Eye Health America Enters Georgia with a Leading Group, Southeast Retina Center, Based in Augusta, Georgia

Southeast Retina Center (SERC), led by Dennis Marcus, MD, welcomed the New Year last week by joining Eye Health America (EHA) on December 31^st, 2021. Dr. Marcus, with 27 years of experience, is well-respected and recognized as a key opinion leader by both his peers and industry. SERC is one of the go-to retina providers in Augusta GA-Aiken, SC and throughout southeastern GA with a strong culture of outstanding patient care, cutting-edge innovation, and clinical/surgical research.

“I am excited to partner with EHA and their team of outstanding eye care physicians and practices. EHA now provides Southeast Retina Center with vital resources and expertise to further fuel, grow and enhance our ability to provide compassionate, state-of-the-art retinal care and surgery to patients in Georgia and South Carolina. Our goal is to take our retinal care, surgery and clinical research to the next level,” commented Dr. Dennis Marcus.

SERC has a well-trained team which functions as a strong center for retina referrals treated by Dr. Marcus, Dr. Kunyong Xu, and Dr. Diego Espinosa along with a robust research department. This partnership includes an ASC and eleven locations that span southeastern Georgia. “Welcoming such a best-in-class group aligns with our growth strategy. SERC, located just two hours from our Upstate, SC corporate office represents Eye Health America’s entrance into the state of Georgia,” said Mary Lou Parisi, co-CEO.

Dr. Marcus is an internationally recognized leader in retinal research. He recently served as a steering committee member, principal investigator and advising developer of the newly FDA-approved port delivery system (“Susvimo”) demonstrated to reduce the number of injections and treatment burden for patients with wet macular degeneration. Last quarter, he presented surgical techniques and “pearls” to help introduce the port delivery system to retinal physicians in the US and Europe. He has also served as the protocol chair for the National Eye Institute-funded DRCR Retina Network multicenter trial evaluating wide-field imaging for diabetic retinopathy, the leading cause of blindness in working Americans. Dr. Marcus is also currently involved in retinal gene therapy trials and was the first to present initial results and treat diabetic retinopathy with gene therapy administered via “suprachoroidal” injection. “Dr. Marcus will become our Chief Clinical Research Director working closely with Dr. Cathy McCabe, our Chief Medical officer,” added John Swencki, co-CEO. “At EHA, Dr. Marcus will help expand innovative cutting-edge clinical research throughout our network of physicians and practices.”

EHA has seen substantial growth in the past three years, and with the addition of SERC, is currently operating with 80 physicians across 53 locations, 8 ambulatory surgical centers, and more than 1000 employees in South Carolina, Florida and now Georgia. 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 via partnership of Clemson Eye, The Eye Associates, and LLR Partners, a growth-focused 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. By combining the best doctors, facilities, and leading-edge technology, EHA practices have an opportunity to expand their geographic footprint, develop new service lines and treat more patients through advanced care. For more information on Eye Health America, visit www.eyehealthamerica.com.

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, The Eye Associates, Updegraff Laser Vision, Tampa Bay Eye Surgery Center, Eye Centers of Florida, and many other top eyecare providers in the Southeastern US. 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.

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