ALOA History
Mission Statement: To advance the profession of optometry through professional development, education, and public policy advocacy.
The Alabama Optometric Association is the only organization representing the interests of optometrists in Alabama. For over 100 years, the ALOA has been dedicated to protecting and advancing the profession of optometry. The ALOA focuses on advocacy – to lawmakers, regulators, third-party insurance payors, and patients – and on enhancing the professional knowledge and skills of members and their staffs, and maximizing the business success of members' practices.
The Alabama Optometric Association's membership includes over 400 licensed doctors of optometry throughout the state. Alabama optometrists are independent primary health care providers who examine, diagnose, treat, and manage diseases and disorders of the vision system, the eye, and associated structures, as well as diagnose related systemic conditions.
ALOA is one of 53 optometric leadership organizations affiliated with the American Optometric Association. The American Optometric Association is the premier authority in the optometric profession, representing more than 50,000 optometric professionals dedicated to advancing the science, stature, and business of optometry. Doctors of optometry provide two-thirds of all primary eye care in the United States.
Through the AOA and affiliates, we serve a membership of optometrists, optometry students, paraoptometric assistants, and technicians. Together, we work to provide the public with quality vision and eye care. Through offices in St. Louis, Missouri, and metropolitan Washington, D.C., the AOA:
- Sets the professional standards, helping its members conduct patient care efficiently and effectively
- Lobbies government and other organizations on behalf of the optometric profession
- Provides research and education leadership.
