I was way overdue for a full eye exam and it was getting harder and harder for me to see at night. I did not have an eye doctor here so I made an appt with Dr. Wood, a referral from a co worker. I was very happy with the entire process. The staff was friendly, and Dr. Wood was very thorough. The people in the glasses section were great in helping me find glasses that were stylish and looked good. While I was there I saw a Botox special, I went to a dermatologist the first time and had it done by a tech, and it was less expensive here by a doctor. I made an appt for a couple weeks out and am overjoyed with the Botox results!! It was really quick and relatively painless. read more

Terrible! Dr. Wood was condescending, dismissive, and downright cold. He got irritated to explain my condition or answer questions. Staff was also rude, rough with the eyes during testing and the visit felt uncomfortable from start to finish. I left without clear answers. Complete waste of time and money. Go elsewhere if you want respectful care and basic communication. read more

They incorrectly filed my insurance and turned it around on me. The woman on the phone was extremely rude and unprofessional.

terrible service, terrible doctor. I highly recommend that you find another ophthalmologist.

Dr. Wood and the staff at the office are fantastic. He identified a serious retinal issue that requires surgery, and had it not been for his expertise and quick action, I could have lost sight in one eye. I will be a patient for life, and truly appreciate their expertise and care of my treatment. I highly, highly recommend them. read more

It's all about the almighty dollar here. Dr. Wood and staff don't listen to their patient and why they are there. I asked several times for Dr. Wood to call me which never happened. Do yourself a favor and find another Ophthalmologist. read more

My wife & I have been patients of ophthalmologist, Dr. Wood, for over two decades now, during which we've undergone a comprehensive array of eye tests that have sometimes led to proactive treatment for diagnosed conditions, and even outpatient surgery in my wife's case. All of these procedures have been competently carried out, which has helped us retain good eye health up to our 80th birthdays. Moreover, I also wish to highlight the "patient care" that Dr. Wood and his staff are now providing. Over the past few years, Dr. Wood's "patient care" has grown to be on a par with his fine technical skills. And while I have rec'd increasingly fine service from his Ophthalmology technicians in recent years, my Tech, Melissa, was superb yesterday in how she patiently, thoroughly & competently carried out my extensive Refraction exam... after which I spent the shortest amount of time ever in their "recovery" area before I was seen by Dr. Wood. So, I would endorse this practice for any new patients, and encourage that you consider it based on its current way of operating or doing business... at least as perceived by this "veteran patient." read more

I used to be a patient at that facility. At the time of need when I had blurry vision due to a serious bicycle accident, the rude receptionist who identified herself as "Whitley" turned me away by giving me an appointment 3-4 weeks out, even though it was a serious situation that required attention within a couple days. Needless to say, I can only discourage everyone to use this unprofessional "practice". If the low-level personnel are so bad already, you don't expect better from the top. So sad! read more

They are the worst. Rude and will not correctly input insurance information and refuse to speak to the insurance company. I think they enjoy making people unhappy - and that is just the front desk, I don't even want to know how bad the doctors are --usually when reception is rude, the people in charge are down right toxic. read more

The exam: Rushed in and out. Antiquated equipment. I think they just ran the prescription off my old glasses even though I told them it was blurry. Settled on a number even though I told them looking through the machine was blurry. Told me small differences weren't important in prescriptions. Staff: Preoccupied talking to each other. Didn't remember from 10 minutes to the next what my name or insurance was. Tried to overcharge me. Glasses: I went back twice to fix the lenses, and they still are not working for distance/driving, computer, or reading. The first time they claimed my PD had been measured incorrectly. Also the first time the frames were bent and they said sometimes it happens when putting in the lenses, but they didn't fix it. The second time still are blurry on one side. They told me to just tilt my head and move the computer closer. Daily headaches, never had this problem before. Body shop. Avoid. read more

