About the Doctors
Call (775) 787-3939 to schedule your appointment!
Dr. Terance Cochrane, Optometrist
Dr. Cochrane, a graduate of the Ohio State University College of Optometry, has been practicing optometry in the Reno / Sparks, Nevada, area since 1985. He also completed a post-graduate program in Ocular Therapeutics at the University of Houston College of Optometry and is board certified in the treatment and management of ocular disease.
I am blessed. I love what I do. I really enjoy seeing patients and helping to meet their vision care needs. I never worry about 'selling' anything to anybody. If I do the best job I can and treat every patient like family and how I would want to be treated, everything else will take care of itself.”
He loves sitting on the deck with his fabulous wife of over 43 years enjoying the view. He also enjoys target shooting and spending time with his grandkids.
Dr. Cochrane retired in Auguest of 2023. Althrough he is not actively seeing patients, the team of Doctors that were chosen, were hand selected with great care in order to continue his legacy.
Dr. Kristen Gaus, Optometrist
After attending Galena High school, Dr. Gaus graduated Magna cum laude from the University of Nevada, Reno with a B.S. in Biochemistry. She received her Doctor of Optometry degree in conjunction with a Masters of Education in Visual Function and Learning in 2011 from Pacific University in Oregon. Dr. Gaus then chose to extend her eye care training by completing a residency in primary care and ocular disease at the Veterans Affairs Sierra Nevada Hospital in Reno, Nevada. During that time, she also earned her fellowship in the American Academy of Optometry. Upon completing her residency, Dr. Gaus worked in private practice optometry in Central Oregon for nine years before she returned to Reno and joined the practice. Dr. Gaus enjoys all aspects of optometry including contact lenses, pediatrics, dry eye, and treatment of ocular disease.
In her free time, Dr. Gaus enjoys spending time with her family, as well as various outdoor activities including hiking and kayaking, running, and even a little ballroom dancing! She and her husband, along with their three dogs, love exploring Nevada together.
Dr. Julie Minnix, Optometrist
Dr. Julie Minnix was raised in Reno and graduated from Bishop Manogue High School. She attended the University of Southern California, where she earned a B.A. in Communications with a minor in Communication Design. After a few years in the workforce, she decided to pursue optometry and went back to school at the University of Nevada, Reno to finish her prerequisites. Dr. Minnix then attended Illinois College of Optometry where she earned her Doctor of Optometry degree. Upon returning to Reno, she spent an additional year completing a residency in primary care and ocular disease at the Veterans Affairs Sierra Nevada Hospital. Dr. Minnix is excited to join the practice to provide quality eye care to the community she lives in.
When not at the office, Dr. Minnix enjoys getting outside as much as possible and spending time with her husband and two daughters.
Dr. Lauren Downey, Optometrist
Dr. Lauren Downey is a southern California native and graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She then spent two years as a research coordinator for Jules Stein Eye Institute at UCLA before deciding she wanted to pursue optometry. She earned her Doctor of Optometry degree from New England College of Optometry and then completed a residency in cornea and contact lenses at the Specialty Eye Group in Seattle. This residency gave Dr. Downey a special skill set for treating nearsightedness known as myopia control. We are excited to bring myopia control into our practice to better serve our pediatric population.
In her down time, Dr. Downey loves reading, spending time cooking, snowboarding, hiking, and being around any body of water. Reno is the perfect place for her to call home!
Our Office
We are located in the Monte Vista Village, 1/2 a mile south of Interstate 80 West and just north of Fourth Street near The Flowing Tide and Great Basin Credit Union. Once you are inside the complex, go through the round-about in front of the Martial Arts School as if you were making a left turn and proceed up the hill. Go past the Hair Salon, Dentist, Family Medicine, and Eyezone buildings. Our building is at the top of the loop, and has "Eyecare" in big red letters right on the front- you can't miss it!
Our address is: 9730 S. McCarran Blvd. Ste. 1
Reno, NV 89523