FirstView Eye Care expands

PLATTSBURGH-- A case of eye shall return is paying dividends for a local eye care practice.

Dr. Caitrin Herdic is the new provider at FirstView Eye Care, located at 202 West Bay Plaza in the City of Plattsburgh.

The Champlain native returned to the area to join Dr. Charles Paepke's practice on June 5.

"I was a patient here from when I was about 4 years old. It made for an easy transition," she said.

Paepke said Herdic is helping relieve the backlog created when his son and partner, Dr. Brett Paepke, transitioned to a consultant's role to focus on opportunities in electronic medical record keeping.

"Caitrin's as close to family as possible for somebody coming into the practice," Paepke said. "We knew she would be a great fit."

'NICE TO BE BACK'

Herdic graduated from Northeastern Clinton Central School in 2005. She then earned a bachelor's degree in cellular and molecular biology from Connecticut College, where she graduated summa cum laude and as a member of Phi Beta Kappa in 2009.

During college, she spent summers as an intern with the Oregon Lions Sight and Hearing Foundation in Portland, Ore. That included work to arrange and participate in community vision screenings and to assist low-income people in access to sight-restoring surgical procedures.

Degree in hand, she went on to receive her doctor of optometry degree from SUNY College of Optometry in Manhattan in 2013, where she graduated with high honors and as a member of Beta Sigma Kappa.

Herdic then spent four and a half years at a private practice with offices in Newington and Uncasville, Conn.

She moved back to the area at the end of May and joined FirstView effective June 5. 

"I'm enjoying it. It's nice to be back," Herdic said. "I didn't realize how many patients I (would) know quite well."

She is enjoying the opportunity to live closer to her parents, Clarke Herdic and Janet McFetridge, who still reside in Champlain.

It is also a chance for the longtime figure skater to delve into coaching with the figure skating club in Rouses Point. Herdic said she also enjoys running, hiking and cross-country skiing.

"It's a great area for those sort of outdoor things," she said.

PEDIATRIC EYE CARE

While she is available for a wide array of eye care services, Herdic said she has developed a special interest in pediatric eye care. One example is the chance to watch closely for conditions such as amblyopia (lazy eye).

"Catching that at a young age is very important in preventing vision loss," Herdic said.

Paepke said it's estimated that 70 to 80 percent of what a youngster will initially learn is by eyesight.

"So if you catch that in the first 5-6 years, so much can be done to help," she said.

Herdic said that while some feel young children can't adequately explain their symptoms, she and Paepke can tell a lot just through an examination.

They both tend to patients of all ages, from basic forms of eye care such as eye exams and corrective lens fitting to discovery and treatment of conditions such as glaucoma, macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.

The latter is common locally, as diabetes is particularly prevalent in North Country. Its effects vary due to factors such as how long the condition has existed and how well the patient is controlling their blood sugar levels.

Diabetics are recommended to receive a dilated eye exam on at least an annual basis, she said. That gives the best chance to monitor changes that indicate conditions such as cataracts or diabetic retinopathy,

ADVANCES

The doctors at FirstView stop short of any surgical procedures, but are able to make referrals to a wide network of specialists on both sides of the lake for more specialized care.

Paepke said the advances in treatments for advanced conditions have been remarkable during his career, even in just the last five to 10 years.

"For most people, we (doctors) can either stop or significantly lessen the progression," he said. "In many cases, we can prolong their eyesight for the remainder of their life."

AIR FORCE

Paepke is originally from Wisconsin and earned a bachelor of science and later his doctor of optometry degrees from Ohio State University.

He came to Plattsburgh in 1972 and served three years of active duty in the U.S. Air Force as chief of optometry services at the base hospital.

Paepke returned to Wisconsin but remained in the U.S. Air National Guard and returned to the Plattsburgh base three times a year to fulfill his obligations as a reservist.

He started the practice in 1980 after he and his wife decided this would be a nice place to raise a family. When the base closed, Paepke retired from the Air Force after 22 years of service at the rank of colonel.

The practice was originally in a small office at 45 Broad St., where he shared space with a local dentist, Dr. Adolph Dittmar.

"That was too tiny," Paepke said.

The development of West Bay Plaza offered a chance for new space in 1987. His son, Dr. Brett Paepke, joined in 2002, but eventually decided to cut back to explore opportunities in medical record keeping.

"When he cut back, it led to a backlog of patients. It took a while to convince Herdic to move back to the North Country," Paepke said.

'GROWING'

Paepke and Herdic each have their own examination area in the cozy offices that overlook Cumberland Bay. The other staff at FirstView includes optician Eilene Honahan, optometric assistant Amy O'Neill and receptionist Adrienne Smith.

The office is open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to noon Fridays. 

Paepke said most forms of insurance are accepted.

They are still looking for another eye doctor to join the practice, Paepke said.

"The practice is growing." 

Paepke said he has a long-standing, loyal group of patients. He is pleased that a number of them have been with him from the start.

They make up the bulk of his roster, while Herdic works more with those patient's children and new patients.

They take pride on friendly, personalized service with minimal wait times, although the occasional emergency does crop up.

Herdic said she also enjoys the chance to take the time to answer all of a patient's questions and address all of their concerns.

Both said eye care remains critically important.