Double Vision: Reflecting hope while caring for patients’ vision
Robert Miller has cared for eyes for more than 25 years and purchased the Berlin practice in 2003. His brother, Dr. James Miller, OD, joined the practice about four years later.
Curing the blind was among Christ’s most celebrated miracles. Drs. Robert and James Miller and their staff at Berlin Family Eyecare don’t claim to heal the visionless, but they do promise to provide their patients with the best possible eye care services in a personal and thorough manor that honors the Lord Jesus Christ, said Dr. Robert Miller, OD.
“We do that by treating our patients the way we would want to be treated,” Dr. Robert Miller said. “We take the time that is necessary to give people the attention and knowledgeable care they deserve. When you earn the confidence of a patient, that’s not something to take lightly. That’s true in any profession.”
Robert Miller has cared for eyes for more than 25 years and purchased the Berlin practice in 2003. His brother, Dr. James Miller, OD, joined the practice about four years later.
Berlin Family Eyecare now offers a full gamut of vision services, from routine examinations and vision corrections, to medical treatment of glaucoma and other ocular conditions, to an extensive selection of frames, lenses and other vision products. They provide emergency services and a full range of treatment for dry eye, including lubricants, punctual plugs, supplements and topical medications.
The practice has a friendly and helpful staff of more than 15 people, including Drs. Paul Schanz, OD, MS and Rita Schrock, OD. An onsite lab allows the vision care center to conveniently offer edging of corrective lenses, occasionally same day service is available.
“Our broad scope of services is one of the things that makes us somewhat unique,” Robert Miller said. “Our time is about equally divided between routine eye care for people of all ages and caring for patients with glaucoma and macular degeneration and pre- and post-op treatment for cataracts and Lasik. We have many glaucoma patients that we have treated for many years. I think it is comforting for patients to have one doctor take care of just about all of their eye care needs.”
Berlin Family Eyecare doesn’t do eye surgery. However, Robert Miller said, “We co-manage most of the surgeries that we send out, and almost all of our patients choose to have their post-operative treatment done here in our office. I think that gives our patients some peace of mind.”
A friendly, relaxed office environment, he said, is a crucial part of the patient experience.
“Our whole staff is dedicated to making patients feel important and well cared for,” he said. “We don’t over-schedule exams because we want to make sure that we have ample time to spend with each patient.” This also allows a window of time to treat eye emergencies.
“Five years ago, the office was completely redesigned to create a more comfortable environment,” Robert Miller said. “Patients can enjoy a freshly brewed coffee, tea or other beverages, and soothing, inspiring music that reflects our world view and our faith in God. We try hard to make this a place where people want to be.”
Drs. Robert and James Miller also express their faith by providing free eye care to impoverished people in nations like Nicaragua, Bolivia, Peru and Guatemala.
“After going with an optometrist friend to volunteer at a third-world eye clinic 15 years ago, we decided to establish Double Vision Ministries through Bethany Mennonite Church, in Hartville,” Robert Miller said. “We’ve gone on eight trips to provide free examinations and eyeglasses to people who can’t afford to buy them. We take as many as 2,000 pairs of glasses on each trip, and see as many as 1,000 patients. My wife, Theresa, came up with the name Double Vision Ministries to reflect our hope that while taking care of their vision, we can also inspire them in a spiritual way.” Double Vision will be traveling to Costa Rica in April to continue their mission.
Working with his brother, Robert Miller said, further emphasizes the “family” in Berlin Family Eyecare.
“In most ways, we are very much alike,” he said. “We are very passionate about working toward our mission of serving our patients in a Christ-like way.”
Berlin Family Eyecare is located at 4907-B Dalbey Lane, in Berlin. You can schedule an appointment by calling 330-893-2215, or learn more at BerlinFamilyEyecare.com.