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JCAHPO EyeLights eNews

President's Message

Eydie Miller-Ellis, MD
JCAHPO President

There is a saying that “Change is the only thing that remains constant in life.” While JCAHPO’s mission remains a steady commitment to “enhance quality patient care by promoting the value of qualified allied health personnel and by providing certification and education”, we are changing our name in 2017!

JCAHPO has been expanding globally with more than 24,000 ophthalmic technicians certified around the world. We are changing our name to reflect our worldwide constituents, and our new name is the International Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology - IJCAHPO.

Several years ago, JCAHPO actually formed IJCAHPO with global initiatives - and now our two organizations are merging to consolidate programs and services.

We hope you are as excited as we are for the ophthalmic profession - assistants, technicians, and medical technologists - to join forces worldwide in promoting highly skilled and qualified eye care team members!

Happy Holidays,
Eydie Miller-Ellis, MD

JCAHPO Website Downtime Using computer

Our website was down for maintenance during the week of December 12th. We apologize for any inconveniences this may have caused, and we are making these adjustments to continue to serve you the best we can:

Certification and Recertification
If you are due to recertify on 12/31/2016 or 1/31/2017, relax. All recertification application deadlines have been extended. Applications must be postmarked by 2/28/2017. If you need to print the Examination or the Recertification Application, please contact the Certification Department.

E-Learning
Great news – the deadline to complete the December 13th webinar, “The Unhappy Patient after Successful Surgery,” has been extended to Dec. 31, 2016.

Bookstore
The Winter Bookstore sale has been extended to Wednesday, January 11, 2017. All orders placed between Friday, December 23, 2016 through January 1, 2017, will be shipped beginning Wednesday, January 4, 2017.


Matthew Parker, PhD, LSSMBB, COMT, OSC to Join JCAHPO Staff

Starting January 2nd, 2017, JCAHPO is pleased to have Matthew Parker join our staff as the new Director of Strategic Initiatives.

Dr. Parker came into ophthalmology in 1986 via the United States Army's Eye Specialist Course at Fort Sam Houston, Texas. Since military retirement, he has made a home with the Veteran Affairs medical communities in Michigan and Tennessee. Matthew tells us, "having the privilege to care for active duty, retired military, and their families is the greatest career reward ever."

Dr. Parker founded the Federal Employee Ophthalmic Association (formerly SMTPO), an organization which works to foster professional technical development through standardized education and performance within government medical facilities through Lean Six Sigma process improvements and introduction to the PACT Model.

Matthew is a perennial contributor to the JCAHPO Annual Continuing Education Meeting, serving over 20 years as faculty. In addition to ATPO and JCAHPO, Matthew also works with local organizations to promote education for ophthalmic professionals. He is a selfless contributor, dedicated professional, and passionate educator.

Free Eye Drop Instillation Staff Training Resource

To promote high quality care and safety for patients, OMIC and JCAHPO are pleased to announce the release of a new staff educational training video Dilating Drops: Patient Safety and Liability Risks.

The 13-minute video provides training on types of eye drops used to dilate a patient’s eyes, effects of eye drops and dilation of the eye, proper eye drop instillation, educating the patient, risk management, and a case study. A step-by-step checklist can be accessed and printed for reference.

Special thanks to Ralph Chu, MD, Ophthalmologist and his staff for their assistance in opening their clinic for filming and to the Bruce E. Spivey, MD, Fund for Risk Management Studies, AAO, for their financial support of this video production. 

Over 10,000 Followers on JCAHPO Facebook

Using computer Are you one of JCAHPO’s “friends” on Facebook? Join over 10,000 ophthalmic technicians who follow JCAHPO on our Facebook page.

Our Page provides updates on JCAHPO’s latest programs, answers your questions on certification, gives you insights into unusual eye conditions and diseases, has the best eye cartoons in the profession, and connects you with your ophthalmic technician colleagues around the world.

To access and join the discussion, go to our page at https://www.facebook.com/jcahpo/ and click “like”.


