Our Doctors
Dr. Michael Hutton
Dr. Hutton is a life-long resident of Pennsylvania. Born and raised in Berwick, he played football and basketball for the Bulldogs. He graduated from Albright College with a B.S. In Biology and then received his doctorate from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry (now called Salus University).
In 1981, Dr. Hutton moved to Lewistown to purchase the practice of the late Dr. Luther Rhodes. That same year, he married his wife, Patti. They have two children of their own and were foster parents for ten years. They also have five grandchildren.
Outside of the office, Dr. Hutton enjoys archery hunting, travel and following Pennsylvania’s sports teams. He is also active in his church. Since 1990, Dr. Hutton has been traveling to Haiti to do missionary work in a rural eye clinic.
Dr. Justin Beamer
Dr. Beamer grew up in Warriors Mark, Huntingdon County. He graduated from Tyrone High School and then received a B.S. in Biology from Messiah College. After his college graduation, Dr. Beamer spent several years working with Rev. Dr. Stephen Gallaher and Salt ‘n Light Youth Ministries, based in Mechanicsburg.
He received his doctor of optometry degree in 2005 from the Pennsylvania College of Optometry in Philadelphia, now called Salus University. He has been working in Lewistown with Dr. Hutton ever since.
Dr. Beamer and his wife, Steph, have three sons and enjoy watching college and professional football. Dr. Beamer also likes fishing, running, and watching his sons’ activities. He is active at Mifflin County Community Church.
OUR STAFF
The Greater Vision staff plays a crucial role in helping the doctors provide quality eye care and service to every patient. Our front desk personnel are mainly in charge of handling phone calls, scheduling appointments and juggling the many facets of billing and insurances. Our technicians also have a number of responsibilities, including performing the pre-exam work-up, doing specialized testing, and training individuals on contact lens use. In addition, they work in our optical area – helping patients select their frame and lens designs, adjusting and repairing glasses, and ordering glasses and contact lens materials.
OUR OFFICE HISTORY
Greater Vision Eye Associates, LLC had its roots when Dr. Hutton moved to Lewistown and purchased the optometry practice of the late Dr. Luther Rhodes in 1981. At the time, the office was located on North Main Street. As the practice grew and Dr. Hutton became busier, it became evident that more space was needed.
Construction was started at 19 West Third Street in 1990, and the first patients were seen in the new location the following year. Not only did the new building offer more space, but it was also completely handicap accessible.
Except for a short period of time, Dr. Hutton worked without an associate. A chance meeting in 2000 changed that. While Dr. Beamer was working with Salt ‘n Light Youth Ministries, he met Dr. Hutton’s son, Aaron, at Belleville Mennonite School.
At that time, Dr. Beamer was preparing to enter optometry school and he was interested to learn that Aaron’s dad was a local optometrist. When Dr. Beamer was required to work as a summer intern after his first year of optometry school, he contacted Dr. Hutton, who gladly agreed to serve as his mentor during this time.
Dr. Beamer later returned to Dr. Hutton’s office for a five month externship during his third year of schooling. In fact, Dr. Beamer lived with the Hutton family during this time! Upon graduation, Dr. Beamer agreed to join Dr. Hutton’s practice.
In 2007, Dr. Hutton and Dr. Beamer became partners as they formed Greater Vision Eye Associates, LLC. The practice continued to grow and ground was broken in summer 2019 for a building expansion. The usable space of the office nearly doubled, with more exam rooms, a new optical and a large waiting area.
Although many things have changed since Dr. Hutton first came to Lewistown, the practice’s commitment to quality eye care and services has remained the same.