Eye Care for Animals celebrates 40 years of service

Eye Care for Animals (ECFA)—a company providing veterinary ophthalmology service group to 39 clinics across the country—is celebrating its 40-year anniversary since its inception.

Established in 1981 by founder Reuben Merideth, DVM, DACVO, EFCA clinics are located in 16 states with 6 practices in Arizona. Specialists at ECFA treat over 55,000 animals yearly and have helped more than 1 million animals since opening its doors to the public.

“This is a truly incredible milestone and one that is even bigger than I’d dreamed,” said Merideth, in a prepared statement from ECFA. “I started ECFA with the goal to be the number one provider of veterinary ophthalmology services on the west coast. Every client care representative, technician, resident, and doctor rose to the occasion, and we were able to exceed my wildest expectations.”

Following the booming success from his first venture, Merideth began addressing the need for veterinary ophthalmology services in other markets, leading him to create ECFA’s residency program in 1982. To date, the program has trained 75 veterinarians to become veterinary ophthalmologists and is the largest, non-university affiliated ophthalmology residency program across the globe.

To achieve ECFA’s mission of becoming the world’s largest veterinarian-owned ophthalmology group, Merideth partnered with Paul Barret, DVM, DACVO, back in 1995. By 2006, ECFA had completed this mission with plans for further expansion. By 2016, ECFA had grown to 54 practices in 16 states and would go on to join Pathway Vet Alliance in 2017 to lead Pathway’s ophthalmology division.

"We found a strong partner in Pathway when we joined forces nearly four years ago,” said Rustin Sturgeon, DVM, DACVO, ECFA trained and national medical director of ophthalmology at Pathway Vet Alliance. “To celebrate 40 years of animal care in an industry with a competitive, ever-changing landscape shows how proficient and impactful ECFA has been in the industry.”

Due to the COVID-19 surges, ECFA decided to move their in-person celebration to October in Scottsdale, Arizona. For anyone who would like to support and celebrate ECFA’s anniversary, the company is asking for a donation to the Vision for Animal Foundation founded by the American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.

Reference

Happy Anni-fur-sary: Largest veterinary ophthalmology specialty group celebrates 40 years of animal eye care. News release. August 26, 2021; PrideVMC. Accessed August 26, 2021. [email]