PORTLAND, Ore.— PECAA (Professional Eye Care Associates of America), the national doctor alliance group operating in 43 states for independent doctors, has formed a strategic partnership with Optometric Professional Network (OPN), a regional doctor alliance group based in Houston. The organizations stressed that this is a partnership and not a merger. “We chose to partner with PECAA for a number of reasons,” said OPN executive director, Michael Friedberg, OD. “Foremost was their hands-on involvement in helping their members grow and prosper. We appreciated the diversity of their programs and value the fact that PECAA truly stands behind its mission to promote and protect independent eyecare.”


PECAA founders (l to r) Bradley Smith, OD, Lance Anderson, OD and David Wolf, OD.

Effective today, Oct. 1, 2014, “All OPN members will have full access to each of PECAA’s vendor discount programs, loyalty rebate program and business development services,” a PECAA spokesperson told VMail, who added that all 170 OPN member practices are now considered PECAA members. Other services include doctor and staff education, business analysis, production tracking software, billing and coding support, digital marketing and member networking events.

“The membership terms for both alliances will remain the same,” the spokesperson told VMail, and there will be no additional charge for OPN members to participate in PECAA programs. “OPN membership revenue will be reinvested in order to develop and deliver more programs and services to the membership. This includes the addition of their own business analyst, who will be hired and based in Houston,” according to the PECAA spokesperson.

PECAA has retained the services of Friedberg, who is one of the organization’s founding members and also its executive director. PECAA will host five informational dinners for OPN members in Texas in October—in the Houston area on Oct. 13, 14 and 15, in San Antonio on Oct. 28, and in Fort Worth on Oct. 29.

“We are honored to have the opportunity to partner with OPN,” said PECAA founders, Bradley Smith, OD, Lance Anderson, OD and David Wolf, OD. “The alignment with OPN’s network of like-minded, progressive thinking doctors will allow us to fulfill our mission and continue providing new and innovative programs for the independent practitioner.”