OUR Niwot OPTOMETRIC TEAM
The eye doctors and staff at Niwot Eyecare and Vision Therapy have been providing Niwot with quality eye care for many years. Our friendly staff is dedicated to providing this care in an atmosphere of compassion and respect. Our goal is to remain at the forefront of eye care through continuing education utilizing the latest state-of-the-art equipment, technology, contact lens, and eyewear products.
Meet The Eye Doctors At Niwot Eyecare and Vision Therapy
Our eye doctors take the time to explain the results of your eye exam, describe your options and listen to your eye care needs. Because maintaining good eye health is an ongoing partnership, we encourage you to ask questions and share your health information, which could be vital to monitoring, diagnosing, and treating potential vision problems.
Amy Chang, OD, FCOVD is a graduate of State University of New York College of Optometry, she completed her residency in Acquired Brain Injury Vision Rehabilitation at SUNY Optometry. She is a fellow of the College of Optometrists in Vision Development and a member of the Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association. She has received the following awards, Louis Herman Memorial Award for Outstanding Compassion in Patient Care, COVD Award for excellence in Vision Training, and the Best Literature of the Year Award.
She has spent a decade treating military and civilians with traumatic brain injuries in the hospital setting. She has enjoyed helping to improve her patients’ lives after a brain injury. She also enjoys educating other optometrists and health professionals, having lectured in local and national conferences, publishing journal articles, and even a book titled “Neurovision Rehabilitation Guide” which is a manual for therapists on vision rehabilitation.
Dr. Chang understands that every patient is unique and that the best way to understand a patient is to actively listen. She is often told that she has a very calming voice and demeanor and that she explains things in a way that is easy to understand.
Dr. Chang is excited to bring her expertise and also learn from Dr. Hutchins. She is confident that she will be able to provide the high quality of care that her patients have been accustomed to.
Dr. Chang enjoys connecting with her patients on a personal level and taking time to fully understand her patient’s needs and outcomes. Dr. Chang enjoys working with patients that have been told by other doctors that “there’s nothing that can be done” or that “their problems are too complicated to solve.” She finds that very often times there can be a solution and will work with patients to attain their goals.
Dr. Chang is married and has two dogs, Arni and Ivan. She enjoys spending her free time camping, hiking, and biking.
Dr. Shelley Rachal (nee Clark) is a Neuro-Optometrist who specializes in the evaluation and treatment of functional vision disorders. After achieving her Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology at the University of Texas at Austin, she went on to graduate Summa Cum Laude from the University of Houston College of Optometry.
Her passion for vision therapy inspired her to complete the intensive one-year Irwin B. Suchoff Vision Therapy and Rehabilitation residency at the State University of New York College of Optometry, where she gained experience in the treatment and management of a variety of functional vision disorders including acquired brain injury, strabismus (crossed-eye), amblyopia (lazy eye), learning-related vision problems, and difficulties with visual-perceptual processing.
Throughout her education, Dr. Rachal has received multiple honors and awards including FERV Reber Scholarship recipient, Beta Sigma Kappa honor society member, UHCO General Scholarship Award, and Clinical Letter of Excellence recipient. She is a member of the College of Optometrist in Vision Development (COVD), Neuro-Optometric Rehabilitation Association (NORA), American Optometric Association (AOA), and the Colorado Optometric Association (COA).
Dr. Rachal believes in quality patient care, which to her means that each patient should be treated as an individual with a treatment plan customized to his or her concerns and needs. It is important to her that her patients feel heard, comfortable to ask questions, understand their diagnoses, and are an active part of their treatment plan.
Dr. Rachal has been told by patients that she has a friendly and professional demeanor, completes thorough evaluations, and that she explains conditions in a way that is easy to understand.
In her free time, Dr. Rachal loves exploring Colorado’s beauty with her husband, whether it be snowshoeing, snowboarding, skiing, or camping. She also loves to cook, travel, and go to music and comedy shows.
She is excited to add a dog to her family in the near future, as she absolutely adores animals!
Dr. Hutchins has fully retired in March 2023 after more than 30 years in practice.
She is thrilled to have Dr. Amy Chang and Dr. Shelley Clark continue her legacy of providing holistic vision care to the people of Niwot, Boulder, Longmont and is looking forward to spending time in her mountain home, volunteering and traveling in her retirement.
