About View Optometry
Dr. Hines always knew she wanted to open an optometry clinic, after she fell in love with the North Shore’s active lifestyle and beautiful landscape, she decided that North Vancouver would be the place where her dream would come true. It took a full year from finding the blank cement space to turning into the modern fresh clinic that is now known as View Optometry. Dr. Hines named the clinic View Optometry as a tribute to her dad and brother’s family business Bridgeview Marine. View Optometry is now known as a innovative and modern clinic featuring full comprehensive eye exams for all ages with only the latest technology equipment, an optical boutique, and a natural North Vancouver vibe that will remind you why you call it home. We, at View Optometry, are dedicated to making your vision as clear as it can be, whether you need contact lenses or glasses we will make sure you look and feel your best. Most importantly we pride ourselves on going beyond eye health, with today’s modern technology we are able to identify early signs of medical conditions such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
ABOUT DR. TERI HINES
Meet Dr. Teri Hines. She is our clinic owner and optometrist. She has a passion for educating her patients about their eye health using the latest in high tech equipment. People often refer to her as hard working and dedicated. She loves serving the world by volunteering and taking part in local community events and groups. She works with people who need help seeing their best and are looking for an optometrist who truly cares about their overall wellbeing. She does this by providing an unrushed comprehensive eye exam. She also enjoys helping you find your perfect pair of glasses. Dr. Hines graduated from Simon Fraser University with a Bachelor of Science degree and went on to get her Doctor of Optometry degree from Pacific University in Oregon. As an optometrist she has been recognized for her volunteer work with the BC Doctors of Optometry and Canadian Association of Optometrists.
When she’s not hard at work you will probably find her on the North Shore mountains with her husband, sons, and golden retriever.
If you are dying to hear more, here are some fun facts about Dr. Hines:
-She has wanted to become an optometrist since she was 11 years old
-She grew up in Port Coquitlam
-She met her husband when she was 18 years old
-She takes part in activities put on by the Lower Lonsdale BIA
-Her favorite type of food to eat out is sushi
About Dr. Jessica Cullis
Dr. Jessica Cullis is a driven Optometrist with a focus on ensuring her patients get the best care for their vision and ocular health. At an early age a memorable eye exam set her path towards helping others see as clearly as possible. With a focus on becoming an Optometrist, Jessica graduated from the University of British Columbia with a degree in Cell Biology and Genetics and then completed the Doctor of Optometry program at the University of Waterloo in Ontario. Dr. Jessica Cullis began practicing Optometry in 2008 with a detailed and thorough patient centered approach ever since. While practicing Dr. Jessica Cullis has been an active volunteer with the Third World Eye Care Society, including a trip to Ethiopia in 2009 to provide eye exams and glasses for those in need. Additionally, she has volunteered and raised funds for the Fighting Blindness Canada. Dr. Jessica Cullis calls North Vancouver home with her two young daughters and husband. They love to explore the North Shore trails and mountains by bike, foot, or skis. When not keeping active in the outdoors, you may likely find her whole family enjoying a chilly ice cream treat somewhere in Lower Lonsdale.
Fun facts about Dr. Cullis
- Similar to Dr. Hines, she also made the decision at 11 years old to become an Optometrist
- Rock climbing has become a recreational passion
- Her favourite vacation destination is Hawaii, although locally, Salt Spring Island holds most of her heart
At View Optometry we collect glasses to give to the Third World Eye Care Society (TWECS) to support missions like the ones Dr. Hines has been on. Feel free to drop by our clinic any time to drop off glasses you are no longer using.
Dr. hines' volunteer work in Philippines
As you all know my passion is eye health and spreading the knowledge of how important taking care of your eyes can be. So, I made it my mission to go abroad and share my passion of eye care with people who may not have access to all the doctors I was able to go see in Canada.
One day I set my sights on the Philippines. Lots of people would benefit from my help and I felt confident I would be able to achieve my goal. I went with a team of optometrists, ophthalmologists and students. The ophthalmologists would perform cataract surgeries while the rest of us would distribute glasses, sunglasses, and perform eye health assessments. I was so happy to be part of a positively hard-working group. We took three flights to get there, I don’t need to tell you that one flight can be tiring enough but three was even more grueling. The best part was yet to come, we got picked up in a small truck and drove for five and a half hours on a one lane road through the jungle where on one side of us was all forest and on the other side there was the edge of a cliff! My confidence plummeted a little, after all, I was sitting on the cliff side of the truck but I remained optimistic that the rest of the trip would be worth it.
Once we arrived, we got out of the truck looking a little disheveled but relieved that we had bypassed the dangers of the cliff we had to face the entire way up. Our team of 10 started right away, we walked into the community building to provide eye health and vision exams. I will never forget the silent gratitude that was emitted from the people we helped. Some may not have had any eye health problems but they were grateful nonetheless to receive confirmation of something that may have always remained a question in their minds.
Over the next three and a half days we helped around 1200 people who had never dreamed of getting eye care in their lifetime. Mothers with newborns appreciated the care we gave to their babies and thanked us with kind words in their own language. Some of the elders in the village did need some strong pairs of glasses and when they tried them on, the look of relief washing over their faces was priceless to watch. Some of them smiled in gratitude, others definitely liked the way they looked with glasses and all of them loved the equipment that we brought. One thing I won’t forget is the wonderous look on their faces that first appear when they first saw my portable autorefractor. Little to none knew what this machine was used for and its usage was probably lost in translation but all that mattered to me were that these people were getting the help they needed or they could at least say “I have had one eye exam in my life”.
The trip home was filled with exhaustion but it was sort of a triumphant exhaustion, I had done it, I had reached my goal of helping people and spreading my wealth of knowledge and that was all I ever wanted to do. I knew at one point in my life I would want to do this again if not more than one time, the place and time then was unknown but I was sure of what I was going to do and nothing was going to stop me.
Dr. Hines' volunteer work in peru
After my first mission trip to the Philippines I felt invigorated. Seeing what I could do to help others and feeling pride while doing it was an amazing feeling. Now, I was ready once more. This time a friend and I joined forces to organize a trip and we decided to set our sights on Peru! A couple of months and three flights later, I was in Lima, Peru, less frazzled than when I arrived in the Philippines which to me was already in itself an accomplishment. Once more there were 10 of us in our team, and the majority of us would’ve needed a translator if not for two of our members who were fluent in Peruvian Spanish. It made getting around a whole lot easier! During the next four days, we visited some of the poorest areas in Lima, the people were living in improvised houses that were so close to one another. It felt crowded but I was determined to help as many people as possible no matter the conditions. One thing that never ceases to amaze me is the reaction upon seeing the instruments we use to assess eye health. As an optometrist, the equipment itself to me is mundane as a I see it every day. However, there are a lot of people globally that have never seen an ophthalmoscope or a retinoscope in their life. The astonished looks I get as I start telling them how I am going to use these machines on them never get old.
We helped approximately 375 people a day; men, women, and children who had never had any kind of eye exam performed on them were so grateful. After four days of clinic, we had managed to assist around 1500 people with their eye health and supplying glasses to those who needed them. Little by little I felt like I was making a difference, the healthcare I get in Canada was unbelievable compared to the next to no healthcare they get in many countries. I am humbled to be born in Canada and would love to go on another one of these trips in the future.
