Sacramento ophthalmologist Barbara Arnold, M.D., is not only a skilled and compassionate physician. She is also a gifted artist who teaches art classes for visually impaired and legally blind individuals through the Crocker Art Museum.

Since the program’s inception in 2012, her efforts have helped visually impaired individuals develop creative and meaningful hobbies with rewards far beyond the students’ hopes and expectations. Currently, there is a waiting list for Dr. Arnold’s classes. Many of her students come from out of the Sacramento area, some travelling with their guide dogs via Amtrak to take her classes.

Dr. Arnold has been teaching ophthalmology to residents at the University of California Davis Eye Center for more than 20 years. She is an Emeritus Chair in the UC Davis Department of Ophthalmology and was the department chair for 26 years.

In 2015, Dr. Arnold was the first recipient of the California Medical Association's (CMA) Compassionate Service Award. The award, presented at the association's annual meeting, honors the California physician who best illustrates the association’s commitment to community and charity care.

Learn more about Dr. Arnold by viewing the award video on CMA's YouTube page, https://www.youtube.com/cmadocs.