Columbia Eye Clinic, P.A.

What Columbia Eye Clinic, P.A. does

Columbia Eye Clinic, P.A. is a physician-owned ophthalmology and optical retail practice headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina, operating under a Professional Association (P.A.) legal structure with no disclosed external capital, private equity, or parent company. Founded in 1923 by Dr. Walter J. Bristow, Sr., the practice has grown to become the largest medical and surgical ophthalmology practice in the Midlands region of South Carolina, employing 14 board-certified and fellowship-trained ophthalmologists and more than 100 ophthalmic support staff across four clinical locations in Columbia, Lexington, Northeast Columbia, and West Columbia, plus a dedicated ambulatory surgery center (Columbia Eye Surgery Center). Service offerings span comprehensive eye exams, cataract surgery with monofocal/multifocal/astigmatism-correcting IOLs, cornea, dry eye, glaucoma, oculoplastics, retina (including vitreoretinal surgery), LASIK/PRK, implantable collamer lenses, and refractive lens exchange, supported by capital equipment including the Alcon LenSx femtosecond laser and iDESIGN wavefront-guided laser.

The practice generates revenue through two principal streams: (1) professional medical and surgical eye care services billed through insurance (including Medicare) with patient responsibility for copays, deductibles, and premium-lens/laser-assisted upgrades paid out of pocket, and (2) optical retail sales of prescription eyeglasses, designer frames (Ray-Ban, Maui Jim, Kate Spade, etnia BARCELONA), Shamir digital prescription lenses, contact lenses (Johnson & Johnson, CIBA Vision, Bausch & Lomb), and specialty products such as Enchroma color-blind glasses across on-site optical shops at all four locations. Go-to-market is primarily sales-led via direct patient scheduling, physician referrals, and patient word-of-mouth, supported by a content-marketing website with blog, patient resources, and a MedFusion-based patient portal.

The customer base is overwhelmingly individual patients (B2C) across the Midlands of South Carolina, with no disclosed enterprise or B2B contracts. Recent strategic activity centers on physician succession and recruitment (notably the 2026 addition of vitreoretinal subspecialist Dr. Philip H. Scharper, Jr., M.D., J.D., and prior additions of Drs. Cross and Lee alongside retirements of Drs. Cain and H. Crosswell), service-line deepening through premium IOLs, ICL, and refractive lens exchange, and brand reinforcement via two consecutive years of U.S. News & World Report recognition as a high-performing ophthalmic ambulatory surgery center. The practice has no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, no patents or trademarks, no M&A activity, and no funding rounds, and operates entirely within its single regional market.

Name

Columbia Eye Clinic, P.A.

Legal name

Columbia Eye Clinic

Website

https://columbiaeye.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1923

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Columbia Eye Clinic, P.A. is a physician-owned ophthalmology practice founded in 1923 in Columbia, South Carolina. It operates four clinical locations and a dedicated surgery center in the Midlands region, employing 14 ophthalmologists and 100+ staff to deliver medical, surgical, and optical retail eye care to individual patients.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ophthalmology Services

NAICS

Offices of Physicians (62111), Offices of Optometrists (62132), Optical Goods Retailers (45613)

SIC

Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011), Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093), Ophthalmic Goods (3851)

akta.pro primary industry

Ophthalmology Clinics (Medical & Surgical Eye Care) (HLAKAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Optometry Clinics (Primary Eye Care) (HLAKAKAB), Cornea, External Disease & Refractive Surgery (LASIK/PRK) (HLAKAKAF), Ophthalmology Surgery Centers (HLAFAIAF)

Keywords

• Ophthalmology services
• Cataract surgery
• Laser vision correction
• Prescription eyewear
• Optical retail

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Medical Eye Care Services: Revenue from comprehensive eye exams, consultations, and medical/surgical ophthalmology procedures including cataract surgery, glaucoma treatment, retina procedures, and vision correction surgery. Services billed through insurance where applicable.
2. Optical Retail (Glasses and Contact Lenses): Revenue from prescription eyeglasses, sunglasses, reading glasses, and contact lens sales through optical departments at all four locations. Includes designer frames and premium lens options.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Columbia Eye Clinic is a physician-owned ophthalmology practice delivering comprehensive medical and surgical eye care, including cataract surgery with premium IOL options, LASIK/PRK and other refractive procedures, glaucoma, retina, cornea, dry eye, and oculoplastics services. The practice also operates an on-site optical retail department at each of its four Midlands locations selling prescription eyeglasses, contact lenses, and specialty eyewear.

