P resident’s Message
“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” 
Benjamin Franklin

Try something new this Spring! We invite you to attend one of the many regional CE programs held throughout the US and Canada, watch a Tuesday night webinar on the latest ophthalmology topics, or take a course through the EyeCareCE website. Whether you are a new certificant or have been IJCAHPO certified for many years, we have continuing education opportunities to meet your needs. 

Mark your calendar for the 46th Annual Continuing Education (ACE) Conference and Scientific Session, in Chicago, October 26-28, 2018. This year, look for even more innovative and challenging hands-on Learning Labs, advanced and master-courses to take your skills to the next level, and subspecialty sessions led by world-renowned faculty. Watch for more announcements about this year’s event. We are looking forward to your participation in our programs and appreciate your support!

William F. Astle, MD, FRCSC, Dipl. ABO, President 
Education and E-Learning
ACE 2018
Make plans now to join us in Chicago, October 26-28, 2018. This year’s ACE program will be located at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. This summer, watch your mailbox in July for the arrival of the ACE 2018 Bulletin or check out the ACE website for more details.

Call for Speakers/Presenters
Would you like to be a presenter at one of IJCAHPO’s events during the year? Consider speaking at the Annual Continuing Education Program or a Regional CE program (near you). There are many ways to be involved—just contact our Education Department . Also, if you have colleagues who are interested in presenting, please send us their contact information and we’d be happy to contact them.

Upcoming Regional CE Programs
  • April 7, 2018: Rochester, MN Regional Program – (in cooperation with the Mayo Clinic), Rochester, MN
  • April 7, 2018: San Francisco Regional Program, San Francisco, CA
  • April 13, 2018: ASCRS/ATPO COA/COT/COMT Review Day and Train the Trainer, Washington, DC
  • April 14-16, 2018: ASCRS/IJCAHPO Technicians and Nurses Program, Washington, DC
  • May 11, 2018: Vancouver Regional Program, in cooperation with BCEPS and CSOMP, Vancouver, BC
  • May 19, 2018: Texas Continuing Education Program, San Antonio, TX   
  • June 1, 2018: Canada Program and CSOMP Annual Meeting – in cooperation with COS/CSOMP, Toronto, ON
  • June 2, 2018: Kiawah Island Continuing Education Program, Kiawah Island, SC  
  • June 8-9, 2018: Florida Continuing Education Program (in cooperation with FSO), Orlando, FL   
  • July 27-28, 2018: Arizona Continuing Education Program, Phoenix, AZ     
  • September 8, 2018: Cleveland Continuing Education Program, Cleveland, OH   
  • September 21-22, 2018: North Carolina Continuing Education Program (in cooperation with NCSEPS), Greensboro, NC
  • October 6, 2018: Las Vegas Continuing Education Program, Las Vegas, NV
  • October 12, 2018: ATPO Annual Conference, Buffalo, NY
  • October 26-28, 2018: 46th ACE Program, Chicago, IL    
  • November 3, 2018: New York Continuing Education Program: New York City, NY        

Train Your New Employees with Ophthalmic Assisting 101 (OA101)
The Ophthalmic Assisting 101 course package (product code: JCKT1001) gives your new employees the tools they need to be successful. This “New Hire Track” provides a programmed track of courses presented for the new, novice employee in ophthalmology. The package contains important ophthalmic assisting education by experts in the field. These courses promote consistency and cross training across your eye care team. Basic principles are covered in each topic to help the new ophthalmic assistant review best practices. For $99 per person, Ophthalmic Assisting 101 offers the most convenient, highest-quality, and best-priced training. Courses are available 24/7 on the EyeCareCE website.

Ophthalmic Assisting 101 includes the following courses:
  • Ocular Anatomy
  • Basic Introduction to the Eye and Eye Disease
  • History Signs and Symptoms
  • First and Last Impressions: The Front Office Challenge
  • Triage of the Ophthalmology Patient
  • Ophthalmic Medical Terminology
  • Visual Acuity
  • Telephone Screening: Liability Issues and Guidelines
  • Basic Ophthalmic Pharmacology
  • Human Microbiology

The package also includes the video  Dilating Drops: Patient Safety and Liability Risks. To order, visit:  https://store.jcahpo.org/detail.aspx?id=JCKT1001  or call IJCAHPO at (800) 284-3937.

