Latest News MyEyeDr. Expansion Drive Brings Group to 212 Practices at Start of 2016, With More Deals to Follow This Year By Staff Monday, January 11, 2016 12:24 AM VIENNA, Va.—Continuing to set its sights on sustained acquisition activity among a wider geographic range of U.S. optometric businesses in the coming year, MyEyeDr. proceeded with its assertive expansion pace in the final six months of 2015. CEO Sue Downes told VMail that the MyEyeDr. group now operates 212 practices, up from 139 at the start of last year. The additions in the second half included dozens of single-location practices as well as six multi-unit regional groups.Downes said, “We remain highly selective with the practices we are acquiring and ultimate decide to move forward with less than 5 percent of the practices we speak to. We look for the right combination of quality clinician(s), strong reputation, positive financial metrics and geographic fit. The integration into MyEyeDr. family is a key focus for us, we want the patients, doctors and staff to not feel a strain as a result of the acquisition and view the change in a positive light.”She added, “We have been very fortunate in the past six months to acquire dozens of of top notch single practices and additional optometric groups, bringing on world class doctors and associates.” Terms of the deals were not disclosed. Among the acquisitions secured in the latter part of 2015 are:• The Hour Glass in Florida with seven offices and 10 doctors. Owner Dr. Jim Stephens stayed onboard and is actively seeing patients. VMail reported on this in May 2015.• Doctors on Sight in Maryland and Virginia with nine offices and eight doctors, in a deal concluded in Q3. Owner Dr. Ed Scwhartzerg retired in conjunction with the sale. • Eye Express in Florida with 12 offices and 18 doctors, a deal concluded in Q4 2015. All four owners, Dr. Steve Phillips, Dr. Jim Phillips, Dr. Greg Parrish, and Dr. Brad Salomon stayed onboard and are actively seeing patients.• Vision Associates in Maryland with six offices and nine doctors, closed in Q4. Owners Drs. Ryan and Joel Halpern stayed onboard and are active in patient care; Dr. Ryan Halpern also took a leadership role within the MyEyeDr. professional services team. • Halpern Eyecare in Delaware with 10 offices and 20 doctors closed in Q4, also with owners Drs. Ryan and Joel Halpern staying onboard. There will be additional single-office and multi-location deals coming in Q1, noted David Sheffer, MyEyeDr. EVP of corporate development. “In 2016, we will continue to actively grow in all of our existing states of D.C., Del., Fla., Ga., Md., N.C., S.C. and Va. with targeted growth in Atlanta and Northern and Central Florida in the coming months. "We also have signed agreements to expand in a sizable way to the Midwest and Northeast in the first quarter of this year, which we are very excited about. We will have acquisition teams, integration teams, trainers and operators dedicated to the Midwest and Northeast to ensure our growth to those markets is a success,” he said.