Eye Care for Animals, a nationwide network of more than 50 ophthalmology practices, has merged with the veterinary management company Pathway.
The transaction, announced Oct. 16, turns Eye Care for Animals (ECFA) into a division of Austin, Texas-based Pathway. The financial terms were not disclosed.
With its latest acquisition, Pathway employs 2,000 people and has full or partial ownership of more than 120 general, emergency or specialty practices.
“As the leader in veterinary ophthalmology with a world-class residency program, ECFA is the perfect partner for Pathway,” said Pathway CEO Stephen Hadley, DVM, MS. “Further, ECFA’s existing growth model fits nicely into Pathway’s strategy.”
The takeover makes financial sense, said ECFA founder Reuben Merideth, DVM, DACVO.
“A transformation has taken place in veterinary private practice,” Dr. Merideth said. “By pooling resources, as ECFA and Pathway have done, it will enable them to stay competitive in the industry.”
Arizona-based Eye Care for Animals was founded in 1981. Pathway started in Austin in 2003.