Finding an out-of-state doctor can be a daunting task if you don’t know where to begin. Thanks to the Internet, patients can now take their healthcare into their own hands.
Whether you are coming for work reasons, to visit family & friends, to sightsee or to seek superior quality eye care, there are a few things you will want to look into.
Research and read carefully all recommendations for the physician and facility. Valued patients who have received excellent care and personal attention will likely take the time to write a recommendation or testimonial. Find out about the doctor’s education, if they are licensed to practice in that state and if they are board certified. It will be 100% worth the trip from out-of-state to have confidence and trust in your doctor and eye care specialist.
Many doctors become certified in a specialty by completing special training and passing formal examinations. To find out if your MD is board-certified, access the American Board of Medical Specialties Web site at www.abms.org or call 1-866-275-2267.
The following testimonial is from a patient who was unhappy with his poor care and recent misdiagnosis from a local MD and sought the outstanding out-of-state treatment that Claris can offer:
How did you find Claris?
I found Claris Eye Care & Surgery through recommendations of individuals that live and work in the Twin Cities. I investigated the Claris website and was very impressed with the information that I found and proceeded to schedule an appointment.
Why did you choose Dr. Carlson and Claris over your local physician?
I chose Dr. Carlson and Claris over my local eye doctors because of the credentials of Dr. Carlson and his reputation and work in the field of eye care. He comes highly recommended!! He has many accomplishments and years of experience to his credit.
I had become very unhappy with my local eye care doctors.. I had gone to this clinic all my life and received very impersonal and callous treatment during my last few visits. I also found out that they were recommending the use of a lens implant that would not have been successful in one of my eyes.
Were your expectations met by Dr. Carlson and the Claris team?
I was totally astonished at the treatment that I received upon my first visit to Claris. As I have told people, I was treated like royalty!!! Never before had I been treated so well!! I felt like every single individual that I encountered at Claris was truly interested in me and my welfare. I had never before experienced such wonderful,expert and personally attentive treatment. I can honestly say that I had never experienced such a thorough exam with the most state of the art equipment as I did at Claris. It was totally reassuring and I felt like everyone knew exactly what they were doing and they were focused on my situation. Dr. Carlson and Marti were simply outstanding in testing and diagnosing my particular situation. Also one of the most amazing things at Claris is that I was treated as an individual and not like I was on an assembly line!! That had not been the case with my previous eye care provider.
How did the experience of your procedures stand up to your expectations?
All of the procedures that I went through from the initial eye exam through the surgery process totally exceeded any expectations that I had. I was treated as the most important person there from my initial eye exam right through the process of my two cataract surgeries. All the people at Claris (as well as at Phillips Eye Institute) were constantly looking out for my welfare. I have never been able to see like I can now see. Have worn glasses since 4th grade and now can see 20/20!!!! Is truly unbelievable!!
How has follow up been since your return?
The follow up at Claris has been outstanding. The team at Claris is just as concerned with assisting you following your procedures as they are before the procedures. There is not a doubt that the entire Claris team is a group of caring and concerned experts in their field.
Would you return to Claris and Dr. Carlson for another procedure?
Anytime in the future that I would require another procedure, Claris would definitely be the place that I would come. You will not find any other eye care provider that has more concern for you than Claris. The expertise of the team at Claris is top notch. They have the most up to date knowledge, expertise, experience and state of the art equipment to take care of your eye issues. I have the utmost confidence in everyone on the Claris team.
Would you recommend Claris to other out-of -state patients, friends and family?
I would recommend Claris to anyone that has eye issues whether they are routine or out of the ordinary. Dr. Carlson is a wonderful and caring individual. He takes the time to visit with you and explain everything. Having received the Claris treatment, I won’t consider any other eye care provider. It is totally worth the trip from out of state to have the confidence in an eye care team like Claris. They are truly a unique group of caring and expertly talented individuals. In my opinion, you will not find more competent individuals in the field of eye care. Truly outstanding individuals in their field!
Ok, Claris vs. your local eye care, how do they compare?
In my opinion there is no comparison between the Claris team and my local options. It is the difference between night and day!! The Claris team has provided me with far superior eye care than I could receive on a local level. I believe that the technical expertise exceeds what I am able to receive locally. I am a very picky individual when it comes to my medical care and I can’t say enough good things about the Claris team. Before I came to Claris, year after year I would have my eyes examined and would have to go back sometimes two and three times for rechecks as my vision was not clear. This became very discouraging to say the least. There is no question that the Claris team will be my eye care provider from this point on!
Did you get to sight SEE at all while here?
I did not incorporate any sightseeing into my eye trips as I do visit the Twin Cities, Minneapolis and Saint Paul, on a regular basis to visit family. The big “sightseeing” event for me was that I felt like I was able to get a new lease on my vision through the expertise and help of Dr. Carlson and the Claris Team… Redefining the term “sightseeing “ and giving me a new roadmap to life!
For more information, please contact Claris Eye Care & Surgery at 612.775.8009 or by email at info@clariseyecare.com. For more ways of contacting Claris Eye Care & Surgery, visit our Contact Us page.