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Areas of clinical interest include depression, anxiety and PTSD. Valerie utilizes cognitive-behavioral strategies as well as mindfulness and acceptance based approaches.

Wendy Jones joined MAHEC Ob/Gyn Specialists in March 2020.  She is a Certified Nurse-Midwife, and received her midwifery degree at Oregon Health & Science University, in Portland, OR.  Before moving to Western North Carolina, Wendy was working with the Navajo and Hopi population in Northern Arizona. When she is not working, she likes to run on the trails around Asheville.

Blake Fagan, MD, is a family physician at the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) in Asheville, chief education officer at UNC Health Sciences at MAHEC, and a faculty member of the Department of Family Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Dr. Fagan directs the office-based opioid treatment services provided at MAHEC’s family health centers and trains healthcare providers and medical residency programs across the state in medication-assisted treatment, safe pain management, and safe opioid prescribing practices. Dr. Fagan completed his undergraduate education at the University of Missouri–Columbia, medical school at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, and his family medicine residency at MAHEC in Asheville.

I joined MAHEC in 2015, inspired by the quality,patient-centered, innovative healthcare that is the core of this organization.I was born and raised in northeast Ohio, then completed my undergraduate degree in psychology, medical school training, and family medicine residency training all at Brown University in Providence RI. After that, my next stop was Asheville, where I plan to stay!

My spouse and I were drawn to the cultural andoutdoor activity offerings this area provides and are delighted to be raisingour family here. I have a particular interest in full spectrum women’sreproductive health, pediatrics, group medical care including Centering Parenting(a group visit model for well infant care), and resident teaching. My favoriteaspect of family medicine however, is the diversity of seeing patients all theway from the newborn stage through end-of-life care.

My practice is full-spectrum, including prenatal/delivery care as well as adult/pediatric hospital care, although most of my clinical time is in our outpatient clinics seeing adults, children, and prenatal patients for their primary care needs. I see patients at both our Biltmore office and speak Spanish at a conversation level. I also provide transgender care services.

Dr. Oat-Judge is the Assistant Program Director and OBCurricular Director at the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) FamilyMedicine Residency program in Asheville, North Carolina.

Dr. Oat-Judgereceived her medical degree from The John Hopkins School of Medicine in 2010and completed an OB/GYN internship at Brown Medical School in 2011, a FamilyMedicine residency at MAHEC in 2014, and a Maternal Child Health Fellowship atBrown Medical School in 2015. She provides comprehensive primary carefor patients of all ages (newborn through geriatric) and all genders.  Sheperforms a variety of procedures such as skin biopsies, joint injections,ultrasound, and management of pregnancy loss/miscarriage.  She has aspecial interest in reproductive health care and provides prenatal care forpregnant patients, hormonal treatment for transgender patients, and all formsof contraception including vasectomies, IUDs and contraceptive implants.

Dr. Oat-Judge speaks Spanish and welcomes Spanish-speaking patients.  Sehabla español! 

I’m originally from Falls Church, VA. I graduated from the University of Virginia in 2004. It was there that I first became interested in medicine while serving as an impromptu Spanish medical interpreter at a free clinic in the area. After college I joined Teach for America. I worked as a high school science teacher in Phoenix, AZ, while enjoying lots of active pursuits out West. I spent my summers abroad working with healthcare personnel in Honduras and Uganda and decided to switch career paths.

I graduated from the University of Michigan Medical School in 2010 and was thrilled to come to Asheville for residency training at MAHEC. My husband and I have settled here with our two sons, and continue to enjoy all of the wonderful outdoor activities Asheville has to offer. I became board certified in Lifestyle Medicine in 2019 and am the Program Director for the Lifestyle Medicine Residency Curriculum.

I chose Family Medicine because I was excited by the opportunity to form long lasting relationships with patients and to help connect patients to valuable resources they need in the community.  I am thrilled to be working at the MAHEC Family Health Center at Newbridge, a satellite office on the North side of town.

Undergraduate:

Indiana University

Medical School:

New York Medical College

Residency:

Montefiore Medical Center, Primary Care and Social Medicine

Dr. Rebecca Bernstein has worked in WNC as an internal medicine hospitalist for the past 12 years. She has taught MAHEC family medicine residents on the inpatient teaching service. She served as medical director of the inpatient diabetes program creating a unique team of providers caring for patients with inpatient hyperglycemia and diabetes.  She also served at chairperson of the Mission Health Diversity Committee, educating healthcare workers on implicit bias and identifying local healthcare disparities.

