Back row from left:  Peter Strand, Michelle Weber, Michaela Elliot, Teri Krutsinger, Sherri McFarren, Missy Sossa, Katie Seltstedt, Jenny Berg
From row from left:  Marti Christopherson, Dr. Thom, Teri Doschadis

Dr. Thom has a friendly and highly qualified staff to meet all of your eyecare needs.

Our staff is here to assist you with any questions you have including questions related to your care or insurance coverage. Please feel free to contact our office at anytime with your questions:

Office: 701-235-5200
Toll Free: 1-877-255-2745
Fax: 701-237-0927 

You may also email us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and one of our trained staff professionals will get back to you. Please be sure to include your name, email address and telephone number so that we may contact you as soon as possible.

Teri has worked in our office since 2006 as the Office Manager.  She has been in the Optical business Managing for over 30 years in the Twin Cities and Fargo/Moorhead area. She lives in Moorhead, Minnesota with her husband and Golden Retriever.  She enjoys watching her 2 boys play football for Concordia College and baseball. She also enjoys sports and spending time at the lake with her family. 

Sherri has worked at our office for 4 years as an Ophthalmic Technician. Her husband and 4 children currently live in West Fargo. She enjoys spending time with her family and attending her children’s sporting events and spending time at the lake cabin. 

Peter Strand was born in Moorhead, Minnesota and has lived in the FM Area growing up.  He graduated from Fargo South High School in 1982.  He then went into the United States Air Force in 1985 and Retired in 2005.  He has been an Optometry technician for 22 years.  His hobbies are shooting pool and he loves all sporting events and concerts.  His favorite teams are the Minnesota Vikings, Minnesota Twins, Minnesota Timberwolves, Minnesota Wild and North Dakota State University. 

Missy has worked in our office since 2007.  She served as our receptionist for 5 years and is now the Billing Administrator.  Missy lives in Barnesville with her husband and 3 daughters.  In her free time she enjoys attending her children’s events, spending time at the lake with family and is looking forward to learning how to golf. 

Michelle joined our clinic in 2009 as an Ophthalmic Technician.  She joined us with over 3 years of  prior experience at MeritCare’s eye department. She currently lives in Fargo with her husband and two children. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, especially at the lake. 

Katie has been with our office since 2010 and works as a  Ophthalmic Technician. She grew up in and currently resides near Colfax, ND.  In her free time she enjoys running and spending time with her husband and their 2 children. 

Jenny has worked in our office for 2 years as a Ophthalmic Technician and Refractive Surgery Coordinator.  Before joining us Jenny was a Lasik Specialist for 10 years in the Fargo area.  Jenny lives in Fargo with her husband and has a daughter at UND and a son at NDSU.  She enjoys spending time with her family watching UND Hockey and time at the lake with her family. 

Teri has worked in our office for 2 years as an Ophthalmic Technician and before joining us she was an Optometric Technician for 5 years in Detroit Lakes.  She currently lives in West Fargo with her husband.  She enjoy time spent with family and at the lakes. 

Marti Christopherson has worked in our office for the past year as our Front Desk Receptionist. Before joining us, she had worked as a Medical Assistant at the Barnesville Area Clinic.  She is currently maintaining a Certified Nursing Assistant position while working full time at our office.

She lives in Barnesville, MN with her husband and 3 children.  She enjoys spending time with family and friends and going to the lake.

Michaela has worked in our office for 1 year as an Ophthalmic Technician.  Before joining us, she worked as an optician for 5 years in Kansas.  She lives in Fargo with her husband and Great Dane. 

                                                " About the Eye Care Team "

                                             Know Who is Taking Care of Your Eyes

When you go to "get your eyes checked," there are a variety of eye care providers you might see.  Ophthalmologists, Optometrists and Opticians all play an important role in providing eye care services to consumers.  However, each group has different levels of training and expertise; you should be sure you are seeing the right provider for your condition or treatment.

Ophthalmologist

An Ophthalmologist-Eye M.D.- is a medical or osteopathic doctor who specializes in eye and vision care.  Ophthalmologists are specially trained to provide the full spectrum of eyecare, from prescribing glasses and contact lenses to the diagnosis and treatment-medically and surgically-of eye infections, injuries and diseases, including cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and macular degeneration. Many Ophthalmologists are also involved in scientific research into the causes and cures for eye diseases and vision problems.

An Eye M.D. receives a minimum of 12 years of education, which typically includes four years of college, four years of medical school, one or more years of general clinical training and three or more years in a hospital-based eye residency program, often followed by one or more years of subspecialty fellowship.

Optician

Opticians are technicians trained to design, verify and fit eyeglass lenses and frames, contact lenses, and other devices to correct eyesight.  They use prescriptions supplied by Ophthalmologists and Optometrists, but do not test vision or write prescriptions.  Opticians are not permitted to diagnose or treat eye diseases.

Optometrists

An Optometrist receives a Doctor of Optometry (OD) degree and is licensed to practice optometry, not medicine.  The practice of optometry traditionally involves examining the eye for the purpose of prescribing and dispensing corrective lenses, screening vision to detect certain eye abnormatlities, and prescribing medication for certain eye diseases.  An Optometrist has a minimum of seven years of post high school trainng, consisting of three to four years of college and four years in an optometric college.