Development of a national certification program will provide a new and important form of recognition for those who meet and maintain the standards of our program. On a professional level, achieving national certification demonstrates a firm commitment to the profession and a level of competence that will result in increased respect among peers and fellow health care professionals. In addition, certificants typically become more desirable employees in competitive hiring situations, and the overall value of the credential grows as more stakeholders become aware of the potential benefits of certification. Perhaps the greatest benefit of new national certification programs is an increased interest in professional development. We anticipate that this project will result in an increased interest in continuing education programs and services.
Ophthalmic administration is a dynamic field with increasing challenges and opportunities.
We believe the ASOA membership, as well as the ophthalmology profession, will benefit from the development of a valid, reliable, nationally recognized certification program. A Certification Advisory Committee has been named to provide volunteer leadership. The committee selected a professional testing organization, Veritas Assessment Systems, to assist with this project. Work on the role delineation is underway, and the staff of Veritas will be visiting a sample of ophthalmic practices to begin this research. Site visits are planned in the Washington, D.C. area, Arizona, Florida, and Texas.