ST. PAUL, Minn.—The Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (JCAHPO) Education and Research Foundation announced that Local Eye Site will fund a new scholarship for Ophthalmic Medical Technicians seeking certification.

The application period will run from August to November and Technicians seeking certification will be able to apply by completing an application form and submitting a brief essay. The grants will be awarded in January 2016 and cover the cost of a certification exam.

Brad McCorkle, founder of Local Eye Site, said “We understand the important role that well-equipped technicians play in the delivery of quality ophthalmic care. Our goal with the Local Eye Site grant is to support continued advancement in the quality of ophthalmic patient care available, and hopefully to encourage more Allied Health professionals to consider a career in ophthalmology.”

JCAHPO enhances the quality and availability of ophthalmic patient care by promoting the value of qualified allied health personnel and providing certification and education. Certifications include the Certified Ophthalmic Assistant (COA), Certified Ophthalmic Technicians (COT), Certified Ophthalmic Medical Technologists (COMT), Ophthalmic Surgical Assistant (OSA), Registered Ophthalmic Ultrasound Biometrists (ROUB), Certified Diagnostic Ophthalmic Sonographers (CDOS), Corporate Certified Ophthalmic Assistants (CCOA) and the Ophthalmic Scribe (OSC).

“We could not be more pleased to partner with Local Eye Site for these certification grants,” Melvin I. Freeman, MD, FACS, chair of the Foundation, stated. “Their support of Ophthalmic Medical Technicians meets a real need and demonstrates a shared support of the eyecare community.”