Castro-Pangelinan receives nat’l certification

Joanne Castro-Pangelinan has become the fourth technician at Marianas Eye Institute to receive a nationally recognized degree as a Certified Ophthalmic Assistant from the Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology.

Castro-Pangelinan joins Emilly Taitano, Lin Muleta, and Thelma Tenorio as the only four Certified Ophthalmic Assistants in the CNMI. The staff of Marianas Eye Institute holds a total of nine nationally recognized certifications—more than any other eye clinic in the region. In addition to Certified Ophthalmic Assistants, the staff have gained expertise as certified opticians, certified contact lens fitters, and certified ophthalmic coders.

“We’ve really accomplished a lot at Marianas Eye Institute over the years,” said Dr. David Khorram, the medical director. “But I believe our greatest accomplishment has been the training of our staff. I enjoy my work so much because of our outstanding staff—all hired locally, all graduates of local high schools, and all coming to us with no prior experience. To see them become nationally certified is amazing.”

Outlining some of the clinic’s accomplishments, Russ Quinn, CEO of Marianas Eye Institute, said: “We have been hailed as one of the best equipped eye clinics in the Asia Pacific region; we’ve introduced some of the most advanced eye care technologies into the CNMI; we’ve published articles in scientific journals; and we are part of one of the most important research networks for diabetic eye disease, yet raising the level of our staff is what we’re proudest of. We empower our staff, and they serve their community.”

Castro-Pangelinan, a graduate of Marianas High School, has been employed at Marianas Eye Institute since 1999. “Our experience at Marianas Eye Institute, and the training given to us by Dr. Khorram and Dr. Robertson qualifies us to sit for the exam,” she explained. “Of course, there were many long hours of studying involved also. It was a 3 ½ hour exam, and I felt confident when I completed it,” said Castro-Pangelinan.

The exam for the Certified Ophthalmic Assistant covers 19 knowledge areas, including topics such as history taking, equipment maintenance and repair, microbiology, pharmacology, surgical assisting, ophthalmic imaging, patient education, spectacle skills, refractometry, lensometry, visual assessment and medical ethics, legal and regulatory issues.

“We are so well-trained at Marianas Eye Institute,” said Castro-Pangelinan. “I know that this certification is a real accomplishment and helps us advance our careers.”

“We’re very proud of Joanne, as we are of all our staff,” said Khorram. “These certifications are a great achievement for them, and in addition to the sense of accomplishment, along with each level of certification comes a nice raise. We believe in rewarding our staff for their accomplishments.”

Marianas Eye Institute opened its doors in 1998 on Beach Road in Garapan across 13 Fishermen Monument.