Julie Helmus

OD

Dr. Julie Helmus obtained her Doctor of Optometry Degree from Pacific University College of Optometry. She is a second generation "thoroughbred" optometrist, born and raised in VCP-heavy California by two UC Berkeley School of Optometry alumni. A precocious first-born, she's been working in the family business since the age of eight. Dr. Julie graduated from Pacific University College of Optometry with distinction in 2015. Since her parents' retirement, Dr. Helmus is the sole owner of Helmus Optometry, a "super-single" private practice in the college town of Davis, California. Going on 37 years strong in the same downtown location, Helmus Optometry employs 25 full-time staff and 5 associate optometrists, performing approximately 175 comprehensive exams weekly across a five-day work week. Dr. Helmus expanded the clinic to a second floor in 2020 and completed a major remodel in 2021. She no longer has regular clinical hours but enjoys connecting with patients on an as-needed basis. Thanks to a stellar leadership team, she has been able to step away from the practice on "sabbaticals" for up to 3 months at a time. She is seeking to acquire a second location in 2024. "The village" that helps raise her two energetic young boys affords Dr. Helmus the time to "geek out" on all things eye care. She has lectured on Practice Management at various large national conferences, including Vision Expo in New York and Las Vegas, Heart of America Eye Care Congress, PERC, GWCO, IOP and more to come. She has also published several articles in Review of Optometric Business. She looks forward to developing more practice management content.