By George Berkheimer
Territo Optometry has been serving Bedford County since 1989.
In those early days, Jeffrey Territo operated the practice on Juliana Street, but it changed locations a few times as the practice grew.
“We moved the office from its downtown location beside the old Landmark restaurant to Pennwood behind the hospital in 2006,” said Whitney Territo, Jeffrey’s daughter, who joined the practice, now located in Everett, in 2021.
“We have been able to see more patients at our new location and add four doctor days per week, for a total of eight doctor days each week now,” she said.
The business remains a family-owned private optometric practice and offers specialty services outside of primary care that include low vision rehabilitation and specialty contact lens fittings.
“I am the only low vision specialist in the area, servicing Bedford, Fulton, Somerset and Cambria Counties,” Whitney Territo said.
Modern Technology
When Jeffrey Territo graduated from his doctorate program at Pennsylvania College of Optometry in Philadelphia in 1988, he initially accepted a primary care position in South Boston, VA, but moved back to his native state to accept an associate position with The Brande-Saad Group.
He became a partner in the group in 1994, and a full owner in 2010.
After graduating from The Ohio State University in 2016 and spending a few more years away from Bedford County, Whitney Territo relocated to Bedford in 2020 to join her father.
“My schedule quickly filled as we realized there was a need for primary eyecare in the area,” she said.
The Territos were joined by Scott Bauer, originally from Ebensburg, last year.
Like the Territos themselves, “He and his wife also knew they wanted to live and work in the central Pennsylvania region,” Whitney Territo said. “He was happy to join our practice as our third doctor, and like me, he was busy from the start.”
In terms of what sets Territo Optometry apart from other practices, “I feel that our patients enjoy the family-owned feel we can offer them,” Whitney Territo said. “We have consistently provided high quality eye care and continue to add the newest technologies to our practice, which further improves the patient experience.”
Eye Care Services
It’s a misconception held by many that poor or failing eyesight is associated with older individuals, but the reality is that eyesight problems can develop at any age.
That’s why Territo Optometry recommends child eye examinations to detect amblyopia, a condition in which one or both eyes do not undergo normal visual development.
“Given that 80% of our learning occurs with our eyes, detecting amblyopia is very important,” the Territos note on their website, adding that they examine children as young as six months of age.
Other conditions that the practice treats include macular degeneration, which requires frequent monitoring, and glaucoma, and the practice also provides routine diabetic eye examinations, which can detect eye disease caused by diabetes and prevent permanent vision loss.
The practice also handles pre and post operative care for clients undergoing LASIK or cataract surgery.
Eyes on the Future
Now that she’s returned to Bedford County, Whitney Territo said she wouldn’t want to live anywhere else.
From hiking the trails at the Omni Bedford Springs Resort to unique boutiques and eating at a wide variety of restaurants in town, “There is always something to do, yet you do not have the hustle of traffic or noise,” she said. “There are always weekend activities going on downtown. The community is welcoming, and I feel the locals are proud to call Bedford home. We also have a very close friend network here.”
The Territos are active in Bedford County civic life and are familiar faces around the community.
Jeffrey Territo has served as president of the Tussey Mountain School District Education Foundation and is an active member of the Bedford Lions Club, where he is a Melvin Jones Fellow and has served as past president.
Whitney is a contributing member of the Bedford County Chamber of Commerce and has also served as vice president of the Mid-Counties Optometric Association.
“We look forward to a future of continued growth in Everett and Bedford County,” Whitney Territo said. “Our practice is full of a younger population, and our practice is excited to provide everyone with all their eye care needs into their adult, working lives. We will be here for you all for a lifetime.”