I went for a contact lens fitting because my current contact lenses were outdated. First of all, no one was available to fit my contact lenses the day I went for my fitting, so I had to reschedule - it's so easy to take off extra time from work, right? Then they charged me ahead of time!! When I went for a fitting they recommended some new contact lenses with touric AND multi-focal lenses (I don't even want to think about how expensive that would have been). They were terrible and didn't fit at all and my vision was awful when wearing them, so they tried something else, and they didn't work either. They recommended I try them and let them settle. When I called back to tell them the lenses were worse than my previous lenses (I was seeing double!), they then asked me if I wanted to go back to my old lenses prescription, so they didn't even try to fix it AND they filed against my insurance, so I can't go to someone else without paying full price. If you have vision that is remotely challenging to fit, know that this office will not want to hang in there with you to get the fit right. I have had to switch back to my old lenses until next year when I can definitely go somewhere else. I also have no reason to use the glasses prescription, because I don't trust that after their lack of concern for me with my contact lenses, the glasses prescription will work, and I'm not going to waste hundreds of dollars. On top of all that, the woman who fitted me for glasses, was rude and super unpleasant. Why would I think that she cared whether the glasses prescription would work for me. Massively disappointed and angry. read more

During my 14 y.o. son's recent exam, Dr. Haas came in with a woman who was neither introduced to us nor was she wearing scrubs. She made a point of sitting between me and my son, blocking my line-of-sight to him. She and Dr. Haas then began to exert pressure on my son to undergo additional screenings that I had previously declined as they are not standard-of-care for his age. My son was clearly uncomfortable; I had to physically move and verbally push my way into the exchange to redirect. The exam concluded with this still un-identified person escorting us to the eye-wear counter as she scolded me for not completing the additional screenings and made it clear these screenings would happen next time regardless of my wishes. After the visit, I left a message for Dr. Haas to call me so we could discuss what happened. A few days later a clinic technician returned my call and explained the un-identified person was a "scribe" whose roll was to take notes. That was surprising as I saw no notes taken during the visit. And when our family practioner uses a scribe, the scribe is always introduced, is usually wearing scrubs and certainly does not take lead in an examination. I did ask what sort of professional qualifications and / or licensing the scribe held that permitted her to direct patient care. No meaningful response was given by the technician. She laughed off the situation as a misunderstanding and the scribe's rude and unprofessional behavior as "just joking". I ended the call feeling my intelligence had been insulted and that this is just how the practice now operates. It is all VERY uncomfortable; we likely will find another practice next time. read more

I recently had an appointment with Dr John Wood. He was the third ophthalmologist I had been to in the last year and was the first to give my condition a name. I was relieved to have a diagnosis even tho the only treatment is more surgery. He is reserved and business-like but approachable and friendly. His staff were super --also very friendly, patient, and helpful. All explained what they were doing and why. They spent over two hours working with me. I have never had such a thorough eye exam. I am transferring to his practice. I was very impressed and consider myself very lucky to be under his care. read more

Long wait times and longer wait times. No one apologizes. Do not get your glasses here I brought a pair of Oakleys to get my new lenses installed and the guy broke my frames trying to put lenses in. Did not apologize and said to me that they must be defective. Didn't offer anything except a shitty pair of frames which he gave me 10% off. Do not give this place any business. read more

I have to admit it isn't every day that an organization will contact you when you've been unhappy with their service. I was surprised, therefore, to receive a message from Ray Fligman, the new Practice Administrator at Chapel Hill Ophthalmology. In it, he addresses the issues that I raised in my critique. He goes on to say, "I appreciate your input and will utilize the information for continued improvements here at Chapel Hill Ophthalmology; we will ensure that the refernced issues do not continue." I, for one, appreciate when someone - whether an individual or a business entity - steps up to correct mistakes. Therefore, I'll be willing to give this practice another chance, and will write a new review at that time. In the meanwhile, I'll bump them up to three stars, because or Ray Fligman's personal communique. read more

