|
History
TOPS
is a standing committee of the Board of Directors for the Tennessee
Academy of Ophthalmology.
TOPS
was initially organized in 1985 by two TAO-member ophthalmologists, Drs.
Gary Jerkins (Nashville) and Thomas Gettelfinger (Memphis) to provide
ophthalmic technicians with ongoing education.
Since
1985, TOPS has had an educational program annually, and on several
occasions, more than one meeting a year has been presented.
Last
year, TOPS took a major role in the development and presentation of a
technical program for five (5) states: Georgia, Kentucky, North
Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. The meeting was held at
Hilton Head, SC, on June 22-25, and over 230 technicians attended from the
five states.
There
are currently four levels of ophthalmic technical personnel:
1.
Ophthalmic Assistant (OA) (no certification required)
2.
Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA)
3.
Certified Ophthalmic Technician (COT)
4.
Certified Ophthalmic Medical Technologist (COMT)
And,
Ophthalmic Surgical Assisting is another special content area.
Why
would an ophthalmologist want certified personnel? Because ...
-
They
increase office efficiency
-
They
demonstrate a commitment to the profession
-
They
improve the quality of patient care
-
They
help the doctor (Eye M. D.) to have more quality time with the
patient
-
They
help obtain time-consuming and important tests
-
They
convey to the patient that the Eye-M. D. has high standards
Tennessee
is proud to have one of the first ophthalmic personnel educational
programs in the country.
|