My husband and I have both been seen there. We find the level of care to be very good. The Doctors are up on all the newest treatments and Lissa in optometry is exceptional! read more

Michael Merry is an amazing optometrist. My son has been in glasses his whole life and all doctors said he could never get contacts. Well, they were wrong. He told my son he could get them and my 12 year old has never been so happy! Sammy, the technician is so patient and spent time helping my son learn how to put them in and take them out. I now have a very happy pre teen who finally said goodbye to bifocals and is happy as can be. Thank you North Valley Eye Care read more

I had cataract surgery performed at North Valley Eye Care. Dr. Barthelow and his team provided excellent care throughout the process. I am very pleased with the outcome. read more

I went in for an examination of a recurring stye on my eyelid. The doctor was rushed and didn't spend much time, but that seemed OK because he said they would prescribe two medications that they would call in that day (it was morning). After waiting all day and still nothing at the pharmacy, I called North Valley Eye Care and asked them to check. They said they would check with the team and call me back that day. They didn't. Nor the next business day. They never put the prescription in, so now I guess I'll be starting over somewhere else. Very disappointing service from what I had hoped would be a great place for eye care. read more

Eye care was top notch care quality was outstanding and the office experience was out of this world

Great service in a timely manor. Staff were all very knowledgable and friendly. I had my new glasses in no time, and they were perfect!

They try to get you to come in every 3 months to make more money they are crooks. They wanted to do unnecessary work on my eye unneeded injections lucky I went somewhere else and saw a optimaligist he felt no need for that. Dr Merry is only a optometrist and not very good at all in fact he threatened me. read more

Because of the highly professional staff at ( North Valley Eye Care, ) in Chico, CA. Jo I've always felt that I've been given the most outstanding service and I've had my eyes examined with their team at North Valley Eye Care. they would and could catch anything with their equipment and skilled team on board. Thank you North Valley Eye Care for caring about my eyes as much as I do. Thank You, Kori McBrayer read more

When I say that Dr Rudick and his team have been a game-changing factor in my life, it's not just my life that I'm talking about. My Mom, Dad and I have all received the best eye care imaginable from Dr Rudick for more than 15 years, including several points at which his care was critical in saving my Dad's eyesight. I've experienced eye care in more places than I have fingers and toes, and I come back to Dr Rudick because I trust him, because time and again he has earned my trust by going the extra mile and then a mile past that. If you want a medical team that cares about your eyes as much as you do then you've found that team here in North Valley Eye Care. read more

Thought I would try this business. Had a 3:00 appointment so I arrived early to fill out the usual paperwork. After 45 minutes there and people arriving after I got there were seen before me I walked up to reception and told them I am leaving. Had bad vibes about how they treat customers. I won't go back. read more

Horrible customer service never going back refused to give my daughter's prescription been going there for year's spent lots of money at there optical department. Dr.Merry gave out false prescriptions. Unfortunately they lost our business for good. read more

Dr. Rudick is the best! I trust him with my eye health. He takes care of me in Chico and Paradise.

Do not order glasses from this eye care center. Told me it would be two weeks to get glasses made, after two weeks i called to fined out where the glasses ordered were and they told me there was a mistake on the glasses. THEYDO NOT KNOW WHAT THE WORD SORRY MEANS . They blamed it on someone else, No timeline when glasses would arrive. Just very rude people with poor customer skills. Save your money and go somewhere that is concerned about your eye care. read more

So impressed! We had an emergency Pink Eye/Allergy situation that was only getting worse and son had to leave to go back to school in a couple of days. He was a mess and ER didn't help much. Contacted North Valley Eye and they went out of their way to see my son THAT DAY and take the time and care to diagnose and help him. They cared enough to fit him right in without playing games and the boy is doing WAY better the day after. This place and Dr. Merry are the best. read more

