BLUE BELL, Penn. and ASHBURN, Va.—Medical Optometry America (MOA), a marketing and management company, announced that it has signed an agreement with Associates in Eyecare (AIE) under which AIE, a 10-location practice group, will become the nation’s first group of independent optometric practices to adopt the Medical Optometry of America brand. MOA provides a turnkey system for forward thinking optometrists to shift more completely to a sustainable medical model. “Many of us have known for some time that medical eyecare is the future of our profession,” noted Dr. Robert Allen, OD, CEO of AIE, “and the state-of-the-art MOA System will allow our practices, and thousands more around the country to accelerate this necessary advancement.”

According to CEO Ken Krieg, “MOA will provide independent optometrists the ability to participate in building a brand and practice management system that stands for exceptional medical eyecare and inspires consumer confidence and demand for those services. In addition, optometry practices that choose to remain independent will now have viable marketing muscle to stay competitive in a fast-changing market.”

The foundation of the MOA System is the creation of an education platform that facilitates the adoption of best practice protocols. Under the direction of J. James Thimons, OD, MOA’s medical director, MOA’s goal is to bring the best practices from an academic and clinical perspective to every MOA office. Under Dr. Thimons’ leadership, practices that join MOA will have the opportunity to be “MOA Approved,” creating a national brand identifiable to patients, referring doctors, insurance companies and vendors.

In addition to the recognition as an MOA Approved office, AIE practices will also benefit from the patient-centric marketing programs designed to drive consumer awareness and new patient traffic. Rounding out the MOA System will be a preferred vendor program that will create value for manufacturers and service providers targeting medical ODs while delivering cost savings to member practices, the announcement said. “We’re excited to be the flagship practice for MOA,” said Dr. Allen. “No doubt, the total MOA System will position us for the future and enable us to lead the transformation of our profession.”

Medical Optometry America (MOA) was created to catalyze change in the optometric profession, the announcement stated, by providing a turnkey system for forward-thinking optometrists to shift more completely to a sustainable medical model. The first national optometric brand in the country focused on medical eyecare, MOA provides independent optometrists the opportunity to participate in a brand and practice management system that stands for exceptional medical eyecare and inspires consumer confidence and demand for those services, the company said. Practices joining the MOA System will be positioned for future growth, with the marketing muscle to stay competitive in a rapidly changing environment, they added.

With 10 offices and 29 optometrists, Associates in Eyecare (AIE) ranks in the top 10 among leading independent optometry practices in America and was also ranked number 36 on Vision Monday’s 2019 Top 50 U.S. Optical Retailers report. The AIE team of experienced doctors have served patients in the Northern Virginia and Washington D.C. areas for over 25 years. Vision Monday profiled the group in August 2018.

MOA will be present at Vision Expo West this week at Booth # MS3043.