Product overview

Columbia Eye Clinic, P.A. is a comprehensive ophthalmology and optical practice offering a unified portfolio of eye care services. The practice operates Columbia Eye Surgery Center as its dedicated surgical facility and provides medical services spanning cataract surgery (with various IOL options including monofocal, multifocal, and astigmatism-correcting lenses), cornea treatments, glaucoma management, retina services, oculoplastics, and vision correction procedures including LASIK, PRK, implantable collamer lenses (ICL), and refractive lens exchange. The optical department offers digital prescription lenses by Shamir (including Autograph III single vision, Autograph II progressives, Spectrum progressives, Duo line-less bifocals, and golf progressives), designer eyeglasses (Ray-Ban, Maui Jim, Kate Spade, etnia BARCELONA, and others), contact lenses, and specialty products like Enchroma color blind glasses. The practice utilizes advanced surgical technology including the Alcon LenSx femtosecond laser for cataract surgery and iDESIGN® wavefront-guided laser for vision correction.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Cataract Surgery Surgical removal of cloudy lenses replaced with intraocular lens implants. Offers latest advancements in lens implants including monofocal, multifocal, and astigmatism-correcting IOLs, with options for laser-assisted cataract surgery.
• Cornea Services Medical and surgical treatment for corneal conditions and diseases affecting the front surface of the eye.
• Dry Eye Treatment Diagnosis and treatment for dry eye syndrome and related ocular surface conditions.
• Comprehensive Eye Exams Complete eye health evaluations including vision testing and contact lens exams designed to detect and prevent sight-threatening eye problems.
• Glaucoma Treatment Medical and surgical management of glaucoma, including treatment to control intraocular pressure and protect the optic nerve.
• Oculoplastics | Eyelid Surgery Cosmetic and reconstructive surgery of the eyelids and surrounding ocular structures.
• LASIK and Laser Vision Correction Laser-assisted in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) and photorefractive keratectomy (PRK) procedures to correct refractive errors including nearsightedness, farsightedness, and astigmatism using wavefront-guided iDESIGN technology.
• Implantable Collamer Lenses (ICL) Phakic intraocular lenses implanted inside the eye to correct vision, particularly for patients who may not be candidates for LASIK or other corneal refractive procedures.
• Refractive Lens Exchange Surgical replacement of the natural lens with an artificial intraocular lens to correct refractive errors, often for patients with presbyopia or high refractive errors.
• Retina Services Diagnosis and treatment of retinal conditions including macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and retinal detachment, provided by fellowship-trained retinal specialists.
• Columbia Eye Surgery Center Ambulatory surgery center dedicated to ophthalmic procedures, recognized as high performing by U.S. News & World Report in 2024 and 2025. The only ophthalmic ambulatory surgery center in the Midlands recognized as high performing.
• LenSx Femtosecond Laser Cataract Surgery Blade-free laser-assisted cataract surgery using the Alcon LenSx femtosecond surgical laser to perform key surgical steps, offering an alternative to traditional manual cataract surgery.
• Digital Prescription Lenses by Shamir Custom digital prescription lenses by Shamir including Autograph III Single Vision, Autograph II Progressive, Spectrum Progressive, Duo (line-less bifocals), and Golf Progressive lenses, offering wider fields of view and crisper distance vision.
• Optical Shop - Prescription Eyeglasses Prescription eyeglasses and frames offered through on-site optical departments staffed by licensed and board-certified opticians, including designer brands such as Ray-Ban, Maui Jim, Kate Spade, and etnia BARCELONA.
• Contact Lenses Contact lenses from major manufacturers including Johnson & Johnson, CIBA Vision, and Bausch & Lomb, offering daily, weekly, and monthly disposables as well as bifocal and multifocal lenses, available through on-site optical departments and online ordering.
• Enchroma Color Blind Glasses Specialty eyewear designed to help people with color vision deficiency, available through the optical department.

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• American Academy of OphthalmologyminorOthersProfessional association providing resources and continuing education support for ophthalmologists. Columbia Eye Clinic links to AAO resources for patient education.
• American Society of Cataract and Refractive SurgeryminorOthersProfessional society for cataract and refractive surgeons. Columbia Eye Clinic references ASCRS resources for patient information.
• South Carolina Medical AssociationminorOthersState medical association representing physicians in South Carolina. Columbia Eye Clinic maintains membership and links to SCMA resources.
• ShamircoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership for custom digital prescription lenses including Autograph III Single Vision, Autograph II Progressive, Spectrum Progressive, Duo, and Golf Progressive lenses with advanced customization technology.
• AlconcoreTechnology or IntegrationProvider of LenSx femtosecond surgical laser technology for advanced cataract surgery, enabling blade-free laser-assisted surgical procedures.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• US Eye: PE-backed ophthalmology consolidation platform with multi-location practices across the southeastern U.S. Comparable as a roll-up of independent ophthalmology groups, providing direct competition for independent practices in South Carolina-adjacent markets.
• EyeCare Partners: Large PE-backed ophthalmology and optometry platform operating hundreds of locations across the U.S. Comparable as a multi-site ophthalmology services platform with integrated ASCs and optical retail, though at vastly greater scale and with capital advantages.

Direct peers

• Clemson Eye: Regional South Carolina ophthalmology practice offering cataract, LASIK, and comprehensive eye care across multiple locations. Directly comparable as an independent multi-location ophthalmology group operating in the same state and serving similar patient demographics.
• Palmetto Eye Center: South Carolina-based ophthalmology and optometry practice offering cataract surgery and comprehensive eye care. Comparable as a regional independent ophthalmology provider in the same state competing for Midlands-adjacent patients.
• Carolina Eye Associates: Regional ophthalmology practice operating multiple locations across the Carolinas, providing cataract, glaucoma, retina, and refractive surgery. Directly comparable as an independent multi-location ophthalmology group serving the same regional patient base.
• Woolfson Eye Institute: Multi-location ophthalmology and refractive surgery practice based in Atlanta, GA, offering LASIK, cataract surgery, and comprehensive eye care. Comparable as a physician-led, multi-location ophthalmology group with integrated surgical and optical services.

Regional players

• Storm Eye Institute (MUSC): Academic ophthalmology center at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. Comparable as a high-complexity ophthalmology provider in South Carolina, offering subspecialty surgical care and competing for the same regional patient pool.
• Charleston Eye Care: South Carolina ophthalmology and optometry practice serving the Charleston area. Comparable as a regional independent eye care provider in the same state, though operating in a different geography from Columbia Eye Clinic.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/columbia-eye-clinic-p-a

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Columbia Eye Clinic, P.A.