Meet University Eye Specialists
University Eye Specialists, an independent ophthalmology practice established in 1935, has built a long-standing reputation for providing exceptional eye care in the Knoxville community. What began as a solo practice has now evolved into a thriving, multi-location facility with 17 providers, offering a full spectrum of eye care services — from routine eye exams and LASIK to advanced surgical treatments for complex eye diseases.
Will Pitt and Sam Winnegrad have been integral to this journey, with Pitt serving as the CEO for 11 years and Winnegrad as the Director of Operations for just over 7 years. Both Pitt and Winnegrad bring a wealth of healthcare experience to the practice, helping to uphold University Eye Specialists’ commitment to quality and personalized care that has earned the trust of East Tennessee patients for nearly 90 years.
The Problem
University Eye Specialists has always focused on delivering high-quality care while also aiming to expand their patient base. However, like many independent healthcare practices, they faced considerable challenges in managing their online presence and engaging with patients effectively. The group’s leadership team knew that a strong online image was essential for long-term growth and patient acquisition, but time constraints and the demands of running a busy practice made it difficult to dedicate resources to reputation management.
In an increasingly competitive market, University Eye Specialists also recognized that financial strain was adding to their challenges. Winnegrad explained, “We’re fighting this fight against rising costs. We know that we differentiate ourselves through our service, our physicians, and our staff, but one of the best ways to tell that story is through honest reviews from individuals who have visited us.”
Pitt reflected on the broader challenge of balancing financial sustainability and patient care: “You don’t want to compromise on your care when you’re trying to increase your volumes, and so you’re trying to strike that balance between quality care and financial sustainability. Healthcare isn’t like a retail environment where if your costs go up, you increase your prices.”
University Eye Specialists needed a solution to streamline the collection of patient feedback, hold providers accountable for patient care standards, and increase their online visibility.
“You don't want to compromise on your care when you’re trying to increase your volumes, and so you're trying to strike that balance between quality care and financial sustainability. Healthcare isn’t like a retail environment where if your costs go up, you increase your prices.”
The Solution
In December 2023, University Eye Specialists’ leadership team turned to rater8, a leading healthcare reputation management platform, to address these challenges.
Previously, the group had used a reputation management system that fell short: it couldn’t integrate with their EMR system and was unable to provide a holistic view of the patient experience.
“We didn’t have the success that we’re experiencing right now with rater8,” said Winnegrad. “It wasn’t as robust. rater8 has been a positive change and is actually going to help build our business.”
Since making the switch, University Eye Specialists has seen a dramatic increase in patient review volume in just 10 months, growing from approximately 139 online reviews to 9,446 — a remarkable 6,696% increase. “You would have thought we weren’t using anybody before,” Pitt noted.
Through an API integration with University Eye Specialists’ EMR, rater8 sends review requests to verified patients via text or email immediately after checkout. This real-time automation streamlines the review collection process, providing timely and comprehensive patient feedback. rater8’s pollin8™ algorithm then intelligently distributes reviews to the websites and listings that need the most attention, ensuring a polished and consistent online presence for all of University Eye Specialists’ locations and providers.
On the group’s website, each provider’s bio page features a testimonial widget, bolstering their social proof of quality care and reinforcing to prospective patients that University Eye Specialists is the top choice for eye care services in the region.
Additionally, the University Eye Specialists team can manage their reputation and monitor all their reviews within rater8’s centralized dashboard. Gone are the days of manually responding to reviews across dozens of Google listings, thanks to rater8’s pre-written, HIPAA-compliant ZipReplies. “A major selling point for us was rater8’s built-in responses,” said Pitt. “The guidance on how to professionally handle negative reviews is incredibly helpful. There are templates and wording that we can use so we’re able to respond appropriately. It’s a big time saver.”
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Before rater8, University Eye Specialists had a modest online presence, but they still faced challenges in standing out in the competitive Knoxville market. Their Google listings were receiving, on average, 11,997 views and 1,991 actions (e.g., calls, website visits) per month, resulting in an average conversion rate of 16.7%. In an era where visibility in Google search results is crucial, the practice recognized there was untapped potential for growth, and they needed a way to consistently capture and convert online interest into new patients.
That all changed when University Eye Specialists partnered with rater8. By capturing a consistent stream of positive patient reviews, their Google listings saw an average monthly increase to 13,889 views and 2,559 actions, and their conversion rate climbed to 18.8%. This wasn’t just a spike in one area — it was a simultaneous, sustained improvement across the board, a challenge many practices face due to the constant shifts in Google’s algorithms.
It wasn’t just Google conversions that improved; University Eye Specialists also saw a dramatic rise in their star rating. In just 10 months with rater8, their overall rating skyrocketed from 4.43 to 4.90 stars.
And now, thanks to their stellar online image, it’s University Eye Specialists that new patients see at the top of search results when seeking an eye doctor, gaining the trust and attention of prospective patients.
The group has become a dominant online presence in Knoxville’s highly competitive market, positioning them in the Google 3-Pack for key search terms such as “top rated eye specialist in east TN.”
“There are people moving in from all over — from the West Coast, up north, all over the country — and they don’t know which doctor to go to,” Pitt explained. “They’re online searching for ‘best eye doctor in Knoxville.’ This helps paint a picture of each of the doctors and makes their decision a little easier.”
This increase in visibility, coupled with a stronger conversion rate, has positioned University Eye Specialists as a top contender for prospective patients seeking eye care in the Knoxville area. Their improved online reputation is a key driver of long-term growth in both patient acquisition and retention, as more potential patients trust and engage with the practice.
For both Pitt and Winnegrad, this increase in reviews is also about accountability and fostering a culture of continuous improvement. “With the reviews, it helps us hold doctors and staff accountable,” Pitt said. “The doctors get these reports regularly, and I think it’s made them more aware of patient perception.”
Winnegrad echoed this sentiment, emphasizing how the transparency provided by rater8’s low rating alerts has helped with accountability and service recovery. “The low rating alerts puts it right in our lap where we’re almost forced to address the issue.”
This immediate feedback loop has allowed the practice to address patient concerns proactively, offering insights that might have otherwise gone unnoticed. “It’s about providing high-quality care,” said Pitt, “and if we’re doing that, patients will recognize it and hopefully choose us over others.”
Positive patient feedback is also used as a tool to boost morale among providers and staff. “During our yearly staff evaluations,” Winnegrad said, “we sort through the positive feedback and share comments from real patients. It’s been a great tool for praising and recognizing staff.”
The blend of accountability, visibility, and patient-centric care shows University Eye Specialists’ commitment to balancing growth with quality. As they look to the future, Pitt emphasized their aim to expand independently, staying true to their values: “Why not us? Why not do that? And do it in our way, and not the corporate way.”
For University Eye Specialists, rater8 has proven to be more than a reputation management tool; it’s a way to uphold their commitment to patient-centric care and foster a sustainable future for their practice for years to come. As Pitt shared, “We were promised results, and you’ve delivered. We couldn’t be happier.”
