Graystone Eye awards Prime Vendor agreement to Medline

Agreement extends to organization's ophthalmic physician offices, as well as surgery center

NORTHFIELD, Ill., May 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Medline today announced its Prime Vendor agreement with Graystone Eye in Hickory, N.C. With 13 board--certified ophthalmologists, one optometrist and additional staff totaling more than 300 in four locations -- Hickory, Lenoir, Lincolnton and Boone -- Graystone Eye provides comprehensive ophthalmic care to patients in western North Carolina and neighboring counties. 

Under the terms of the Prime Vendor agreement, Graystone Eye's physician offices and surgery center have access to Medline's vast medical-surgical portfolio and supply chain expertise, which is expected to support standardization and drive operational efficiency. With advanced analytics platforms from Medline, Graystone also can monitor key metrics across its locations, including item utilization, contract compliance, price accuracy and spend by product categories.

Graystone's sub-specialties include cataract, refractive, cornea, retina, pediatric, glaucoma, oculoplastic and optometry services and procedures. The organization says it demonstrates leadership and a commitment to advancing cutting-edge ophthalmic care by introducing state-of-the-art technology and techniques – such as light-adjustable lens surgery - to its clinical and surgical services and by supporting several national ophthalmology clinical trials. The organization also recently launched a new Chronic Care Management program, designed to provide a holistic approach to Medicare-enrolled patients with multiple chronic conditions.

"Every decision we make points to our mission – to preserve the gift of sight and improve lives, one patient at a time," said Andrew Tate, chief executive officer of Graystone Eye. "And we rely on partners like Medline who can help us do what's best for our patients, honor physician preferences and improve efficiency, all while delivering excellent outcomes and patient satisfaction."

Medline has supported the Graystone Eye surgery center since 2012. The new Prime Vendor agreement expands the relationship to the group's physician offices as well.

"Working closely with Graystone Eye surgery center over the past few years, we've seen that the Graystone Eye team is not only mission-driven and highly-skilled but also forward-thinking and organized," said Chris Matheson, ambulatory surgery representative, Medline. "We're proud of the processes we've built with the surgery center team to ensure accountability, ease of use and efficiency, and we look forward to extending these systems and processes through the entire network."

"In our pursuit of excellence at Graystone Eye, we continuously seek opportunities to enhance our efficiency and streamline our processes," said Alisa Herman, RN, chief surgical administrator at Graystone Eye. "Our partnership with Medline has been instrumental in helping us achieve these goals. By working with Medline, we can optimize our supply chain, reduce costs and ensure that our surgical teams have the resources they need to provide the highest quality care to our patients."

Added Jennifer Thompson, RN, infection control supervisor and manager of materials management at Graystone Eye: "We believe that the most important aspect of our work is the well-being of our patients. We are dedicated to providing the highest level of care and support to ensure their comfort and satisfaction."

To learn how Medline tailors solutions for ASCs around the country, visit medline.com/ASC.

About Graystone Eye

Since 1969, Graystone Eye has been committed to delivering exceptional eye care to Hickory, N.C., and the surrounding counties. Graystone's physicians and staff are dedicated to preserving the health and function of their patients' eyes. In addition to comprehensive eye examinations, Graystone's team of board-certified ophthalmologists specializes in no-stitch cataract extraction and lens implantation, treatment of diabetic eye disease and other retinal conditions, medical and surgical management of glaucoma, LASIK and laser refractive surgery, laser surgery, muscle surgery, and cosmetic surgery. For more information, visit www.graystone-eye.com.

About Medline

Medline is the largest provider of medical-surgical products and supply chain solutions serving all points of care. Through its broad product portfolio, resilient supply chain and leading clinical solutions, Medline helps healthcare providers improve their clinical, financial and operational outcomes. Headquartered in Northfield, Illinois, the company employs more than 43,000 people worldwide and operates in more than 100 countries and territories. To learn more about how Medline makes healthcare run better, visit www.medline.com.

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SOURCE Medline Industries, LP