Eye Health America Acquires Nielsen Eye Center

To Better Serve Patients, Nielsen Eye Center Will Merge and Rebrand With Updegraff Laser Vision, an Eye Health America Company

CLEARWATER, Fla. & LARGO, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Eye Health America (EHA) is proud to announce the acquisition of Nielsen Eye Center. Nielsen Eye Center is joining Updegraff Laser Vision to expand Eye Health America’s continuum of patient care in the Tampa Bay area.

James Nielsen, MD established his practice in Pinellas County over 40 years ago and ran the practice until his passing in January 2021. Nielsen Eye Center has two offices: 2339 Sunset Point Rd Ste 300, Clearwater, FL 33765 and 8787 Bryan Dairy Rd Ste 260, Largo, FL 33777. Both locations will be rebranded as Updegraff Laser Vision offices.

Dr. Brian Roberts has assumed delivery of eye care services with Dr. Angela Diamontakos, of Updegraff Laser Vision, who will be overseeing the transition to ensure quality patient care/service coverage of the existing Nielsen Eye Care patient base.

Updegraff Laser Vision, based in Tampa Bay/St. Petersburg, Florida, is led by one of the most renowned LASIK and refractive surgeons in the world, Stephen Updegraff, M.D., FACS. Dr. Updegraff holds several U.S. LASIK patents and performed the first LASIK procedure in Asia (and the third in the U.S.) in 1994. In addition to LASIK, the practice’s state-of-the-art facilities features modern technologies for cataract surgery, lens implants, dry eye syndrome, and ophthalmic plastic surgery.

“Eye Health America is excited to continue Dr. Nielsen’s legacy of providing patient-centric service and quality outcomes in the Pinellas County area. We have been working hard to ensure continuity of care for the patients who have entrusted their eyecare to Dr. Nielsen for so many years. Dr. Nielsen’s patients now have access to a full continuum of medical, surgical, and optical eyecare under the Updegraff Laser Vision and Tampa Bay Eye Surgery Center brand,” said John Swencki, Co-CEO of Eye Health America.

EHA has seen substantial growth in the past three years, and now includes 30 locations, six ambulatory surgical centers, and more than 800 employees. Since its formation in March 2018, EHA has increased its network to include more than 60 eyecare providers. The organization plans to continue investing in technology and services that create value, including patient engagement technology and revenue cycle management.

Eye Health America was formed in 2018 by LLR Partners, a lower mid-market private equity firm, and is led by an experienced team of eye care veterans including Co-CEOs, Mary Lou Parisi and John Swencki; Chief Medical Officer, Cathleen McCabe, MD; Chief Development Officer, Philip Isham and more.

About Eye Health America

Eye Health America (EHA) is an eye care practice management company headquartered in Greenville, SC which partners with ophthalmology, optometry practices and ambulatory surgery centers across the Southeast U.S. to provide superior strategic, financial, and operational support for best-in-class eye care. Member practices include Clemson Eye, Piedmont Surgery Center, The Surgery & Laser Center, Carolinas Centers for Sight, Florence Surgery and Laser Center, Pee Dee Eye Associates, The Eye Associates, Updegraff Laser Vision and Tampa Bay Eye Surgery Center, and many other top eyecare providers in the Southeastern U.S. They offer full-service, integrated eye care from routine eye exams, contact lenses, and glasses to medical ophthalmology and surgery including refractive cataract surgery, cornea, retina, glaucoma, pediatrics, oculoplastics, etc. To learn more, visit www.eyehealthamerica.com