BLOOMINGTON, Ill.—Keplr Vision, the group formed in mid-2019 to provide an operational and support platform to optometric practices seeking growth, announced that it has partnered with entrepreneur and thought-leader Heidi Q.T. Pham-Murphy, OD, and her husband, Thomas H. Murphy, OD. The practices the couple operate—Visions Optometry and Eye Designs Optometry in and around Sacramento, Calif.—joined Keplr Vision in early January, according to the announcement. The terms of the partnership transactions were not disclosed. Visions Optometry and Eye Designs Optometry have a combined four locations in the Sacramento market, and comprise the largest private practice group in the greater Sacramento area and one of the largest in the state of California, Keplr Vision senior vice president, business development, Claude Labeeuw told VMAIL. Two of the office locations are in Sacramento, and the others (both Eye Designs Optometry practices) are in Roseville and Citrus Heights, Calif.

“I am extremely excited to welcome Heidi and Tom to the Keplr family,” Keplr Vision chief executive officer Nick Williams said in the announcement. “Their selfless dedication to worthy causes like the Special Olympics makes me especially proud to count them as part of our team of medically focused ODs.”

Added Dr. Pham-Murphy, “We are honored to join Keplr Vision, and I know there is no better home for our practice and our team.”

Keplr Vision was formed last year when the Canadian private equity firm Imperial Capital brought two of its portfolio companies—Total ECP and Visionary Eye Partners—under common ownership, as VMAIL reported. 

Keplr now has more than 130 practices across more than 25 states operating under its umbrella organization, according to the announcement this week.

In the most recent transaction, Keplr adds the high-end Visions Optometry practice to its group. Visions Optometry expanded its scope of practice in 2009 under Dr. Heidi Pham-Murphy, the third owner of the single-location practice. She remodeled the office to facilitate the expansion of services, and added unique and often exclusive collections of eyewear, according to the practice’s website. In addition, the practice includes several subspecialty clinics beyond routine eyecare and eyewear.

Dr. Pham-Murphy emigrated with her family to the U.S. in 1975 and broke through socio-economic barriers to become the first among her eight siblings to achieve higher education.

In addition to her work in private practice, Dr. Pham-Murphy is a published author, a curriculum advisor for National Career Education, and has been featured as an expert in many news publications. She also serves as the clinic director for Special Olympics Northern California–Opening Eyes Program, where she works with a team of doctors, students, opticians and volunteers to increase inclusion and deliver free eyecare to individuals with intellectual disabilities.

In 2017, Dr. Pham-Murphy was recognized by Vision Monday as one of the “Most Influential Women” in optical.