I've been to this office 2 years in a row and have now decided to go elsewhere. I agree with other reviewers who describe Dr. Wood as brusque to the point of rudeness. He barks instructions at you during the eye exam, without ever engaging with you in a respectful manner. I felt like a disembodied pair of eyes on a factory conveyor belt that needed to move at Dr. Woods' rapid pace, without the intrusion of my pesky questions. I once asked Dr. Wood a question about my vision and he responded: "I'm a physician, not an optician." I'm still unsure what he was trying to say, but I knew I'd been reprimanded by a man whose services I was paying for! The front desk staff are ... OK. The rest of the staff are borderline helpful. One young woman (who may have since left) was outright rude and seemed to be offended when I couldn't find a pair of frames I liked. When I returned there to ask whether they could adjust my new bifocals (the gradation felt misaligned) I was told it was too late for a free adjustment. Well these were my first bifocals and it can take a while to figure out whether they're working correctly. At that point I knew it was time to go elsewhere. Onward and upward... I'm now looking for a better option........... read more

I have been sitting here after dilation for 45 min and have not been seen by doctor. The staff is gracious but the doctor is overbooked, he does not value his patients time. read more

I was surprised to see so many negative reviews after my positive experience here the other day. I don't remember the name of my technician, but he was very knowledgeable and answered all of my questions. Though I didn't spend much time with Dr. Haas, I thought he was very friendly and engaging. I will be returning next year! read more

I had my first appointment here today. An excellent experience all around. The desk staff was attentive. I was called back for the dilation and initial consultation on-time. As soon as my eyes were dilated, Dr. Haas was ready to examine me. I did not feel rushed at all, and he was very friendly. The folks in the glasses part of the operation were also quick, friendly, and did not pressure me to buy anything. read more

A young man checked my eyes and when I said I didn't need a dilation on this visit he seemed annoyed and proceeded with the check in a very rude and abrupt manner. Finally when I saw Dr. Wood he was wearing a special kind of mask that made it very difficult to hear what he had to say. He showed no interest in any questions I had and basically was dismissive. I will not return to his office. It certainly shouldn't be rated the BEST IN Chapel Hill. read more

Office staff was kind and professional. Dr. Wood was rude and patronizing. Charged a full office visit to look at the patient for 30 seconds and say we needed a referral. Overbooked. Waited an extremely long time to be seen. read more

I want to like this practice, living so close to their office; however, concerns outweigh any positives. Firstly, the front desk staff was rude, both on the phone, as well as in person upon check in for my appointment. Sour faces and curt requests were my first interactions with the office staff. The ophthalmologist assistant was friendly and efficient; however, I spent 3 times as much time with her than I did with the doctor. My visit with Dr. Haas was cursory. Questions about an eye condition I was diagnosed with were superficially addressed. I felt like I was just one of many people being treated in an office with a conveyor belt atmosphere. Very little attention was given to creating a one on one doctor - patient relationship. My experience left me feeling as though my eye care may not be a priority for this team. I won't choose to return to this practice. read more

