Ophthalmology Assistant

Job Description

Works directly with patients, parents and doctors and strives for 100% patient satisfaction and positive outcomes in all cases. An Ophthalmic Assistant is the first clinician to service the patient prior to seeing the physician. Responsible for testing eye function of the patients in preparation for the appointment with the practicing physician. Directs the flow of activities throughout the patient's visit. Ability to remain calm under pressure and ability to calm others during stressful situations, especially young children. The Ophthalmic Assistant will work within the scope of practice guidelines of the American Ophthalmology Association and the Connecticut Department of Public Health.

Responsibilities

The duties of an Ophthalmic Assistant include the primary testing of eye functions to prepare the patient for his/her visit with the physician. These duties include, but are not limited to:

• Obtaining chief complaint, HPI, past medical/surgical history, family history, social history, medications & allergies
• Testing eye functions, looking for abnormalities within patient's eyes with basic penlight exam.
• In most cases, the testing includes distance/near vision, depth perception, color and peripheral vision, strabismus screening, IOP with tonopen or iCare on all patients 12 years and older, check present correction and clean glasses (should be done before taking vision), verify that glasses match written prescription, confrontational fields, amplitudes on patients with CI symptoms, near convergence, check pupils, measuring strabismus etc.
• Dilating pupils using appropriate drops, explains to patient or parent what dilation does and why we do it
• Auto-refract and refract patients as needed

Other essential responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Managing patient flow by bringing patient to exam room in a timely manner.
• Triage walk-in patients, emergency patients and determine if the patient needs to be seen the same day and which doctor should see the patient
• Coordinating sterilization of instruments with central sterilization, calibrating and maintain optical instruments per CT Children's Medical Center equipment sterilization guidelines and procedures.
• Communicate with front desk if doctor is running late or if urgent is coming in
• Maintaining clean waiting rooms and clinical areas (hallways and exam rooms), re-stock handouts, medical supplies, etc. (Performs clean sweeps daily)
• Responsible for patient calls/messages. Document all patient communication in the EMR or paper chart.
• Take calls and delegate any medical advice for the patient to the patient's physician
• Preparing Rx for physicians, mail/fax prescriptions
• Managing use of eye drops including storage, handling, and daily signing in/out (using appropriate form)
• Answer phones, schedule appointments, cover front desk
• Send out medical records, prescriptions, dictation
• Follows proper opening and closing exam room procedures (see handout)

Qualifications

EDUCATION and/or EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

• Education Required: High School Diploma, GED, or a higher level of education that would require the completion of high school, is required.
• Experience Required: Minimum of 6 months of experience as on Ophthalmic Assistant is required at time of hire.

LICENSE and/or CERTIFICATION REQUIRED

• Certification for Ophthalmic Assistant required from an accredited organization such as the Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (JCAHPO) is preferred at time of hire, or must be acquired within 6 months.
• CPR (BLS) preferred at time of hire, or must be acquired within 1 month.

About Us

Connecticut Children's is the only health system in Connecticut that is 100% dedicated to children. Established on a legacy that spans more than 100 years, Connecticut Children's offers personalized medical care in more than 30 pediatric specialties across Connecticut and in two other states. Our transformational growth establishes us as a destination for specialized medicine and enables us to reach more children in locations that are closer to home. Our breakthrough research, superior education and training, innovative community partnerships, and commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion provide a welcoming and inspiring environment for our patients, families and team members.

At Connecticut Children's, treating children isn't just our job - it's our passion. As a leading children's health system experiencing steady growth, we're excited to expand our team with exceptional team members who share our vision of transforming children's health and well-being as one team.

---