ATLANTA—EyeSouth Partners, which is backed by the private equity firm Shore Capital Partners, recently announced its expansion into Tennessee with an affiliation with Cumberland Eye Care and Plateau ASC, located in Crossville, and Cookeville Eye Specialists and Perimeter ASC of Cookeville. The affiliations will establish EyeSouth’s initial presence in Tennessee, “which will be a key growth state for the company going forward,” according to the announcement. Each practice and surgery center will continue to operate under its brand, with no changes to its staff, physicians or locations, the announcement noted.

EyeSouth is an eyecare-focused management services organization committed to building a premier network of eyecare services in the Southeast. Its affiliate network consists of approximately 70 doctors providing medical and surgical eyecare services at 45 locations throughout Georgia, North Carolina, Florida and Tennessee.

Cumberland Eye is led by Dr. Stewart Galloway and Cookeville Eye is led by Dr. Dennis Cosgrove. The two ASCs (ambulatory surgery centers) operate with four highly accomplished surgeons, Dr. Stewart Galloway, Dr. Alissa Hudson, Dr. Faramarz Hidaji and Dr. Janis Holt. The practices and ASCs employ approximately 50 support staff and have operated closely together for 20 years, according to the announcement.

Through the partnership with EyeSouth, each practice and ASC will leverage EyeSouth’s support services to continue providing the best quality of care to patients.

“Having lived in Crossville and practiced in both Cookeville and Crossville for 20 years, it was incredibly important to find a partner who was committed to helping us continue to find ways to better serve our patients and employees and focused on the long-term success of each brand,” Dr. Galloway said in the announcement.

Chicago-based Shore Capital, a private equity firm focused on microcap health care investments, supports management partners with capital, business development expertise and industry knowledge to accelerate growth, fund acquisitions and generate value to shareholders.