PECAA

Professional Eye Care Associates of America (PECAA) 

Independent Optometry is thriving. Despite perceptions that private equity, corporate retailers, and the online marketplace is dominating the industry, The Vision Council’s 2023 Market InSights report disclosed that 62% of retail optical locations in the United States are independent. 

In addition, “Optometry’s essential and expanding role in health care has become well-recognized by the provider community, policymakers, the health care media and the public,” says Ronald L. Benner, O.D., AOA president, in response to study findings. “Now, with every indication of an accelerating decline in the ophthalmology workforce outlook, our profession is poised for historic, new opportunities that will allow for the full use of our education, training and skills in caring for our patients.” 

It’s up to the independents, and those who support them, to ‘lean in’ to building a collaborative and prosperous independent eye care community. 
 
Who We Are 

PECAA is the nation’s largest community of independent eye care professionals with practices and businesses in all stages of growth.  
 
Our Why 

Our mission is to deliver maximum value by connecting independents with the most compelling products and services to improve the productivity and profitability of your practice. PECAA has deep roots in eye care and a firsthand understanding of the challenges you face. We recognize that you need more resources, more support, and more solutions from one organization that will help you manage the business side of your practice, allowing you to focus on your patients and providing them with the highest possible care. 

Where We Came From 

PECAA was founded in 2006 by three independent ODs in the Pacific Northwest looking for ways to better serve the independent eye care community. Over the years PECAA has become the preeminent alliance organization in vision care, hosting hundreds of local/regional networking opportunities nationwide and the most respected national alliance event in the industry. As we’ve grown, we have expanded offerings such as business advisory services, staff training, vendor discounts and a Cold Start program for new independent eye care professionals. 

Healthy Eyes Advantage (HEA), PECAA’s buying group service, was formed through the integration of four firms founded in the early 1980s to provide independents with collective buying power to. HEA maintains relationships with nearly 200 vendor partners to lower cost of goods and help independent practices maximize profitability. The time-saving convenience and efficiency of consolidated billing, in which all vendor purchases are combined into a single statement, is among the hallmarks of our service. 

As the needs of the independent eye care professional have evolved, the advantages of combining a buying group and an alliance became clear. In 2021, PECAA and HEA joined forces to create the nation’s largest community of independent eye care professionals, a true breakthrough. PECAA provides a comprehensive array of services and solutions encompassing the best of the buying group and alliance business models. Combining all the peer networking, staff training, advisory services and best-in-class purchasing programs of an alliance with the broad array of vendor partners and consolidated billing efficiencies of a buying group, PECAA's suite of services is a game-changer for independents, with benefits not available through any other group.