LensCrafters buys Vegas vision care operation

Friday, June 6, 2003 | 9:32 a.m.

Sierra Health Services Inc., the No. 1 health insurer in Southern Nevada, has sold its vision care operation in Las Vegas to LensCrafters Inc. and will close five local optometry offices, a newspaper reported today.

Sierra's managed care unit, Health Plan of Nevada, said it contracted with Cincinnati-based LensCrafters Inc. to provide optometry services and eye care accessories to its members and that it will close its Southwest Vision offices, reported In Business Las Vegas, a sister publication of the Sun.

The Southwest Vision offices, used by Health Plan of Nevada members for their eye-care needs, are being shuttered to enable Health Plan of Nevada to "focus more on the medical side of its business," Darren Sivertsen, chief operating officer of Health Plan of Nevada, told In Business.

Four of the Southwest Vision offices will close by Aug. 31. Those four are located in the Southwest Medical clinics at 650 N.Nellis Blvd., 2316 W. Charleston Blvd., 2704 N. Tenaya Way, and 4475 S. Eastern Ave. The fifth office, located in the Southwest Medical clinic at 2651 Green Valley Parkway, has already been closed because of a staff shortage.

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