Why Supporting Local, Independent Medical Practices Matters More Than Ever

Published August 12, 2025 by Dr. Jordan Stanley

At PureSight Surgical in Marietta, GA, we believe in a different kind of healthcare—one where medical decisions are made by physicians, not investors. Marietta ophthalmologist and founder of PureSight Surgical, Dr. Jordan Stanley, is passionate about clinical autonomy and shares why it’s critical to your health outcomes and how his practice puts you first.

What is Clinical Autonomy?

Clinical autonomy is the ability to make the best medical decisions based on each patient’s needs, free from corporate pressures to decrease practice spending and increase patient costs or the red tape of getting approval for certain treatments. To put it simply, Dr. Stanley believes no investor should interfere with the sacred trust between a patient and their doctor.

This sentiment is shared by many of Dr. Stanley’s colleagues, such as solo practice owner Dr. Aaron Waite in Utah, who explains:

“For me, the decision to start my own solo practice was inspired by my desire to remove as many middlemen as possible from the doctor-patient relationship. Our patients put faith in us to provide them with the best possible care. It’s a sacrosanct trust, and any other entity that inserts itself into the doctor-patient relationship negatively impacts our ability to treat our patients with the utmost care. As physicians, our first obligation is directly to the patient, not to an insurance company, the medicolegal system or to CMS.”¹

The Corporate Medicine Debate: Why States Are Taking Action

The concern over a lack of clinical autonomy is increasingly shared nationwide. Several states—including California, Texas, and New York—have passed or enforced laws to limit or ban corporate ownership of medical practices, particularly where non-physicians attempt to direct clinical decisions.² These policies reflect growing alarm over how financial interests are reshaping American healthcare, often to the detriment of both patients and communities.

Clinical autonomy can be lost when outside investors control the practice and limit your access to care

Why Local Clinics Matter

Independent practices like PureSight Surgical aren’t just a nostalgic ideal—they represent a better, and typically more cost-effective approach to healthcare. Local, physician-owned clinics offer more personal, compassionate, and consistent care because the people running them live and work in the same communities they serve.

Dr. Stanley chose this model because it allows him to provide care that’s grounded in justice, transparency, and access—especially for patients with high-deductible plans or no insurance at all. Free from outside ownership, his Marietta ophthalmology practice can focus on what’s best for the patient, not what satisfies a spreadsheet.

Our Practice Model

At PureSight Surgical, we provide transparent pricing and personalized care to save you both time and money. For patients who are un- or under-insured, this empowers you to understand what your care costs and avoid unexpected fees and charges.

How it works

Better for Communities and Local Economies

Choosing a local medical provider also strengthens your community’s economy. As highlighted by Health Rosetta (an organization that provides a blueprint for building high-performance healthcare benefits plans, focusing on transparency, accountability, and innovation in healthcare delivery), when patients support independent, community-based healthcare, a greater portion of those dollars stays local. This revenue supports local jobs and small business vendors, and serves as an ongoing investment in community services.

By contrast, large hospital systems and private equity-owned practices typically extract profits from the community, sending them to distant corporate headquarters or investment funds. While they may employ local staff, the net impact is often economically negative.³

Independent healthcare recirculates up to twice as much revenue locally compared with corporate systems

The Relocalize Healthcare Movement

The national movement to “relocalize healthcare” is growing, as more physicians and patients seek alternatives to bureaucratic, corporatized systems. Thought leaders like Health Rosetta and publications such as Healthcare Uncovered are charting the path forward—showing how restoring community control and clinician autonomy leads to better outcomes, lower costs, and greater trust.⁴

At PureSight Surgical, we are proud to be part of this vision. We’ve built a clinic where patients receive honest, evidence-based eye care without hidden costs or corporate interference. Our focus is on what’s right for you, and we offer a range of medical eye care services:

• Cataract Surgery
• Medical Eye Exams
• Glaucoma Management 
• Refractive Lens Exchange (RLE)
• Implantable Collamer Lens (ICL) Surgery

We’re grateful for every patient and referring provider who supports local, independent healthcare. Together, we can help preserve the integrity of the doctor-patient relationship and build a stronger, healthier community in the process.

To make an appointment with Dr. Stanley for one of the services listed above, request an appointment through the Contact Us page or leave a message at 770-230-2020.