Ophthalmic Assistant

Lex Health Eye Care Associates
Full Time
Day Shift
M-Th 07:30-16:30/F 07:30-12:30

Sign-On Bonus: 4,000


Lexington Health is a comprehensive network of care that includes six community medical and urgent care centers, nearly 80 physician practices, more than 9,000 health care professionals and Lexington Medical Center, a 607-bed teaching hospital in West Columbia, South Carolina. It was selected by Modern Healthcare as one of the Best Places to Work in Healthcare and was first in the state to achieve Magnet with Distinction status for excellence in nursing care. Consistently ranked as best in the Columbia Metro area by U.S. News & World Report, Lexington Health delivers more than 4,000 babies each year, performs more than 34,000 surgeries annually and is the region's third largest employer.

Lexington Health also includes an accredited Cancer Center of Excellence, the state's first HeartCARE Center, the largest skilled nursing facility in the Carolinas, and an Alzheimer's care center. Its postgraduate medical education programs include family medicine and transitional year residencies, as well as an informatics fellowship.

Job Summary

A healthcare provider to assist patients and providers with direct and indirect patient care. Provide care
to patients with ophthalmic problems including but not limited to: patient intake at office visit, documentation, clerical, environmental, and organizational tasks, visual acuity testing, visual assessment, and tonometry. Works under the direction of the clinical provider (Ophthalmologist), Optometrist and office manager. Assists with appointment scheduling and maintaining medical record documentation in EPIC EHR system as required. Serves as a provider's scribe as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

Minimum Education: High School Diploma or Equivalent
Minimum Years of Experience: 6 months of experience under the supervision of a physician or Senior Ophthalmic Technician in a clinical/healthcare setting.
Substitutable Education & Experience (Optional): None.
Required Certifications/Licensure: International Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology Certificate Ophthalmic Assistant (COA) within 18 months of hiring;

Current Basic Life Support certification (BLS) - or may be obtained within 90 days of hire date.
Required Training: General knowledge of medical ethics and confidentiality;

Successful completion of the basic LMC competency assessment for Ophthalmic Assistants within probationary period or any extension thereof;

Successful completion of an LMC approved Medication Administration training course

Essential Functions

• Works in a cooperative manner that is consistent with LMC's Service Expectations policy.
• Participates in activities related to patient care.
• Records patient data and observations relevant to patients needs and in accordance with credentials.
• Recognizes need for safety measure and takes appropriate action to prevent injury.
• Demonstrates ability to provide a comfortable environment of care in accordance with office standards.
• Effectively uses electronic, verbal, non-verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills in a clear and concise manner to ensure appropriate understanding and response and demonstrates open communication with co-workers.
• Provides safety measures in accordance with office standards.
• Abides by LMC's Code of Conduct, accepts work assignments readily, and adheres to dress code and maintains personal hygiene and cleanliness appropriate to contact with patients, visitors and coworkers, supports and participates actively in change processes/performance improvement activities by willingly adopting new methods.
• Uses time and supplies/equipment in an efficient and effective manner.
• Demonstrates ability to coordinate multiple tasks.
• Completes assigned tasks within specified time frame.
• Prioritizes workload to best meet both patient and provider needs.
• Willing to orient and train new employees as asked.
• Enters pertinent information into Epic.
• Verifies that all information in the patient chart is correctly entered and associated; and initiates appropriate action when necessary (lab labels, lab requisition, visit summary, etc.).
• Schedules physician appointments, requests copies of the medical record (when indicated) and arrange for patient referral as requested.
• Demonstrates knowledge and effective use of medical terminology.
• Maintains established stock levels of clerical supplies.
• Restock and maintain rooms with supplies needed for patient care.
• Assists in performing and documenting environmental checks as required by LMC policy and regulatory agencies.
• Functions as a Clinical Scribe as needed: While functioning in the Scribe role the Clinical Scribe must adhere to LMC's policy and procedures for scribes.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Perform pre-exam testing to include visual acuity assessment, including pinhole and glare testing, confrontational visual field testing, assess extra ocular muscles, pupillary evaluation, tonometry, assess angles, pupillary dilation, and all other patient services as requested by the physician including, but not limited to: color vision screening, stereopsis, dry eye testing, and exophthalmometry.
• Perform lensometry and specialized testing including, but not limited to: visual fields, keratometry, A/B scans, and ophthalmic photography optical coherence tomography (OCT), Optical Biometry (IOL Master).
• Perform retinoscopy and refractometry.
• Assist with minor surgical procedures or laser treatments as directed by physician.
• Manages medications according to LMC policy, procedures and within scope of practice for credential.
• Assist with fitting contact lenses and instruct patients in care and insertion of lenses.
• Manages medications according to LMC policy, procedures and within scope of practice for credential.
• Clean surgical instruments in preparation for sterile processing. Inspect instruments periodically for damage, send for repair, and request a replacement, as necessary.
• Educate patients regarding administration of medications and pre- and post-operative instructions as directed by physician.
• Conduct inventory of ophthalmic supplies, including pharmaceuticals and instruments on a regular basis and assist with maintenance of clinical examination equipment.
• Open and close exam lanes daily, ensuring that equipment is wiped down in an appropriate manner, battery powered instruments are seated properly in re-charge wells, slit lamps and projectors are switched off under covers
• Maintains required certifications, completes yearly safety training and mandatory classes and clinical competences assessments, and complies with annual employee health requirements.
• Performs all other duties as assigned.

We are committed to offering quality, cost-effective benefits choices for our benefit eligible employees and their families:

• Day ONE medical, dental and life insurance benefits
• Health care and dependent care flexible spending accounts (FSAs)
• Employees are eligible for enrollment into the 403(b) match plan day one. LHI matches dollar for dollar up to 6%.
• Employer paid life insurance - equal to 1x salary
• Employee may elect supplemental life insurance with low cost premiums up to 3x salary
• Adoption assistance
• LHI provides its full-time employees employer paid short-term disability and long-term disability coverage after 90 days of eligible employment
• Tuition reimbursement
• Student loan forgiveness

Equal Opportunity Employer
It is the policy of Lexington Health to provide equal opportunity of employment for all individuals, and to remain compliant with applicable state and federal laws and regulations. Lexington Health strives to provide a discrimination-free environment, and to recruit, select, on-board, and employ all employees without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, including but not limited to, lactation. Lexington Health endeavors to upgrade and promote employees from within the hospital where possible and consistent with the employee's desires and abilities and the hospital's needs.