Board of Directors
2023–2024
April Maa, MD
President
iJACHPO Representative
Dr. Maa received her Medical Doctorate from Baylor College of Medicine and completed Ophthalmology residency at University of Texas Southwestern. She joined Emory and the VA system in 2008, staffing residents and providing patient care at both Grady Memorial Hospital and the Atlanta VA. She is now Associate Professor at Emory University School of Medicine and the Clinical Director for Technology-based Eye Care Services (TECS) for VISN 7, Regional Telehealth Services. In addition, she is also one of the subject matter experts for tele-eye care for the Office of Connected Care and the Program Lead for VA Office of Rural Health Enterprise Wide Initiatives. She is also one of the members of the Ophthalmology Field Advisory Committee. She is passionate about reducing health care disparities and improving access to care for Veterans. Her research interests include tele-ophthalmology, healthcare delivery, implementation science, and artificial intelligence/'big data' tools for physician decision support.
Jigna Joshi, MD
Vice-President
Dr. Joshi is currently the Associate Chief of Surgery and Chief of Ophthalmology and Optometry at the West Palm Beach VAMC. She completed her residency at Northwestern University, glaucoma fellowship at Yale University, and is a diplomate of the American Board of Ophthalmology. She is active in resident education and administration. She has a passion for improving access and care in the VA health care system and for integrating new technologies in surgical practice.
Jennifer Lindsey, MD
Immediate Past-President
Dr. Lindsey is the current President of the AVAO. She is an Associate Professor and the James H. Elliott Director of Resident Education in the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). She has been the Assistant Chief of Ophthalmology at the VA Tennessee Valley Healthcare System since 2014. Her research focuses on innovative educational techniques and on healthcare disparities. She is a member of national committees in AAO and AUPO and of the AAO Leadership Development Program Class of 2020. She has received numerous awards for clinical and surgical teaching and is an elected member of the VUMC Academy for Excellence in Education
Alexa Lu, MD
Treasurer
Dr. Lu is currently the National Education Director for Technology-based Eye Care Services (TECS) for VISN 7, Regional Telehealth Services. She is also an assistant professor at Emory School of Medicine. She completed her residency at Brown Medical School, and cornea fellowship at UC San Diego. She is active in resident and medical student education. She has an interest in improving patient care in the VA healthcare system and integrating telemedicine in medical education.
Augustine Hong, MD
Secretary
Dr. Augustine Hong completed his medical degree at University of Illinois College of Medicine, his residency in Ophthalmology at Cook County Hospital in Chicago, and a fellowship in Cornea and External Disease at Washington University. He was selected to remain on faculty where he serves as Corneal Fellowship Program Director. He is an avid surgical teacher, winning the resident-selected faculty teaching award early in his career as well as instructing numerous surgical teaching courses at national ophthalmology courses. He serves as an associate director at MidAmerica Transplant eyebank. He serves as the Section Chief of Ophthalmology at the John Cochran VA Hospital in St Louis, where he teaches residents and fellows as a comprehensive ophthalmologist and cornea specialist.
Eric Suhler, MD, MPH
AAO Councilor
Glenn Cockerham, MD
National Program Director for Ophthalmology