DALLAS—Unifeye Vision Partners (UVP), a leading network of comprehensive eyecare providers, announced the completion of a strategic partnership with Sierra Eye Group, based in Visalia, Calif. This represents the company's 17th partnership within California and the seventh partnership across all UVP locations to close in the past eight months. As the longest continuously operating eyecare clinic in Tulare County, Sierra Eye Group has local roots dating back to 1976. The group includes two ophthalmologists and two optometrists, led by Dr. Steven Cantrell and Dr. Matthew Kirkman.

Providing centralized services from one location through an on-site clinic, optical department, and ambulatory surgical center, the team provides the full range of vision care needs including comprehensive eye exams, glasses and contacts, cataract lens implant surgery, diabetic retinopathy management, blepharoplasty and macular degeneration treatment.

"For more than 47 years, the team at Sierra Eye Group continues to find ways to innovate, expand, and hold ourselves to the highest standards of care within the industry," said Dr. Cantrell. "Joining UVP is the next step in our quest to continually access and provide the very best resources to the patients we serve."

"We are thrilled to add Sierra Eye Group to the UVP team, further expanding our commitment to Central California. This is a particularly vibrant part of the California market, and we are delighted with the highly skilled, compassionate team at Sierra Eye Group who now extend our service to this growing community," said Martin Rash, CEO of Unifeye Vision Partners.

Unifeye Vision Partners was formed to partner with leading eyecare providers in targeted markets throughout the U.S. The company provides management and support services to ophthalmology and optometry practices, as well as single-specialty eye surgery centers. UVP extends its operations to a network of 123 providers, 44 clinic locations, and 13 ambulatory surgery centers. 

Unifeye Vision Partners is backed by Chicago-based Waud Capital Partners, is a leading growth-oriented private equity firm with total capital commitments of approximately $4.0 billion since its founding in 1993. WCP seeks to partner with strong management teams to build market-leading companies within two industries: health care services and software/technology.