Funny--I seem to have had the flip side of other peoples' stories: most of the ancillary staff were fine, it was Dr. John Wood who was the problem. I had gone to see him originally for a routine checkup, during which I mentioned that I was having some flashes in my right eye and floaters in both. First, they couldn't do the correct exam right then ("we can't see you for a medical problem during the same visit as a routine checkup--we have to bill that separately"), so I needed to come back 3 weeks later. As others have said, it takes three different rooms and five different people to get patients in and out. And I, too, was bamboozled by the opticians when I asked them for my PD measurement. (Seriously, if you don't have a very complex prescription, just order from zennioptical.com--they do a good job for WAY less $. Not a paid spokesperson, just a happy customer.) Dr. Wood was professional, if a little brusque. He kept up a running dictation to his assistant, not explaining any of it to me except to say he didn't see anything wrong other than some minor blepharitis. It took the assistant to explain what this was and how to take care of it--the doc was long gone. At the second visit, they did the correct exams to look for retinal detachment. As it turned out, everything was fine, so they asked me to come back for a recheck in 2 months. That was today. Again with the five-people routine, but only two chairs this time. The first receptionist and the main assistants were all very friendly, considerate, and professional. Then Dr. Wood came in. He began the exam and hist dictation to the assistant. At one point, he needed to press down on the base of my eyeball so he could see the area of interest on the retina. It hurt, quite a bit, so I told him so--for all I knew, the pain was abnormal. No response. I thought maybe he hadn't heard me, so I said it again. No response. Then I said, "Perhaps I wasn't clear about the 'it hurts' part." He told me that he needed to push on it to perform the exam properly, that there was nothing else he could do. In other words, he came across as "Don't bother saying anything because I won't acknowledge you. I certainly won't tell you in advance when I'm going to do something that might cause you pain." With regard to the running commentary to the assistant, I finally asked him whether any of what he was saying was info I needed to know. He blew me off, saying everything was fine. When he finished the exam, he asked whether I had any questions. I said no, because all I wanted at that point was to get the hell home. When I made the appointment for the 6-month recheck (I didn't feel like arguing at that point), the receptionist didn't offer me a reminder card. No eye shield, either, so I drove home with dilated pupils (with sunglasses, at least). Dr. Wood saw a couple of retinas today. He didn't see ME. (And just a$ an a$ide, what is an ophthalmology practice doing offering Botox and Juvederm injection$?) read more

I have been coming to see Dr. Wood for probably 5 or 6 years now. Have always been happy with his services. If I feel I have any vision problems, I make sure that his staff and he, himself know about it. I feel well cared for. I like that they take pictures of your eyes at different points in time to be able to recognize any pathological changes. Some of his ancillary staff are better than others - I've watched some come and go. The front desk staff seems to have stayed pretty solid. Yes, the optical side might be a little pushy on trying to sell you some glasses or contacts but you just have to say "No Thank You!" read more

Chapel Hill Ophthalmology - Optical area - Optometrists Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

I just waited an HOUR AND A HALF to see Dr. Wood. I have been a patient of his for a number of years, so I was aware this would be the case. I have ALWAYS had to wait a minimum of one hour, usually longer. But this time it REALLY was the straw. No one ever apologizes for the wait, or checks on you. The front desk staff is consistently rude and uncaring. Again. I've been coming here for years, so I expect and tolerate this behavior, but not anymore. I'm tired of being treated this way. There is only one staff member who shows any semblance of concern, interest, or kindness, and that's a sweet person named Mimi. Dr. Wood, while he may be brilliant, has zero "bedside manner" and doesn't explain things well. I always have to ask questions to get anything out of him. He is brusque and makes me feel like I am imposing on HIM when I have questions. In fairness, he did do my cataract surgery and I have to trust that he did a good job. But I want someone who listens, cares, takes time to explain things, and where I don't feel like they're rushing to get the exam over with just because they overbooked patients. After waiting an hour and a half, it would be nice to feel like you had some actual attention. I miss Dr. Hale. read more

Very disappointed. Picked up a "repaired" frame and the new hinge was so tight it prevented operation as I was concerned the force that needed to be applied would snap the connection. I can't imagine sending home frames in this condition when smooth operation of the hinge is such a basic function that glasses must perform. Very poor quality control is what I conclude. Now, during COVID, I have to re-enter the facility and wait for the repair to be made. read more

I have been a patient at Chapel Hill Ophthalmology for over 2 years now. I have always found the service to be wonderful. For starters, any place you have to wait throughout their offices, televisions play DVD's of great movies and old tv shows to help any waiting time go more quickly. I find all the staff there to be wonderful, informative and pleasant. Dr Wood is my Dr. He has a great personality and explains everything in layman's terms. As for the Opticians, I truly enjoy working with Marcia. She is very helpful. I had a hard time getting the right contacts for my eyes. She let me return contacts that weren't fitting my eyes 2 times until we got the correct pair for my eye shape. Her patience was amazing. They are a great organization. read more

I don't know what the bad reviews are about. I found friendly, competent people and a great doctor (Dr Haas). Answered all my questions, took his time. Exactly what I was looking for. read more

