Meet your local eye health experts
Our ophthalmologists and optometrists are dedicated to providing compassionate eye care to you and your loved ones.
At Clarus, you get to know your doctors and spend quality time with your surgeon should you require that level of intervention to improve your eye health. One-on-one care is just one of the many things that set the doctors at Clarus apart.
Our doctors come from a wide variety of backgrounds but all have trained at some of the most respected eye institutes in the country. They are passionate about ongoing research and implementation of the latest technologies and treatments available today, which has and continues to put Clarus at the forefront of eye care in the south sound region and beyond.
CATARACT & ANTERIOR SEGMENT SURGEONS
Comprehensive ophthalmology
The anterior segment refers to the front-most region of the eye and includes the cornea, iris, and lens. Typically, the phrase “anterior segment surgery” refers to surgery performed on the iris and lens (including cataract surgery). Meet our anterior segment surgeons!
Dr. Grant Aaker grew up in central Minnesota. He graduated summa cum laude from Lewis & Clark College with honors in philosophy. He attended Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City where he conducted extensive research on the aging population, receiving distinctions such as the Howard Olian Medical Student Scholar in Geriatric Medicine, the Henry Adelman Memorial Award for Excellence in Geriatric Medicine, and honors in research with his medical degree. Dr. Aaker interned at New York Hospital Queens medical center. He went on to complete his residency training at the prestigious Casey Eye Institute of Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Oregon.
Dr. Aaker provides comprehensive eye care with special emphasis in cataract surgery and anterior segment surgery that utilizes advanced technologies such as laser-assisted cataract surgery, microincision, no-stitch cataract surgery, intraoperative wavefront aberrometry, astigmatism-correcting (toric) lens implants, and multifocal lens implants. He also performs glaucoma surgical procedures, such as glaucoma laser treatments and minimally invasive glaucoma surgery, such as the iStent implant. Dr. Aaker has presented at numerous national meetings and published his research in multiple peer reviewed journals. He has participated in many FDA clinical trials that study groundbreaking technology for cataract and glaucoma surgery and intraocular lens technology.
Prior to his medical career, Dr. Aaker worked as a film producer, creating documentaries that have earned international acclaim and have been broadcasted on popular cable television networks, such as AMC and VH1. He continues to enjoy film in his free time, along with photography, the outdoors, and spending time with his family. He and his wife, Dr. Jane Myung, reside in Olympia with their daughter.
Dr. Stephen Reck spent his childhood as a Michigander before moving to the East Coast. He attended the College of the Holy Cross and graduated cum laude with a bachelor’s in physics. Following college, he served as a commissioned naval officer aboard a nuclear-powered attack submarine. Acknowledging him with accolades for his military service, the Navy awarded him three Navy Achievement Medals and two Meritorious Unit Commendations. Following his time in the military, Dr. Reck began his pursuit of a career in medicine. He received his medical degree from the distinguished University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, Michigan and continued on there to complete an internship in internal medicine. Dr. Reck underwent his residency in ophthalmology at the esteemed University of Michigan’s W.K. Kellogg Eye Center, where he also completed a fellowship in glaucoma and anterior segment surgery. After fellowship, Dr. Reck moved to Chicago, Illinois and delivered care as an assistant professor in ophthalmology at the Loyola University Medical Center. Loyola’s Department of Ophthalmology bestowed upon him the residency’s Teacher of the Year of Award in 2008.
Dr. Reck specializes in cataract and glaucoma surgery, employing state-of-the-art technologies, such as laser-assisted cataract surgery, microincision, no-stitch cataract surgery, intraoperative wavefront aberrometry, astigmatism-correcting (toric) lens implants, and multifocal lens implants. He also specializes in glaucoma surgery, such as glaucoma laser treatments, and glaucoma bypass procedures including trabeculectomy, tube implants, and minimally invasive glaucoma surgery, such as the iStent implant. Dr. Reck has published several scholarly papers in medical journals and participated in several FDA clinical trials studying new advancements in cataract and glaucoma surgery, along with intraocular lens technology.
