News from the AOA's Blog

The National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) granted re-accreditation to the Commission on Paraoptometric Certification (CPC) for four certification programs. Read the rest of this entry ?

Kraemer

Coding and claim errors are an area of mounting concern for optometric practices, as they can affect the practice’s bottom line. Optometric office staff can help avoid needless reimbursement delays and audits by training to become a Certified Paraoptometric Coder™ (CPOC) through the Commission on Paraoptometric Certification (CPC).

The CPC’s CPOC Candidate Handbook, CPOC Study Map and other recently developed materials are available to assist office staff, according to Amy Kraemer, CPOT, chair of the CPOC Examination Development Committee. Read the rest of this entry ?

Many practitioners may question the return on investment on providing training and education to their staff. The AOA Paraoptometric Section offers optometrists other considerations when looking to improve their staff along with their practice. Read the rest of this entry ?

Paraoptometric Council Chair Beverly Roberts, CPOT

The AOA is seeking new Paraoptometric Section Council members for 2013-2014. All applicants must submit their Intent to Run forms by April 1, 2013.

“We need the help of paraoptometrics with a personal goal to be part of the team and the vision of this organization,” said Paraoptometric Council Chair Beverly Roberts, CPOT. “Remember that a winning team is made up of individuals all with the same goal and purpose in mind. We are the team that helps paraoptometrics make a positive difference in the lives of their patients. Now is the time for you to join the winning team.” Read the rest of this entry ?

The AOA Paraoptometric Section is releasing four newly developed or revised training resources to help meet the needs of savvy optometric practices.

With changes in health care reform, more practices recognize they must delegate more tasks to their optometric staff. Front-desk staff may be assigned some of the billing and coding tasks, and assistants and technicians may be crossed-trained to learn duties traditionally performed by opticians.

Successful optometric practices are allocating not only additional budget funding for staff training, but additional staff hours for training in these new areas. Read the rest of this entry ?

2012 award winner Andrea Hudak, CPOA, from New York, is shown with Alcon’s Rick Weisbarth, O.D.

Do you know a paraoptometric who serves both the patients in the office and is active in the community? The AOA Paraoptometric Section is seeking nominations for the 2013 Community Service Award.

The award is given to the paraoptometric who demonstrates a commitment to helping improve his or her community and a dedication to the profession of paraoptometry. Read the rest of this entry ?

The AOA Paraoptometric Section is seeking nominations for the Paraoptometric of the Year Award (POY).

The award is given annually to the optometric assistant or technician who has made outstanding and worthwhile contributions to the profession of optometry, paraoptometry, and the general public. Read the rest of this entry ?

The Commission on Paraoptometric Certification (CPC) launched its first in a series of specialized area of care assessment-based certificate programs. The programs is designed to help fill the need for qualified personnel trained with a multidisciplined set of competencies. Read the rest of this entry ?

When it comes to balancing the need for quality training for your optometric staff, time to provide the training, and the limitations of your training budget, why not look to the AOA Paraoptometric Section for training solutions?

Many optometrists are excited to learn about the variety of optometric staff training options provided by the AOA Paraoptometric Section (PS). Read the rest of this entry ?

Billing and coding changes are on the horizon, and now is the time to start preparing for the future needs of your practice.

One of the many tasks your paraoptometric staff can perform to contribute to the success of your practice is in the processing of insurance claims.

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