Undergraduate:

University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill

Medical School:

University of Maryland at Baltimore

Internship:

Internal Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Residency:

Internal Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Chief Resident:

Internal Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Fellowship:

General Internal Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham

Past faculty appointments:

University of Alabama at Birmingham (Associate Program Director)
University of Louisville (Associate Program Director)
Virginia Commonwealth University (Program Director, Associate Chair)

Dr. Stephanie Call was recruited to start the Internal Medicine Training Program at MAHEC in the fall of 2019.  Dr. Call is a nationally recognized educator, recently receiving the national Associate of Program Directors in Internal Medicine Distinguished Medical Educator Award.  She was also a recipient of the Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award - one of the highest honors bestowed by the ACGME.  She is recurrently recognized by her learners and institutions, having received numerous teaching awards from each of the medical universities with which she was affiliated, including a recent University-wide Distinguished Teacher Award and an award recognizing her leadership in graduate medical education.  Dr. Call was also recognized as Working Mother of the Year in 2012 for demonstrating that you don’t have to choose between a fulfilling career and a wonderful personal life (And her three daughters, Alex, Katie and Emma, agree!).

Undergraduate:

Texas A&M University

Medical School:

Baylor University, College of Medicine

Internship:

Internal Medicine, Primary Care, University of Colorado

Residency:

Internal Medicine, University of Mississippi

Chief Resident:

Internal Medicine, University of Mississippi

Past faculty appointments:

University of Louisville (Associate Program Director, Medical Director)

Dr. Nancy Kubiak has a long history of involvement in graduate medical education in Internal Medicine, having served as an Associate Program Director and as the director of an Internal Medicine Resident and Fellow Outpatient Practice.  She has been repeatedly recognized for teaching excellence by her past institutions and trainees, and led curricular innovations in both primary care and in the foundations of quality improvement. She is joining MAHEC as an experienced educator, associate program director and medical clinical director.

Undergraduate:

University of Illinois

Medical School:

University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine

Residency:

Internal Medicine-Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati

Past faculty appointments:

University of Cincinnati, (Program Director of the Cincinnati Hospital Group Combined Internal Medicine-Pediatrics Residency)

For 30 years Dr. Caroline Mueller has been a primary care physician, and her goal was nurturing residents in their knowledge, skills, and relationships with patients over their years of training in both the ambulatory and inpatient settings. She was the first resident to train as a med-peds person at the program in Cincinnati, so she knows what is involved to be a resident who is blazing trails. She was the Program Director for the Combined Internal Medicine-Pediatrics residency for many years, during which time the residency became one of the most successful in the country, but it was the opportunity to provide a challenging yet secure training environment that motivated her most. To be able to say "I have your back" to young physicians who are pushing themselves to be their best is a great honor. Other roles included ward team attending, student clinic attending, and humanism in medicine preceptor.

Susannah Dowling is a Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (PMHNP) who specializes in the treatment of children and adolescents. Her clinical interests include autism spectrum disorder and other developmental disabilities, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, and ADHD. She is passionate about her work with patients and families in underserved and/or marginalized communities and is an advocate for collaborative care involving families, schools, and primary care practitioners.  Susannah earned her BSN from Johns Hopkins University and her MSN from Vanderbilt University. Her training as a Nurse Practitioner was supervised within the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, where she continued to work for several years after graduation. Her clinical practice was at the Kennedy Krieger Institute with a focus on providing psychiatric care for children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental disabilities. She also served on the faculty at the Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing where she provided clinical and didactic education to graduate nursing students in RN and PMHNP programs of study. Prior to becoming a nurse she earned a BA in English and an MA in Counseling Psychology, both of which she credits as fundamental to her understanding of the human condition and her ability to communicate effectively with patients and families.

Carriedelle Wilson Fusco, MSN, FNP-BC, holds a master’s degree in nursing from Vanderbilt University and is board certified as a family nurse practitioner. Carriedelle joined the MAHEC Family Medicine Residency program in Asheville in 2012 and works with an interdisciplinary team to care for patients with chronic pain on chronic opioid therapy and patients struggling with opioid addiction and other substance use disorders. She also teaches medical, nursing, and pharmacy students; medical residents; other learners; and community providers in the management of chronic pain and substance use disorders. Carriedelle is the co-medical director for office-based opioid treatment services at MAHEC Family Health Centers. 

Erin Gonzalez joined MAHEC Ob/Gyn Specialists in April 2018.  She is a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner skilled in routine annual physicals and management of gynecological issues such as sexually transmitted infections, abnormal Pap smears and contraception.  Erin also works in conjunction with our OB/GYN physicians to care for both low and high-risk obstetrical patients throughout their prenatal and postpartum courses. She received her MSN and BSN Degrees from Regis College in Weston, Massachusetts.

