ST. LOUIS—The American Optometric Association (AOA) has announced it is celebrating September as Paraoptometric Appreciation Month, the organization’s formal observance dedicated to honoring optometric practice staff who critically support the delivery of optometric patient care. With Americans’ increasing demand for primary eye health and vision care services provided by doctors of optometry, paraoptometric staff play a vital role in the efficient and effective delivery of quality patient care, the organization noted, indicating that it is focused on equipping paraoptometric professionals with the education and resources necessary to build skill sets that can help practices meet this demand for care.

The AOA offers several suggestions to reinforce the value paraoptometric staff bring to an optometric practice—this month and year-round.

1. Enroll staff as AOA associate members. Enrolling staff as AOA associate members is a cost-free way for AOA member-doctors to grant optometric practice staff access to paraoptometric programs and services, educational materials and discounts on event registration fees, according to the organization. Learn about enrolling staff as AOA associate members and its impact on practice success here.

2. Encourage paraoptometric certification. As optometric scope of practice continues to allow doctors of optometry to practice at the top of their license—utilizing the fullest extent of their education and training to meet the increasing demands on the U.S. health care system—optometric staff shouldn’t be overlooked, AOA said. Increased responsibilities, procedures and demands on doctors of optometry translate into a greater need for proven, skilled support on the part of paraoptometric staff.

Developed by a panel of AOA doctors and paraoptometrics, paraoptometric certification ensures practice staff stay current on contemporary CE and professional development. Each level of certification requires successful completion of an exam prepared and administered by the Commission on Paraoptometric Certification (CPC), with the assistance of Professional Testing Corporation (PTC), to ensure mastery of the specific skill sets.

According to AOA, the CPC Paraoptometric Examination Candidate Handbook helps candidates better understand the processes and procedures to become certified, and how to retain certification through renewal.

3. Engage on the EyeLearn Professional Development Hub. The AOA EyeLearn Professional Development Hub is a member-exclusive, centralized education resource with an ever-expanding catalog of CE and professional development courses, webinars and resources oriented to advance clinical proficiencies and practice management expertise.

Additionally, the AOA is encouraging members and the industry at large to recognize staff contributions by sharing appreciation on social media using #AOAParaMonth2024. More information is available on Facebook and LinkedIn. Questions about enrolling paraoptometric staff or associate member benefits should be directed to the AOA Education Center at educationcenter@aoa.org.