Dr. Reck and his wife, Dr. Penny Reck, and their children live in Olympia, where they enjoy music, cooking, and water sports such as kayaking, canoeing, and sailing.
Dr. Anthony Grillo’s interest in medicine stemmed from an interest in infectious diseases while living in rural Thailand after high school. Seeing diseases like polio, tuberculosis, and a lack of access to even common antibiotics and vaccinations motivated him to further study how education and poverty influence health care access.
He graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and a minor in Japanese from California State University Fresno. As a medical student at the University of California Los Angles, Dr. Grillo became fascinated with microsurgery and the amazing results that eye surgery could provide. During his ophthalmology residency at the Casey Eye Institute in Portland, Oregon, he developed a passion for the intricacies of surgery in the anterior segment of the eye. There, he also earned the Casey Eye Institute Medical Teaching Award in 2014. Following residency, he moved to the Midwest for his Cornea, External Disease and Refractive Surgery fellowship at the Mason Eye Institute at the University of Missouri, where he honed his skills in cataract surgery, corneal transplants, and ocular reconstruction. He stayed on as an Assistant Professor and trained residents and fellows, while also becoming the Assistant Residency Director. In 2018, Mason Eye Institute bestowed upon him the Faculty Teaching Award. Dr. Grillo returned to the Pacific Northwest in 2019 and joined a private practice in Eugene, Oregon prior to moving to the Olympia/Lacey area in the summer of 2022.
Pursuant to his drive to deliver care in areas where there is a prevalent need, Dr. Anthony Grillo is joining the Clarus Eye Centre team in July 2022 to fill the ever-growing need for cornea subspecialty care in the South Puget Sound region. Dr. Grillo specializes in cataract, refractive surgery, and cornea, utilizing trailblazing technology such as laser-assisted cataract surgery, microincision, no-stitch cataract surgery, intraoperative wavefront aberrometry, astigmatism-correcting (toric) lens implants, multifocal lens implants, intraocular lens (IOL) exchange, and the Light Adjustable Lens. He also uses state-of-the-art technology for laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK), photorefractive keratectomy (PRK), laser corneal scar removal, implantation of iris prostheses, iris reconstruction, comprehensive keratoconus management including corneal cross-linking, Fuchs’ dystrophy management, external ocular tumor evaluation and treatment, limbal stem cell transplants and a variety of corneal transplant techniques including Descemet’s membrane endothelial keratoplasty (DMEK), Descemet’s stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK), deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) and penetrating keratoplasty (PKP).
Also a former Division I collegiate swimmer, Dr. Grillo’s favorite pastimes include aquatic activities such as scuba diving and deep-sea fishing. In his free time, he also enjoys spending quality time with his family, traveling, hunting, and cooking.
THE RETINA SERVICE
Located at Clarus Eye Centre
The Retina Service at Clarus offers premier care for diseases of the retina, macula, and vitreous using a range of advanced medical and surgical treatments.
Our team of retina specialists includes Dr. Jane Myung and Dr. Penny Reck, both of whom are board-certified ophthalmologists and highly trained retina subspecialists.
Dr. Jane Myung is originally from Iowa. She graduated from the University of Iowa with Honors in Biology and English. She went on to complete her medical degree at the University of Iowa. Dr. Myung then moved to New York and completed her internship in Internal Medicine at Montefiore Medical Center- Albert Einstein School of Medicine. She then began her Ophthalmology residency training at New York University School of Medicine-Manhattan Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital where she served as chief resident during her final year. She went on to complete a two-year surgical retina fellowship at Weill Cornell Medical Center in June 2011. Dr. Myung is board-certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology.
Throughout her career, she has been an invited speaker and presented at multiple meetings including the American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Society of Retinal Specialists and the Retina Society. She has also been a member of ORBIS, a nonprofit organization that serves to teach local partnering doctors to provide quality eye care in underserved countries.
