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December 4, 2020December 4, 2020

FYidoctors Announces Merger with Nowlan & Moore Optometric

FYidoctors announces the addition of two locations in the province of Manitoba. Situated in the cities of Winkler and Winnipeg, the merger brings the total number of FYidoctors clinics in the province to five.

Founded in Winnipeg in 1920 by Harry S. Nowlan; Dr. Herbert Moore joined the clinic in 1949, forming Nowlan & Moore Optometric. The practice opened a second location in Winkler in 1954, and welcomed current president and owner, Dr. Ross F. Moore in 1980. Proudly serving the community for over a century, the practice is known for its friendly, caring, and knowledgeable staff and its specializations in vision therapy, eye muscle imbalance and computer vision syndrome.

In addition to the new partnership with FYidoctors, Nowlan and Moore Optometric is also pleased to move its operations into the Grimard Optique Winnipeg location – a subsidiary of FYidoctors. Founded by Robert Grimard in 2010, the open, comfortable, and bright vision clinic offers high quality frames and lenses. With this announcement comes plans to merge the two Winnipeg locations and operate a newly created Grimard Optique | Nowlan & Moore Optometric, Partners of FYidoctors banner.

“Providing the highest standard of comprehensive vision care continues to be our number one priority,” said Dr. Moore. “We’re thrilled to now work alongside a reputable optometry-led organization like FYidoctors and the added benefits, resources and tools this partnership brings to our patients.”

In 2019, Statistics Canada reported a 1.19% increase in Manitoba’s overall population growth – a number that is expected to rise year-over-year with migration to the province.

Click HERE for the full press release.

CooperVision’s Brilliant Futures™ Myopia Management Program Expands Globally

Less than a year after debuting its Brilliant Futures^™ Myopia Management Program featuring the MiSight^® 1 day contact lens in the United States, CooperVision is now expanding the comprehensive approach to multiple countries, including the United Kingdom, Russia, Spain, Portugal, Canada, South Korea, and Taiwan. This seeks to create a new standard of care by creating the optimal environment for compliance, satisfaction, clinical outcomes and long-term loyalty.

“Several years from now, I believe we will look back at late 2020 as an inflection point in the global myopia management movement,” said Dan McBride, President of CooperVision. “Never before has there been this degree of momentum, driven in large part by substantial investments CooperVision is making in evidence-based science, innovative products, and comprehensive clinical and practice management education in the form of Brilliant Futures^™. Partnering with the optometry, ophthalmology and pediatric health communities, we have a real opportunity to change the lives of countless children in the decades ahead.”

Brilliant Futures^™ is now coming to countries where MiSight^® 1 day has been previously available, such as the United Kingdom in October. Indie Grewal, Optometrist and President of the British Contact Lens Association (BCLA), says myopia management “has the potential to revolutionize clinical outcomes and can allow us to change the trajectory of childhood myopia in practice.”

In Canada, where MiSight^® 1 day prescribing has steadily grown in recent years, the Brilliant Futures^™ program became available last week, A pilot study conducted by the Centre for Ocular Research & Education (CORE), the University of Waterloo’s School of Optometry & Vision Science and the Canadian National Institute for the Blind determined that almost 30% of Canadian children aged 11-13 are myopic.

“We are experiencing a remarkable upturn in acknowledging that simply correcting for myopia is not enough, especially when we now have proven technologies to manage and help control its progression,” said McBride. “There’s still much to be done in establishing myopia management as the standard of care. With advancements such as Brilliant Futures™ and the contributions of other like-minded innovators, healthcare professionals, government officials and professional associations, this goal is clearly within sight.”

Click HERE for the full press release.

The Art and Science to Eyestyling

In the October-November issue of Optik Magazine, Wendy Buchanan, Eye Styling Expert, explains how to master both the art and science to styling eyewear.

There is no better time to be remarkable and shine like a pro in the eyes of your clients. To truly be different, you must be different. Profound eh?

