Press Release

Pennsylvania Optometrists Open Their Own Surgical Suite, Bringing Surgery Into the Independent Practice

Opening October 22, the optometrist-owned suite lets patients have cataract and refractive lens exchange surgery close to home, with their own optometrists guiding care before and after.

BUTLER, PA, October 14, 2026 – Butler Eye Care, co-owned by Jennifer McGrath, OD, and Michael McGrath, OD, will launch an optometrist-owned office-based surgery (OBS) program on October 22, bringing surgical services into the independent practice and extending the continuity of care its optometrists provide.

Developed in collaboration with iOR Partners, the new surgical suite will support cataract surgery and refractive lens exchange. Ophthalmologist, Michael Alunni, MD, will perform surgical procedures within the practice, while Butler Eye Care’s optometrists will provide preoperative evaluation, postoperative management and ongoing primary eye care.

The program builds on the optometric team’s knowledge of each patient’s ocular health, prescription history and daily visual demands. Integrating surgical services into the practice creates an opportunity to carry that knowledge through treatment planning, surgery and recovery, with close communication between the optometrist and ophthalmologist. Surgery also becomes one more option in the refractive conversation the practice’s optometrists already have with patients at every exam, and about 40 patients are already on the waitlist ahead of opening.

“Our patients look to us to help them understand their options and make decisions about their vision,” said co-owner Jennifer McGrath, OD. “An office-based surgery program allows us to build on that trust. Our patients have always been loyal to us, but they wanted surgery in Butler. Now they can stay with the doctors and staff they know, and we can stay connected to their care from the first exam through recovery, working alongside the ophthalmologist.”

Office-based surgery refers to surgical procedures performed by a licensed physician in an office setting outside a hospital or ambulatory surgery center. An OBS suite can be owned by optometrists, allowing them to develop and manage the surgical facility within their practice while an ophthalmologist performs the procedures.

For Butler Eye Care, the model extends an established approach to patient care. Surgical cases previously referred to an outside facility, often requiring patients to travel, can now be accommodated in Butler, with the optometric team continuing to guide patients through the process. The expanded service offering also supports practice growth, but that opportunity follows from the program’s central purpose: maintaining continuity and bringing more of the patient’s care into the practice.

The launch reflects a model in which independent optometric practices can take a greater role in organizing the surgical care available to their patients. Ownership of the suite allows the practice to integrate surgical services into its operations while preserving the distinct clinical responsibilities of optometrists and ophthalmologists. It also gives the practice greater control over the patient experience and the continuity of care, rather than depending on outside referral relationships.

“iOR Partners was instrumental in every step of the way, from the architecture and layout of the suite to hiring our OBS manager and preparing for launch,” said Dr. Jennifer McGrath.

iOR Partners will provide ongoing operational support including an iOR employee as the full-time OBS manager at Butler Eye Care. Their services encompass facility planning, accreditation and compliance, staffing, materials management and revenue-cycle operations, helping practices establish and manage their OBS programs.

About Butler Eye Care
Butler Eye Care is an independent eye care practice serving Butler, Chicora and surrounding Pennsylvania communities. Founded in 1989, the practice provides comprehensive eye examinations, contact lens services, medical eye care and office-based surgery. For more information, visit butlereye.com.

About iOR Partners
iOR Partners helps eye care practices build, operate and scale office-based surgery programs while maintaining clinical independence and a patient-centered approach. The company provides support encompassing planning and development, accreditation and compliance, staffing, materials management, revenue-cycle services and ongoing operations. For more information, visit iorpartners.com.

Practice Contact
Butler Eye Care
391 Evans City Road
Butler, PA 16001
724-283-8144
butlereye.com

Media Contact
Deb Holliday
Holliday Communications LLC
deb@hollidaycommunications.net
412.877.4519

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