Dr. Myung specializes in the care of all vitreoretinal diseases including age-related macular degeneration, ocular complications of diabetes, retinal vascular disorders, visually significant floaters, repair of retinal tears, and retinal detachment. In addition to surgery for retinal detachments, her surgical interests also include performing surgery for vitreomacular interface disorders (such as epiretinal membranes, macular holes) and surgical management of ocular complications (such as dislocated intraocular lens via intraocular lens removal, intraocular lens exchange, and/or scleral fixated intraocular lens). Dr. Myung joined The Retina Service at Clarus Eye Centre in 2015.
In her free time, Dr. Myung enjoys baking and spending time with friends and family. She resides in Olympia with her husband, Dr. Grant Aaker, and their daughter.
Dr. Penny Reck attended The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan via the school’s prestigious integrated premedical-medical program known as the Inteflex Program. While at The University of Michigan, she obtained both her bachelor’s degree in linguistics and her medical degree and was recognized for academic excellence, commitment to leadership and community service through various accolades, which include: the William J. Branstom Prize, Class Honors, the Inteflex Program Director’s Award, and the Asian-Pacific-American Outstanding Student Leader Award. Following graduation from medical school, Dr. Reck interned at St. Joseph Mercy – Ann Arbor Hospital and began her residency training in ophthalmology at the University of Michigan’s renowned W.K. Kellogg Eye Center. In 2006, she was honored with the Walter R. Parker Resident Teaching Award for excellence in training medical students. Research interests included work that investigated animal models of retinal regeneration, treatments for exudative age-related macular degeneration, central retinal vein occlusions and eye trauma. Dr. Reck successfully completed a two-year surgical retina fellowship at The University of Illinois Eye & Ear Infirmary in Chicago, Illinois in 2008. Dr. Reck is board-certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology.
Dr. Reck specializes in treating patients with retinal disorders such as ocular complications of diabetes, age-related macular degeneration, retinal vascular disorders, eye trauma and repair of retinal tears. She believes in educating her patients while delivering individualized and compassionate care. Dr. Reck has been a consultant for vitreoretinal diseases and a retina surgeon in the South Puget Sound area since joining Clarus Eye Centre in 2008. After seven years of being the sole local operating retina surgeon in Thurston County, prior to the growth of The Retina Service with the addition of Dr. Jane Myung in 2015, Dr. Penny Reck began transforming her practice to focus on clinic-based care combined with in-office minimally invasive surgical procedures, as of 2020.
Outside of the workplace, Dr. Reck plays an active role as a supporter of public education and children’s music education. She enjoys spending her free time with her husband and three kids. She and her family have made Olympia, Washington their home. Personal interests include cooking and the performing arts.
OCULOPLASTIC SERVICES
Oculoplastics, or oculoplastic surgery, includes a wide variety of surgical procedures that deal with the orbit (eye socket), eyelids, tear ducts, and the face. It also deals with the reconstruction of the eye and associated structures.
Dr. Blake Perry grew up in San Diego, California before moving cross country to the East Coast to become an Ivy Leaguer. He attended Princeton University, where he also played football and accumulated several awards, including The Harland “Pink” Baker Award in 2000 for the freshman defensive player of the year; The Dr. Harry Roemer McPhee Trophy, the school’s outstanding player award, in 2003; and the prestigious All-Ivy Football Selection in both 2002 and 2003. Dr. Perry also demonstrated academic excellence during his time at Princeton, graduating with honors with a bachelor’s in political science. After earning his medical degree from the George Washington University School of Medicine, he completed his ophthalmology residency at one of the nation’s top programs, the University of Iowa. Following residency, he received the elite opportunity to pursue training in Oculofacial Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery via a two-year fellowship sponsored by the American Society of Ophthalmic Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery (ASOPRS) at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland, Oregon. After fellowship, Dr. Perry returned to Southern California to practice ophthalmology and oculoplastic surgery before relocating to the beautiful Pacific Northwest. He joined the Clarus Eye Centre team in 2018.
