Excel Eye Center

In 1917 H. G. Merrill, M.D. and his brother-in-law, L. Weston Oaks, M.D. founded the first medical specialty practice in Utah specializing in eye, ear, nose, and throat diseases.

The practice went unchanged for many years, and as it grew they added Merrill C. Oaks, M.D. in 1967. After almost 50 years of practicing medicine, L. Weston Oaks, M.D. retired in 1969 and Herman Hatch, O.D. joined the practice. Dr. Hatch quickly became a respected and beloved doctor by his patients.

As the medical field continued to grow, Delbert G. Ririe, M.D. joined the practice in 1972 and together with Dr. Oaks led the eye care industry in Utah in performing some of the first cataract surgeries with intraocular implants. In 1980 John Carver, M.D. joined the practice where he served patients for 12 years until entering a retinal fellowship. The practice was then located on 500 West near Utah Valley Hospital.

In the 90's many of the doctors who see patients at Excel today became members of the growing practice. Matthew R. Parsons, M.D., a cornea and glaucoma specialist, joined the practice in 1995 when Dr. Merrill Oaks was called to serve as a mission president for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

In 1996 The Eye Clinic of Provo realized the need for growth. N. Kent Linton, M.D. in Payson, Utah merged his existing practice with the Eye Clinic of Provo to become Central Utah Eye Associates, P.C. In that same year Dell C. Morris, O.D. joined the practice as the second optometrist.

To provide a greater depth of services, Michael S. Abrams, M.D., Pediatric Ophthalmologist, joined the practice in 1997 and shortly thereafter the Orem Office was established at 700 West 800 North in Orem.

A fourth location was added in 1998 when Jesse N. Hunsaker, M.D. and Kent Karren, M.D. merged their American Fork practice with CUEA, making CUEA the largest private eye care practice in the western United States.

James G. Theurer, M.D. joined the Provo office late in 1998 when Dr. Ririe retired after 26 years of serving his patients. That same year Todd B. Engen, M.D., specializing in cosmetic, reconstructive, and oculoplastic surgery, joined the Orem office.

With so many changes in such a short time, the name was changed to Utah Center for Sight to unify the 4 offices. In 1999 Dr. Hatch retired after 32 years with the practice. Later that same year Lynn D. Stromness, O.D. and James A. Cope IV, O.D. joined the group as contract optometrists.

Outgrowing its' current location, in 1999 the American Fork office moved to a new building at 12 N 1100 E in American Fork, Utah to better serve its patients. The practice name was then changed to Excel Eye Center in January 2000 to emphasize the group's continued commitment to excellence in caring for their patients.

2001 brought many changes as well. W. Scott Lohner, M.D. merged his practice with Excel Eye Center and began seeing patients in both the American Fork and Orem offices. Then on June 9, 2001 after over 30 years at the 500 West location, construction of a new Provo office was completed at 1735 N State Street. Later that same month Dr. Engen moved the Excel Cosmetic Surgery Center to the second floor of the new Provo office.

For more than 80 years, Excel Eye Center has been the standard for eye care in Utah County by consistently providing the highest available levels of professional eye treatment in a caring and friendly environment. Today the company is among the largest private ophthalmologic practices in the Western United States with full-service treatment centers in Provo, Orem, American Fork, and Payson and satellite offices in Nephi, Fillmore, Mt. Pleasant, Richfield, Gunnison, and Delta. In addition to offering a complete range of ophthalmologic and optometric services including routine eye exams, glasses and contacts, the company also specializes in laser-assisted corrective surgery, (including LASIK), pediatric ophthalmology, cataract care and cosmetic surgery.

The founders of Excel Eye Center were caring physicians who were loved and respected by all who knew them. Those who have followed have successfully maintained that same caring approach to medicine while providing state-of-the-art treatment of the eye.