Contact Lenses for Everyone!

• We invest heavily in patient-care technology because it lets us deliver the most thorough care while inviting the patient into the process. There is an enormous upside to being able to show a patient the small intricacies of the insides of their eyes and how we can help diagnose and/or manage things like diabetes, hypertension, and even things like multiple sclerosis.

• My patients are the reason I show up every morning! I very much enjoy catching up, asking about their families, and now, how they’re handling the pandemic. I also love the opportunity to meet new patients, connect, and develop new relationships.

Dr. Mitchell is a proud Hokie who graduated from Virginia Tech in 2007 with a degree in biology and a minor in psychology.  While enrolled at Tech, she was active in several volunteer organizations, founded the pre-optometry club, and was a member of the National Scholars Honor Society and Alpha Epsilon Delta, the Health Professional Honor Society at VT.

She moved to Boston, Massachusetts to attend the New England College of Optometry, where she spent the next four years studying under some of the best eyecare physicians in the country.  She gained clinical experience in the VA Medical Center, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston Medical Center, and Omni Eye Services.  Her clinical internships included primary care, ocular disease, surgical co-management, pediatrics, and contact lenses.

Dr. Mitchell moved back home to Blacksburg in 2011.  In 2019, she earned her Fellowship in the American Academy of Optometry (FAAO).  There are currently only about 3000 active fellows worldwide, and there are only about 70 fellows in the state of Virginia.  She enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband, son, and dog and frequently gets lost in a good book.

Dr. Mitchell has focused her skills on options to slow the progression of myopia in children and specialty contact lenses, especially for patients with keratoconus.

• I love watching a squirmy little kiddo just light up when they can see clearly for the first time. They get this shy little smile and then a really big grin that’s contagious and everyone in the room starts laughing. They didn’t know what they were missing and it’s like a whole new world for them!

• The most rewarding feeling for me is fitting a patient in a specialty contact lens. In some cases, it’s been years, even decades, since they have had clear vision. When the happy tears turn into a hug, that’s how I know I’ve made a big difference in their lives.

• Yes! Please make sure your kids develop good habits now while they’re still young and healthy. Sunglasses are so, so important! There’s only so much ultraviolet light we can take. Be as outdoorsy as you want, that’s wonderful, but do it with a good pair of sunglasses on your face!

Dr. Beaudoin completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Connecticut where she majored in Biology and minored in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. While at UCONN she was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta and participated in numerous philanthropic events for the local community.

Her interest in optometry started soon after her cousin's optometrist found signs of what ended up being a very large and aggressive brain tumor. Dr. Beaudoin was not only thankful for that optometrist saving her cousin's life, but also amazed that this profession can give the gift of sight and save lives.

Dr. Beaudoin graduated from Pennsylvania College of Optometry at Salus University. While at school she was inducted into Beta Sigma Kappa International Optometric Honor Society. She has experience in all facets of eyecare including primary care, pediatrics, glaucoma, neuro-optometry, emergency medicine, and special populations. While truly enjoying full-scope primary eye care for the entire family, Dr. Beaudoin developed a passion for providing care for patients with significant vision loss and spent extra time focused on low vision at the William Feinbloom Low Vision Center in Philadelphia.

Dr. Hempelmann is now seeing patients, with a focus on pediatrics (17 and under), patients with binocular vision disorders (eye turns, lazy eye, etc) of any age, and is helping oversee the vision development and rehab clinic at Blacksburg Eye. Dr. Hempelmann is a tried and true Mountaineer who graduated from West Virginia University in 2005 with a degree in biology. While at WVU, she realized she wanted to pursue health care. Always loving her annual visit to the eye doctor and after talking to a friend’s parents (both optometrists themselves!) and learning about the profession, she applied to schools, ultimately ending up in Chicago at the Illinois College of Optometry. She spent the next four years learning from some of the best optometrists in the profession both at school and while on externships. Her studies and clinic rotations included primary care, ocular disease, contact lenses, and pediatrics. She was a member of the Beta Sigma Kappa Optometric Honor Society along with various student organizations. After graduation, Dr. Hempelmann worked for a private practice in Charlottesville, VA. After a wonderful three years there, she made the decision to further her knowledge and specialize in pediatrics and binocular vision. She completed a residency at Indiana University School of Optometry focusing on infant/children/adolescent eye exams, binocular vision assessments of all ages, vision therapy, visual information processing, and contact lenses for kids. Following that year she moved back to Chicago and worked for ICO at a satellite clinic, IEI at Princeton, serving the public school children of the city. In addition to direct care, she also taught the optometry students how to do eye exams on children. She participated in a few research projects there as well and presented two posters at national optometry meetings. In her free time, she loves to work out in various ways- running, spinning, lifting, fitness classes…and she is always looking to recruit others to join her! What do you enjoy about someone being able to see clearly?

