Faculty
 |
Chair of Department of Family Medicine Vice Chair for Education and Scholarship Dr. Slawson serves as the Vice Chair for Education and Research. He comes to us after serving as the B. Lewis Barnett, Jr., Professor of Family Medicine and Director of Information Sciences for the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia. Dr. Slawson is a graduate of the University of Michigan School of Medicine and completed his postdoctoral training in family medicine at the University of Virginia. He holds an Honorary Professorship at the University of Hong Kong and is an international lecturer in evidenced-informed decision making and information mastery. Dr. Slawson is the proud father of four children including triplets. He has a passion for hiking and fly-fishing for native brook trout in the Blue Ridge Mountains. |
 |
Allison K. Bickett, PhD, MS Dr. Allison Bickett received her PhD in Clinical Health Psychology at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and a Master’s Degree in Applied Cognition and Neuroscience from the University of Texas at Dallas. She presently serves as the Director of Behavioral Medicine Education in the Department of Family Medicine. She is responsible for Behavioral Health Integration programs at the three Family Medicine residency sites; supporting patient care in the inpatient and outpatient setting, as well as Diabetes and HIV clinics. Allison assists in developing and teaching the Longitudinal Behavioral Medicine curriculum; supporting and evaluating residents in the advancement of their mental health knowledge and clinical interviewing skills. Core facets of the Behavioral Medicine curriculum include motivational interviewing, active listening and the outpatient management of mental health issues commonly seen in primary care. Allison’s research interests include the relationship between mental health and chronic illness, behavioral health integration and mental health screening in the community.
|
 |
Michele Birch, MD Michele Birch, MD, received her undergraduate degree in Human Biology from Stanford University and her medical degree from University of Virginia School of Medicine. She then migrated farther south to Carolinas Medical Center for her Family Medicine residency, acting as Co-Chief Resident in her final year.
She is now the Director of Integrative Medicine for the residency, overseeing residents and medical students teaching in Integrative Medicine. She and her husband are proud parents of their son. Outside of work, she enjoys running, bicycling and anything outdoors. |
 |
Dellyse Bright, MD Dellyse Bright, MD, hails from Baltimore, MD, and is passionate about women’s health, pediatrics and obesity. She earned her bachelor's degree in biochemistry from the University of Maryland at Baltimore County (UMBC). She attended the University of Maryland School of Medicine, then completed her residency training at the University of Maryland's Department of Family Medicine. Prior to coming to Charlotte, she lived in Columbia, SC, where she cared for the underserved at a community health clinic. The Cabarrus Family Medicine Residency Program was her home for the next seven years where she served as a core faculty member involved in medical student and resident education. There, she was the director of Cabarrus Family Medicine Weight Management, a multi-disciplinary program. In 2013 she served as the Biddle Point Track Site Director/Associate Residency Director for Carolinas Medical Center's Department of Family Medicine and cares for patients at the CMC-Biddle Point office until taking the helm of Program Director in 2016. Dr. Bright is a wife and a mother of four. She enjoys having fun with others, scrapbooking, fitness and finds balance through her faith in God. |
 |
Anthony J. Caprio, MD Dr. Caprio is a graduate of the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo School of Medicine. He completed his internal medicine residency and fellowship in Geriatric Medicine at the University of Rochester (Rochester, NY). He then joined the faculty at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill where he served as the Medical Director for a continuing care retirement community and physician service leader for inpatient geriatric medicine.
To view the Geriatrics Fellowship web site please click here. |
 |
Jewell Carr, MD Jewell P. Carr, MD graduated from the Wake Forest School of Medicine and completed her residency in the Carolinas Medical Center Family Medicine Residency Program, Elizabeth Track. She is passionate about providing primary care for patients with severe persistent mental illness and Community Medicine, including social determinants of health and increasing minority participation in research/trials.
|
 |
Christina M. Garcia, DO, MPH Christina Garcia, DO, MPH received her undergraduate degree in Sociology from THE Ohio State University and her Doctor of Osteopathy degree from Ohio University Heritage College of Osteopathic Medicine. While at Ohio University she also earned an African Community Health Certificate and was a Primary Care Associate where she spent an additional year as junior faculty teaching, tutoring and mentoring first- and second-year medical students and working on scholarly projects. She completed her residency training at Christ Hospital/ University of Cincinnati Family Medicine program. After residency, Dr. Garcia moved to Chapel Hill, NC to pursue a Master in Public Health and a Global Health Certificate at University of North Carolina while providing care to the underserved at a Federally Qualified Health Center. She served in the National Health Service Corp for 2 additional years at the same FQHC prior to moving to Charlotte. Currently, she serves as the Biddle Point Track Residency Site Director housed at Biddle Point Family Practice. Her career interests include Global and Community Health, Maternity Care, Quality and Population Management. Outside of work, Dr. Garcia enjoys spending time with family and friends traveling, cooking and staying active. |
 |
Mary N. Hall, MD Mary Nolan Hall, MD is the Senior Vice President of Medical Education and Chief Academic Officer at Atrium Health in Charlotte, NC. She is responsible for all academic programs: undergraduate and graduate medical education, nursing & allied health, continuing education and PA and NP fellowships as well as physician and ACP leadership development. She is the Associate Dean of the Charlotte Campus of the UNC School of Medicine and is a Professor of Family Medicine at Atrium Health and at the University of NC at Chapel Hill. Dr. Hall was Chair of the Family Medicine Department, from 2003-2011.
