WMC-MAHEC Rural-Focused General Surgery Track

Dr. Anne-Corinne Beaver is a board-certified general surgeon with Watauga Surgical Group in Boone, NC. She currently serves as the Cancer Liaison Physician to the American College of Surgeons - Commission on Cancer for Approved Cancer Programs. In addition, Dr. Beaver serves on the Breast Center of Excellence Committee, Cancer Committee, Oncology Service Line Committee, Surgical Services Committee, and the Executive Committee of Watauga Medical Center. She served her colleagues as the Chair of the Surgery Department at Watauga Medical Center from 2013-2014. Dr. Beaver graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine and completed her residency at Orlando Regional Healthcare System. She is proficient in minimally invasive, endoscopic, and laparoscopic techniques with a passion and special interest in breast surgery, thyroid surgery, parathyroid surgery, and surgical oncology.

Dr. Paul Dagher is a general surgeon with Watauga Surgical Group in Boone, NC. He graduated from Loma Linda University Medical School and completed residency at Loma Linda University Medical Center. Dr. Dagher is board-certified in General Surgery and Vascular Surgery. He has been a general surgeon at Watauga Medical Center, now UNC Health Appalachian, since 1998 and has been the medical director of the Wound Care Center at UNC Health Appalachian since 2018. In addition to General Surgery, Dr. Dagher specializes in breast cancer surgery and vein care.

Dr. Timothy Edmisten is a general surgeon with Watauga Surgical Group in Boone, NC. Board-certified in General Surgery and Thoracic Surgery, he has over 26 years of experience providing comprehensive surgical care. Dr. Edmisten is a native of Boone and returned with his family after completing his residency in General Surgery at Roanoke Memorial Hospital in Roanoke, VA, and a Fellowship in General Thoracic Surgery at St. Georges Hospital in London, England. His area of expertise is in thoracic surgery.

Dr. Haizlip was raised in Raleigh, NC, and attended undergraduate and medical school at UNC Chapel Hill. He pursued his surgical residency at the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, MS. Dr. Haizlip joined the Tate Clinic in August 1998 and began a career of Rural General Surgery. While Dr. Haizlip continues to perform most of his elective procedures at UNC Appalachian Cannon Memorial Hospital, he is also a part of the call rotation in general surgery at UNC Health Appalachian Watauga Medical Center. His career has included bread-and-butter general surgery, endoscopy, providing cesarean section coverage for family practice obstetricians, pacemaker placement, and oncoplastic surgeries for skin cancer. He is also da Vinci certified.

Dr. Haizlip is excited about the opportunity to introduce future surgeons to this special opportunity unique to rural surgery. He and his wife, Lise, have raised two daughters and are now enjoying the pleasures of a grandson. They continue to enjoy hiking the mountain trails as well as scenic and wildlife photography.

Dr. Lionel van der Westhuizen is a board-certified general surgeon with Watauga Surgical Group in Boone, NC. He completed his undergraduate degree at Covenant College and obtained his medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia. Dr. van der Westhuizen completed his General Surgery residency and Minimally Invasive Surgery fellowship at Greenville Hospital System University Medical Center in Greenville, SC. In addition to general surgery, his focus on patient care is in complex hernia repair, advanced laparoscopy, and robotic surgery.