Our Physicians
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Dr. Oli | M.D.

Dr. Oli, whose name is really Oli Traustason, has chosen to go by Dr. Oli to make it easier on his patients to remember his name.

Not long after entering the private practice of eye care, Dr. Oli decided that in order to serve patients best he wanted to become skillful at taking care of cataracts. When an opportunity came up to join a clinic that was dedicated to the treatment of cataracts, Dr. Oli moved from Southern California to the Northwest. He performed thousands of cataract removals over the next several years, honing his skills.

Dr. Oli has focused on the treatment of cataracts since 1989 and has done over 40,000 procedures to cure cataracts. During those years he has had experience with all types of cataracts, including the most difficult to treat. He has used all the different types of implants available in the United States. Safety in cataract surgery has been an over-riding factor in opening up a walk-in surgery center in Central Oregon.

Providing a comfortable treatment environment to help people relax is an important consideration. Also, working with optometrists to take care of patients has allowed us to concentrate on what we can do best, leaving to the optometrist what they do best, which is why we do not give glasses prescriptions or sell glasses and contact lenses.

Dr. Oli believes as a professional that his primary obligation is to the patients and their choices. He believes in providing quality examinations and using technology to help in caring for patients. He also feels it his duty to guide patients in their choices of treatment, including artificial lenses, and not to pressure patients in their choices.

 

Dr. Kristine | M.D.

Dr. Kristine Traustason specializes in the treatment of vitreoretinal disease.  Dr. Kristine joined Eye Surgery Institute in 2007, after completing a retina fellowship at the University of California, San Diego.  Dr. Kristine graduated from Dartmouth College in 1995.  She graduated AOA from Loma Linda University Medical School in 2001.  She went on to do her internship and ophthalmology residency at University of California, San Diego, which she completed in 2005.   Dr. Kristine has been a board certified ophthalmologist since 2005.  Dr. Kristine is fluent in Spanish, enjoys running, mountain biking and golfing.

 

Dr. Laith Kadasi | M.D.

Dr. Laith Kadasi grew up in Fairfax County, Virginia.  In 2010 he completed his undergraduate in neuroscience with honors from Brown University before moving to Boston for medical school where he attended Tufts University and graduated with Alpha Omega Alpha and research honors in 2014.  Next, he completed his Ophthalmology Residency at Brown University in Rhode Island where he was awarded the “Dean’s Excellence in Teaching Award” for his work teaching medical students at Brown University.  Most recently he completed his retina fellowship at the University of Iowa Medical Retina fellowship program.

Dr. Kadasi is a sport enthusiast and enjoys hiking, playing basketball, soccer, and ping pong.  When not in clinic, he and his wife Stephanie are busy enjoying all that Central Oregon has to offer with their young daughter Angie.

 

Dr. Karen Grove | M.D.

Dr. Grove joined Orion Eye in 2015. She is a board-certified ophthalmologist and fellowship-trained corneal and cataract surgeon. She received her medical degree in 2008 from Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, North Carolina. She was elected to Alpha Omega Alpha, an accolade reserved for the top 10% of medical school graduates. Dr. Grove went on to complete ophthalmology residency at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee. Thereafter, she joined the ophthalmology faculty of Vanderbilt and Meharry Medical College where she enjoyed training residents in the clinic and the operating room. Dr. Grove then completed fellowship in Cornea, External Disease, and refractive Surgery at the world-renowned Duke Eye Center in Durham, North Carolina.

Dr. Grove is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, and the Cornea Society. She has presented at major national meetings and is published in the peer-reviewed literature. Outside of work, she enjoys everything Bend has to offer with her husband, Brandon, and sweet son, Simon.

Dr. Grove offers expert care in state-of-the-art cataract surgery and the medical and surgical management of corneal disease. She is committed to individualized care and passionate about restoring and maintaining sight!

 

 

Dr. Peter Francis | M.D.

Dr. Peter Francis is Orion Eye’s newest Vitreoretinal Specialist. However, he is not new to the field of Ophthalmology.  Dr. Francis earned his medical degree in England, in 1992.  He completed his ophthalmology residency in 1997 in London after which, he completed retina fellowships at Moorfields Eye Hospital, London and Casey Eye Institute, Portland, USA.  In addition, he also earned a Ph.D. in ophthalmic genetics from University College, London.  Ophthalmic genetics is a special interest of his, and he has published over 90 peer-reviewed articles on the subject and is currently Chief Medical Officer of a clinical stage biotech company.

Ophthalmology is a family affair for Dr. Francis, as his wife is also an Ophthalmologist who practices in the Portland area.

While family comes first, Dr. Francis is an avid triathlete, golfer and tennis player.

 

Dr. Suzanna Billinghurst | M.D.

Dr. Billinghurst joined Orion Eye in 2017. She was born and raised in northern Colorado where she attended the University of Colorado in Boulder and obtained her undergraduate degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. She went on to complete her M.D. at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in Denver in 2013. In medical school, she was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, a professional medical organization for excellence in scholarship and the highest ideals in the profession of medicine. She then completed her internship at Indiana University Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis where she did additional training in oculoplastic surgery and completed a microsurgical course. She went on to complete her ophthalmology residency at the Ohio State University in Columbus and served as Chief Resident during her final year. She specializes in advanced cataract surgery and medical glaucoma as well as providing comprehensive eye care. She also utilizes an array of lasers to treat many eye conditions and diseases.

Dr. Billinghurst is a member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, American Medical Association and the American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery.

In her free time, Dr. Billinghurst enjoys hiking, skiing, and ice hockey as well as spending time with her husband and golden retriever.