ASCRS Technicians & Nurses Program
We are looking forward to our 17th year of collaboration with ASCRS on the Technician & Nurses program. The ASCRS/IJCAHPO Technicians and Nurses Program will be held April 14-16 in conjunction with the ASCRS•ASOA Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C. At the program, we have two tracks—clinical and surgical/ASC. For the most recent program updates and more detailed information about the speakers and schedule, please refer to the Real-Time Program .

Upcoming Webinars
Access to each webinar recording will be available starting at approximately 7:30 p.m. Central Time. 

  • April 10: Ultrasounds: Special Examination Techniques and Standardized A-Scan: Carla Blackburn, BSc, COMT, ROUB, CDOS

Special Pricing: Ophthalmic Photography Webinar Series  
This series of four webinars, presented by Craig Simms, BSc, COMT, CDOS, ROUB, will focus on retinal imaging. The series will provide an overview of ophthalmic photography and imaging, including relevant processes, differences between modalities, and tips and tricks to obtain better images. The series will also cover retinal vascular disease and common findings in photographs and images.

Webinar Schedule
  • April 17: Basic Retinal Photography
  • May 1: Fluorescein Angiography
  • May 8: Advanced Retinal Imaging Techniques
  • May 15: Imaging in Retinal Vascular Disease

Purchase this webinar series and earn 4 IJCAHPO Group A credits for $55. Individual webinar access (worth 1 IJCAHPO Group A credit) can also be purchased for $18.

If you would like to present or recommend a webinar speaker, please contact the Education Department .
Certification News
 Low Vision Certificate of Completion
The new Low Vision Certificate of Completion is now available on the EyeCareCE Marketplace. The IJCAHPO Low Vision Certificate of Completion examination is designed to assess a candidate’s knowledge of treating visually impaired individuals so that they can lead productive, independent lives.  This open-resource examination includes 60 questions and is based on the publication " Low Vision Rehabilitation: A Practical Guide for Occupational Therapists, Second Edition ." After successfully completing the examination (with a passing score of 80%), candidates will be provided with a Low Vision Certificate of Completion and 4 IJCAHPO Group A Continuing Education Credits.

Two options are available for purchase:

New Ophthalmic Scribe Certification (OSC) Examination
An updated Ophthalmic Scribe Certification examination was released March 1 on the EyeCareCE Marketplace. This examination will now be used for all new certificants and current certificants who are taking the examination to recertify.  The Ophthalmic Scribe Certification examination is designed to test a candidate’s knowledge of creating and maintaining patient medical records under the supervision of an ophthalmologist. These records include the documentation of a comprehensive patient history, physical examination, medications, lab results, and other essential patient information.

Coming Soon: Updated Core Certification Examinations
The updated certification examinations are coming soon as IJCAHPO strives to improve and maintain the relevance of our educational offerings and certifications. New COA, COT, and COMT examinations with revised content areas will be released August 1, 2018, along with new ROUB and CDOS examinations . IJCAHPO conducts a job-task analysis (JTA) survey every five years to establish standards of performance and develop future examinations. The results of the job-task analysis are the basis for the development of the updated core examinations.

A/B Credit Information
IJCAHPO offers both Group A and Group B credits. Certificants may submit either or both Group A and Group B credits with their recertification applications. Both A and B credits have an important place in your recertification process and are valuable towards the number of credits needed. Please see the Criteria for Certification & Recertification for more information.

You may earn Group A credits by:
  • Attending lectures, workshops, or distance-learning courses, such as online courses, that have been awarded JCAHPO Group A credit. For a list of opportunities, go to www.jcahpo.org and click on Education.
  • Teaching courses awarded JCAHPO Group A credit (1:1 basis). Only one credit per course topic will be awarded per recertification cycle.

You may earn Group B credits by:
  • Attending Grand Rounds or Physicians Continuing Medical Education (CME) in ophthalmology, Category 1 courses approved by the AMA or CMA that meet JCAHPO’s Group A content areas (2 hours attended=1 credit for COAs, CCOAs, and COTs; 1 hour attended=1 credit for COMTs).
  • Authoring or coauthoring a scientific publication and/or poster. JCAHPO reviews submissions for consideration of credit: Maximum of 5 credits for first author and 3 credits for coauthor. Contact the Education Department for more details.
  • CPR certification. You may count 1 Group B credit per course for CPR certification for a maximum of 3 Group B credits per CE cycle.

