Dr. Paul Dougherty receives CMA’s 2026 Compassionate Service Award
The ADVF founder’s charitable vision care earns statewide recognition from the California Medical Association.
Dr. Paul Dougherty, right, receives the California Medical Association’s 2026 Compassionate Service Award in Sacramento, Calif., on Oct. 17, 2026.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Dr. Paul Dougherty, founder and chairman of the Andrew Dougherty Vision Foundation, received the California Medical Association’s 2026 Compassionate Service Award on Oct. 17 at the SAFE Credit Union Convention Center during the association’s annual House of Delegates meeting.
The award recognizes a physician or program with a history of providing charitable or donated care to California communities. It places Dougherty’s service in the statewide spotlight of an association with more than 50,000 members.
In its notification to Dougherty, CMA said its Board of Trustees had selected his program for the honor, which includes a commemorative plaque and a $1,000 stipend. Dougherty directed the stipend to the foundation.
“You justly deserve to be recognized by your colleagues for a lifetime of devoted service to your community,” CMA leaders wrote in the award notification.
Amanda Gaez, the foundation’s executive director, attended the Sacramento gathering with Dougherty for the recognition.
Dr. Paul Dougherty stands with Amanda Gaez, executive director of the Andrew Dougherty Vision Foundation, following his recognition with CMA’s 2026 Compassionate Service Award in Sacramento, Calif., on Oct. 17, 2026. Gaez attended the ceremony with Dougherty.
Founded in 1856, CMA advocates for physicians and patients through legislative, legal, regulatory and public health work. Its House of Delegates brings together more than 500 elected delegates representing medical societies, specialties and practice settings across California. The annual awards recognize distinct contributions to medicine and community service.
For Dougherty, the recognition connects a career in cataract and refractive surgery with a commitment to making vision care available to people who cannot afford it. Materials submitted in support of his nomination documented pro bono care for homeless patients in California, alongside humanitarian surgical work abroad.
Dougherty is medical director of DLV Vision. He completed medical school and his ophthalmology residency at UCLA, followed by fellowship training in corneal and refractive surgery. He founded the Andrew Dougherty Vision Foundation in memory of his son, Andrew, and has led volunteer surgical outreach to underserved communities.
The foundation works to eliminate preventable blindness worldwide by 2050 through medical outreach, clinician training, equipment support and local partnerships. Its international work extends the service commitment recognized by CMA’s California-focused award.
In June 2026, ADVF and the Association Marocaine Médicale de Solidarité supported 231 cataract surgeries in Tiddas and Moulay Bouazza, Morocco, according to the foundation. International volunteers worked alongside Moroccan clinical teams to expand access to care.
Another Morocco mission is scheduled for Oct. 23-25 in Ksar El Kebir. The foundation is also developing mobile diagnostic and surgical capacity with local partners to strengthen access to care between missions.
Attendees gather for the California Medical Association’s House of Delegates meeting in Sacramento, Calif., on Oct. 17, 2026.
“On behalf of the Andrew Dougherty Vision Foundation, we are deeply honored by this award,” Dougherty wrote in his August response to CMA.
The honor brings statewide professional recognition to Dougherty’s charitable service as ADVF continues its work with clinicians, volunteers, donors and community partners to expand access to sight-restoring care.