Serving Vision Care Needs for 25 years!

Advanced Eyecare Professionals is celebrating their 25th Anniversary in business this month. In July of 1984 ophthalmologist Dr. Michael J. Flohr was recruited by the Pennock Hospital Physician Recruitment Committee in Hastings, Michigan so Barry County could have local ophthalmology care.

Dr. Flohr at the time had just completed his residency at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center in Maryland. Flohr said he was an ambitious ophthalmologist looking for work back in his home state of Wisconsin, but after being contacted by Pennock Hospital thought he should at least travel to Hastings to see what the area had to offer. Flohr was impressed with it. He said he loves the outdoors, and Hastings really spoke to that love. Dr. Flohr decided to move he and his family to Hastings and open an ophthalmology practice there, a decision he said he’s never regretted.

Over the years the practice has grown to service other communities vision care needs as well, including an office in Lowell and Ionia. After opening the second office in Lowell in April of 2002, Dr. Flohr was asked by Ionia County Memorial Hospital to start a specialty clinic to offer ophthalmology / cataract surgery locally in June of 2002.

The specialty clinic prospered so in July of 2006 Dr. Flohr opened a full service Advanced Eyecare Professionals office in downtown Ionia, at 423 West Main Street.

In addition to providing eye care in the Hastings, Lowell & Ionia areas, Flohr has been to Honduras and El Salvador on several missions trips with the Lions International to help with “medical management and doing cataract surgery.” Flohr said, “We do not live on an island, isolated and insulated from those around us. A doctor must give as well as receive. I am proud of the effort I have made to help my fellow man.” Other charitable contributions Dr. Flohr and his staff  have made is helping those in need; holding community eyecare days in each of their offices for the past two years which has helped over 264 individuals receive a low cost/no cost eye exam and glasses.

To celebrate 25 years of service and to thank each community, Advanced Eyecare Professionals will be serving refreshments and cookies at all three of their locations in Hastings, Lowell and Ionia during normal office hours the week of July 27. Everyone is welcome to stop by and partake of the treats.

As another unique way to thank each community, Advanced Eyecare Professionals will be giving away glasses cases with special prizes inside! On Monday, July 27, Advanced Eyecare staff will be randomly distributing 25 glasses cases total between the three offices bearing the practice’s logo on the inside for people to FIND. Those that find them will see that inside is a gift certificate for a free eye exam that they can use or give to someone else, a $25 gift certificate for glasses or sunglasses, a microfiber cleaning cloth and a travel size bottle of glasses cleaner. 

Dr. Flohr and the staff felt this was a fun way to thank the community for letting them serve the areas vision care needs and hopefully brighten someone’s day.

Dr. Flohr also said, “I would like to personally thank all the patients, community members, associate businesses and hospitals that have helped Advanced Eyecare Professionals grow and prosper for the past 25 years. I look forward to many more years of serving each communities vision care needs.”