Revised Framework for Allied Ophthalmic Training Programs
IJCAHPO recently updated its “ Framework for Allied Ophthalmic Training Programs, which provides a complete guide to starting a new, accredited ophthalmic educational program.   This publication was made possible by a generous donation to the JCAHPO Education and Research Foundation from Dr. and Mrs. Melvin I. Freeman. Dr. Freeman, a JCAHPO Past President and the current JCAHPO Foundation Chair, has long been a steadfast supporter of training programs for the eye care team.

The Framework provides guidance to those in the ophthalmology profession (including Medical and Program Directors) regarding the establishment of ophthalmic assisting training programs. It provides an overview of the differences between, certification, licensure, and accreditation. It serves as a valuable quick-reference tool for reviewing curriculum and certification examination content, containing a hybrid workbook with checklist that takes international organizations step-by step through setting up a training progra m. The Framework for Allied Ophthalmic Training Programs is available online.
Foundation News
The JCAHPO Education and Research Foundation supports Allied Ophthalmic Personnel (AOP) in their education and certification, expanding the availability of highly-trained ophthalmic technical staff worldwide. Last fiscal year (2016-2017), the JCAHPO Education and Research Foundation awarded 155 Program Scholarships totaling $28,170 to support ophthalmic technicians with their academic education. The JCAHPO Education and Research Foundation is currently close to reaching a cumulative amount of $1,000,000 dispersed in scholarships to support AOP since its inception.

Donate Now
Contribute today to the JCAHPO Education and Research Foundation. Your donation will help the Foundation in its mission to expand and strengthen the delivery of eye care. All contributions are tax deductible and donors will be recognized in the Foundation’s annual report.  

Apply Soon: Application Deadlines Approaching

Please make sure to apply by April 30 if you are interested in the following opportunities:

We also encourage you to submit applications for the following:

Watch for the Foundation Spring 2018 newsletter in the coming weeks!
Career Development
Recruiting Resources
Do you need recruiting resources? IJCAHPO offers a complimentary recruiting toolkit with several items to help your practice attract AOP candidates. Visit http://www.jcahpo.org/recruiting_resources/ for more information.

There is a high demand for AOP around the globe and IJCAHPO has been working to develop initiatives to grow awareness of careers in the eye care field. IJCAHPO has focused its recent Ophthalmic Technician Recruitment, Retention, and Training Initiatives in the following areas:
  • A brochure has been created to promote our profession at job fairs and other similar events, with guidance counselors, and unemployment offices.
  • A brochure targeted to military personnel as they begin their job search after service has also been created. It was recently distributed at the US Chamber of Commerce’s “Hiring our Heroes” Job Fair (over 200 attendees) at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN.
  • A video has been developed that discusses what an Ophthalmic Medical Technician does and the pathway to becoming one. This video will soon be available on YouTube, made available to practices, training programs, universities, and will be promoted online through Facebook and IJCAHPO/ATPO websites.
Tech Corner
Lisa Moore, COA, OSC, CPSS, is the Clinical Manager at Clemson Eye, PA, which serves clients in upstate South Carolina with offices in Anderson, Clemson, Easley and Greenville. She has been an Ophthalmic Technician for almost 30 years and has worked at Clemson Eye for almost 25 years.

“I was drawn to the field after meeting with Professor Rosaline Smith, OD, who was very dedicated to the field. I went to Greenville Technical College and received an Associate of Science Degree with a minor in Optometry/Ophthalmology. I did my clinical with several doctors but felt my calling in Ophthalmology due to the medical side of the field. It is such a blessing to work for such great doctors and staff. I love what I do and helping others is so rewarding.  Clemson Eye is a great company to learn from and grow. Thanks Clemson Eye and JCAHPO for giving me opportunities for a successful career!
Staff at Clemson Eye, PA, Clemson, South Carolina

“We are all Clemson Tigers fans and our shirts say: “My eye is on the Tigers” with “eye” being the eye with lashes. We wear them on Fridays to support our Clemson Tiger Football 2016 National Champs. We welcome and care for patients like family. Our doctors and technicians work together to make sure that each patient’s experience is educational and comfortable and that their eye care needs have been met.”
Thank you to Lisa Moore, COA, OSC, CPSS, for submitting the photos and quotes.
International Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology
2025 Woodlane Drive · St. Paul, Minnesota 55125-2998
Phone: 651-731-2944 · Toll Free: 800-284-3937 · Fax: 651-731-0410  ·  www.jcahpo.org 
Copyright © 2018 IJCAHPO. All rights reserved.