Dr. Lora J. Cretella – Optometrist

Dr. Cretella grew up in the Appalachian Mountains, raised in East Tennessee and Western North Carolina. She attended North Carolina State University, where she graduated from the Honors Program with a Bachelors of Science degree in Biomedical Engineering. She received her Doctorate of Optometry from the University of Houston College of Optometry. Her rotations included working at the Santa Fe, New Mexico Indian Health Service hospital eye clinic and the Oklahoma Cherokee Nation hospital eye clinics. Throughout school, she was able to participate in multiple free vision care clinics in the USA, Mexico and Ukraine. After graduation, she completed a residency in Ocular Disease at the Spokane Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

She has now relocated to Waynesville, and is happy to be back home in the mountains! Outside of work, she enjoys many activities like hiking, skiing, paddle boarding, ballroom dancing, painting, and more. She looks forward to helping the Haywood Family Eye Care team serve you!