I have had wonderful experiences with North Valley Eye Care ever since I started going there more than 10 years ago. From cataract surgery to routine eye exams I never had a bad experience. I feel bad about one thing--I went in for another routine eye exam in September 2023 and was assigned to a lovely young woman named Natalia who asked me to leave a review which I have neglected to do until now. Natalia was pleasant, cheerful and efficient. I would highly recommend Natalia and North Valley Eye Care to anyone needing care for their vision. read more

My Mom had many sessions of tests done before her cataract surgery. Now I learn other places spend less time testing, so this place is just doing more to bring in more money? I guess I should have asked for a full treatment plan in print so I could have easily compared it with other places. Also It is really over-crowded and hectic feeling. They seem to pack twice as many staff and clients in the building as is comfortable. Trying to talk to any staff person at the front desk is stressful because 5 or 6 conversations are going on all around. Surely there must be something better in town? And why can't they offer guest WiFi? read more

This is the most horrible place to have any eye care done!! Today I took my elderly mother for her eye exam. First of all, we did not see the doctor they originally scheduled her with AND they failed to let us know before the exam. Common courtesy would dictate that a patient be informed if there is a change in providers.....wouldn't it? The doctor we saw was young, inexperienced, and downright condescending!!! I said something on the way out about not seeing the doctor we were scheduled with and they didn't even apologize. I've had eye care done at this place and they've over billed me according to my insurance company. GET IT RIGHT PEOPLE. read more

I've been going to North Valley Eye Care since I was a child and wouldn't trust anyone else with my eyes. As a patient of the founder, Dr Val Shaw, moving to a new ophthalmologist when he retired made me a bit anxious at first after having been his patient for decades. As I soon found, that anxiety was totally unfounded. His replacement, Dr. Isaac Barthelow, is not only one of the most impressive doctors I've ever had the pleasure of meeting, but also one of the most humble. He's community focused and does whatever he can to help those who need his help the most. I consider myself lucky to have him as my eye doctor and wouldn't be comfortable recommending anyone else. Beyond Dr. B, the rest of the office staff and doctors are world class as well. Each one is kind, courteous, and thoughtful--traits which are more and more difficult to find ruse days. If you're looking for the best eye care Northern California has to offer, call North Valley Eye Care. I can't say enough about them! read more

Great doctor (Dr.Merry) and very kind optometrist assistants but the receptionists and opticians are unprofessional and very rude. I had an optician call me 4 times yesterday, leaving 3 voicemails. Each voicemail had completely opposite information. After each individual voicemail, I called the office and spoke to a different optician each time. She told me completely different information than the voicemail her colleague had just left me. DO they not communicate with each other at work???? Then I spoke to someone not knowing if I still needed to come to my appointment because the optician in his voicemail said I didn't have to come anymore, that those were the doctor's recommendation. The woman on the phone interrupted me mid-explanation and just began talking very loud over me with attitude. Unacceptable. When I went to my appointment, I told the receptionist that the optician said I needed to pick up samples. The receptionist told me to sit in the lobby and wait for him to come to me. I waited. He didn't come. So, I walked over to the room he was in, peeked my head in and said, "Are you John? You left me 3 voicemails and I'm here to pick up my samples." Well, John was just sitting at his desk talking to his coworker and immediately came to help me. You would think that if his job is to help people who are waiting for him in the lobby that he would constantly be getting up to check to see who is there waiting to speak to him. After I met with the doctor, the doctor didn't have to check my eyes at all. All he did was write down more recommendations for samples after checking in his computer if they had them and told me to see the opticians afterwards to pick up the samples and some sample products. The doctor wrote all this down for me and gave it to the opticians. When I approached both opticians they said they didn't have any of the samples and that they needed to be ordered in(even though when I spoke to the optician earlier, he literally had the samples in his hands to give to me but didn't because he said I could see him after I see the doctor). They did not give me any samples so I will have to drive to them a THIRD time whenever they feel like giving me the samples. This isn't my first frustrating experience with this office. For my eye exam appointment last week, they didn't tell me that Mondays were their busiest days and that huge delays would occur. I went to my exam on time during my lunch. I waited over 45 mins just to be seen. What is the point of scheduling an appointment then if this is how it's going to be? At the end of my eye exam appointment, I was told by the doctor to see the optician because she would give me the glasses and contacts scripts. She didn't want to give them to me. She insisted on me trying the samples first and then for me to tell them which ones worked and for me to have to drive all the way back just to pick up the scripts. I told her I would like to get the scripts now to avoid a extra trip and it was only after I insisted, that she printed them for me which literally took 2 seconds. People shouldn't make these things more complicated for you than they need to be. They should be putting themselves in the patient's shoes and helping them. read more

