Where Our Story Began
Our Story
Westminster Eye Care Associates is a Providence practice built by two optometry-school friends who believed eye care should feel personal, never corporate.
The Founders
From Classmates to Co-Founders
Dr. John Ormando and Dr. Scott Colonna met as classmates at the SUNY College of Optometry in New York City. Shortly after graduation, they partnered to acquire the Providence practice that became Westminster Eye Care Associates — and they never looked back.
Dr. John Ormando
Dr. Ormando grew up in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He earned his BS in Biology from Seton Hall University in 1997 and his Doctor of Optometry from the SUNY College of Optometry in New York City in 2001 — one of the nation’s leading optometry programs.
For Dr. Ormando, eye care has always been personal: he believes the best care happens when doctors take the time to know their patients, their families, and their lives — not just their prescriptions.
MNDALAYOpticalLab
Dr. Scott Colonna
A Brooklyn native, Dr. Colonna earned his Doctor of Optometry from the SUNY College of Optometry, where he met Dr. Ormando. What began as a classroom friendship became a decades-long professional partnership.
Their partnership was built on a shared conviction: that people in every community deserve access to quality, personal eye care — delivered without ever feeling rushed, cold, or corporate.
The Original
Westminster: The Original Practice
Everything started at 891 Westminster Street. The Providence practice John and Scott acquired together grew into their original, largest, and busiest location — the flagship where the group’s approach to patient-first eye care was shaped.
Today a four-doctor team carries that approach forward, providing full-spectrum care for Providence families — from comprehensive eye exams and children’s eye exams to medical eye care and designer eyewear.
Built Around People
No investors. No private-equity playbook. From the beginning, John and Scott built their practices around a simple philosophy: take the best care of people like everyone is family, and never let eye care feel rushed, cold, or corporate.
“Take the best care of people like everyone is family.”
Growing From Westminster
One Practice Became a Family of Practices
The beginning
Westminster Eye Care Associates, Providence
Shortly after graduating from the SUNY College of Optometry, Dr. John Ormando and Dr. Scott Colonna partnered to acquire the Providence practice that became Westminster Eye Care Associates.
May 2019
A second location
A second Providence-area location.
December 2021
Smithfield Eye Care
Expansion north to Smithfield, Rhode Island.
December 2023
Cranston & North Providence
Two more Rhode Island communities join the family.
November 2024
Ardmore Eye & Optical, Pennsylvania
Reaching beyond Rhode Island with an independent practice on the Philadelphia Main Line.
Ongoing
Mandalay Optical Labs
John and Scott also own Mandalay Optical Labs, giving their practices hands-on control over eyewear quality and craftsmanship.
John & Scott Today
More than two decades after they partnered, John and Scott still guide every practice — including the optical side of the business through Mandalay Optical Labs, which they own. Their group has grown, but the philosophy has not changed.
Westminster remains at the center of it all: the practice where the story began, and the standard the rest of the family is measured against.
Westminster Today
Serving Providence, Every Day
From our home at 891 Westminster Street, Providence, RI 02903 — in Providence’s West End, minutes from Federal Hill and downtown — our team welcomes patients of all ages, Monday through Friday with Saturdays by appointment.
- Meet our four doctors and the team behind the care.
- Browse the optical and its designer frame lines.
- Plan your visit — hours, directions, and what to bring.
Become Part of the Westminster Story
Whether your family has been coming here for years or you’ve never walked through the door, we’d love to take care of your eyes.
Medicaid and most insurance accepted.