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