Hunkeler Eye Institute

What Hunkeler Eye Institute does

Hunkeler Eye Institute, doing business as McKnight Eye Centers, is a private eye care practice providing surgical, medical, and diagnostic ophthalmology services to patients in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Its clinical portfolio spans seven core service lines — cataract surgery, LASIK vision correction, glaucoma care, general ophthalmology, retina and macular disorder treatment, corneal cross-linking, and cosmetic eye procedures — delivered by a four-clinician team (Dustin McKnight M.D., Brett McKnight M.D., Nicole West M.D., and Anne Eylar O.D.) across two physical clinic locations in Overland Park, KS and Liberty, MO.

The practice operates on a fee-for-service professional services model, billing through insurance for medical ophthalmology and accepting out-of-pocket payment (with financing) for elective procedures such as LASIK and cosmetic services. Patient acquisition is direct-to-consumer, driven by the practice website (service pages, doctor profiles, patient testimonials, appointment request functionality), a phone-based scheduling channel, and a Patient Portal supporting records access, appointment booking, and bill-pay. Geographic focus is regional, restricted to the Kansas City metro market across the Kansas–Missouri state line.

Underlying technology is conventional clinical ophthalmology infrastructure (diagnostic and surgical equipment standard to the specialty) with no disclosed AI, proprietary software platform, API, or integration ecosystem. Ownership is concentrated among the named clinicians — likely family-linked given the shared McKnight surname — with no institutional investors, private equity backing, parent company, or subsidiaries indicated in available data. The company is operating with an estimated 11–50 employees; revenue, procedure volume, and payer mix are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Hunkeler Eye Institute

Legal name

McKnight Eye Centers

Website

https://hunkeler.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Hunkeler Eye Institute (legal name McKnight Eye Centers) is a private Kansas City metro ophthalmology practice delivering cataract surgery, LASIK, glaucoma, retina, cross-linking, and cosmetic eye care across two clinic locations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ophthalmology and Eye Care Services

NAICS

Offices of Optometrists (62132)

SIC

Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011)

akta.pro primary industry

Ophthalmology Surgery Centers (HLAFAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cornea, External Disease & Refractive Surgery (LASIK/PRK) (HLAKAKAF), Retina & Vitreous Specialists (HLAKAKAE), Comprehensive Eye Exams & Vision Care (HLAKAKAA), Optometry Clinics (Primary Eye Care) (HLAKAKAB)

Keywords

• Cataract surgery services
• LASIK vision correction
• Glaucoma treatment
• General ophthalmology
• Corneal cross-linking

Headquarters

HQ city

Overland Park

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Patient Care Services: Fee-for-service medical care for eye conditions including cataract surgery, LASIK procedures, glaucoma treatment, retina and macular disorder care, general ophthalmology, corneal cross-linking, and cosmetic eye procedures. Revenue generated through patient visits, surgical procedures, and treatments typically covered by insurance or paid out-of-pocket.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Hunkeler Eye Institute (operating as McKnight Eye Centers) is a medical eye care practice providing surgical and diagnostic ophthalmology services, including cataract surgery, LASIK vision correction, glaucoma diagnosis and management, retina and macular disorder treatment, general ophthalmology exams, corneal cross-linking, and cosmetic eye procedures. The practice operates across two clinic locations in the Kansas City metro area (Liberty, MO and Overland Park, KS) and is supported by an online patient portal.

Product overview

Hunkeler Eye Institute offers a comprehensive suite of eye care services through McKnight Eye Centers, providing a single unified practice offering. The portfolio includes seven core clinical services: Cataract Surgery, LASIK, Glaucoma Care, General Ophthalmology, Retina and Macular Disorders, Cross-Linking, and Cosmetic procedures. These services are delivered by an expert team of eye care specialists and supported by a Patient Portal for patient engagement. The institute operates multiple locations (North and South) to serve patients in the Kansas City area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cataract Surgery Surgical procedure to remove and replace the cloudy natural lens of the eye, restoring vision clarity. Provided for patients diagnosed with cataracts by the practice's ophthalmologists.
• LASIK Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis procedure that reshapes the cornea to correct nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism, reducing dependence on glasses or contact lenses for eligible patients.
• Glaucoma Care Diagnosis, treatment, and ongoing management of glaucoma and related optic nerve conditions, delivered as part of the practice's chronic eye disease care program.
• General Ophthalmology Comprehensive eye examinations and treatment for general vision problems and routine eye conditions, including diagnostics and preventive eye care.
• Retina and Macular Disorders Diagnosis and treatment of conditions affecting the retina and macula, including age-related macular degeneration and diabetic retinopathy.
• Cross-Linking Corneal collagen cross-linking procedure to strengthen the cornea and halt progressive corneal thinning, commonly used to treat keratoconus.
• Cosmetic Eye Procedures Aesthetic eye care procedures including treatments for facial rejuvenation around the eye area, offered as elective services.
• Patient Portal Online portal that allows patients to access medical records, schedule appointments, pay bills, and communicate with the eye care team.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• EyeCare Partners: PE-backed national network of ophthalmology and optometry practices spanning optometric care, ophthalmology, and ambulatory surgery centers. Comparable as a broader incumbent platform whose model of aggregating multi-specialty eye-care practices competes for both patients and physician recruitment in the same specialty footprint.
• Vision Innovation Partners: PE-backed eye-care platform consolidating ophthalmology and optometry practices across the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast. Comparable as a consolidator competing for tuck-in acquisitions of practices like Hunkeler and for physician talent in the same specialty.

Direct peers

• Barnet Dulaney Perkins Eye Center: Multi-specialty ophthalmology practice offering cataract, LASIK, glaucoma, retina, and general eye care across Arizona. Directly comparable as a multi-subspecialty ophthalmology group with both medical and surgical services under one brand.
• LASIKPlus: National LASIK-focused refractive surgery chain offering laser vision correction across multiple U.S. metros. Directly comparable as a competing LASIK provider in elective vision correction, with overlapping patient demographics in the Midwest.
• Discover Vision Centers: Kansas City-area multi-specialty ophthalmology practice offering LASIK, cataract, glaucoma, retina, and general eye care. Direct competitor in the same Kansas City metro as Hunkeler, with overlapping service lines and patient base.
• TLC Laser Eye Centers: Established North American LASIK and refractive surgery brand with multiple clinic locations. Comparable to Hunkeler on elective refractive surgery service line, patient acquisition model, and surgical eye-care delivery.
• Georgia Eye Partners: Multi-specialty ophthalmology practice providing cataract, refractive, glaucoma, cornea, and oculoplastic services in the Atlanta metro. Comparable in scale, multi-subspecialty service mix, and dual-location metropolitan footprint.
• Katzen Eye Group: Multi-specialty ophthalmology practice offering cataract, LASIK, glaucoma, retina, and oculoplastic services across the Baltimore/Mid-Atlantic region. Closely matches Hunkeler's full-service ophthalmology + surgical + elective positioning with multiple locations.
• Sabates Eye Centers: Kansas City-based multi-specialty ophthalmology practice (affiliated with the Vision Research Center / UMKC) offering cataract, LASIK, cornea, glaucoma, and retina services. Direct regional competitor to Hunkeler in the same metro.

Others

• U.S. Vision Services (EyeMed): National vision benefits and managed-care provider connecting patients with eye-care providers including ophthalmologists and optometrists. Relevant as a payer/network partner that channels covered patients to practices like Hunkeler.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HunkelerEyeInstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hunkeler-eye-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hunkeler Eye Institute