Katie Lillethun joined MAHEC Ob/Gyn Specialists in September 2018.  She is a Family Nurse Practitioner who provides full-scope care for women of all ages. She received her Masters of Nursing - Family Nurse Practitioner Degree from East Tennessee State University and her Bachelors of Science Nursing Degree at Eastern Kentucky University. She also has a degree in English and Film from Emory University. Before joining MAHEC, Katie worked in primary care for more than six years with Hot Springs Health Program in Madison County. She was a nurse for many years at Mission Hospital Emergency Department Level II Trauma Center before returning to school for her Masters’ Degree.  Katie’s passion has always been Women’s Health and she enjoys caring for women of all ages. In her spare time, she’s typically engaging in an outdoor activity with her husband and her two young boys.

Dr. Lisa Carroll is a Maternal-Fetal Medicine Specialist. She joined the MAHEC Maternal-Fetal Medicine division in 2020 after completing Medical School at the University of North Carolina, Ob/Gyn Residency at Boston Medical Center, and MFM Fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. Throughout her training and career, Dr. Carroll’s clinical and research interests have been guided by her commitment to social justice and equity for marginalized populations.

Dr. Carroll specializes in providing care for women who are ‘at risk’ and considering pregnancy, or those who are experiencing ‘high-risk’ or complicated pregnancies for a variety of reasons. Dr. Carroll sees patients who are undergoing diagnostic or therapeutic procedures such as comprehensive ultrasound, chorionic villus sampling and genetic amniocentesis. She also consults with patients who have medical and surgical disorders coincident with or prior to pregnancy, which includes heart disease, chronic hypertension, diabetes/other endocrinologic disorders, kidney/gastrointestinal diseases and infectious diseases. Otherwise healthy women who may require these services are those whose pregnancies are at markedly increased risk for adverse outcomes, such as those with abnormal serum screens, multiple gestations, recurrent preterm labor, premature rupture of membranes or growth abnormalities of the fetus. Dr. Carroll considers it a great privilege to walk with women through questions and complications that arise in pregnancy in effort to achieve the healthiest possible outcomes for women and their growing families.

Dr. Carroll returned to North Carolina to be closer to her family in 2020. Outside of work, she tries to get outside as much as possible and is excited to explore the natural beauty of Western North Carolina. When she can get away, Dr. Carroll loves to travel the world and is always planning the next adventure. She is incredibly excited to join the team here at MAHEC.

Dr. Currens provides general gynecologic and obstetrical care for women. She has special interest in pediatric and adolescent gynecology, gynecologic care for patients with intellectual and developmental disabilities, resident and medical student education, and mindfulness education for health care providers. 

Dr. Dixon is originally from Tallahassee, Florida, and fell in love with Asheville and MAHEC during her Ob/Gyn residency many years ago. After spending time in private practice in South Carolina, she joined the faculty in 2012 and provides General Obstetric and Gynecologic care to adolescents and women of all ages. She has experience in managing a full range of general gynecologic problems including contraception, endometriosis, pelvic pain and prolapse, urinary incontinence and menopausal symptoms. Dr. Dixon emphasizes the importance of patient education and prevention to promote wellness. When surgery is necessary, she is committed to using minimally invasive surgical techniques. She has a special interest in office procedures including Essure tubal sterilization, hysteroscopy, and endometrial ablation.

Dr. Elizabeth England grew up in the mountains of East Tennessee.  She joined MAHEC Ob/Gyn Specialists in May 2018 after working as a rural Ob/Gyn in the far Western portion of North Carolina.  She completed Medical School at Quillen College of Medicine, ETSU, and her Residency at MAHEC Ob/Gyn. 

Dr. England has a special interest in minimally invasive gynecologic surgery as well as resident and medical student education. She enjoys practicing the full range of generalist obstetrics and gynecology in the hospital and in the office.  She enjoys virtually all outdoor activities including whitewater rafting, mountain biking, and snow skiing.

Dr. Rob Malsby joined MAHEC Ob/Gyn Specialists in April 2019. He previously served as the Assistant Deputy Commander for Women’s Health, Winn Army Community Hospital, Fort Stewart, GA. He was also Chief of Clinical Operations and teaching faculty in the Department of Ob/Gyn at Womack Army Medical Center, Fort Bragg, NC, after serving as Division Surgeon with the 82nd Airborne. He received numerous Commendation and Service Medals while providing service to our country. He is an Associate Clinical Professor with the University of North Carolina School of Medicine’s Department of Ob/Gyn and now serves as Medical Director with MAHEC Ob/Gyn Specialists.

