Spotlight on Federal Hill Businesses | Federal Hill Eye Care

Federal Hill Eye Care

Owner: Dr. Scott Klasman

“I don’t wear glasses, I never have. People often ask me what started my interest in eyes. I had my eyes examined by an optometrist on August 6th,1986. I remember the date because it was the same day that I went to the Van Halen 5150 concert. The doctor was looking in my eye with a light and I could see an image of my retina in the reflection of my eye. I could see all of the vessels and everything. I was fascinated. I was hooked from that moment. I started reading a lot about eyes. It was my second year of college; I was laser-focused. I knew exactly what I wanted to do.

I worked as an employed doctor for eight years when I began my optometric career. Observing other doctors, opticians and managers helped quite a bit. I saw how a business was managed. I was intentional about observing everything in the office and asked many questions of my boss.

I developed a passion for Myopia Management. I felt that a private practice setting would be the best place to develop that specialty. Here, I’m practicing Myopia Management. Myopia is a condition where the eye is growing longer than it should, leading to the symptom of blurred vision at distance. The eye growing larger than it should can lead to an increased risk of eye diseases in the future as an adult. With Myopia Management, we are doing non-surgical techniques to slow down the growth of the eye, and thereby slow down the increase in a prescription for glasses or contact lenses. That’s really exciting to me. I’m the type of doctor that is pretty open-minded. I want to get on board when I learn of new techniques or procedures that can help my patients. That’s what inspired me to chart my own course and give private practice a try.

When I saw that this practice was for sale, I knew I was interested. I grew up in Baltimore County and I used to come down here with my friends on weekends so this is a special place for me. I love Federal Hill. I’m also into the history here. This office space was built in the 1800s. People used to live here. This office is two-row homes that have been opened up. There was also a lot going on at Fort McHenry back then. This area has a big connection to history, but just a few blocks away is Harbor Place which is more modern. I love the mixture of the old with the new.

What's really neat about Federal Hill is that I don’t walk down the street and see a Costco, or Walmart. Those stores have a place in society, but when you take an area like this that's historic and community-based, small businesses play a big part in the community feel. I know I’m just a business owner and this isn't my residence, but I feel like a neighbor here. I feel like I’m part of the community.”