Dr. Michael Halkias – Naper Grove Vision Care

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Tell us about yourself.

I grew up here in the Western suburbs, and I have been an owner of Naper Grove Vision Care since 2008. Currently, I live in Hinsdale with my wife, Jessica, and three children.

What is the formula for your success?

Above all else…attitude. In my work life, success requires persistence, discipline, and planning. Outside of work, success to me is work-life balance + family involvement/presence + constantly evolving into a more refined human being.

How does that translate into patient success?

I first listen carefully, then I empathize with their concerns, and finally, I strive to overdeliver on their expectations. Happy patients come back, and they tell their friends and family.

What’s the most important thing readers should know about optometry care today?

Your eyes can tell us a lot about your overall health. Don’t assume because you’re young or you can see okay that you don’t have to get checked annually.

In the time you’ve been practicing, how have you seen the field change (latest advancements like AI, etc.)?
AI will undoubtedly help augment the doctor-patient experience. It will offer doctors incredible insight to help minimize risks based on historical big data archives. Imagine a world where every private doctor-patient conversation can be analyzed in real-time to look for innovative treatments or solutions that otherwise may have been overlooked. Whoever isn’t using AI in their practices someday will fall behind. It will become the standard of care.

What are your other hobbies and interests outside medicine?

Taking one trip a year with family, going to Hawks/Bulls/Cubs games, and spending time beefing up my knowledge of fine wines.

“If I wasn’t a doctor, I’d be…

An owner of an exotic/luxury car dealer, or owner of a boating/yachting business. ■

Visit napergrove.com for more information.

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Kristina and Matthew Bailey began reading books to their son, Owen when he was six months old— they haven’t stopped.
Owen turned 4 in June and recently received an award from the Clarendon Hills Public Library for having had 1,000 books read to him before starting kindergarten.

The library’s 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Challenge is one of a few reading challenge programs offered in Clarendon Hills, where the Bailey family has lived for the past 2 1/2 years.
Kristin Bailey said she saw an ad about the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Challenge and decided it was a good fit for Owen.

“He’s always been really into books,” Bailey said. “He had a natural interest in books at nine months old. That’s when COVID started, and he didn’t get out much, so reading books to him worked out very well. He’s a naturally curious kid, and imagination-building is important. The reading allows him to learn and explore new things, and he really wants to learn to read now.”

Krista Devlin, the Clarendon Hills library’s youth services librarian, said there’s a specific reason The Friends of the Library-sponsored 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Challenge was started in 2022.

“Reading aloud to a child is one of the best ways to help develop important early literacy skills, which will prepare them for kindergarten,” Devlin said. “It is also a great way to bond with your child and to encourage a love of reading.”

Devlin said Owen was the second child to reach the challenge of having 1,000 books read to him before starting kindergarten. He was awarded a certificate, a crown, and his picture was taken to recognize his accomplishment.

Bailey, who said she is “a big reader,” said her family usually goes to the library once a week. Reading three books each night to Owen, along with a book before nap time, is the household normal.

“Consistency in our routine has been good and is important,” she said, adding that Owen’s two sisters, ages 2 1/2 and 1

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