Dr. Nathan Mullins is a board-certified obstetrician and gynecologist and addictionologist with expertise in substance used disorders in pregnancy.  He works as the medical director for an opioid treatment program as well as part-time faculty for the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC) ob/gyn residency program. Dr. Mullins earned his medical degree from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine and completed his residency at MAHEC. 

Nathan obtained his DATA-2000 waiver in 2016 and began treating pregnant and postpartum patients with buprenorphine for opioid use disorder as part of multidisciplinary team at MAHEC where he supervises and educates MAHEC residents and serves as a consultant for community physicians on the treatment of opioid use disorder in pregnant patients. Dr. Mullins is also the medical director for a community-based opioid treatment program that uses both methadone and buprenorphine to treat opioid use disorder.

Dr. Patricia Overcarsh joined MAHEC Ob/Gyn Specialists in October 2019.  She has trained in various regions of the country and is happy to now call Asheville home.  She completed a fellowship in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and completed residency at Oregon Health & Science University and medical school at Emory University School of Medicine.  Dr. Overcarsh provides full-scope Ob/Gyn care and has a special interest in treatment of abnormal uterine bleeding, endometriosis, fibroids, and pelvic pain.  Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her family, hiking, and playing tennis.

Dr. Kiran Sigmon is a general obstetrician and gynecologist with a particular interest in the diagnosis and management of vulvar skin disease and sexual pain. She started the MAHEC Vulvar Clinic in 2006 to assist other providers in the WNC region with difficult cases including recurrent vaginitis, lichen sclerosis, lichen planus, lichen simplex chronicus and vulvodynia, to name a few. She works with other local providers to provide patients with opportunities to explore treatments including physical therapy, acupuncture, and nutritional counseling. She also helps patients address the psychosocial components of living with chronic pain by working closely with local mental health professionals. Dr. Sigmon feels strongly about educating patients, other providers and the community about issues related to genital health and sexuality, and many local physicians rotate seeing patients with her in the Vulvar Clinic.

Dr. Amy Willis joined MAHEC Ob/Gyn Specialists in October 2017.  Before moving to Asheville, Dr. Willis was an Ob/Gyn at Womack Army Medical Center in Fort Bragg and was a Staff Physician at the 21^st Combat Support Hospital in Tikrit, Iraq.  She completed her Residency at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Medical School at Pennsylvania State University College of Medicine.  She also received her Master’s Degree in Public Health from the Yale University School of Public Health. 

Dr. Willis has an interest in advanced gynecologic care and treating women of all ages from adolescence through menopause.  Her special interests include in-office procedures, contraception, infertility, abnormal bleeding and menopausal disorders.  Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband and two daughters, reading historical fiction, hiking and traveling.

My clinical focus is on same-day appointments and acute care. I enjoy this role and the great work environment at the Family Health Center.

Dr. Baker specializes in the psychiatric assessment and treatment of children and adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities.  He has been the Medical Director of the MAHEC IDD Behavioral Health Clinic since January, 2015.  He is also Medical Director for NC START West, a consultative agency which serves IDD patients in WNC.  He graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill School of Medicine in 1987 and completed residencies in general and child/adolescent psychiatry at the University of Colorado in 1993.  Dr. Baker received board certification in both Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry in 1994.  Since moving to Asheville in 1994, he has primarily practiced in community mental health. For the past 10 years, his clinical focus has been increasingly on individuals with IDD and psychiatric disorders.

Dr. Buie is program director of the Psychiatry Residency  and chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Mental Wellness.  He treats adults with all psychiatric conditions with particular interests in bipolar disorder, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, depression, and anxiety disorders.  He is trained in transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), a treatment for severe depression.  Dr. Buie attended the University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill as an undergraduate on a Morehead Scholarship.  He obtained his medical education at the University of the North Carolina School of Medicine.  He completed a residency in internal medicine at a Columbia University training hospital in New York and a psychiatry residency at Cornell Medical College, also in New York.  Dr. Buie is an adjunct associate professor of psychiatry at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine.  He is a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and was named a Distinguished Alumnus of the UNC School of Medicine.  He is a past president of the North Carolina Psychiatric Association, is president of the North Carolina Psychiatric Foundation, and is a member of the American College of Psychiatrists. 

Dr. Laura Hodges is a general adult psychiatrist. She attended medical school at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine and completed her residency training at Brown University. Following completion of her training, she worked for several years in community psychiatry, where she worked with people with severe and persistent mental illness and enjoyed helping her patients recover to lead full and meaningful lives. She has a special interest in medical education, and is thrilled to join the MAHEC faculty, where she looks forward to working with trainees. She enjoys practicing a full range of general adult psychiatry. 

