Eye Health America Appoints Jay Burkett as Chief Executive Officer and Names Mary Lou Parisi as Chief Growth Officer Amid Continued Expansion Across the Southeast
Eye Health America (EHA), a leading integrated eye care platform serving the Southeastern United States, announced a significant leadership transition aimed at advancing its mission of delivering comprehensive, patient-centered eye care. Jay Burkett has been appointed Chief Executive Officer, while Mary Lou Parisi, who previously served as Co-Chief Executive Officer, will assume the newly established role of Chief Growth Officer.
This leadership update comes as EHA continues its strong growth trajectory, with more than 130 physicians and over 60 locations across the region. The changes underscore the company’s commitment to supporting its expanding network of physicians and enhancing access to high-quality ophthalmology and optometry services.
A Strategic Leadership Transition
Over the past eighteen months, Jay Burkett has served as Executive Chairman of the Board for Eye Health America, collaborating closely with Parisi, Co-CEO John Swencki, and the company’s senior leadership team. His promotion to CEO reflects both his proven leadership and his deep understanding of EHA’s business, operations, and culture.
Burkett brings over 30 years of experience in the healthcare provider industry, with a career defined by guiding organizations through periods of transformation and accelerated growth. He has served in both permanent and interim executive roles—including several C-suite positions—at multi-state, multi-site healthcare companies. His leadership has consistently focused on operational excellence, organizational alignment, and improving patient care delivery.
“Jay’s appointment as CEO is a natural evolution of his engagement with EHA,” said Sasank Aleti, Partner with LLR Partners and EHA Board Member. “He has been instrumental in advising and supporting the organization during its recent growth phase, and we are confident his strategic vision and leadership will continue to drive EHA forward.”
A New Role for Mary Lou Parisi: Chief Growth Officer
As Jay assumes the CEO position, Mary Lou Parisi, who has been with Eye Health America since its inception, transitions into the role of Chief Growth Officer. Parisi’s appointment underscores the company’s focus on scaling physician engagement and strengthening practice-level support systems as EHA continues to expand its regional footprint.
In her new capacity, Parisi will concentrate on fostering growth initiatives and enhancing collaboration among EHA’s network of ophthalmologists and optometrists. With more than 130 physicians now part of the organization, her efforts will focus on ensuring that providers remain empowered to deliver the highest quality of care to patients across diverse communities.
“The creation of the Chief Growth Officer role reflects our commitment to supporting the physicians who represent the heart of our mission—patient-focused eye care,” Parisi said. “As EHA continues to expand, my goal is to strengthen the infrastructure and resources that enable our providers to deliver exceptional outcomes.”
Parisi’s leadership journey with Eye Health America has been instrumental to the company’s evolution. As co-CEO, she guided operational and growth strategies, helped integrate new partner practices, and maintained the organization’s culture of collaboration and excellence. Her transition into a dedicated growth-oriented role marks a pivotal moment in EHA’s strategic roadmap, allowing her to direct even more focus toward advancing clinical partnerships and regional development.
Honoring the Contributions of John Swencki
As part of this leadership realignment, Co-CEO John Swencki will be departing Eye Health America at the end of October. Swencki has played a foundational role in EHA’s development and success, beginning with his leadership of The Eye Associates—one of the company’s anchor practices—and later serving as Co-CEO alongside Parisi for the past five years.
Under Swencki’s guidance, EHA expanded its reach across the Southeast, completing numerous strategic affiliations and strengthening its operational backbone. His leadership has been characterized by a deep dedication to patient care, team culture, and sustainable growth.
“We thank John for his years of dedicated service to Eye Health America,” said Aleti. “His leadership has been instrumental in scaling the organization and establishing it as a trusted leader in comprehensive eye care. We wish him continued success in his future endeavors.”
Building a Network of Trusted Eye Care Providers
Since its founding, Eye Health America has positioned itself as one of the Southeast’s most comprehensive and rapidly growing eye care networks. Its integrated platform combines ophthalmology and optometry services with a robust infrastructure of Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs), allowing the company to offer patients a seamless continuum of care—from vision correction and cataract surgery to retinal treatments and advanced diagnostics.
To date, Eye Health America has completed 32 partnerships with leading eye care groups across the region. Each partnership is strategically structured to maintain the local practice’s identity while leveraging EHA’s shared resources, technology, and operational expertise. This model has allowed the company to grow rapidly while preserving the personalized, community-based care that defines its practices.
EHA’s integrated approach is designed around enhancing patient outcomes and provider efficiency. The organization’s affiliated physicians benefit from centralized support services, such as compliance management, revenue cycle optimization, human resources, and marketing. This structure enables doctors to focus on clinical excellence while EHA manages the operational complexities of running multi-site practices.
Continuing the Mission of Patient-Focused Eye Care
With Burkett at the helm and Parisi leading growth initiatives, Eye Health America is poised to build on its strong foundation and accelerate its strategic expansion. The leadership team remains committed to advancing the company’s mission of providing high-quality, integrated eye care through collaboration, innovation, and a steadfast focus on patients.
“Our mission has always been to deliver exceptional, patient-focused eye care through a network of trusted physicians and partners,” said Burkett. “As we continue to grow, we’ll invest in people, technology, and infrastructure that elevate both patient experience and clinical outcomes.”
Eye Health America’s growth strategy will continue to emphasize affiliations with premier ophthalmology and optometry practices across the Southeastern U.S., expanding access to care in both urban and underserved regions. Through its physician-led governance model and collaborative culture, the company aims to set a new standard for coordinated eye health delivery in the region.
