Certified Patient Service
Specialist (CPSS ®) Program
Elevate Your Staff to
National Professional Status
Mission
To establish a national standard of excellence that recognizes
and promotes the professionalism of staff in ophthalmology
practices and ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) by providing
certification and continuing education focused on increasing
the quality of patient care.
Why is certification important?
Establishes those who hold the Certified Patient
Service Specialist credential as recognized
professionals in the medical practice
Creates a national standard of proficiency for staff
Recognizes and creates growth opportunities
for experienced staff and offers a professional
development pathway for new employees
Provides a potential competitive advantage for the
practice in third-party contracting
Why is certification important?
Establishes an expectation for continuing education
through the recertification process
Indicates a high level of competency and
commitment to patients
Offers a tangible employee benefit that supports
staff retention
Highlights the encouragement and support of the
physicians and administration
Practice Registration Process
4. Practice/ASC provides continued support to
employees by offering continuing education
opportunities
3. Practice/ASC receives login information and
detailed instructions via email within
one business day of registration
2. Practice/ASC submits application and
one-time registration fee, as well as
any individual applicant fees for
each employee
1. Practice/ASC makes commitment to
support program
Certification Requirements
Staff Member…
Is a member of a participating medical
practice or ASC.
Has at least one year of experience
in a medical eye care practice or ASC.
Completes a certification application
and receives manager approval.
Completes computerized certification exam with score
of 80% or better.
Is notified of results and certification status after
taking the exam.
Employee Certification Process
1. Receives username and password with detailed instructions via email after
practice or ASC has registered and paid individual application fee

2. Reviews study guides and courses available on the CPSS website
or other outside resources
3.
Completes computerized certification test with 130
questions (while supervised by administrator)
4. Employees are notified of official test results
immediately upon completion of the exam
Pass
Score of 80% or better.
Employee will receive a
certificate of recognition
and certification pin.
Retake
Score of 79% or less.
Employee will need to
retake the CPSS
certification test.
CPSS® for the ASC Certification Process
Applicants wanting to achieve CPSS for the ASC (CPSSASC) certification must complete the following steps:
Complete CPSS exam with a score of 80% or higher
Complete the five additional ASC study courses and
achieve a score of 80% or higher on the course tests
Complete CPSS-ASC application and submit to BSM via
email or fax
Receive acknowledgement of CPSS-ASC status
Recertification Requirements
Applicant Must…
Reapply for certification every 3 years.
Document at least 15 hours of continuing
education (with supervisor approval) in the
3-year certification period.
Submit an application and recertification fee.
Note: If certification is not renewed on or before the expiration of
certification, applicants will need to retake the CPSS® certification test.
Areas of Knowledge
Patient Care
OSHA
HIPAA
Optional ASC
Certification
Customer Service
Eye Exams/Triaging
Ocular Emergencies
Insurance/Billing/
Coding
Common Ophthalmic
Diagnoses
Patient Scheduling
Human Resources
Anatomy and
Physiology of
the Eye
Ophthalmic Facilities
and Equipment
Resources Available
CPSS Recommended Study Guides
(Basic):
Basic Training Courses
Optical Dispensary
Regulatory and Compliance Courses
OSHA
HIPAA
Medicare Basics
Fundamentals of Diagnosis Coding
Telephone Skills Training
Resources Available
CPSS Recommended Study Guides
(Intermediate):
Maximizing Practice Collections (4-part series)
Triaging Ocular Emergencies
Anatomy and Physiology of the Eye
Resources Available
CPSS-ASC Supplemental Courses
Patient Safety in the ASC
Advance Directives and Elder Abuse
Patient Rights
Infection Prevention and Medications in Ophthalmic ASC
Common Ophthalmic Surgeries
Benefits of Certification
Recognition of knowledge and accomplishments by
peers, physicians, administrative staff, and patients
Certificate acknowledging accomplishments
Certification pin
Induction into a growing association of
professionals—Certified Patient Service
Specialist designees
Opportunities for continuing education and
professional growth
Next Step
Make a commitment for your practice to
join the exciting CPSS program.
Elevate your ophthalmic staff to
national professional status now!