Think of each new person as a new canvas and tap into your creative personality styling “art for the face”. First, be bold and style yourself with extraordinary and exceptional eyewear and be the brand of your “go-to” fashion boutique.

There is both an art and science to styling eyewear and knowing the face shape rules when it comes to balance, and proportion is really only a small part of the process.

This is a huge OPPORTUNITY for the artistic optician who knows the rules, knows when to break them and knows how to style and communicate effectively to transform their clients’ image with fashion forward eyewear.

Don’t get hung up on face shape rules. I would highly recommend to focus on clients’ unique facial features always enhancing the positive!

Here are questions to ask yourself:

What is the shape of the brow?
Is the face long or short?
Are the facial features curved or do they have straight lines?
Where is the widest part of the face?
What features would you like to maximize or minimize?
Where are the curves or angles in the outline of the face?
Is the face symmetrical?

Having clarity on these details gives you insight to streamline your selection process, giving attention to:

Optimum size with depth and width of the frames
Bridge size and placement
Curved or angular shapes
Design lines
Colour placement

Read Wendy’s full article in the October-November issue of Optik Magazine.

You can learn more about Wendy’s image and eyestyling program for optical fashionistas at www.specstyling.com.

Click here for a full list of Wendy’s contributions to OptikNOW.ca.

December 2, 2020December 2, 2020

Ontario Teachers Acquire US Eye Clinics

Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board (Ontario Teachers’), today announced the acquisition of a majority stake in NVISION Eye Centers (NVISION), a network provider of comprehensive eye care services in the Western USA.

NVISION founder, Dr. Tom Tooma, will retain a significant minority position in NVISION, serve as the Chief Medical Officer and a Member of the Board of Directors. Terms of the transaction are not being disclosed.

Founded in 2010 by Dr. Tooma, NVISION has 43 locations, including eight ambulatory surgery centres, across 5 US states including California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington and Arizona.

The NVISION team of surgeons have performed more than two million cataract and refractive surgeries.

“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to partner with such an experienced team at Ontario Teachers’. NVISION’s focus has always been on providing excellent clinical and surgical outcomes by a team of surgeons and staff who really care. The experience and the financial resources of the team at Ontario Teachers’, combined with the expertise of our management team led by our CEO Chris Karkenny, will enable us to accelerate our growth by deepening and expanding our geographic presence while continuing to focus on offering exceptional eye care services,” said Dr. Tooma.

“Our investment in NVISION is supported by demographic and health factors that are increasing demand for high-quality eye care. The company is well-positioned in this market given their outstanding clinical reputation built on exceptional outcomes for their patients,” said Karen Frank, Senior Managing Director, Equities at Ontario Teachers’. “We look forward to working with Dr. Tooma and the management team as they embark on the next phase of growth for the business.”

Previous investments by Ontario Teachers include dental, veterinary and dermatology clinics. According to the 2019 Annual report, there are no optometry or other vision care companies on their list of private investments over $200 million.

View the full press release.

December 1, 2020December 1, 2020

Investment in FYidoctors Named Private Equity Deal of the Year for Americas

FYidoctors announces the strategic minority equity investment received from L Catterton in March 2020 has been named Americas Private Equity Deal of the Year by the Global M&A Network.

The Annual Americas M&A Atlas Awards is administered by the Global M&A Network and recognizes the achievements of successful dealmakers, outstanding firms and the best-growth delivering transactions.

The accolade follows a busy year for FYidoctors. The brand continues to showcase resiliency among the uncertainness that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought to the world and healthcare industry through their continued expansion in eye care and growth of the medical aesthetic division of the business.

“On behalf of over 550 optometrists and 2,700 FYidoctors staff, we send our sincerest congratulations to the team at L Catterton on the receipt of this prestigious award,” said Dr. Alan Ulsifer, CEO and chairman of FYidoctors. “We are pleased to be part of their success and are humbled to see our doctor-led approach to eye care get this sort of attention.”

Click HERE for the full press release.