President’s Message
2017 is off to a fast start. We are pleased to welcome the many new certificants who have recently successfully passed their certification examination and the many who have or are in the process of recertifying!
We are excited to bring you many continuing education opportunities for your continuous learning. You can:
• Attend one of the many Regional CE programs held around the US and Canada.
• Check out one of our Tuesday night webinars with the foremost faculty on cutting-edge ophthalmology topics!
• Attend the Technicians and Nurses’ Three-day program during the ASCRS/ASOA Symposium and Congress. Leading faculty bring an invaluable training session for all ophthalmic clinical staff’s growth and development.
• Access your CE credits with our new Clinic Subscription for the entire eye care team, available through the EyeCareCE website. Contact our office team for details.
Mark your calendar now to Save the Date to meet us in New Orleans on November 10-12 for JCAHPO’s Annual Continuing Education Program and ATPO’s Scientific Session. We have new advanced courses and subspecialty sessions with a world-renowned faculty, interesting and challenging new workshops to take your skills to the next level, and an excellent keynote speaker planned.
Watch for our updates. I look forward to seeing you in New Orleans!
Eydie Miller-Ellis, MD, President
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We are pleased and excited to welcome these newest Commissioners to IJCAHPO:
Femida Kherani, MD, represents the Canadian Ophthalmic Society (COS). She has served as a clinical assistant professor at the University of British Columbia since 2010 and as a clinical assistant professor at the University of Calgary since 2005. She has also served as an attending Surgeon at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center and as a research associate at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She received her MD from the University of Alberta.
Michelle K. Rhee, MD, represents the Contact Lens Association of Ophthalmology (CLAO). She has served as the co-director of the Refractive Surgery Service at Mount Sinai in New York, NY, since 2008 and as an assistant clinical professor since 2004. Prior to that, she was a refractive surgeon at New York Eye Specialists. She has an MD from the Icahn School of Medicine in New York, NY.
Warren Whitford, COMT, represents the Canadian Society of Ophthalmic Medical Personnel (CSOMP). He is a technician for Prasloski Neima Management in New Westminster, BC. He has volunteered to provide eye screening and other vision care services in Vietnam and Swaziland. He is a graduate of the COMT program at Stanton Hospital in Yellowknife, NWT.
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Annual Continuing Education (ACE) Program in New Orleans, November 10-12
ACE will be here before you know it! We are offering many new courses this year, including a number of advanced and master’s level courses presented by world-renown faculty. There will also be a greatly expanded offering of hands-on workshops to sharpen skills and present new techniques. Don’t miss all of this plus the opportunity to connect with ophthalmic professionals from around the world. ACE is truly the highlight of the year for ophthalmic personnel!
Beyond Workshops - ACE will also present a new challenge for Allied Ophthalmic Personnel (AOP) this year. Beyond workshops, we are proud to offer intermediate and advanced level “Boot Camps.” A new approach to ophthalmic training, Boot Camps will focus on real world situations to increase AOP skills.
Save the date and watch for email updates and the ACE Bulletin!
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Saluting Our Military at ACE
As the ACE Program dates frame Veteran’s Day this year, our program will highlight our military.
Harold A. Stein, MD, Keynote - We are deeply honored to feature Donald Gagliano, MD, MHA, US Army (Retired), as the 2017 Harold A. Stein, MD, Keynote Speaker on Saturday, November 11. His military career included many citations for valor in the field and distinguished service as an ophthalmologist. Dr. Gagliano served as Executive Director of the central facility for active duty personnel and veterans who have suffered eye injuries in combat or other traumatic situations.
Dr. Gagliano graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1975, and earned his MD at the Chicago Medical School in 1981. He also holds a Master in Health Administration from Penn State in 1998. He retired as a Colonel in the United States Army in 2016.
Low Registration Fee for Military Personnel - We are very pleased to offer a special deeply discounted registration rate for active duty personnel and veterans at ACE this year. JCAHPO is proud to salute those who have served with a special program centered on a very significant day. Watch for the ACE Bulletin and our announcement in June!
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Regional CE Programs
Coming soon to a city near you! JCAHPO offers regional programs throughout the year across North America. JCAHPO regional meetings are an opportunity to gain knowledge and earn continuing education credits. The regional meetings afford an opportunity to closely network with other AOP as well. Don’t miss out! The programs sell out fast, so sign up early!