Annual Meeting Continuing Education Credits Posted

Important Announcement for 2016 ACE attendees – your CE credits are posted to your transcript. If you require nursing credits for your license or certification, please contact JCAHPO staff in the Education Department and you will be issued a special letter. You can access your transcript by logging into your record.

Certification News


Certification Examinations Revised in August 2017 Using computer

As medical technology and ophthalmic medical personnel duties change, JCAHPO strives to improve and maintain the relevance of our educational offerings and certification examinations for current and future certificants. To establish standards of performance and develop future examinations, JCAHPO conducts a job-task analysis (JTA) survey every 5 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 Certification Criteria Handbook.

New COA, COT and COMT Certification Examination Study Guides Coming in 2017

In association with the new examinations, the COA, COT and COMT study guides will also be updated and available for sale through the EyeCare Marketplace in January 2017.

Foundation News
Dr. Tyree Carr Scholarship – Coming Soon!

The JCAHPO Foundation Board established a new scholarship for AOPs in honor of Dr. Tyree Carr, Past President of JCAHPO. Details will be announced soon. The scholarship will honor the many contributions that Dr. Carr has made to the advancement of ophthalmic personnel around the world, including many developing nations.

Dr. Tyree Carr graduated from Loyola University, Stritch School of Medicine of Chicago, and completed his ophthalmology residency at Wayne State University School of Medicine, Kresge Eye Institute of Detroit. He became certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology in 1983.

Dr. Carr served as President of JCAHPO from 2011-2013, and has served on the Board of Directors of the JCAHPO Research and Education Foundation since 2007. He also enjoys sharing his knowledge and practicing his skills worldwide. Dr. Carr is an avid contributor of medical missions with various global non-profits and takes pleasure in educating aspiring ophthalmic professionals around the globe.

"I see the benefits that scholarships and travel grants provide ophthalmic personnel. I find the meetings have so much more to offer beyond CE credits and feel that there are many techs who would gain so much with the ability to attend, yet cannot afford to do so."

- Christine McDonald, COA, ROUB, OSC, COE

"Thank you for your generosity, which will allow me to be able to sit down for the COMT Certification test. I hope to be able to give back in the future to other students. Thank you!"

- Xai Vang, Budd Appleton Memorial Scholarship recipient

In the 2015/2016 Fiscal Year, the Foundation awarded 217 Program Scholarships totaling $46,260 to support the education of ophthalmic technicians. A total of 25 Certification and Continuing Education grants totaling $5,700 were awarded to technicians already established in their careers.

Support your fellow techs with a tax-deductible donation to the Foundation today.

Riveting Harold Stein Keynote Address with Drs. Ian Crozier and Steven Yeh



Dr. Steven Yeh, Dr. Ian Crozier and Dr. Eydie Miller-Ellis

Saving patients’ sight can take intense dedication. When Ian Crozier, MD became the patient the drama became absolutely gripping.

The 2016 Harold A. Stein Keynote Address had the audience riveted through this harrowing tale of life and death, of vision and blindness. The intense presentation was the highlight of ACE in Chicago and was truly an inspiration for everyone.

Dr. Crozier knew he was putting his life on the line working with Ebola patients in Sierra Leone, but his fearless commitment sustained him.Saving their sight was his calling in life, and he was not going to leave them behind.

In August 2014, however, this dedicated doctor became a patient after contracting the often deadly virus himself.

After being evacuated to Emory University’s medical facility in Atlanta, Crozier spent 40 days unsure if he would live or die. The worst seemed to be over when he was discharged, appearing Ebola free. But his ordeal was far from over.

A month later, with vision in his left eye failing, Dr. Crozier was examined by a team led by Dr. Steven Yeh. Though great care was taken, they weren’t ready for their discovery – Dr. Crozier’s left eye fluid was swimming with the Ebola virus. Now subject to their own quarantine as a precaution, Dr. Yeh and his team raced to save Dr. Crozier’s vision with novel techniques never before tried. With his vision restored and his eyes completely Ebola free, Dr. Crozier continues to work with Dr. Yeh researching Ebola-related blindness. This has become a great concern now that more patients are surviving the infection with new treatments.

