ATLANTA—EyeSouth Partners has announced the addition of Dr. John Forrest of Forrest Eye Centers based in Gainesville, Ga., and Dr. Thomas Edwards of Advanced Vision, based in Decatur, Ga., to its operating group. As part of the moves, Dr. Forrest will join Gainesville Eye Associates and Dr. Edwards will join Georgia Eye Partners, two practice organizations under the Eye South management group. Both Georgia doctors have served their respective communities for decades and saw the value in partnering with established larger practices supported by EyeSouth for the next phase of their careers.

“Both partnerships highlight the increasingly challenging environment that solo physicians face managing the administrative burden with busy clinical schedules,” said Dr. Eugene Gabianelli, MD, chief medical officer of EyeSouth Partners. “Through the established infrastructure at Georgia Eye Partners, Gainesville Eye Associates and EyeSouth, we look forward to absorbing that burden from Dr. Forrest and Dr. Edwards and enhancing the experience for their patients.”

EyeSouth Partners, an eyecare management services organization, is backed by Chicago-based private equity firm Shore Capital Partners. It is committed to partnering with leading physicians to build a premier network of eyecare services throughout the U.S. The group’s affiliate network consists of over 200 doctors providing medical and surgical eyecare services at approximately 115 locations throughout Georgia, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Tennessee, Ohio, Kentucky and Alabama.