Webinars Focus on Women's Eye Health
Through the generous support of an unrestricted educational grant from the Delta Gamma Foundation, we are proud to present webinars to promote women’s eye health. “We are excited to be able to offer these webinars complimentary for one JCAHPO credit,” says JCAHPO President Eydie Miller-Ellis, MD. “We appreciate that the Delta Gamma Foundation helped us make this important contribution to Women’s Health Month.”
This webinar will be presented from 7:30-8:30 p.m. central time on:
ASCRS Technicians & Nurses Program
Register now to attend the Technicians & Nurses Program, May 6–8, and the ASCRS•ASOA Symposium and Congress, May 5–9, in Los Ángeles, CA.
Technicians & Nurses Program registration includes:
- 36 CE hours with the ability to earn 18 JCAHPO CEs.
- JCAHPO, OPS, AOC and CA BRN Nursing credits.
- Basic, intermediate and advanced sessions.
- Exhibit Hall access for three days to meet hundreds of ophthalmic industry exhibitors.
- Unique networking events.
- Entry to attend ASCRS Symposium physician sessions programming.
The second annual T&N Tech Talks will be held on Friday, May 5. This fast-paced educational forum presents 10-minute case-based presentations. The interactive program highlights practical clinical cases and outcomes which ophthalmic practices and ASC facilities have experienced. Additional registration required, and fees may apply.
Learn directly from the world’s thought leaders in ophthalmology, broaden your networking connections, and return with the practical tools needed to improve your practice.
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A new addition to our online education and examination study tools is now available. The online version of the JCAT provides Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA®) candidates with immediate results of Pass or Fail.
The JCAHPO Career Advancement Tool (JCAT) is a JCAHPO approved independent study course that provides Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA®) candidates with a study plan that was developed based on The Ophthalmic Assistant: A Text for Allied and Associated Ophthalmic Personnel, 10th Edition, by Stein, Stein and Freeman.
The JCAT covers the content areas outlined in the Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA®) certification examination and provides a 175 item examination that tests candidate’s comprehension of the content areas.
Upon successful completion of the JCAT quiz (80% or higher), candidates who have met the required eligibility criteria can apply to take the COA level examination. The JCAT can be accessed through JCAHPO’s EyeCareMarketplace.
Certification Examinations to be Revised
in August 2017
As medical technology and ophthalmic medical personnel duties change, JCAHPO strives to improve and maintain the relevance of our educational offerings and certification examinations. To establish standards of performance and develop future examinations, JCAHPO conducts a job-task analysis (JTA) survey every five years. The results of the job-task analysis are the basis for the development of JCAHPO’s updated examinations.
The new examinations which will be available at Pearson VUE testing centers on August 1, 2017 include:
- Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA®),
- Certified Ophthalmic Technician (COT®),
- Certified Ophthalmic Medical Technologist (COMT®),
- Ophthalmic Surgical Assisting (OSA®),
- Certified Diagnostic Ophthalmic Sonographer (CDOS®), and
- Registered Ophthalmic Ultrasound Biometrist (ROUB®)
Examination content domains are available in the new Criteria for Certification & Recertification Handbook.
New COA, COT and COMT Certification Examination Study Guides in 2017
In association with the new examinations, the COA, COT, and COMT study guides have been updated and are available for sale through the EyeCareMarketplace.
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New Websites to Aid Recruiting
The shortage of AOP is increasingly critical. A joint committee of JCAHPO and ATPO was formed to assist recruiting needs. The committee’s focus is to produce valuable resources for clinics and ophthalmic career seekers.
The website “Discover Eye Careers” provides important information for potential AOP, highlighting profiles of a few who have shared their stories. There is also information on how to get an eye care career started and compensation. A supporting Facebook page with postings also helps guide potential ophthalmic career seekers to their new career.
The webpage “Find the right employee with the right strategy and be the right employer,” has the resources every clinic needs to recruit the next generation of AOP. The purpose is to provide employers of AOP creative ideas and solutions to recruit and retain the best eye care team.
From this page you can:
- Order the free Recruiting Toolkit,
- Gain new recruiting ideas from our brochure,
- Browse resources for recruitment, and
- Download a poster for your clinic and banner for your website.
Visit this website today and make your team the best it can be!
Veteran’s Outreach
Both the military and Veteran’s Administration have been a critical part of JCAHPO since its inception. A new effort to strengthen this relationship is being developed to recruit transitioning military, family members, and Veteran’s Administration personnel into the field of Allied Ophthalmic Personnel.
Military personnel making the transition to civilian life are a good source of disciplined workers with a keen attention to detail. By working with the Veteran’s Administration, these potential new recruits to the AOP family can be trained and ready to work in facilities across the United States. This new effort is the latest by JCAHPO for helping to combat the shortage of technicians and grow the field of certified AOP.