As a student at UNC, I called to see if Chapel Hill Ophthalmology has CRT(ortho-k lenses) service, the front desk delayed the phone for 7 minutes, telling me that they did not have it, and ended the call without listening to my next sentence. I didn't feel happy in the afternoon after this phone call cause I felt that they treat their potential customers rudely. If you're the manager of Chapel Hill Ophthalmology, I think you should listen to the front desk phone calls (pressing 0) and get a sense of their attitude. read more

Dr. Novey left this practice so I am adjusting the rating downwards. I have had a difficult time getting my records transferred to the new practice and cannot recommend Dr. Wood who in my experience was cold and in a rush with no patience for questions. read more

While Dr. Hale was professional and pleasant to deal with, I was treated rather poorly by an optician. I asked for a copy of my eyeglasses prescription with my PD denoted, and she told me that she didn't know if she could do that. When I told her that I was interested in trying to order glasses online, and needed the PD, she became cold and condescending. I tried to explain that I was still interested in getting my primary frames through Chapel Hill Ophthalmology, and was only curious to see what the online services could provide in terms of quality. I was interested in having more than one pair of glasses, and paying a large sum for each pair is just not practical. She either didn't listen or didn't believe me, and went to go ask someone if she could give me my own PD. She came back several moments later and said that they would have to charge me $10, to which I agreed. So, $10 and 10 seconds later I had my PD, my prescription, and a bad taste in my mouth from the experience. Sadly, this only reinforced my suspicion that opticians must make huge markups on their lenses and frames. I fully believe that having someone personally adjust your glasses and otherwise helping you "tweak" them to get them just right is a service worth paying for. Hence, I don't object to the $10 charge for my PD. The poor attitude of the optician, however, cost Chapel Hill Ophthalmology my business. I went to Specs instead, and had a great experience. read more

I have used CHOC for the last 2 years. My first appointment last year, I was very impressed by the quality and service of Dr. Hale and his staff. He was very professional and very thorough, with great 'bedside' manner. However, I was less than impressed at my second visit a few months ago. As Ruben G mentioned, much of the work that Dr. Hale used to do himself (you know what I'm talking about: "is '#1' better? or '#2'?") is now delegated to a technician, who was struggling with many aspects of the test. As I am pregnant, I opted to get scans of my eye done rather than doing the dilation test, but the technician had to photograph and re-photograph my eyes at least 15-16 times (finally calling in for more assistance) to obtain 2 good shots of each eye. I have no doubt that the sporadic 'peripheral floaties' in my eyes that I still see 2 months later are due to her clumsy manual manipulations of my eyes. Afterwards, I probably saw Dr. McLean for all of 5 minutes, and most of the time she chit-chatted to me about my pregnancy. In addition, the contact lens/glasses department is cheap- they nickle and dime you for everything. Since only one of my eyes had changed, rather than giving me a new pair of trial contacts, they just gave me a single contact lens and told me to wear it with my current prescription for the other eye. Even my husband was told he could only try a single pair of contacts, and if he wanted to try another type (dailies versus weeklies), he'd have to be recharged for another fitting. All in all, it wasn't a great experience. We'll be looking for another opthamology clinic next visit. read more

I have been here multiple times and the doctors are wonderful. The front office on the other hand is very rude. It is sad that such able doctors have such boorish front office staff. read more

This was our second visit to this office for my son, first with Dr. McLean (no longer there) and this year with Dr. Wood. I'm not sure why they are considered the best in Chapel Hill. Front desk ladies are not exactly warm. You do get shuffled from room to room by several different people. There is a long wait for the actual doctor. When he comes, you've got 5 minutes tops. They take NC Healthchoice and medicaid, but the optician does not. So if you need glasses, you've got to go somewhere else. Oh, and the wi-fi they advertised wasn't working. On the positive side, they were able to get us in on very short notice and they seem to know about eyes. The main issues are in logistics and friendliness. read more

