2005 American Public Health Association (APHA) Award

The 2005 American Public Health Association (APHA) Vision Care Section Distinguished Service Award was presented to Dr. Siu Wong, OD, MPH, FAAO, CAPT USPHS, at the APHA annual meeting.

Citation:

Dr. Wong has served as an outstanding leader of the optometric profession by setting quality assurance standards, drafting policies, and guiding national optometry programs. Dr. Wong’s clear dedication to the optometric profession and exemplary administrative and leadership skills are deserving of recognition with this year’s Vision Care Section Distinguished Service Award.

Narrative:

Dr. Wong received her Doctor of Optometry degree from the School of Optometry at UC Berkeley in 1970, and received her Masters in Public Health degree in 1972 from the School of Public Health at UC Berkeley. She also became a Fellow in the American Academy of Optometry in 1973. She is currently a CAPTAIN in the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) assigned to the Indian Health Service (IHS) stationed in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Dr. Wong currently serves as IHS Albuquerque Area Director of Division of Eye Care, USPHS-IHS Optometry Recruiter, the Albuquerque Area Managed Care/Integrated Health Care Specialist and Chief Operating Officer of the New Mexico Tribal Health Care Alliance assigned by the USPHS.

Dr. Wong’s contributions to IHS Optometry have vastly improved the quality of eye care provided for the American Indians and Alaskan Natives. In the past, she has represented USPHS-IHS optometrists as Clinical Chief Optometry Consultant. Her active leadership has led to many positive changes. Her contributions include leading the development of the IHS Optometry Quality Assurance Program. She helped establish the IHS optometry privileging forms and helped format the patient record review auditing criteria. This review criterion was so impressive that other health disciplines have based their auditing reviews on it. Dr. Wong’s current involvement in managed care will develop the first American Indian owned and operated health maintenance organization, which will provide overall improvement in the quality and accessibility of health care to American Indians in New Mexico.

Dr. Wong has been an active member of the APHA since 1973. Her distinguished APHA contributions include serving as a member on the APHA Governing Council VCS Board. Dr. Wong was one of two optometrists involved in defending and debating the approval of the VCS on the floor of the APHA Governing Body. She was Chairperson for the VCS Program Planning Committee, Nominations Committee and International Council Committee. She has been a member of several other APHA committees including Equal Health Opportunity Committee, Executive Board, Committee of Affiliates, and Women’s Rights and Human Rights Committee. Dr. Wong was the first Intersectional Committee member on the Executive Board (ad hoc) of APHA. She is a current member of the APHA Journal Editorial Board.

Dr. Wong also actively contributes to the education of future optometrists. She is an Adjunct Professor at several optometry schools. Throughout her USPHS career, she has presented and lectured to optometrists, other health care providers, and health administrators as well as authored several articles on health care issues.

In 1995, Dr. Wong was honored with an honorary Doctor of Ocular Science degree from the Southern College of Optometry for her exemplary contributions. She has received many commendations and citations for her various contributions and performances.

Dr. Wong has served as an outstanding leader of the optometric profession by setting quality assurance standards, drafting policies, and guiding national optometry programs. Dr. Wong’s clear dedication to the optometric profession and exemplary administrative and leadership skills are deserving of recognition with this year’s Vision Care Section Distinguished Service Award. Her credentials are outstanding and she has a career record that is a model of the VCS mission statement of “…an advocate to ensure equality in, and access to, vision and eye health care, and to ensure inclusion of vision in public health policy.” Her activities at the state and national levels have significantly contributed to the Nation’s health.