VIENNA, Va.—Associates in Eyecare (AIE), with 10 locations in Northern Virginia and the District of Columbia, is joining MyEyeDr. in a deal which became effective Dec. 31, 2021. The details of the transaction were not disclosed. With this partnership, MyEyeDr.’s operation now spans 817 practices in 28 states and Washington D.C., the company said. Sue Downes, CEO of MyEyeDr., told VMAIL, “MyEyeDr. is honored that Associates in Eyecare chose to partner with us. AIE has been on the forefront of medical optometry both locally and nationally.

"We’re excited to bring their skillset and knowledge into our organization as the optometry profession continues to evolve and grow. AIE will strengthen our position as the leading vision health care service provider in the market.”

Associates in Eyecare was founded in 2004 by Dr. Rob Allen and Dr. Tiffany Lione. With 10 offices and 28 optometrists, Associates in Eyecare specializes in providing comprehensive vision care including the diagnosis and treatment of a wide array of eye diseases, conditions, and problems.

The partners of AIE—Dr. Rob Allen, Dr. Paul Colbourne, Dr. Tiffany Lione, Dr. Hieu Vu-Gia, Dr. Tom Finley, Dr. Greg Foley, and Dr. Nicole Teser—will continue providing patient care and will contribute more broadly within MyEyeDr. for years to come.

Dr. Allen stated, “The Associates in Eyecare Partners and Corporate Officers went through an exhaustive evaluation process concerning each of the potential partners and determined that MyEyeDr. was the best fit for our organization. We’ve been thoroughly impressed with the level of professionalism and support MED has provided. I’m excited about what the future holds for our organization.”

Dr. Allen has served as a clinical investigator for FDA phase III drug trials and has also served as a clinical evaluator for new contact lens designs, as well as being a clinical lecturer at various continuing education conferences. As an acknowledgment of his academic and leadership achievements, he was named a fellow in the Virginia Academy of Optometry and serves currently as it’s education chair.

Dr. Allen is a past president of the Virginia Optometric Association (VOA), and as the former president of the VOA, he is a nationally recognized leader of the profession. For Dr. Allen’s tireless efforts on behalf of his patients and the profession, he was named the Virginia Optometric Association’s Optometrist of the Year for 2017. He is also a recipient of the VOA’s Vanguard award.

Dr. Allen’s other notable optometric leadership positions include being a past president of the Northern Virginia Optometric Society. He is a longtime and proud member of the American Optometric Association, Virginia Optometric Association and Northern Virginia Optometric Society.

Kyle Bigos, Associates in Eyecare’s chief operations officer, stated, “We were thoroughly impressed with the streamlined processes that the MED team brings to enhance our operational efficiencies and thus provide even better care for our patients and a better experience for our patients, doctors and staff.”

Dr. Lione added, “As the largest independent optometric group in the Washington D.C. Metropolitan area, we’ve been thrilled to see how collaborative the MED team has been and we’re excited to learn from each other.”

MyEyeDr.’s chief medical officer, Dr. Artis Beatty said, “AIE is well known for full-scope eyecare, specialty contact lenses, and expanded medical services within the greater Washington D.C. area and this partnership creates an opportunity for MyEyeDr. to bring patients in this market a more comprehensive health care solution.

"While MyEyeDr. operates numerous comprehensive, medical, optometric practices in other parts of the country, we have historically focused on routine care in the area. Partnering with AIE will provide many of the resources needed to expand services while leveraging the MyEyeDr. brand and patient awareness in this market.”

Billy Murray, EVP of practice transitions for MyEyeDr. and Capital Vision Services, said "the partnership displays MyEyeDr.’s commitment and focus on medical optometry. When we partner with a practice, we take the best of what they do and make our other offices better and improve our patient outcomes. We’re excited to see what AIE will add to our organization.”

Downes noted, “Dr. Allen and AIE’s commitment to the profession of optometry aligns well with MyEyeDr.’s. Dr. Allen’s advocacy for scope expansion in Virginia has been instrumental in ensuring optometry can continue to thrive.”

Associates in Eyecare was advised by Anne Kavanagh and Jason Preator of Kavanagh Consulting and David Roth of Roth Firm Group.