Our best-in-class team members come from diverse backgrounds and life experiences, but all bring track records of excellence to their respective disciplines.
Leadership
Jim Wachtman
Chief Executive Officer
- Joined Vision Integrated Partners in 2019.
- 25 years in Ophthalmology to include CEO of TLC and President of Laser Vision Centers/Sightpath Medical
- 39 years in healthcare services, technology and private equity
Chris Alexander
PRESIDENT
- Joined Vision Integrated Partners in 2021
- Leading VIPs executive team via the MSOs partnership with medical practices and the company’s ambulatory surgical centers nationwide
- 20+ years in financial management and healthcare leadership
“Luck is the shadow cast by resolve. Fate is the angle of the sun.”
Randall Shaw
Chief Development Officer
- Over 30 years of experience in finance, law, and operations
- Prior to co-founding VIP, served as Executive Vice President of Corporate Development at a dermatology-focused physician practice management company
- Previously worked for 15 years as an investment banker in NYC at UBS, Citigroup and DLJ, covering health care services and financial sponsors and executing leveraged finance transactions
Steven Strohl
Chief Financial Officer
- Joined Vision Integrated Partners in 2018
- Leading VIP’s finance team and oversight of all financial reporting, analysis and technology integrations for data warehouse
- B.S. in Accounting and Finance with a minor in Biology. Enrolled in Masters of Accounting programs at Nova SE University. Previously led accounting division for a nation-wide Dermatology healthcare group with 55+ locations.
“The harder you work, the luckier you become.”
JP Knobloch
CHIEF ACCOUNTING OFFICER
- Joined Vision Integrated Partners in 2022.
- Responsible for financial accounting and reporting, audit, treasury, and tax
- B.A. in Psychology, master’s degrees in Accounting, Business Administration,
and Public Policy Administration from the University of Missouri
“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”
Rikki Bradley
SVP Surgical Services and Compliance
- Joined Vision Integrated Partners in 2019
- Driving financial and operational success across our ASCs
- 40+ years in ophthalmology
“If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t understand it well enough.”
-Albert Einstein, Theoretical Physicist
Candace Simerson
SVP Practice Operations
Joined Vision Integrated Partners in 2023
Career spans multiple decades in the ophthalmology space
Previous experience includes engagements as President/COO at Minnesota Eye Consultants, Chief Development Officer at CEI Vision Partners, and Chief Executive Officer at Harvard Eye Associates
Past president and current fellow: American Society of Ophthalmic Administrators, past Chair: National Board of Certified Ophthalmic Executives, past Chair, ASCRS HIT Committee, 2011 recipient of ASOA Pinnacle Award
“Stay positive, work hard, and make it happen.”
– Proverb
Jeffrey Walker
VP PRACTICE OPERATIONS: FLORIDA
- Joined Vision Integrated Partners in 2018
- Responsible for the Florida Region
- MBA, University of Florida, Concentration in Entrepreneurship & Innovation
- PLDA, Harvard Business School, Concentration in Strategy & Leadership
“People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
– John Maxwel
Bree Smith
VP PRACTICE OPERATIONS: MIDWEST AND CALIFORNIA
- Joined Vision Integrated Partners in 2021
- Driving overall operational and financial success of our mid-west and California Practices.
- Over 23 years of leadership & Management experience, 11 of which have been in Ophthalmology
- Master’s degree in business administration with concentration in Healthcare Administration along with master’s degree in science management
“Leadership is a responsibility to do more, not an excuse to do less.”
-Scott Schroeder
Mike Wyrick
VP Practice Operations: Discover Vision Centers
- Over 30 years in the health care industry across the hospital, ambulatory and
private practice settings, including 27 years in Ophthalmology. - After joining Eye Care, Inc (now Discover Vision Centers) in 1995 and
receiving numerous promotions, Mike was promoted to Chief Executive Officer in 2010. Discover Vision Centers is one of the largest and most successful eye care practices in the country with 30+ providers, nearly 300 employees, 9 clinic locations and 3 surgery centers. During his tenure the company has increased its specialty coverage and overall geographic foot print to increase capacity and revenue. - Received M.B.A from Baker University 2002
- Over 30 years in the health care industry across the hospital, ambulatory and
“Teamwork – Coming together is the beginning, keeping together is a
process, working together is success.”