Dr. Rudick and the North Valley team are phenomenal! They have been providing excellent care for my husband for a long time, and have helped answer so many of my eye questions in recent years. The doctors are professional, thoughtful and dedicated to their patients. I can't recommend them enough -- your eyes are in excellent hands with them. read more

I can't help but laugh at the negative comment as I have always received outstanding service at North Valley Eye Care. Sometimes they get backed up, but I've never been to a doctors office that hasn't had a wait time. The staff is very proactive when informing you about the wait times or next step in the process of your appointment. I appreciate that they keep you comfortable while waiting. As far as the review that mentioned a separate appointment to look at glasses, when explained to me, it was intended for them to limit the amount of people in the optical area due to COVID-19 and regulating it. I super appreciated that, and understand as there have been a lot of changes with appointments or shopping due to COVID, is there any place NOT affected? Furthermore, with the previous review, if someone is explaining benefits "like you're a dumb person", and "little did he know I worked well over 3 years in the medical field", how is the staff supposed to know your previous job history? I would cringe if they asked for my resume when I'm getting an eye exam, but I personally appreciated them educating me on MY insurance benefits and what is covered. How can anyone make a decision about their glasses without being educated on what is out there to help your visual needs/lifestyle?! I had an incident with my RX not feeling right, and they were able to accommodate me immediately to check my RX. My RX was correct with what the doctor prescribed and what was fulfilled. I didn't trust their credibility when told to "give it time", but I'm happy I did as I eventually got used to it. I guess I'm just getting old! They were kind to assure me they would correct it if it was an error on their end, which I appreciated. Glasses and lenses are a custom order so I researched ahead of time what I was needing in terms of light sensitivity. I advise anyone to do the same depending on your visual needs are and talk to your doctor about your concerns. Since I'm at the computer all day, I was advised to get a coating on my lenses to help with glare. Helps with my driving too, and I never felt pressured to add the feature. Adults can educate others AND say no if they're not interested. I have moved since having my appointment this year, but plan on scheduling with them since it's not too far when I'm due for my next exam. I highly recommend this place! read more

Always have a excellent experience with North Valley Eye Care! They are on time, friendly, professional, and thorough! No complaints.. the staff is friendly, and the office is very clean! read more

After being misquoted the management team called me and got everything sorted out, I will update my review the rest of the way after the appointment. read more

Didn't have a chance to really get to know any more. I'm not a fan of the small-town way of business. I love to see things being done and customers served right. I'm a business owner and I know what it's like to constantly have 300 things to do at once, but if there's a client, you drop what you're doing and you help them out. I walked in the door of this place and a young lady said, "Hello, can I help you?" I answered that I was really interested in their Nike collection and she replied, "Oh, okay, someone will help you in a bit." As she paced back and forth and did ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, my blood began to boil. I thought to myself, "Why would I do business with people who aren't interested in a meal at the end of the week?" Instead of saying to me something along the lines of, "I don't know much, but let's see what we can find, so that I can at least get you started" she just walked away to chat with the other TWO women behind the desk. Seriously? If I buy a $350 pair, you eat! The life of the business, and in turn, your PAYCHECK relies on you making me want to come back. Amazing. read more

North Valley Eye Care is the best! I recently had an eye infection while visiting friends in Chico, and after calling around, being turned away, and getting frustrated, North Valley Eye Care came to my rescue! They were able to see me quickly, listened to my concerns, and were able to treat my infection without giving me all the run around that most places do. I high recommend this place if you are in the Chico area! read more

