Dr. Ben Gaddie (l) and Nick Williams.

CINCINNATI—Total Eye Care Partners (Total ECP), a group of medically focused optometry practices founded in 2017 and based here, has named Dr. Ben Gaddie as president of the organization, according to an announcement Tuesday morning. Dr. Gaddie previously served as chief medical officer of Total ECP, and his Kentucky-based practice group, Gaddie Eye Centers, served as Total ECP’s launch platform in the optometric sector. Toronto-based Imperial Capital Group is the private equity firm that backed the formation of Total ECP in late 2017, as VMAIL reported. Dr. Gaddie succeeds former president and chief executive Bob Barton.

In addition, Total ECP announced that it has begun the formation of a new medical business support platform, which the organization said “will solidify its position as the industry’s best partner for medically focused optometry practices.” Nick Williams, who is chief executive officer of Visionary Eye Partners (VEP), has been named chief executive officer of the as-yet unnamed business support platform. He continues as chief executive of VEP, which is a separate entity under the Imperial Capital corporate umbrella that operates as a practice-management company with 30 practices under its management, according to its website.

Total ECP and VEP will remain separate operating companies and will focus on separate and distinct business strategies and models, with Total ECP continuing its commitment to working with best in class, medically focused OD partners, the announcement this week noted. “I am very proud to represent our partner doctors as president of Total ECP,” Dr. Gaddie said in the announcement.

He added, “As the elite optometry practice group in the country, we at Total ECP feel it is necessary to offer our partner doctors an industry-leading business support platform, which will deliver a robust infrastructure of centralized accounting, billing, information technology, marketing and supply chain expertise to the individual practice locations.”

Jay Binkowitz, a founding member of Total ECP and executive vice president of business strategy, said he believes the development of the business support platform will allow Total ECP to “seamlessly scale the size of Total ECP by giving us the resources we need to support the outstanding growth we are experiencing.”

Dr. Alan Glazier, a Total ECP partner OD, noted that patient care is “always our first priority” at Total ECP. “We want to practice to the fullest extent of our license, knowing we have access to the latest technology and unparalleled support. This combined platform will not only provide best-in-class solutions to our existing partners but will attract new OD partners who want to work with only the best,” he added.

Total ECP will work with VEP to build the medical business support platform. VEP has broad experience in the optometric industry and has provided business support services to a large optometric practice group for nearly 15 years, the announcement noted.

“This is a great day for both Total ECP and VEP,” VEP’s Williams said. "By consolidating management of shared services, we can immediately bring tremendous value to our partner doctors and their patients. By streamlining the supply chain and business functions of both companies, we can ensure that patients receive cutting-edge technology lens products in industry-leading fulfillment times, and the doctors receive the administrative support they need to efficiently and effectively run their practices. This is one of the rare circumstances where not only everyone wins, but everyone wins big,” he added.

Dr. David Ditto, of Ditto & Musick Eye Care Center, said he was “excited and reassured” following the announcement of Dr. Gaddie assuming the role of president of Total ECP, which he said he believes will enable “this blossoming company” to achieve Dr. Gaddie’s vision of a doctor-led, medical-focused practice group. “The addition of Nick Williams, another brilliant visionary in the ophthalmic industry, as CEO is a bonus," said Dr. Ditto, whose practice was acquired by Total ECP in July 2018.