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The owners of Eye Clinic North, third-generation practitioners on the Iron Range and in Duluth, have a clear vision for the future of their medical optometry practice and retail eye care.
Dr. Matthew Sipola and Dr. Hannah Sipola have dramatically increased their practice's physical footprint, improved accessibility for the diversity of people they serve, and expanded their staff team. A new construction office in Hibbing opened in late 2023. Then, this month, they cut the ribbon on a bigger site in Virginia. Eye Clinic North also has a Duluth location.
Matt's father and grandfather both practiced here, and Matt says he knew from the 10th grade that he wanted to follow in their footsteps. After he and Hannah concluded their training and residencies in 2015, Matt was eager to come back home to northeast Minnesota.
The couple are among a small number of Minnesota optometrists who are board certified in medical as well as general optometry, improving their ability to help treat and manage diseases and injuries of the eye as well as provide eye exams, glasses, contacts, and safety glasses.
"Demand for health care is growing across the board, yet the number of providers, especially in rural areas like ours, is not," said Matt. "Half a dozen Iron Range eye care providers have retired or moved in the past five years or so and not been replaced," he added.
The Sipolas have invested significantly in their business and their communities to help fill the gap. Adding new equipment and leading-edge treatments, bringing Dr. Kayla Bechthold and her practice into Eye Clinic North, and relinquishing their too-small downtown locations for new spaces has equipped them to serve more patients, more comfortably and efficiently.
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