-Henry Ford.
America McLaughlin
Director of Marketing and Communications
- Joined Vision Integrated Partners in 2018
- Responsible for marketing, communications and performance services programs and initiatives
- B.S. from Vanderbilt University. Majored in English and minored in Spanish
- Master’s degree in Business Administration from University of Florida
– Lord Tennyson
Eric Deupree
DIRECTOR OF REVENUE
CYCLE MANAGEMENT
- Joined Vision Integrated Partners in 2018
- Director of RCM- RCM and Integration Oversight
- B.S. in Biotechnology and Biomedical Science- 15+ years’ experience in the Ophthalmology space
“The best way to predict your future is to create it.”
-Abraham Lincoln
Jessica Robertson
DIRECTOR OF REVENUE CYCLE – SURGICAL SERVICES
- Joined VIP in 2023
- Oversees and supports revenue cycle operations across VIPs ambulatory surgery centers
- 15+ years in revenue cycle management and leadership
“Be strong enough to stand alone, wise enough to know
when you need help, and brave enough to ask for it.”
Jorge Rivera
HR Director Benefits
and Payroll
- Joined Vision Integrated Partners in 2019
- Responsible for Payroll, Benefits, Human Resources Information Systems, and overall HR initiatives
- M.S. Degree in Human Resources Management and B.A. Degree in
Business Administration
- Certified Senior Professional Human Resources and Society of Human Resources
“A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way.”
Wes Dunn
VP BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT AND PREMIUM SERVICES
- Joined Vision Integrated Partners in 2022
- Business Development & New Growth Strategies
- Bachelor of Science Degree Business Communications – 37 Years of experience working in Ophthalmology
“If it were easy, it wouldn’t be as fun.”
Corey Schmidt
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE
- Corey joined the VIP team in 2021
- Corey supports VIP’s M&A transaction execution, managing sponsor and lender relationships, and assisting with financial reporting and other operational initiatives
“If you learn to use it right, the adversity, it will buy you a ticket to a place you couldn’t have gone any other way”
– Tony Bennett (the basketball coach)
Trevor Adkins
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS- AMBULATORY SURGERY CENTERS
- Trevor joined the VIP team in 2023.
- Trevor motivates operational and financial success of our ASCs
- Trevor has his B.S. in Nursing from the University of St. Mary. Additionally, he has worked 13 years in surgery, 7 of which have been in leadership roles
“Never say never because limits, like fears, are often just illusions”
– Michael Jordan
Jess Greene
Director of Operations- Ambulatory Surgery Centers
- Jess Greene MBA, MSN, RN, CASC
- Director of Operations – Surgical Services
- 20 years of Clinical Experience, including 10 years of ambulatory Care.
- 7 years Business Unit Leader for Kansas City Area Surgery Center, Certified Administrator of ASCs (CASC)
- Masters of Business and of Science in Nursing with a focus on Healthcare Administration.
“In a world where you can be anything… BE KIND.”
Shaun Damico
Director of Operations – Medical Practices
- Joined Vision Integrated Partners in 2023
- Driving overall operational and financial success of our Midwest Practices.
- 20+ years of experience within the eyecare industry with an emphasis on leadership, process development, implementation, and empowering eyecare professionals at every level as a Certified Ophthalmic Executive
- Bachelor’s degree in Healthcare Administration and United States Air Force Veteran
“Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.”
– Winston Churchill
Corey Schmidt
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE
- Corey joined the VIP team in 2021
- Corey supports VIP’s M&A transaction execution, managing sponsor and lender relationships, and assisting with financial reporting and other operational initiatives
“If you learn to use it right, the adversity, it will buy you a ticket to a place you couldn’t have gone any other way”
– Tony Bennett (the basketball coach)
Physician Advisors
Dr. Ken Chern, MD
PENINSULA OPTHALMOLOGY GROUP
Dr. Dana Deupree, MD
THE MACULA CENTER
Dr. John Doane, MD
DISCOVER VISION CENTERS
Dr. Richard Erdey, MD
Erdey Searcy Eye Group
Dr. Jay Pepose, MD
Pepose Vision Institute
Interested in joining the VIP team? Check out what makes our team so special.