They made a mistake on my prescription, mistakes are made but they made excuses and gave me a hard time. They offered to refund my exam fee if they could remove my negative review from their Facebook page. They did not refund my money. I called to tell them I never got a check and Doctor Batrthalomew thought it his place to lecture me, the same guy who said "uh oh what's that" during an exam, great chair side manner eh? Stay away tom this place. read more

North Valley Eye Care provides expert ophthalmologists for a wide range of vision problems. I suffer from dry eyes, and Dr. Merry convinced me to try Prokera, a treatment that uses a membrane tissue, wrapped in a ring and inserted in the eye. It was annoying, but not painful, and I had to get around with vision in one eye only until Dr. Merry removed it after 3 days. It was well worth the inconvenience! Dr. Merry could see that I had fewer abrasions and I can see the world much better! read more

I highly recommend North Valley Eye for all phases of eye care. They have outstanding service. If you have any hesitation about seeing an optometrist, put your fear aside and make an appointment with North Valley Eye Care. I just had cataract surgery on both eyes in March, what a difference in my eyesight. Dr. Barthelow did the surgery, and he was absolutely awesome. He made sure you were comfortable with the procedure you were about to have explaining everything. Very caring and helpful. I also saw Dr. Merry before the surgery and Dr. Montgomery after the surgery. They answered all questions you had. You will also be helped by the best technicians. Just an all around good place to have your eyes checked. read more

I have been bringing my son here for years. They have been very helpful and pleasant at each visit. The ladies at the front desk as well as the optical dept have also been very pleasant to work with. The office is clean and well kept, the wait is never very long. The exams are very thorough and we always leave feeling great. Thank you North Valley Eye Care for always being there for us when we need you. read more

We walked in with an Rx from another eye center. The receptionist said they are not taking prescriptions from other eye centers. Don't waste your time. read more

This is the same place that Dr Shaw works in. For more reviews it would be helpful to look at his reviews. I am really glad I found this Dr through the yelp reviews. They were right on. read more

I went in for a regular eye exam and waited over an hour to get taken into my exam room. This was a scheduled appointment that I had to take time off of work for and was very disappointed in the overall experience. When I called in to make my appointment I advised them I use glasses and would need new ones and they never mentioned I would have to make a SEPARATE appointment to LOOK AT GLASSES. I was thankfully able to ask the nice girl in that department and she told me I could pick some out. Once I was done with my 2 minute eye exam where the optometrist showed me 4 different lenses and asked " one or two ", I sat down with a guy who was trying g to explain my benefits to me like I'm a dumb person. Little did he know I worked well over 3 years in the medical insurance field. I didn't want to argue so I just let him go on. It was cringe. He tried to sell me on some extras and made me feel pressured to get extra stuff. Overall this was not a good experience and my glasses still don't feel right, but when I went to pick them up he told me to give it time. It's annoying that my insurance had paid for this visit and that my glasses are not right but I don't want to risk going back there to feel like I'm at a used car dealership. Would not recommend. read more

I saw Dr. Montgomery for an eye irritation. Very kind and helpful. I had a minor infection. He gave reasonable, sound advice, and prescribed some medications. His office did follow up by phone and then another check up. I didn't have to wait long in the lobby for care. The office is clean and inviting. The best part is Dr. Montgomery, very professional and informative. A wonderful resource for our community ! read more