I had a complicated problem with my eyes so I was referred here rather than go to my optometrist. I wish I had stuck with my regular practice. This place is a bit of a doc in a box rather than a serious MD practice. The second I was called back the first assistant (tech) did a vision exam and asked about me getting glasses and if I brought my contacts in. I was there because I had lost an alarming amount of vision and no amount of changing my Rx was going to help. In fact, I felt like they just wanted to make money off of me and did not understand that this was a real medical concern that I could not even drive anymore my vision was so cloudy. I was taken to an office and watched an episode of Northern Exposure on their computer while I waited. I don't know if Dr. Wood did not have my referral or if the tech didn't understand that I didn't want glasses but he came in expected a quick eye check not realizing there was something the matter. He seemed a bit annoyed that it wasn't going to be a quick and easy check up. He examined my eyes and then used these two rods to push my eyeball around in the socket. It left a bruise on my eye and was rather painful. I didn't complain because I was concerned about my eyes and if I had to endure this then I would "toughen up" though I see from another review another patient had a similar experience. After the exam he didn't have much to offer and could not answer my questions as to why my eyes lids were so pale and my eyelashes were falling out. Though he did try to sell me some Latisse. For the eye paleness he asked if I had been wearing sunglasses. I saw 4-5 people during the viisit. The first person who did the exam did it wrong and they had another tech do it and she tried to get me to go to the optician in their office to get some new glasses. It was like they were a broken record and that is all they are good for. I really had expected more from an MD consult. I ended up schedullng an MRI to check my eyes. At least they won't try to sell me cosmetic products in my time of despair. I am upset that I will have to pay for services that were not requested as well. This practice uses a terrible business model. read more

I first used CHO when I was a student at UNC, and returned to them when I moved back to the area several years ago. The doctors are excellent and experienced. Whenever I have had an eye issue (thank goodness, seldom), they worked me into the schedule quickly and usually that day. The optical shop is terrific. David, Marcia, Mylene and the rest of the team are knowledgeable and, thank goodness, have a great sense of humor for folks like me who are always doing something to get their frames bent out of shape (which is why I know so many by name!). They help with picking out the best frames for your needs and what looks best on you if you can't decide. As you can tell, I've been a long-term satisfied patient there and wouldn't go anywhere else! read more

Dr Grace is amazing. You can tell she truly cares.

We've done business with this practice for many years but NEVER have been satisfied (actually left for a few years but came back b/c of the location convenience). But can't take it any more. The rampant rudeness, and terrible attitude, particularly from the optical shop employees. They treat the patients incredibly disrespectfully, so if you can tolerate that (and their frequent mistakes which they somehow always twist to be YOUR mistake--what bad business practice!), then this place might work for you. Dr Wood is all business, little interest in you, in and out. We miss Dr Novey! Not sure about Dr Haas. read more

Caveat Emptor! Buyer Beware! $550 for three basic eye exams. First of all they send you a hand typed bill on plain paper, no letter head. Clearly a system devised by an office manager vs some sort of medical billing software. Totally cryptic and hard to read. They put a sticker on there saying they circled the amount you should pay. On my bill, nothing is circled. You can't pay online, you have to call or mail a check. Totally unprofessional and behind the times - is this 2014 or 1974? Yet another money grubbing doctors office. I made an appointment for me and my three kids. They asked if I had insurance so I gave them my card. Insurance declined to pay so I wound up paying $300 MORE than if I would have paid if I just walked in without insurance. They charged me $550 bucks for three basic eye exams. If I had just kept my insurance card in my pocket it would only cost me $250 for all three. It would have been really nice for them to say that up front. Clearly, they are focused on getting as much money as they can. Usually, insurance companies pay less than you do as a consumer but this places charges the consumer more if the insurance does not pay. That is completely egregious! Next time I'll go elsewhere. read more

I have been seeing Dr.Novey for 3 years now and have been incredibly pleased with his amicability, professionalism, and skill. Along with the Optometry technicians Chapel Hill Opthamology is my go-to for eye care services in the Triangle area. (They also support Student Blue Health Insurance for UNC students!) read more