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There are many awards and scholarships for AOPs. Submit your applications for these opportunities to [email protected] today!
Harold A. Stein, MD, FRCS(C) Prize for Best Scientific Paper
All allied ophthalmic personnel are invited to submit an original scientific paper on any ophthalmic topic of their choice. In past years, this has included glaucoma, contact lenses, dry eye, animal eyes, cataracts, macular degeneration, and many other topics. The deadline for submission is July 31, 2017.
Phil Weber Continuing Education Grant
The 2017 question for the Phil Weber Education Grant is, “How My Ophthalmic Career Opened My Eyes.”
Each year the foundation offers up to three $500 grants to ATPO members to attend the Annual Continuing Education Program. The $500 ATPO grant is good for the Scientific Session plus the Grand Rounds Package, OR the Scientific Session, Grand Rounds, and JCAHPO Full Package. Applications are accepted until July 31. Click here for more information and to apply.
American Glaucome Society Certification Grant
The American Glaucoma Society has given a generous gift for a scholarship to support ophthalmic medical technicians seeking certification. Anyone may apply, however preference is given to ophthalmic technicians that work in a Glaucoma clinic. The deadline for submission is April 25, 2017.
Barbara Cassin Scholarship
The Barbara Cassin Scholarship will be awarded to a student in a COMT training program, with a scholarship of up to $1,000.00. Applicants must submit a case study or case review. A case study or review should be a documented study of a specific medical case or condition that is a real-life situation. The case should include an analysis, review of the literature, and present interpretations or conclusion, supported by the line of reasoning. The deadline for submission is April 15, 2017.
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Train the Trainer Program, May 5
The Train the Trainer program will be presented at the ATPO program at the with ASCRS symposium in Los Angeles on May 5. Sign up today for this course on what you need to get started in technician training or to bolster the training techniques you are already using. A moderated session featuring a panel of speakers with years of training experience will provide you with an organized strategy to help you create and implement effective, ophthalmic-specific training methods in your practice.
Topics will include: identifying a good trainer, matching learning styles and training methods, utilizing effective training techniques, developing a systematic approach, and evaluating the success of your training methods. Practical examples and useful training resources will be provided in this course and time will be allotted for your questions and answers at the end of the session.
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A lifetime of learning has created a great career as an ophthalmic technician for Blake Lightsey, COT. After 25 years, he is proud to give back and help others to grow.
After enlisting in the Army in 1992, he came to ophthalmology through their medical specialist training program. It quickly became clear this was his calling in life and he was certified as a COA in 1994. Four years later, his transition to civilian life was made easier by his certification, landing him a job at the Nature Coast Eye Care Institute (NCECI) in Perry, Florida. It was there that his career really blossomed.
“I always stress the importance of certification,” Lightest says. “It makes the technician feel good that they have accomplished something, makes the clinic look good by having certified techs, and the patients feel good knowing it is a certified technician doing the testing.”
While at NCECI, Lightsey had the great fortune to work for Joel K. Shugar, MD, MSEE. “Dr. Shugar played a huge role in my mentorship early in my ophthalmic career,” he remembers. “He would always take the time to explain unusual diagnoses with all the techs, and would personally teach classes to all the technicians and encouraged other employees from different departments to join.”
That teaching approach to the profession came to define Lightsey and his career. “The part that most excites me about training and teaching is when a technician comprehends something they weren't fully understanding before,” he says. “It’s that moment when the light bulb turns on.”
“I was recently acknowledged for my efforts as a senior technician and clinical manager by a group of technicians I managed over 13 years ago at NCECI,” he tells us. It wasn’t always easy, however. “In the beginning they all thought I was demanding and expected too much of them,” he concludes with a smile.
Lightsey has also brought learning from other areas into his role as a clinic manager, now with South Georgia/North Florida Eye Partners in Tifton, Georgia. “I often use an acronym taught to me by Jack Jefferies, one of the founding members of Arizona Airspeed Skydiving Team,” he says, “PEDL: Plan, Execute, Debrief, and Learn.”
It’s a managing technique made for his learning-based methods. He explains, “Make a plan, execute the plan, debrief, and talk about the plan afterwards, and learn from the debrief by making changes where needed. I've found that involving everyone in some of the decision making process helps to gather invaluable information in how to best manage a clinic.”
That commitment to learning and growth as a team defines Blake Lightsey, COT, as well as everyone who has had the great fortune of benefiting from his mentorship.
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JCAHPO
2025 Woodlane Dr
St Paul, MN 55125
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