Dr. Ladd is a native of Western North Carolina (WNC) who completed his education throughout this region. He majored in Environmental Studies and Philosophy at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. Then he attended medical school at the Virginia College of Osteopathic Medicine due to its focus on serving rural Appalachia. In wishing to stay close to the community he wanted to serve, he completed his general psychiatry residency and child and adolescent fellowship at Wake Forest Baptist Health where he served as a Chief Fellow. Clinically he focuses on adult and pediatric outpatient psychiatry at multiple locations in WNC. He heads the program’s LatinX concentration that has expanded mental health services at a pediatric office rooted in the nation’s oldest migrant health center,  partners with Vecinos farmworker health program through volunteer psychiatric consultation, and provides the mental health component of MAHEC’s medical trips to Honduras. He is excited about helping to meet the mental health needs of the underserved children and families across WNC by training the next generation of compassionate providers who will be equipped to serve community members throughout their life span.

Dr. Michael Mefford is a graduate of the University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Training Program and the Hall Psychiatric Institute General Psychiatry Training Program. He currently provides services across the age spectrum in psychiatry. Dr. Mefford has significant experience with military families as his wife served 20 years in the United States Air Force.  Outside of work, Dr. Mefford enjoys reading, writing and music. He’s written several works of fiction, and one work of non-fiction. He enjoys spending time with his wife and three sons.

Dr. Sarah Wells Slechta, M.D. is a psychiatrist who enjoys working with children, adolescents, and young adults. Primarily, she provides psychiatric medication management. Additionally, she believes it is important to focus on healthy lifestyle habits and other ways to maximize one’s mental health as part of treatment. Dr. Wells sees patients at Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC), but also works in a variety of other settings.  She is a consulting psychiatrist at Asheville Academy for Girls, a therapeutic boarding school for girls ages 10-15. Also, Dr. Wells is the current President of The Pisgah Institute for Psychotherapy and Education.  Her passion is teaching residents and medical students.  She serves as the associate program director for the MAHEC Psychiatry Residency program. Dr. Wells is also the site director of the psychiatry block for the University of North Carolina School of Medicine’s Asheville campus. Dr. Wells is active in the North Carolina Psychiatric Association, and serves on the executive council. She recently became a Distinguished Fellow of The American Psychiatric Association. She completed her training at University of North Carolina Hospitals. She is board certified in adult psychiatry as well as child and adolescent psychiatry. Dr. Wells grew up in western North Carolina, and has a deep love of nature and the mountains.  In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family, hiking, backpacking, yoga, and travel.

Dr. Dominique Huneycutt is a licensed psychologist who directs outpatient psychotherapy services in the Dept. of Psychiatry.  In addition to providing clinical services, Dr. Huneycutt is actively involved in healthcare education, including teaching and supervising residents and students and developing programs to support mental wellness. Her areas of clinical expertise include working with children, adolescents, and families; trauma/ACES; anxiety and mood difficulties; stress management; and complex cases. She maintains a private practice and is active in several professional organizations. Dr. Huneycutt is honored to be a winner of the Western NC Psychology Association’s William Bruce Award. Originally from Virginia, Dr. Huneycutt earned her undergraduate degree from Dartmouth College.  She attended graduate school in Philadelphia in the unique joint program for law and clinical psychology, earning her M.A. from Hahnemann University; her law degree from Villanova University School of Law; and her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Drexel University. Dr. Huneycutt enjoys the outdoors; exploring national parks; experiencing WNC’s arts and music; and spending time with family, friends, and her golden retriever.

Dr. Vaughan is a clinical assistant professor for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His primary professional interests include non-surgical orthopedics, ultrasound medicine, regenerative medicine, exercise as medicine, and traumatic brain injury and concussion management. Aaron actively conducts research on the national level with the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine.

Aaron serves as the team physician for Warren Wilson College. He provides medical coverage for multiple local teams including the Asheville Rugby Football Club. Dr. Vaughan also serves on the board of directors for the Asheville Buncombe Regional Sports Commission and has been the medical director for multiple events including the 2018 and 2019 International Tennis Fed Cup, the Biltmore Marathon, the Lake Logan Triathlon, the Asheville Turkey Trot, the Hellbender 100-mile trail race, and the Haute Route international cycling race.

A graduate of Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine, Dr. Vaughan completed his family medicine residency at the University of Virginia. He completed a primary care sports medicine fellowship at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where he was the team physician for Carolina Hurricanes professional hockey team as well as for the university. Aaron has called Western North Carolina and Asheville home since 2013. He enjoys travel, trail running, and cycling among other outdoor activities.