Dr. Perry specializes in aesthetic plastic and reconstructive surgery of the face, eyelids, orbit, and lacrimal system. His training makes him an expert at performing facial plastic and reconstructive surgery, as well as addressing issues (like tearing management) that require an in-depth understanding of how to care for the delicate tissues and structures that surround the eye, such as the tear ducts and orbit. Dr. Blake Perry is certified by the American Board of Ophthalmology and is a fellow of ASOPRS. He is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. He has also served as a leader of the medical community on the Board of Trustees for Pierce County Medical Society since 2019.
For leisure, Dr. Perry enjoys spending time with his wife, Shawmonee, and their four kids, which includes coaching his children’s athletic teams, anything related to the outdoors, and sports, such as tennis, basketball, golf, and hiking.
OPTOMETRY SERVICES
Offering routine and primary eye care, as well as glasses and contact lens services
Corinne Bacher graduated from the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada with a bachelor's in science from the Honours Science and Business Co-op program. She received her Doctor of Optometry from The New England College of Optometry in Boston, Massachusetts, and was inducted into the Beta Kappa Sigma Honor Society. Since then, she has utilized her knowledge in science and business in delivering comprehensive eye care in Canada and the southern U.S., where she was a past board member of the Middle Tennessee Optometric Physicians Society. Her experience also includes directly serving military families and retirees of the armed forces.
Dr. Bacher's practice focus is quality eye care for all ages. Through her business training combined with her optometric education, her strong customer service skills and effective communication style provides for a positive patient experience. She enjoys connecting with a diverse patient population. Dr. Bacher is fluent in French and English and can conduct a basic eye exam in Spanish.
During her downtime, Dr. Bacher enjoys hiking, skiing, triathlon training, volunteering with military families, and spending time with her husband and sons.
Dr. Tammy Burrell graduated from California State University, Dominguez Hills with a bachelor of science in biology. She earned her doctorate of optometry, cum laude, from Marshall B. Ketchum University’s Southern California College of Optometry, and was awarded recognition by the Beta Sigma Kappa Honor Society. Dr. Burrell began her career as a private practitioner in Torrance, California, establishing a start-up private practice with a patient base in two locations. From there, her passion for optometric care led her to practice in different areas across the Western United States, serving mainly seniors over the past 17 years. She provided and managed optometric services within an interdisciplinary health care setting at All Care Medical Group. Dr. Burrell continued delivering full-scope routine and medical eye care while working collaboratively with patients’ specialists and primary care physicians in Colorado, Arizona and on Whidbey Island, prior to moving to the South Puget Sound area.
Dr. Burrell finds the enhancement of vision and management of eye care services at all stages of life engaging. She focuses her practice primarily on the care of degenerative eye diseases, specifically glaucoma and dry eye. She also enjoys providing specialty contact lens services and co-managing surgical patients with our ophthalmologists.
In her spare time, Dr. Burrell enjoys being with family, watching old movies and baking. Additional pastimes include hiking, biking, and traveling abroad.
Originally an Illinoisan, Dr. Kristen Clark attended Illinois College, earning her bachelor’s degree in biology. She moved to Chicago and graduated in 2011 from the Illinois College of Optometry, where she received accolades including the Dean’s list and membership to Golden Key International Honour Society and Beta Sigma Kappa International Optometric Honor Society. Dr. Clark’s professional pursuits focus on delivering eye care within a fast-paced environment working alongside ophthalmologists to deliver quality care to both surgical and non-surgical patients. From Champaign, Illinois to Las Vegas, Nevada, she managed pre- and post-cataract surgery and laser vision correction patients, as well as provided primary care to patients of all ages, including routine eye care such as prescribing glasses and contact lenses.
Dr. Clark moved to the Olympia/Lacey, Washington area in 2019 to join the Clarus team. Her practice encompasses primary eye care, routine eye exams, treatment and management of ocular diseases such as dry eye, and co-management of post-surgical patients. Due to her experience and expertise, she also specializes in contact lenses, including specialty contact lenses.
When not in the office, Dr. Clark loves spending time with her two kids and husband, exploring, trying new restaurants, and staying fit and healthy.