Family Health
MAHEC Family Health Center at Enka is located in the heart of the Enka community and near the neighboring Haywood County communities . Our team offers full primary care for all ages and life stages and would welcome the opportunity to care for you and your family as patients!
If you are an established patient and have a true emergency after hours, please go to your nearest Emergency Department. Please note that we do not prescribe controlled substances on the first visit or after hours.
Depending on whether you join from a computer or a mobile device, you may need to download the FollowMyHealth app.
Monday-Friday: 8am-5pm
(closed from 12-1pm each day for lunch)
Brian Atkinson, MD, CAQSM, DipACLM
MAHEC Family Health Center at Enka/Candler
25 Westridge Market Place
Candler, NC 28715
(828) 418-0040
Medical School: University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine
Residency: MAHEC Asheville Family Medicine Residency Program
Fellowship: Primary Care Sports Medicine, Cone Health Sports Medicine Fellowship
Board Certification: American Board of Family Medicine, Certificate of Added Qualifications in Sports Medicine, Diplomate in Lifestyle Medicine
Dr. Brian Atkinson brings specialized expertise in family medicine, lifestyle medicine, and sports medicine to his practice. With a focus on musculoskeletal injuries and preventive care for active individuals, he works closely with his patients to develop personalized treatment and recovery plans. Dr. Atkinson is particularly passionate about helping patients of all ages maintain wellness, mobility, and function throughout their lives. He is also team physician for UNC Asheville Athletics, Warren Wilson College Athletics, and medical director for multiple road and trail running races. He takes pride in educating his patients on the importance of physical activity, nutrition, and overall well-being as part of a comprehensive approach to health.
Jeanine Cunningham, DNP, FNP-C
MAHEC Family Health Center at Enka/Candler
25 Westridge Market Place
Candler, NC 28715
(828) 418-0040
Jeanine is a doctorally prepared nurse practitioner with over 15 years of experience in the medical field. She practices outpatient family medicine and enjoys establishing bonds with patients in the community. She is passionate about engaging people in their own care management and helping to facilitate the best health outcomes possible. She particularly enjoys chronic disease management and mental health optimization.
Julia Draper, MD, MPH
MAHEC Family Health Center at Enka/Candler
25 Westridge Market Place
Candler, NC 28715
(828) 418-0040
Medical School: University of North Carolina School of Medicine
Residency Program: MAHEC Family Medicine in Asheville
Board Certification: American Board of Family Physicians
Dr. Julia Draper is a family physician who loves caring for entire families from birth to end of life, both in the clinic and at the hospital. She enjoys delivering babies and providing prenatal and reproductive health care, including vasectomies. She has a particular interest in the treatment of substance use disorders and lifestyle/preventive medicine.
Her research background emphasizes social and structural drivers of health, as well as adverse childhood experiences, and their physiological impacts. She believes in compassionate, whole person-centered care for individuals and families in their context.
She speaks conversational Spanish.
Bill Hitch, PharmD, BCPS, CPP
MAHEC Family Health Center at Enka/Candler
25 Westridge Market Place
Candler, NC 28715
(828) 418-0040
Bill Hitch is the Vice Chair of Pharmacy at MAHEC in Asheville, NC, and an Assistant Professor of Clinical Education at the University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy. He received his PharmD degree from the University of North Carolina Eshelmen School of Pharmacy and completed a specialty residency in Ambulatory Care through Mission Hospital and MAHEC. Bill serves as the Assistant Director of the Pharmacy Practice Residency Program at Mission Hospital practicing in the Ambulatory Care setting and serves as a preceptor for pharmacy students as well as PGY1 and PGY2 residents. His practice is in inpatient family medicine where he rounds with physicians on the Family Practice Service at Mission Hospital. He is a Clinical Pharmacist Practitioner at MAHEC Family Health Center, which has been recognized as a Level III Patient-Centered Medical Home. Areas of interest include interdisciplinary education, transitions of care, infectious disease, and global health.
Kyle Judkins, DO
MAHEC Family Health Center at Enka/Candler
25 Westridge Market Place
Candler, NC 28715
(828) 418-0040
Dr. Kyle Judkins is a board-certified sports medicine and family medicine physician. He serves as core clinical faculty for the Sports Medicine Fellowship at MAHEC in Asheville, NC, and is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine.
Dr. Judkins specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of musculoskeletal injuries, with a particular interest in tendon injuries and caring for endurance athletes. He frequently uses musculoskeletal ultrasound both as a diagnostic tool for evaluating tendon, ligament, and muscle injuries and to guide precise injection procedures. Dr. Judkins is passionate about helping athletes and active individuals stay healthy, heal from injury, and perform at their best.
Outside of medicine, he enjoys trail running, mountain biking, overlanding, and traveling with his wife and their adventure-loving Boston terrier, Beans.
Sylvia Kauffman, MD, MSPH
MAHEC Family Health Center at Enka/Candler
25 Westridge Market Place
Candler, NC 28715
(828) 418-0040
Dr. Sylvia Kauffman enjoys caring for patients of all ages and providing them with the information they need to make decisions about their own health. She particularly enjoys prenatal and obstetrical care, women’s health, chronic disease management, and caring for Spanish-speaking patients. She believes strongly in physical activity, nutrition, and other lifestyle strategies to prevent and manage illness.
Marina MacNamara, MD, MPH
MAHEC Family Health Center at Enka/Candler
25 Westridge Market Place
Candler, NC 28715
(828) 418-0040
Medical School: The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University
Residency: MAHEC Asheville Family Medicine Residency Program
Board Certification: American Board of Family Medicine
Dr. Marina MacNamara is a dedicated family physician who enjoys providing care to folks at all stages of life, including newborn, pediatric, and prenatal care. With experience in both outpatient and inpatient settings, she emphasizes a patient-centered approach to care, aiming to empower her patients to take charge of their health. Her interests include maternal and child health, complex medical needs, and mental health integration in primary care.
Matt Ransom, PharmD, MPH, CPP, 340B ACE
MAHEC Family Health Center at Enka/Candler
25 Westridge Market Place
Candler, NC 28715
(828) 418-0040
Matthew Ransom, PharmD, MPH, CPP, 340B ACE, is Chair of the Department of Pharmacy at MAHEC and also serves as the Director of MAHEC’s 340B Pharmacy Services. Matt joined MAHEC in July 2021 and established the 340B program in coordination with the organization becoming a Community Health Center. He coordinated a network of contract pharmacy relationships that provide medication for MAHEC patients and contribute to the development and sustainability of medication assistance programs delivered through MAHEC’s two community pharmacies, at Biltmore and Enka/Candler. He opened the community pharmacies for retail operations in 2023. The success of these pharmacies contributes to MAHEC’s mission of improving the health of all patients in our region.
Prior to MAHEC, Matt worked at Mission Health for 14 years in the Mission Medication Assistance Program, Outpatient Clinical Pharmacy Services, and helped patients manage chronic disease as part of the Asheville Project. At Mission, Matt was recognized nationally for innovative leadership in establishing a pharmacy technician-led transitions of care program for low-income, uninsured patients discharging from the hospital. He enjoys teaching and learning with students, residents, and colleagues and started the PGY2 Ambulatory Care Residency program at Mission in collaboration with UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy.
Matt is trained as a 340B Apexus Certified Expert (ACE). He holds a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy (2007) and a Master of Public Health from UNC Gillings School of Public Health (2020). He is a Certified Pharmacy Practitioner (CPP) in North Carolina and completed a PGY1 Residency in Ambulatory Care at Mission/MAHEC (2008). Matt’s other interests include landscaping, traveling with his family, and exploring trails and forests in Western North Carolina.
