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BALTIMORE—Versant Health, a leading national managed eye health and vision plan company, has announced the formation of the inaugural Versant Health Optometric Advisory Council. The Advisory Council was formed to inform, assess and provide feedback on the Versant Health programs, policies and procedures that impact the optometric community. “The formation of our Optometric Advisory Council demonstrates our commitment to build a stronger connection between Versant Health and the eyecare professionals that serve our 34 million members,” Versant Health chief executive officer Kirk Rothrock said in the announcement.

The Council, chaired by Dr. Bryan M. Rogoff of EyeExec Consulting LLC, is comprised of optometric leaders from across the country, each bringing a unique perspective and their own expertise.

"I am thrilled to chair Versant Health's Optometric Advisory Council,” Rogoff said. “We have a unique opportunity to use our collective knowledge and experience to enhance Versant Health’s programs that affect the eyecare providers and, ultimately, our patients. We all share a common passion and mission of increasing access to the best vision and eyecare for Versant Health’s members.”

The members of the Optometric Advisory Council already held their first meeting, and will meet regularly to evaluate Versant Health’s policies and make recommendations for enhancing the relationship between the managed vision care company and eyecare professionals—a critical conversation in the changing health care environment in the U.S.

"This is an important milestone for eyecare professionals and Versant Health," Rothrock said. "We thoughtfully curated this council to include industry experts whose collective experience ensures Versant Health has the knowledge and guidance needed to assure quality care for our members and build relationships with the eyecare professionals that care for them.”

The OD members of the council include:

  • Darryl Glover – a co-founder of Defocus Media and optometrist at MyEyeDr.
  • David Heitmeier – owner of Heitmeier and Armani Medical and Surgical Eyecare
  • Fayiz Mahgoub – founder and chief executive officer of Augmented Vision Labs
  • James Deom – partner Hazleton Eye Specialists and Stroudsburg Eye Specialists
  • Joseph Pizzimenti - professor at the Rosenberg School of Optometry at the University of the Incarnate Word 
  • Justin Bazan – owner of Park Slope Eye and a co-founder of Young ODs of America
  • Dr. Kelly Norland – owner of Spirit Lake Eyecare Center and past-president of Iowa Optometric Association
  • Linda Chous – owner of The Glasses Menagerie and former chief eyecare officer of UnitedHealthcare
  • Matthew Jones – owner of Family Eye Care and past president of the Arkansas Optometric Association
  • Nikki Iravani – founder and chief executive officer at EyeXam and past vice president of Clinical and Professional Affairs for CooperVision
  • Peter Kehoe – Kehoe Eye Care P.C., and a past president of the American Optometric Association. 
  • Selina McGee – owner at Precision Vision of Edmond, McGee Consulting and a past president of the Oklahoma Association of Optometric Physicians
  • Thomas Cheezum – consultant for Tidewater Optometric Consulting Services LLC.

Versant Health, one of the nation’s leading managed vision care companies, serves more than 34 million members through its Davis Vision and Superior Vision plans.