Our Community

Employment: Blue Ridge Health – Polk, Columbus, NC

Biography: I feel privileged to be able to practice in the community that I grew up in, to serve the people in this area. I think there are a lot of reasons doctors should stay in and care for rural areas. Of course, there's the reason that's where we are truly needed. I also think rural areas are just awesome places to live and work. I think there are places where the communities are very rich, and it's a gift to be able to live in those areas and get to know your neighbors, the land around you, and work out of that context while knowing that you're fulfilling a deep need—that's a meaningful life. I can't really see myself doing anything else.

Employment: Chatgue Family Medicine, Hayesville, NC

Biography: MAHEC’s Hendersonville Rural Family Medicine Residency Program had a huge impact on my training and provided me with the tools and resources to be successful in a rural area. I chose MAHEC because of the attendings and mentors who were embedded in the program. I had the opportunity to work with them through the North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians program, which allows medical students to see what life at a rural residency program is like. Having mentors who are doing exactly what I envisioned myself doing later in my practice was really important to me. I chose family medicine because of the continuity of care and being able to follow those patients from the cradle to the grave. Growing up in a more rural area, I knew I wanted to come back to something with that structure.

Employment: Tampa Family Health Centers – Dale Mabry, Tampa, FL

Biography: Completing my General Practice Residency at MAHEC gave me an advanced level of training in community health and the intersection of dentistry and medicine—one that I would not have otherwise had. I have been practicing public health general dentistry in Tampa, FL, for about five years, and now help lead the dental residency program in that clinic. Community health dentists have to be a jack-of-all-trades when specialist care is not always an option. Many patients have complex medical or social considerations. My experiences and mentors from MAHEC influence how I practice and teach every day, and I hope to inspire the next generation of dentists! While we are Floridians at heart, my husband and I miss Asheville dearly and visit often, now with our two-year-old son.

Employment: Burlington Community Health Center, Burlington, NC; CMO

Biography: During my last year of residency, MAHEC partnered with Blue Ridge Community Health Center (CHC) and I was able to be involved in the process and help the community that way. Fast forward and I'm now the Chief Medical Officer for Piedmont Health Services CHC, located in Chapel Hill. We cover eight counties in this area and provide services to approximately 46,000 patients, resulting in over 100,000 encounters annually. We also have two rural track residency programs in partnership with UNC. We provide an integrated care model that includes primary care, behavioral health, nutrition services, pharmacy, and two PACE centers. I'm very thankful to MAHEC for the opportunities they provided to me as an International Medical Graduate and for training me for the future.

Employment: Family Medicine Center of the Bitterroot, Hamelton, MT

Biography: I have been practicing full-spectrum Family Medicine in the small town of Hamilton, MT, for over 25 years in the beautiful Bitterroot Valley (the filming location for the TV series “Yellowstone”). I provided full Obstetrics care, including C-sections, until 2016 when I stopped (very hard on a lifestyle in a small town). I also performed both upper and lower GI endoscopy procedures until 2024. I credit my great residency training for preparing me for full-spectrum Family Medicine in rural Montana. I have served as both Medical Chief of Staff and Primary Care Department Chairman at my small hospital. I have four great kids, one grandson, and an awesome wife of course. Oh ya, I am an avid downhill skier in the winter and an avid golfer with a current golf handicap of six—not bad for an older guy, haha.

Employment: Blue Ridge Health – Jackson, Sylva, NC

Biography: I graduated from the MAHEC Asheville Family Medicine Residency in 2024 after first spending time at MAHEC as a medical student through the UNC branch campus. I am now working in the Blue Ridge Health clinic in Sylva, providing primary care to patients of all ages, including plenty of prenatal care and substance use disorder treatment. I'm very happy to be in this position. Blue Ridge is an organization of federally qualified health centers, so we are able to see patients with any or no insurance, and we have additional resources to help patients get the care they need. I'm also happy to be part of MAHEC's 2025 rural fellowship class, which has provided me with extra time to learn about rural healthcare and adjust to my role as a new physician.

Employment: Blue Ridge Health – North Justice Street, Hendersonville, NC; Program Director, MAHEC Hendersonville Rural Family Medicine Residency Program

Helene Recovery: The MAHEC Hendersonville Rural Family Medicine Residency Program responded with collaboration and resilience during and after Hurricane Helene. I am grateful for this community within MAHEC and Blue Ridge Health that supports one another and works together to care for our communities. It's been a privilege to be back in the residency I trained and I am grateful for MAHEC's work in our region.

Employment: Seven Peaks Family Medicine, West Jefferson, NC

Biography: I am building a private practice clinic, Seven Peaks Family Medicine, in Ashe County, NC, with two other physicians to address the physician shortage in the High Country. We are working to create a model for other primary care physicians who may be interested in starting their own practice with the help of Community Care Physicians Network (CCPN). We open our doors to see patients on April 1, 2025!

Employment: Blue Ridge Health – Polk, Columbus, NC

Biography: Dr. Russell Pace has made significant contributions to healthcare in his community through his leadership and clinical expertise. As the Medical Director of the Polk County Health Department and the Blue Ridge Polk site, he has played a crucial role in expanding access to quality care. He maintains a broad scope of practice, providing inpatient and outpatient care, including prenatal and obstetric deliveries. Additionally, he has expanded services by introducing colposcopies, marking the first time in years that this procedure has been available in Polk County, further demonstrating his commitment to comprehensive patient care.

Employment: MAHEC Family Health Center at Cane Creek, Fletcher, NC; Clinical Director, MAHEC Rural Health Initiative

Biography: I have loved continuing my Global Health work at MAHEC, a consistent thread throughout my career. Since joining MAHEC, I’ve led our annual Honduras brigades to Camasca, Intibuca, alongside my pharmacy colleague, Dr. Bill Hitch. These experiences reaffirm my passion for medicine and highlight the connection between rural and global health in medical education. My proudest academic achievement has been launching and expanding our rural fellowship, which has placed over 35 providers in rural WNC since 2017. On a personal note, a writing project that spawned from a strange journey to liberate another physician, my predecessor, 'The Other Dr. Gilmer,' emphasizes the power of storytelling and advocacy in family medicine.

Helene Recovery: MAHEC played a vital role in responding to Helene. I first served in shelter clinics, where MAHEC provided all medical care, and later helped set up a clinic in Swannanoa, a hard-hit community. Drawing from global health experience, we quickly built a multidisciplinary clinic that operated for a month, offering acute care, chronic disease management, pharmacy support, and respiratory care. This effort highlighted the critical role of family medicine in disaster response. With MAHEC’s support and community collaboration, we treated and provided medical supplies to over a thousand patients. I’m grateful for the many volunteers who came together during this crisis.