Special thanks to Dr. Ian Crozier and Dr. Steven Yeh for sharing this inspirational story with us and to Dr. Harold A. Stein for his support to bring these inspiring keynote addresses every year.

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The Special Event that has it all - ACE - November 10-12, 2017 in New Orleans!

  • Select from over 300+ Conference sessions and workshops.

  • Learn from experts on the latest medical treatments and skills training in 21 education tracks.

  • Attend up to four showcased Subspecialty Sessions with comprehensive education on key topics.

  • Visit with 15+ vendors and exhibits committed to your clinic's and patients' quality care.

  • Build your network of Allied Ophthalmic Professionals (AOPs) with 2,000+ colleagues, exhibitors, and mentors.

  • Support JCAHPO’s Education and Research Foundation in its mission to assist AOPs with their ongoing education, certification or recovery from natural disasters.

Education and E-Learning

We’re not as famous as your favorite performer, but the JCAHPO “road tour” often sells out quickly! Watch for details as the dates approach and grab your seat at the Regional CE program conveniently close to home.

Regionals

U.S. Department of Labor’s O*NET Occupation Expert Research

JCAHPO and ATPO have been asked to assist with the U.S. Department of Labor’s O*NET Occupation Expert research during the update of Ophthalmic Medical Technologists and Technicians in the United States (only). In the first quarter of 2017, some of our most experienced certificants and members will be invited to provide input on how the work in our field is performed, the knowledge required and typical work settings. O*NET Liaisons from Research Triangle Institute (RTI International) will be asking a number of our certificants and members to complete a set of occupational questionnaires. If contacted, we hope you will consider helping.

O*NET, or the Occupational Information Network, is a free resource at www.onetonline.org It is provided by the DOL and used by millions of students, job seekers, veterans, labor market researchers and employers each month for career exploration and job analysis. You may find the summary of these occupations helpful when writing a job description for hiring or training, updating your resume or helping a student learn more about his or her career options.

You can access the summary of each occupation at:

http://www.onetonline.org/link/details/29-2057.00 (Technicians) http://www.onetonline.org/link/details/29-2099.05 (Technologists)

Please contact Traci Davis at tdavis@onet.rti.org or 877-233-7348 ext. 109 if you have questions about O*NET or the upcoming USDOL data collection project.

Tech Life

Every ophthalmic tech has to go above and beyond their basic responsibilities constantly. For Stephanie Gooltz, COA OSA, that challenge became especially personal. In 2015, her commitment to fight age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with Team Eye & Ear took her to running the grueling Boston Marathon.

“Training for any marathon is a big commitment and a lot of hard work,” she says humbly. “But doing it in 110 inches of snow, the worst Boston winter on record, was another challenge all together.”

It’s the largest fundraiser of the year for the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Clinic’s happy band of volunteers, some running and some supporting along the way. “It was an amazing experience, Stephanie tells us. “I am very lucky I could be a part of such an incredible team. I also met some wonderful life-long friends.”

It was also a successful fundraiser for Team Eye & Ear. “I raised $11,323. I sent many emails, auction, and Superbowl squares. Thank you to all of my family and friends for donating!”

Stephanie has shown the same determination in her career as a tech, too. That came right at the start. “My good friend's mother is an Ophthalmologist, and she mentioned that I should apply to be a technician in her practice,” she says. “I was not sure I was going to make it through my first week of on-the-job training!” But she loved the job, and loved the hard work – obtaining her COA in 2009 and OSA in 2013. “11 years later I still work for one of the best Ophthalmology practices in the country,” she says proudly.

Though Stephanie keeps giving every day on the job, she is driven to keep raising money every year at the big event in Boston. Having run the race itself once, Stephanie spent the last one in support. “I volunteered during long runs, by handing out Gatorade, water, pretzels, and Swedish fish. On Marathon Monday I was at mile 17.5 cheering on all the runners and my friends.”

Stephanie Gooltz, COA OSA, will always keep giving and always keep reaching for the next challenge. Her dedication to her profession and her community is inspiring in every way!

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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
 
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