Three and one-half years ago I developed a rare eye inflammation called uveitis. Not having any idea what was going on, I visited 2 walk-in clinics the weekend this began and was twice misdiagnosed. On the following Monday, when my cloudy vision had worsened, my wife said, "we're going to the eye doctor--I don't care if we don't have an appointment!" Immediately, upon arrival, I was examined by both Dr Val Shaw and Dr. Isaac Barthelow. I had been a patient of Dr. Shaw ever since relocating to Northern California, and was always given great care. In this event, I was given multiple eye tests, sent for blood work, and also tested for several immunodeficiency disorders, which was frightening to think that I could possibly have some additional serious health problem. Much to my relief, I had none of those disorders, but Dr. Barthelow was able to link the uveitis to a TB skin test that I had taken the week before. This situation was even more rare than just having the uveitis. There was even the possibility of blindness. The doctors immediately began treatment with steroidal eye drops, then oral prednisone the following week. The inflammation began to dissipate. The situation was looking good. Unfortunately, the uveitis recurred several times over these past 3 years, thus, Dr. Barthelow, who took on the ongoing treatment of my case, consulted with, and had me see, 2 experts in the treatment of uveitis, one being a top ophthalmologist in San Francisco. All of the doctors concluded that I was getting the best possible treatment from Dr. Barthelow. I am quite happy to say that over time the treatment has been effective, and even though this disorder may be a recurring event in the future, I now have 6 months without symptoms! From the time I walked in the door of North Valley Eye Care, I was treated quickly and skillfully. I was monitored almost daily for several weeks and even seen after hours. I have continued to be monitored and truly appreciate the ongoing care and professionalism of these doctors. The entire staff has been consistently kind, friendly, caring, and professional. I don't know what I would have done without these excellent people. I will always be grateful to Dr.s Barthelow and Shaw. And the best part?: I can see! Larry Collins, Marriage and Family Therapist read more

Just wanted to take a moment to comment on my experience with North Valley Eye Care. I recently had cataract surgery through them with Dr. Rudick, Dr. Barthelow & their amazing staff/team. I want to let everyone know what a positive experience & wonderful outcome I had. I wasn't the model patient, but they were awesome & guided me all the way through. My results far exceeded my expectations!! Anyone deciding on this for themselves, do it! Run, don't walk! It's life changing! You won't find a better team! read more

The office is very chaotic, people holding little laptops running everywhere. I went to see Dr. Barthelow about cataract surgery. I had 3 appointments, each of which he spent only 5 minutes with me, and he was always behind a machine, it was always a dark room or hallway because they were remodeling their small office to accommodate 7 doctors! He urged me to have laser cataract surgery but they changed the dates, couldn't give me exact dates as they were "moving the laser" l I'm sure he's an excellent surgeon, but he is rude and impersonal and did not inspire confidence. Overall, it was a disappointing medical experience. read more

I was in the hospital for four months due to a severe brain aneurysm and came out with double vision. I went to see Dr. Kristiane Ransbarger. She is so kind and friendly I told her children were waiting in heaven to be hers. She was very honest and told me that she could make my problem worse by operating as my brain was still changing. Rats! My problem is only correctable with prisms in my glasses. However, when I married him, my husband had a lazy eye and had gone through three operations to correct it at ages two, three and four. None of them worked and it caused embarrassing professional situations. Dr. Ransbarger loves to operate and I asked if she could work on my husband instead. She did. His beautiful eyes are now totally straight and normal. Hooray! Dr. Ransbarger is a great positive credit to her profession and to surgery in Butte County in general. read more

30 minute wait times, terrible customer service, and to top it off Dr. has trouble with figuring out how to write the proper prescriptions (I had to come back 3 times). This optometry clinic is everything that is wrong with our health care system (i.e. useless tests, socially inept doctors, double booking appointments etc.) Avoid. read more

The staff is pleasant and very efficient. I never had to wait too long. Barthelow and the other docs seem knowledgeable and have a good reputation for cataract surgery. That being said, I recently changed clinics because it was my belief that I was paying off their new laser equipment. It took from March until October and approximately 16 office visits to test and retest my eyes with no plausible explanations. Additionally there were a couple of expensive procedures done that I found out later were not necessary. After 8 months I still wasn't scheduled for cataract surgery. Got the hard sell on the new equipment which is $1780 per eye out of pocket. I found this course of treatments over kill and very unethical. I switched clinics and the new practice was able to do in 1 1/2 hours what North Valley had taken 8 months to do. During this time the new clinic kept asking "why did they do this" and why did they do that"? So unless you are incredibly magnanimous and love to go to the eye doctors more than necessary and enjoy paying off the fancy new machine at North Valley, I suggest you go elsewhere. P.S. I met someone who forked over the extra money for the new machine and still ended up with complications. read more

