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About USAEyes
Lasik Patient Advocacy Surgeon Certification
Summary
How To Become Certified
How USAEyes Got Its Start
Definitions
Public Benefit Purpose
Organizational Structure
Primary Activities to Attain Purpose
Funding
Public Audience
The USAEyes website is operated by the Council
for Refractive Surgery Quality Assurance (CRSQA, pronounced
SURS-kah), an independent, nonprofit, nongovernmental patient/consumer
public benefit health organization created to certify refractive
surgeons based upon patient outcomes.
CRSQA provides public information through its popular
sister Internet websites USAEyes and ComplicatedEyes,
by monitoring and responding to Internet bulletin boards,
newsgroups, and chat rooms, through seminars, publications,
and public speakers. CRSQA helps prospective patients identify
the better doctors with its
50
Tough Questions For Your Lasik Doctor and by evaluation
and certification of refractive surgeons doctors who meet
or exceed CRSQA’s standards for patient outcomes.
CRSQA is a nonprofit CRSQA is a nongovernmental,
nonprofit, tax exempt organization. All members of
CRSQA's governing Board of Trustees, advisory
committees, and even staff are volunteers who do not
receive a salary for their work and assistance.
To become certified a surgeon must meet credentialing
and patient outcome requirements. Please visit
Certification Details.
The Council for Refractive Surgery Quality Assurance
was founded by
Glenn Hagele after a friend asked him to research information
about Lasik doctors' abilities.
Full Story
Refractive Surgery
...for the purposes of CRSQA, is defined as the surgical
manipulation of the eye to effect a change in refractive
error.
Refractive Surgeon
...for the purposes of CRSQA, is defined as any individual
who is licensed by appropriate authorities to perform refractive
surgery.
USAEyes Certified Lasik Doctor;
...is a refractive surgeon who has been determined by
CRSQA to meet or exceed all standards as defined by the
CRSQA Board of Trustees.
The purpose of CRSQA is to educate the United States
public on the efficacy of refractive surgery and the availability
of qualified refractive surgeons.
CRSQA is a non-profit public benefit corporation incorporated
in Sacramento County, California. CRSQA is exempt from California
state taxes under Section 23701(d) of the California Revenue
and Taxation Code and from United States federal taxes under
Sub-Section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code.
CRSQA is governed by a Board of Trustees. Trustees are
not paid for services provided to CRSQA as trustees, however
one Trustee has been hired by CRSQA as an Executive Director.
The Executive Director facilitates the directives of the
Board of Trustees including hiring employees and managing
the day-to-day activities of CRSQA.
The Board of Trustees is advised by three major committees:
Quality Standards Advisory Committee
Purpose: To develop and refine standards by which refractive
surgeons are determined to be qualified for certification.
Professional Relations Advisory Committee
Purpose: A community for all major ophthalmic and optometric
membership organizations to support and guide CRSQA's
policies and activities.
Patient Advocacy Advisory Committee
Purpose: A community for potential and former refractive
surgery patients to support and guide CRSQA's policies
and activities.
Refractive Surgery Education, CRSQA will...
…maintain an Internet presence that makes available information
about CRSQA, how CRSQA certifies refractive surgeons, comprehensive
information regarding refractive procedures generally available,
and contact information for all USAEyes Certified
Lasik Surgeons;.
…maintain a nationwide toll-free phone number (1-800-USA-EYES)
with operators who will make available contact information
for all USAEyes Certified Lasik Surgeons;.
…provide representatives to speak at organizational meetings
where an interest in refractive surgery is presumed.
…conduct public discussion groups, panels, lectures,
and workshops.
…publish educational newsletters, pamphlets, books, educational
videotapes, or other material relating to refractive surgery.
…educate primary eyecare providers of the availability
of USAEyes Certified Lasik Surgeons; and encourage
primary eyecare providers to refer candidates for refractive
surgery to USAEyes Certified Lasik Surgeons;.
…educate medical doctors, including but not limited to
cosmetic doctors, of the availability of USAEyes
Certified Lasik Surgeons; and encourage medical doctors
to refer candidates for refractive surgery to USAEyes
Certified Lasik Surgeons;.
…educate medical and eyecare insurance providers of the
availability of USAEyes Certified Lasik Surgeons;
and encourage the medical and eyecare insurance companies
to oblige refractive surgery providers to become certified
by CRSQA.
…encourage USAEyes Certified Lasik Surgeons; to
provide CRSQA published educational brochures about refractive
surgery.
…encourage USAEyes Certified Lasik Surgeons; to
indicate certification by CRSQA that would include but not
be limited to inclusion of the statement "Certified by the
Council for Refractive Surgery Quality Assurance" and CRSQA's
website address or toll-free telephone number on USAEyes
Certified Lasik Surgeon's; marketing materials.
Refractive Surgeon Certification
Using standards set by the National Committee for Quality
Assurance (NCQA) CRSQA verifies licensure and credentials
of refractive surgeons seeking CRSQA certification as a
qualified refractive surgeon. In addition, CRSQA has established
its own
standards required for certification. These standards
are determined by the CRSQA Board of Trustees.
To determine that the USAEyes Certified Lasik
Doctor; is maintaining standards that exceed or meet minimums
set by the CRSQA Board of Trustees, CRSQA representatives
may audit the USAEyes Certified Lasik Doctor's; office,
patient charts, and require the doctor to submit to CRSQA
refractive surgery patient information including post-operative
results.
Refractive surgeons seeking certification pay CRSQA for
initial credentialing and certification plus a quarterly
fee for re-certification. CRSQA does not accept charitable
donations. More on
USAEyes
Funding.
USAEyes Certified Lasik Surgeons; pay for educational
brochures, seminars, etc. relating to refractive surgery
provided by CRSQA.
Refractive Surgery Candidates
Estimates vary, however it is generally accepted that
there are over 139-147 million wearers of corrective lenses
in U.S. (54% population). Not all of these individuals would
meet the current criteria of a refractive surgery candidate,
however as technologies continue to increase the parameters
for successful refractive surgery, more candidates qualify.
USAEyes Certified Lasik Doctor Candidates
There are approximately 17,000 ophthalmologists in the
US. Additionally, there are approximately 480 optometrists
in states that allow optometrists to perform some types
of refractive surgery.
USAEyes
In The News
Many members of the media rely on representatives of
USAEyes for information important to surgeon certification
and patient advocacy.
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Last updated
Friday, January 01, 2010
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