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Since its founding in 1991, Vision Source has followed a fairly straightforward and simple philosophy. The organization strives to be an alliance or community for independent optometrists who desire to be a part of a unique, premium group of extraordinary eyecare professionals and to take part in preserving the heritage of independent eyecare. And the goals include helping to enhance doctors’ practices through “cost savings, collegiality, services and programs so [the ECPs] can focus on what makes them extraordinary—clinical excellence, unmatched patient care and business success.”

“I believe that Vision Source is even more relevant for practices today than 30 years ago when it was founded,” noted Glenn D. Ellisor, OD, a founder of the organization. “We created Vision Source to help private practices address the challenges and opportunities brought about by changes in our profession and today, our profession is more dynamic than ever. There is no other group in the world that has the ability to harness the brain trust of 4,700 of the best optometrists in the country or the resources to provide them with the right tools and support to insure their practices success.”

This formula—built upon the ideas of community and collaboration—was one of the factors that helped Vision Source, with its 3,150 franchisee members, persevere and prosper through the COVID-19 pandemic (Vision Source is under the Essilor Alliance organization, along with the alliances Opti-Port and PERC.)

“Thanks to the incredible efforts of our member doctors to lock arms as a collaborative community, Vision Source practices have fared very well over the last 15 months,” general manager Jeff Duncan explained. “Vision Source practices well outpaced the industry going through and coming out of the pandemic.”





The organization marked its fifth consecutive year atop the Vision Monday Top 50 Optical Retailers report at the No. 1 ranking, “a testament to Vision Source and our members rallying together once again,” Duncan noted. (Vision Source is a franchisor, and its members are franchisees who own their respective practices. Its members’ aggregate revenue totaled more than $2.6 billion in 2020.)

Another key element of Vision Source’s recent success is the confirmation of the importance of the “community” aspect among its members. “What Vision Source experienced above all else was a lesson confirmed,” Duncan said. “At its very core, Vision Source is a collaborative community of like-minded professionals who strive to provide our patients the best care available. Because community, collaboration and a common goal are so central to us, it was natural that during a time of great challenge, our members locked arms around our common purpose which not only helped the community overcome the effects of the pandemic on their practices, but allowed us to thrive in spite of the challenges.”

According to executives, one of the biggest opportunities for Vision Source—and also for independent private practice optometry overall—is to expand by perpetuating the Vision Source model organically. “Whether a practitioner is just finishing school and looking to get started within an established practice, or an already successful practitioner is looking to expand through added capacity or open additional locations, Vision Source has programs, resources and a community of colleagues who generously share their best ideas and advice to help private practitioners reach their full potential,” said chief medical officer Amir Khoshnevis, OD.

He noted that Vision Source has new programs coming on stream and, as always, they are “laser focused on the success of our members’ practices.” These programs will build upon already proven resources in key areas like staff effectiveness, clinical patient protocols, managed vision care, ophthalmic lens, contact lens and frame management.

Duncan and Khoshnevis noted that over the past 18 months most private practice optometrist owners and their teams have navigated more unplanned change than they will likely ever face in their careers. What they need most right now are proven, easy-to-implement solutions that help them serve their patients more effectively, efficiently and profitably.

The executives also noted that they are “extremely optimistic” about the outlook for both private practice optometry and Vision Source members for the balance of 2021 and into 2022. “We are thrilled with what our collective membership has accomplished together while being physically separated,” Khoshnevis said.

“However, we know the incredible positive impact we are able to make when we are together in person. We are thrilled to be together for our 2021 Exchange in early August and The Exchange 2022 next April and all the regular local member meetings and practice building education events that will happen in between. We expect our already strong momentum to only get stronger as these key rallying events fire back up.”