Several years ago, I was told by the doctor I only needed over-the-counter readers. Recently I've been experiencing tension headaches, with eye pain. Attempting to narrow down the problem, I contacted the same doctor again. After many tests, he wrote a prescription for glasses with minimal explanation or understanding for all the tests. He sent me over to their eye gallery to have my prescription filled. While my eyes were still dilated, I fumbled through attempting to select a frame. I was having difficulty with my vision, emotional upset about this lifestyle change and the costs $$$$ for their frames. The young girl showed me many frames, attempting to fit me. One of my friends walked in to pick up her contacts. She could tell I was upset and told me I didn't have to choose their frames; I could take my prescription elsewhere and for less cost. The doctor never informed me of this; nor did he inform me - I was required to wear my new glasses from the time I woke up, until bed. What?!? The young girl informed me of news flash, which put me over the top! Not only full-time glasses; but, sunglasses, too. I left without making a decision, since I was so upset. I asked for copies of my test results, records and prescription before leaving. I was promised they'd mail it to me, within a few days. Over the next several days, I learned I had more options. I also learned my prescription was wrong! I only needed readers - not full time lenses, nor in my sunglasses. The girl informed me wrongly. I had to get a refund for lenses (wrong prescription) purchased for my sunglasses. I was told I'd have to wait several days for my refund. What?!? I received excuses and many "I'm sorry" apologies - their standard verbiage used in this office. Again, I asked for my medical records and was promised they'd be mailed to me. They said the doctor would have to sign off and approve the request. After speaking with the office manager, I explained I needed to have someone (another doctor or the like) to take time with me for my follow up appointments. I needed to understand what was going on with my vision, cause for headaches and know my options. I did NOT receive this during my first visit. My 2nd and 3rd visit confirmed, I have the beginning stages of Glaucoma - controllable (by drops) and/or corrective surgical process. Again, emotionally upsetting - learning about frequent monitoring visits, and more eye drops were forthcoming. Each and every time, while waiting in the lobby I would hear staff constantly apologizing for - this or that. I would hear other patients complain about something and the habitual response was "Oh, I'm sorry about that." The staff would have the same tone, as their greeting "Hello. How are you today?" Yet no one took responsibility for the error, nor did they take time and attention to make it right. Due to the numerous tests performed; I became concerned about billing vs. insurance coverage. The last thing I wanted to find in my mailbox was money owed - unpaid by insurance. I contacted the office manager again. She returned my call after 4 days - excusing she'd been so busy and work was chaotic. I expressed my billing concerns and she passed me off to the billing manager. The billing manager never called, after one week. I called her. She returned my call - put out and offered no help - only billing codes. She told me I needed to call my insurance company to satisfy my concerns. She assured me, they could look up the billing codes she gave me. Wow! I thought this was Customer Service, at its finest. Again, I asked for my medical records to be sent. She promised she would personally take care of this request. I finally received my mail - containing only a small portion of my records and no copy of my prescription. I researched and asked colleagues and friends for recommended eye centers/doctors. I decided on one close to home and scheduled an appointment. I asked if they'd request my medical records. The new eye center suggested I call to request them, too; since they take almost two weeks to receive. After leaving the new place (May 21), I called the manager again (North Valley Eye Care) and received her voicemail. My message medical records request was simple, with a sense of urgency. My last request was to cancel my upcoming appointment (May 27th); for all the reasons she had learned, during my visits in the past few weeks. I asked her to call me, if she had any questions or concerns. I never heard from her. Yesterday (May 26th), I received a call from the receptionist "Hello. This is North Valley Eye Care. We're calling to confirm your appointment for tomorrow, May 27th." I politely informed her, I had already cancelled my appointment with the manager last week. Her response, "Oh. I'm sorry about that." read more