Meet Our Doctors
DR. DENNIS HAUGLAND
Dr. Haugland grew up in Boone, Iowa and graduated from Boone High School in 1982. He went on to earn a B.S. Degree from Buena Vista University in 1986 and graduated from University of Houston College of Optometry in 1990. Dr. Haugland completed a specialized internship in 1989: Clinical Rotation in Hospital Optometry at Portland Medical Center, Vancouver Division. After earning his degree in Optometry, Dr. Haugland practiced in The Woodlands, Texas. He returned to Iowa in 1991 and began practicing in Chariton and Osceola. He joined Urbandale Eye Care in 1992, and has been part of our team ever since. Dr. Haugland is accepting new patients in our Urbandale office on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and in our Ames office on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Dr. Haugland specializes in contact lenses, therapeutic and primary care optometry, and surgical co-management. He is licensed in Iowa, Oregon, and Washington. He is an active member of the Iowa Optometric Association and the American Optometric Association. Outside of the office, Dr. Haugland enjoys spending time with his wife, Renee, and two sons, Rex and Rece. Dr. Haugland also enjoys fitness training, fishing, and camping in his free time.
DR. JOHN BROEK
Dr. John Broek, son of Dr. Curt Broek, was born and raised in Urbandale and is excited to be back in the Des Moines area. He is a graduate of Urbandale High School, where he was active in sports and activities, including swimming, tennis, golf, and show choir. He received his Bachelors of Science degree at the University of Iowa in Biomedical Engineering, and went on to receive his Doctorate at Illinois College of Optometry in Chicago. As a student, he was an active member of the American Optometric Student Association, Private Practice Club, and Student Volunteer of Optometric Services to Humanity (SVOSH). He was also the lead student technician for the Advanced Disease Imaging Department in the Illinois Eye Clinic. He is well rounded in all areas of optometry, however, is especially interested in the management of ocular disease, such as diabetes and glaucoma, specialty contact lenses, low vision, and primary care optometry. He is accepting new patients in our Urbandale office on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and in our Ames office on Mondays and Wednesdays. Dr. Broek enjoys spending time with his wife (Alicia) his three children (Archie, Odette, and Dean), and their two golden retrievers (Dutch and Bear). He stays active playing on the DSM water polo club as well as swimming, golf, tennis, and leisure sports.
DR. KATE THOMAS
Dr. Kate Thomas grew up in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and attended Linn-Mar High School. She graduated from the University of Northern Iowa, earning a B.S. in Biology, Honors with Distinction with a chemistry minor. While an undergrad at UNI, she worked on an international research project and defended her thesis. She helped found UNI's Phi Sigma Pi honors fraternity and was inducted into the Tri-Beta Biological Honors Society. She was active in Alpha Xi Delta and the UNI Tae-kwon-do club. Dr. Thomas earned her Doctorate of Optometry Degree from Illinois College of Optometry. While there, she continued working in numerous service organizations, serving as the treasurer of the Student Volunteer Optometric Services to Humanity (SVOSH), helping plan and attend a mission trip to Mexico City, and serving as secretary for the student chapter of the Illinois Optometric Association. After becoming an optometrist, Dr. Thomas elected to take advanced training, completing a residency in primary care at the Lake City VAMC in Florida, where she had extensive training in ocular diseases such as glaucoma, diabetes, and macular degeneration. Continuing her interest in research, Dr. Thomas earned her Fellowship with the American Academy of Optometry (FAAO) and has researched and presented at conferences and published an article in the Journal of Optometric Clinical Practice. She is an active member of the Iowa Optometric Association, the American Optometric Association, and a fellow of the American Academy of Optometry. Dr. Thomas joined our team in 2023, and she is accepting new patients in our Urbandale office on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays, and in our Ames office on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Outside of the office, she enjoys gardening, hiking, cooking new recipes with her husband Erik, and walking the trails with their two rescue dogs, Obi and Lily.
DR. CURTIS BROEK
Dr. Broek is the founder of Urbandale Eye Care. Although he retired from patient care in 2023 after serving the community for 40 years, you may see him from time to time working on things around the office. Dr. Broek is originally from Sioux Center, Iowa. He has a B.S. from the University of Iowa, where he was a 4-year letter winner and captain of the Track and Field team. He attended Southern California College of Optometry, where he graduated with distinction. While attending SCCO, he served as student association president, and he is currently a member of Beta Sigma Kappa – an academic honor fraternity. Dr. Broek opened Urbandale Eye Care in 1984. He is a member of the American Optometric Association, the Iowa Optometric Association, and is the past president of the Heart of America Contact Lens Society. He is also past president of the Metro Business Association – a Des Moines area business owners group. Dr. Broek and his wife Joan have three adult children, Rachel Spiller (architect), Sara Engelhart (communications), and John (optometrist). He enjoys fitness training, motorcycling, sailing and fishing. He is also very active in track and field officiating on a national level.
