BUSINESS connections Fall 2025 7 We periodically highlight people in our community whose career path brought them back to their roots in northeast Kansas. This issue features Dr. Chris Franken, owner of Franken Eye Clinic and Atchison Eye Center. “I grew up in Bendena and went to school at Midway. It was a great childhood, growing up in a really small town. I would be out playing with my friends until dark most days, and we never worried about some of the safety concerns you have now in bigger cities. My life was centered around hunting, fishing, and sports,” Dr. Franken said. He is a 1998 graduate ofWashburn University in Topeka, Kansas, and went on to graduate fromNortheastern State University, College of Optometry in Tahlequah, Oklahoma in 2002. After serving an externship in ocular disease at the Muskogee VA Hospital in Oklahoma, Dr. Franken returned to Kansas and opened Franken Eye Clinic in Troy. He later opened Atchison Eye Center. Franken said, “I wanted to practice in a small town and be around family. My wife, Kim, was pregnant with our first child when I graduated, and we knew we wanted to raise our family in a small, rural town near family.” What does Franken find most rewarding about practicing in the small towns of Atchison and Troy? He replied, “It’s the patients. I get to see grandparents, their kids, and grandkids. I’m able to develop a good relationship with my patients and look forward to seeing them each year to catch up on their lives. I’m also proud of my staff members that have been with me a long time. We all try to take care of our patients in the best way possible.” Similarly, Franken considers the people to be the biggest benefit of living in a small town. “We have a friendly community with good values. I’m glad my wife and I have raised our three kids in this area. They know right fromwrong and have common sense. I am proud of our community and look forward to continuing seeing patients and their families for years to come.” Returning to Your Roots Dr. Chris Franken (far right) and his family
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