Jack L. Schaeffer, OD, FAAO.

VIENNA, Va.—MyEyeDr. has acquired the 18 locations of Schaeffer Eye Center, based in Birmingham, Ala. VMail learned that the deal closed on Nov. 20, and the transaction details were not disclosed.

Founded by Jack Schaeffer, OD, FAAO more than 30 years ago, Schaeffer Eye Center currently operates 12 locations in and around Birmingham as well as practices in Huntsville, Montgomery and Tuscaloosa.

Sue Downes, CEO of MyEyeDr. told VMail, “When you think of some of the most respected names in the optometric field, Dr. Jack Schaeffer comes to mind. We are so pleased to welcome the Schaeffer Eye Center practices to the MyEyeDr. family and could not think of a better way to kick off our expansion into the state of Alabama.”

Ranked #30 in the latest Vision Monday report on the Top 50 U.S. Retailers, Schaeffer Eye Center will be a strong addition, Downes said, to MyEyeDr.’s portfolio of doctor driven practices that practice full scope optometry and offer a comprehensive selection of eyewear.

Dr. Jack Schaeffer will be joining MyEyeDr., bringing a wealth of knowledge and experience to the organization. In addition, Dr. Schaeffer’s son Dr. Mark Schaeffer, daughter Dr. Brooke Schaeffer Kaplan, and son-in-law Justin Kaplan will be joining MyEyeDr. along with more than 20 additional doctors and approximately 100 total team members.

Schaeffer lectures internationally, serves on many industry boards and advisory panels, and is involved with many clinical studies on contact lenses, pharmaceuticals and equipment. Schaeffer has served as chairman of the contact lens and cornea section of the American Optometric Association and served as president of the Ocular Surface Society of Optometry during its establishment. He is currently on the board of directors and is advancement chairman of Optometry Cares, The AOA Foundation.

Schaeffer told VMail, “Optometry, from the clinical to the people to the service and the AOA, it’s my life and my children’s life. This is who I am; I’ve lived and breathed it seven days a week for 38 years. When I started practicing, I started on a course and have partnered with many people who’ve helped me to stay this course. As this business is changing at lightspeed, we had the opportunity to join with the company which is truly going to be the leader in eyecare in both the short and long run.”

Schaeffer added, “It was time for us to expand to something larger, and we studied many different options for the past two years. And I originally thought we’d be the platform and purchase other practices. But when you look at the entire field, and when you consider that type of organization they are building, their management team and what they stand for, I felt that for myself and my family, this is the right move for Schaeffer Eye Center.”

Schaeffer emphasized the continued involvement of his children, who are optometrists, with the firm and his own plans to stay active with MyEyeDr. “I stood for what’s best for clinical care optometry from the day I started practicing, and believe in full scope primary care, as do the team at MyEyeDr., and one of my roles will be to make sure that happens, we have a chance to really transform that message and opportunity. Optometry as a profession is important, I continue to be very involved in the AOA, its political and charitable arms and the Academy of Optometry. MyEyeDr. really wants to be involved in full scope optometry and I look forward to working with them to establish dialog and enable doctors to grow in the profession.”

Noted David Sheffer, chief growth officer of MyEyeDr. and Capital Vision Services, “This acquisition marks an important first step into the state of Alabama for MyEyeDr. With additional Alabama acquisitions in the pipeline, MyEyeDr. has plans for extensive expansion across the state.”

Downes added, “Over the last several months, MyEyeDr. has continued to identify and partner with best in class, locally recognized optometric practices.” The group’s expansion across the U.S. has driven its current footprint to 362 practices in 14 states, including the Schaeffer acquisition. By the end of this year, MyEyeDr. anticipates a total of 368 locations, executives said.