A Better Vision for Local Eye Care
PHOTOS BY JORDAN RANDALL | DEVELOPED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH VISION FIRST
Dr. Dustin Dixon, Owner of Vision First
Eye care is about more than prescriptions and eyewear recommendations. Just ask Dr. Dustin Dixon, owner of Vision First.
He vividly recalls helping a 24-year-old patient find just the right specialty contact lenses.
“He started crying and told me this was the first time he had seen his 3-year-old daughter clearly,” Dixon says. “That was a moving experience for us both.”
“He started crying and told me this was the first time he had seen his 3-year-old daughter clearly,” Dixon says. “That was a moving experience for us both”
That moment took the experienced optometrist back to the days of the first exam on his eyes, when he was a 1st-grade student at Sikes Elementary. Soon after being prescribed his first pair of glasses he strolled through a local Publix with his mom, and he realized that improved vision had truly opened up his world when he could clearly read signs throughout the store.
Today, his mission is to serve the eye care needs of everyone with any type of vision or medical needs through personalized care by skilled professionals, advanced diagnostics tools and technology and top-notch products that are highly customizable.
Over the course of more than a decade of providing patient care Dixon learned what he does and doesn’t want Vision First to be. In May 2024 he opened the office at 6595 South Florida Ave. Suite 3. As part of this venture he brought on Dr. Stuart Harrell, a colleague he had long respected and who he knew treated corneal diseases in similar ways and had the same expectation of the standard of customer care. He also brought on optician Brian Hayden to round out a team that has served local patients for decades.
Dr. Stuart Harrell (Lakeland High School ‘81) uses state-of-the-art technology to get dialed into a patient’s eye care needs.
Optician Brian Hayden consults with a patient.
It’s common for people to think of an eye doctor’s office as simply a place to go for a short exam that gives them the prescription needed to get whatever products they want, but Dixon is ready to help patients reset their idea of what an eye doctor should be.
“We are here not only to provide products—we are here to diagnose and treat red eyes, painful eyes, eye irritants, glaucoma, macular degeneration, etc.,” he said. “I believe people of Lakeland, Mulberry and the surrounding areas deserve better care than what I see being offered by many other providers.”
Through his doctorate program and residency programs at The Southern College of Optometry in Memphis, Tenn., Dixon gained a considerable amount of experience fitting complicated corneas with specialty lenses, treating corneal diseases and building his skills in diagnosis and treatment of various eye conditions.
The 2000 Mulberry High School graduate is excited to be back in the community he grew up in, alongside his wife, Melinda, and their children, Elise and Holden, to make a difference. This includes working with young children and determining if they could be aided by products such as “myopia control” contact lenses that can help delay the onset of nearsightedness.
Dr. Dustin Dixon and Dr. Stuart Harrell have been serving the eye care needs of locals for decades.
But as Dixon often says, his team is here to serve all ages, and one remarkable story proves his point.
“I saw a lady that was near age 70 with decreased vision who ended up having swelling around both optic nerves, caused by excessively high blood pressure,” he says. “After an immediate trip to the ER, she came back grateful that I sent her, as they told her that I likely saved her life.”
Vision First accepts a wide array of insurances and is proud to carry designer frames from established brands like Tiffany & Co., Ray-Ban, Oakley, Tom Ford, Versace and other exceptional options from well-known and up-and-coming names. Dixon notes that eyewear preferences are extremely individualized, but he does see a trend of more people going back to retro frames, including wing-tipped options, and in Florida, sunglasses will always be popular.
“We prioritize your eye health through building a relationship with you and understanding your needs,” Dixon said. “It’s far different from the assembly line experiences you may have experienced before, and Vision First looks forward to serving this community for years to come.”
3 Tips for Better Eye Health
At Vision First they provide customized recommendations for each customer. However, Dr. Dixon offers several universal tips that can help anyone.
1. Consider “computer glasses”
For people who work on computers for long hours, it can be helpful to see if a different prescription and special anti-fatigue lens are a good option. Examine additions like blue light blocking technology and various anti-reflective features to fit your specific needs.
2. Take blink breaks
Eye strain often comes from too much staring. Make a habit of taking 20-second breaks. Use a lubricating drop and blink softly.
3. Better health = Better vision
Healthy eating habits, blood pressure control, diabetic control, abstaining from smoking, using sun protection and regular exercise all greatly increase a person’s chance of having healthier eyes and better vision as they age.