• I remember being 8 years old, putting on my first pair of glasses, and being able to see the board in school, the leaves on the trees, the signs on the street, the TV. While everyone’s prescription varies vastly, it still delights me to no end to provide that to others, especially kids! I also love being able to give that first pair of glasses that results in a ‘wow!’, or giving active preteens and teenagers contact lenses that allow for them to excel outside the classroom. Being able to see clearly helps in kids’ confidence, whether that be in the classroom or on the field. I want to optimize their full potential and starting with a clear, comfortable vision is step one. And I get to do that!

Share briefly how much seeing your patients makes your job rewarding.

• It’s the BEST! I love establishing a comfortable, informative, and fun doctor-patient relationship. If a child/teenager and their parent, as well as adults, feel like they got a great exam and want to see me again, it truly makes me happier than they know. In my specialty in particular, it’s extremely rewarding watching their progress in vision therapy sessions then hearing about their successes in the classroom or at work, and in life. It’s also great seeing *pun* their vision improving with new glasses and amblyopia treatments. I love hearing adults with binocular vison problems saying their symptoms are decreasing and their quality of life is so much better. Having patients who feel cared for but also relaxed enough to tell me about their eyes, vision, symptoms, and life fills my heart up with joy and it makes doing pediatrics and binocular vision so incredible. I LOVE when patients and/or their parents want to be seen by me visit after visit.

Anything else that you would your patients to know?

• I strive to provide the best care to each and every one of you, every single visit. I truly listen and try my hardest to give 100%, and it goes beyond the office. I think about my patients all the time. I want them to know I’m trying and doing my best, so they are completely taken care of every exam.

Dr. Melchione is now seeing patients for comprehensive eye exams, with a focus on specialty contact lenses, treatments for slowing the progression of nearsightedness, and dry eye disease.

Dr. Melchione grew up in Lexington, Virginia. During high school she started exploring healthcare careers, and while working with her family optometrist she became fascinated by the intricacies of the eye and the impact optometry has in the lives of patients. Dr. Melchione completed a degree in Biology with a minor in Spanish Business at the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, Virginia. She went on to earn her doctorate of optometry from Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, Tennessee.

Throughout her undergraduate and graduate career, Dr. Melchione took opportunities to participate in providing eye care internationally. During these trips to underserved areas, she began to appreciate how great of a need exists internationally, especially in developing countries. This led Dr. Melchione to volunteer in a non-profit clinic in Panajachel, Guatemala for two years following her graduation. She loved being able to serve patients who would travel sometimes from twelve hours away because of lack of access to eye care.

When Dr. Melchione returned to the United States, she decided to pursue a residency to further specialize her skills. She joined a program in Seattle, Washington and studied specialty contact lenses, treatments to slow the progression of nearsightedness (myopia control), and dry eye disease. After the year of specialized training, Dr. Melchione is excited to trade Mount Rainier for the Blue Ridge Mountains and be back in her home state!

What do you enjoy about someone being able to see clearly?

• • I love that when patients are able to see clearly, every goal that they have becomes more achievable. They can focus on life without having to worry about the struggle to see.

What do you enjoy about eye care technology & protecting patient health?

• • I enjoy being able to share photos of the inside of the eye with patients, and to tell them the ways that we can learn about their systemic health, like changes from diabetes or high blood pressure, from monitoring the health of the eyes annually.

Anything else that you would your patients to know?

• • I have loved getting to know Blacksburg through meeting patients since joining the practice this fall!