Part-Time Certified Orthoptist

Description

Primary Objective 

The Certified Orthoptist (CO) contributes to the organization by supporting the assessment and treatment of patients under the indirect supervision of an Ophthalmologist. May also perform duties of an Ophthalmic Assistant. 

Essential Functions 

• Under indirect supervision of an Ophthalmologist, the CO independently evaluates patients with vision problems and eye abnormalities. 

• Performs patient interviews to include chief complaint, history of present illness, review of systems, past medical history, past surgical history, and medication review. 

• Performs diagnostic testing including visual acuity testing, lensometry (including prism), retinoscopy and manifest refraction, color vision testing, stereopsis testing, tonometry (using applanation, TonoPen, and ICare devices), pupil assessment. 

• Provides non-surgical treatment of specific eye muscle disorders, e.g., amblyopia, convergence insufficiency, diplopia, and strabismus. Treatment modalities may include occlusion, prism, or orthoptic training. 

• Completes extensive additional sensorimotor examinations on patients with complex ocular motility disorders. 

• Documents exam findings and treatment plans in the Electronic Health Record. 

• Phone triage of patients calling with clinical questions. 

• Performs ocular sensorimotor examinations on patients upon request of internal referring ophthalmologists. 

•  Assesses the patient’s response to treatment of oculomotor and amblyopia conditions and provides ongoing patient education and encouragement with the treatment plan. 

• Assist with training and on-boarding of new staff and apprentices. 

• Maintains and cleans all applicable equipment.   

• Performs other duties as assigned. 

• Ability to meet the physical and mental demands of the position 

• The ability to work on-site 

• Predictable, reliable, and prompt attendance. 

Skills and Abilities  

• Proficiency in Electronic Medical Record systems, preferably Epic. 

• Ability to communicate professionally (written and verbal). 

Core Competencies 

• Customer Service: Making patients and their needs a primary focus of one’s actions; developing and sustaining productive patient relationships. 

• Building Patient Loyalty: Effectively meeting patient needs; building productive patient relationships; taking responsibility for patient satisfaction and loyalty 

• Effective Communication: Clearly conveying information and ideas through a variety of media to individuals    or groups in a manner that engages the audience and helps them understand and retain the message.  

• Initiative: Taking prompt action to accomplish objectives; taking action to achieve goals beyond what is required; being proactive. 

• Decision Making: Identifying and understanding issues, problems, and opportunities; comparing data from different sources to draw conclusions; using effective approaches for choosing a course of action or developing appropriate solutions; taking action that is consistent with available facts, constraints, and probable consequences. 

• Personal & Professional Ethics:   Demonstrate integrity, resilience, accountability and ethical behavior. 

• Deductive Reasoning: The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.  

• Adaptability: Maintaining effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work tasks or the work environment; adjusting effectively to work within new work structures, processes, requirements, or cultures. 

• Building a successful team: Using appropriate methods and a flexible interpersonal style to help build a cohesive team; facilitating the completion of team goals 

Clinical Competencies  

• Demonstrates a mastery level of competency of ophthalmology and ophthalmic testing in practical applications of a difficult nature. 

• Knowledge of appropriate use of PPE for various procedures. 

Training Period 

The CO will require 3 months of training, including gradually establishing a case-load of patients after the first month of training. Establishing a patient caseload is dependent on credentialing and this will be closely tracked during the orientation period. 

Accountability 

Our mission is to be the premier eye, ear, nose, and throat group providing comprehensive, high-quality, and ethical healthcare to all in the Carolinas; to provide a favorable environment for the delivery of healthcare; and to provide for the wellbeing of the physicians and the employees of Charlotte Eye Ear Nose & Throat Associates, P.A. 

The CO will provide specialized and high-quality care to both adults and children. Patients receive comprehensive and extensive evaluation procedures to assist the referring physicians with diagnoses and to further assist in establishing plans of care and follow-up. 

Qualifications

Education 

Bachelor’s degree required. Completion of an accredited Orthoptic training program required. 

Experience 

Minimum of 2 years of experience as a Certified Orthoptist. 

Certificates, Licenses, Registrations 

Certification through the American Orthoptic Council (AOC) required. 

Work Environment 

The work environment characteristics described are representative of those an employee may encounter while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

Supervisory Responsibilities 

The CO reports to the applicable Operations Supervisor or Manager. As outlined by the American Orthoptic Council (AOC) Code of Ethics, a CO is indirectly supervised by an Ophthalmologist and cannot independently function in clinic or report to an optometrist. 

Position Type and Expected Hours of Work 

This position will be 3 days a week and considered part-time-time. Core business hours are Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm, but may fluctuate due to varying clinic needs. 

Physical, Mental and Other Requirements 

The Physical and Mental demands described are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

• Strength guidelines: The maximum amount of weight an employee may be asked to lift during a normal day is 20 lbs. 

• Motion parameters: Employees must be able to sit in front of a computer on and off during the day varying between, sitting during patient care, computer work and documentation. Walking between rooms designed for various procedures, standing for 15-45 minutes during procedures or evaluations, typing, and repetitive clicking of a mouse.  

• Mental requirements:  Employee must demonstrate the ability to problem solve, ability to make quick decisions, ability to ensure patient safety during procedures and tasks, ability to handle emergent patient situations, ability to supervise others, ability to thrive in fast-paced environment, ability to use discretion and sensitivity, ability to interpret data, and interact with patients, family and colleagues appropriately.