Member Profile - David Hilber, OD

May 13, 2022
May Member Spotlight

Where do you currently practice?
InVision Eyecare in Fergus Falls MN

Where are you from originally?
Born in St. Paul, MN, raised mostly in New Jersey.

What school did you graduate from (undergraduate and optometry)?
Delaware Valley College (now University), Pennsylvania College of Optometry (now Salus University)

What are your hobbies?
Photography, Stringed Instruments, Model Railroading, snowmobiling, golf

Describe your local community involvement?
I am the Board Chairman of the Lida Lakes Improvement District and just recently stepped down as Board Chairman of the Pass it On Ministry Thrift Shop in Pelican Rapids.

Tell us about your family and pets?
I am married (33 years) with 4 grown children, 1 daughter-in-law, 3 grandchildren, 1 dog and 2 cats

Why do you choose to be a member of the Minnesota Optometric Association?
I am a retired US Army Colonel and was a member of the AOA and Armed Forces Optometric Society during my military career. I experienced the benefits of both organizations to the profession and especially to our patients. I choose to be a member of the MOA and AOA because they are our best means to keep optometry a strong, healthy and growing profession in Minnesota and in the USA.

What do you like best about the profession of optometry?
There is something inherently satisfying about being able to help people keep their eyes healthy and maximize their use of what I consider our primary sense. Besides that, the eye is a fascinating structure and I never tire of looking at it. It is also a profession that goes well with family and living a full life.

Describe your favorite memory from your optometric career.
This is one of many - I was deployed to Iraq from April 2006 to April 2007. The hospital I deployed with was charged with caring for all of the detainees in Iraq. While I never quite learned to speak Arabic, I managed to get by with a numeric Arabic number chart, a few select phrases and some help from our translators. One day, our translator informed me that our detainee patient also spoke German. I speak a little more German than Arabic, so we decided to do the whole exam in German. There were smiles all around during the exam and when asked how the vision was with his new glasses, I got two thumbs up and a hearty "Wunderbar!"

What fun fact would you like to share about yourselves that your colleagues may not know about you?
I own and operate (April-October) a 14-hole executive golf course (Lida Greens) with my father, and I sing lead in the local barbershop chorus.

Please list any articles you have written or lectures you have provided to educate others on eye care.
Hilber, D. J. (2016). Binocular visual acuity and corrective lens use in the United States Army. Military medicine, 181(6), 602-608. Capó-Aponte, J. E., Hilber, D. J., Urosevich, T. G., Lattimore, M. R., & Weaver, J. L. (2013). Military aircrew eyewear survey: operational issues. Aviation, space, and environmental medicine, 84(8), 814-822. Ruff, A. L., Jarecke, A. J., Hilber, D. J., Rothwell, C. C., Beach, S. L., & Dillman III, J. F. (2013). Development of a mouse model for sulfur mustard-induced ocular injury and long-term clinical analysis of injury progression. Cutaneous and ocular toxicology, 32(2), 140-149. Hilber, D. J. (2011). Eye injuries, active component, US Armed Forces, 2000-2010. Medical surveillance monthly report, 18(5), 2-7. Hilber, D., Mitchener, T. A., Stout, J., Hatch, B., & Canham-Chervak, M. (2010). Eye injury surveillance in the US Department of Defense, 1996–2005. American journal of preventive medicine, 38(1), S78-S85. Hatch, B. C., Hilber, D. J., Elledge, J. B., Stout, J. W., & Lee, R. B. (2009). The effects of visual acuity on target discrimination and shooting performance. Optometry and vision science, 86(12), E1359-E1367. Hilber, D. J., Whitwell, K. J., Krumholz, D. M., & Pace, C. A. (2000). The effect of continuous quality improvement on compliance with clinical practice guidelines in an optometric clinic: a retrospective review. Optometry (St. Louis, Mo.), 71(2), 83-90.

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