and enjoyable despite it being my first time.  I forged many new connections within the ophthalmology community and learned valuable lessons during the Advocacy Ambassador LEAP (Leadership, Engagement, Advocacy, and Practice Management) session.  This experience opened my eyes to the importance of advocacy work and inspired me to continue incorporating advocacy into my future career as a comprehensive ophthalmologist."