|
 |
Rebecca Hayes, MD Rebecca Hayes, MD, is a native Charlottean. She graduated from her UNC Greensboro and received her MD from the Medical University of South Carolina. She then spent 8 years in the United States Navy, completing her Family Medicine Residency at Naval Hospital Bremerton. In addition, she served at Camp Lejeune, NC and Pensacola, FL. After the completion of her military service she joined the faculty at Cabarrus Family Medicine Residency Program in Concord, NC where she served as the Director of Maternity Services. Dr. Hayes joined the CMC Department of Family Medicine in 2016 as Elizabeth Family Medicine’s Medical Director. Her interests include women’s health, maternity care, pediatrics, medical education, minor procedures and quality improvement. Outside of medicine she enjoys spending time with her husband and 3 sons, reading and watching movies. |
 |
Robert Jones, MD Robert Jones, MD, received his undergraduate degree and played varsity basketball at Creighton University in Omaha, NE. In 1990 he graduated from the University Of Cincinnati College Of Medicine. He completed his residency in Family Medicine at the University of Maryland Medical System. Afterward, he finished a Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship at San Jose Medical Center / Stanford University in California. Dr. Jones joined the faculty at Carolinas Medical Center, where he created and was the Director of the Primary Care Sports Medicine Fellowship Program until 2015. He is currently the Medical Director of Student Health at the University of North Carolina Charlotte. He has been the Team Physician for the USA Water Polo Men’s National Team. He also serves as the Executive Medical Director of the YMCA Health Centers in Charlotte. |
|
|
Darin Kennedy, MD Darin Kennedy, MD, is a native North Carolinian and is glad to be home after several years away. A graduate of Wake Forest University and Bowman Gray School of Medicine, he completed his family medicine residency at Carilion Health System in Roanoke, VA in 2000. |
|
|
Simeng Miao, MD Dr. Simeng Miao attended Vanderbilt University for her undergraduate studies, majoring in biomedical engineering, and attended medical school at The Ohio State University. She completed residency at CMC Family Medicine before starting her term as PGY-4 Chief Resident and Junior Faculty Fellow. She is board certified in Family Medicine and works as a physician at Elizabeth Family Medicine. Her areas of interests include academic medicine, preventative care and underserved care. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with friends, family and exploring Charlotte. |
|
|
Anthony Martin, MD Dr. Martin earned his medical degree at the Temple University School of Medicine in 2008 before completing his family medicine residency at The Reading Hospital and School of Medicine in 2011, where he served as the chief resident in his final year. Dr. Martin then completed his primary care sports medicine fellowship at Carolinas Medical Center in 2012 and stayed on as a member of the faculty at Sports Medicine and Injury Care, the family medicine residency program and for the primary care sports medicine fellowship. Dr. Martin also serves as faculty for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is active in student and resident teaching. Dr. Martin is the head team physician for East Mecklenburg High School and is also a team physician for the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. As a former competitive boxer, he also enjoys fight coverage including boxing and mixed martial arts. Dr. Martin is active in the sports community and still participates in intramural sports locally. He is a member of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine and the American Academy of Family Physicians. He lives in Charlotte and enjoys fighting sports, epic poetry and cooking. |
 |
Dupal Patel, MD Geriatric Medicine Fellowship Faculty Dupal Patel, MD was born and raised in New Jersey. She is a graduate of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. She then moved to Northeast Ohio for residency where she trained in Family Medicine at Cleveland Clinic - Fairview Hospital Residency Program. She continued her training by completing a fellowship in Geriatrics at Summa Akron City Hospital before joining the Center for Senior Health, where she worked for three and a half years honing her skills in geriatrics in a variety of settings. She specialized in interdisciplinary communication, cognitive assessments and post-acute care. After enduring eight winters in Ohio, she and her husband decided to move closer to family and to fulfill her dream of teaching. Dr. Patel joined Atrium Health as staff at Elizabeth Family Medicine and key clinical faculty member of the Geriatric Medicine Fellowship in 2018. She is board certified in Family Medicine and Geriatrics. Dr. Patel provides compassionate care for older adults in outpatient, acute and post-acute settings as well as teaches medical students, residents and fellows. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family, especially her two young children, and rediscovering the world through their eyes. |
 |
Jay I. Patel, MD, MPH Jay Patel is a clinical faculty member of Elizabeth Family Medicine. He is also the Director of Medical Student Clerkship rotations for all of the third- and fourth-year family medicine rotations. Originally born and raised in Shelby, NC, he moved to Chapel Hill, NC where he completed his undergraduate and medical training at the University of North Carolina. He then graduated from the CMC Department of Family Medicine’s urban site and served as Chief Resident in his final year. After his postgraduate training, he moved to his hometown serving as a community practitioner for one year before moving back to Charlotte. He has research interests in preventable ED utilization as well as prescription drug abuse. While away from work, he can be found in the mountains of NC, at one of the local breweries or sporting his love of the Tar Heels obnoxiously. |
 |
Jack D. Ledford, PharmD, BCPS, BCACP Jack D. Ledford earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree at the University of North Carolina Eshelman School of Pharmacy in Chapel Hill, NC. After earning his doctorate, he completed general pharmacy residency training at the Ralph H. Johnson Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Charleston, SC, where he was also an affiliate instructor with the Medical University of South Carolina College of Pharmacy. Dr. Ledford completed a second year of residency training in ambulatory care at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) Health System in Richmond, VA. Before joining the Department of Family Medicine at Atrium Health, Dr. Ledford served as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the VCU School of Pharmacy and a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist at VCU Health working within the Division of Geriatrics. Dr. Ledford’s clinical interests include therapeutic management of diabetes mellitus, cardiometabolic disorders and infectious diseases, as well as the implementation of alternative pain management strategies. In his spare time, Dr. Ledford enjoys a listening to a variety of music, cooking, exploring new places and spending time with family and friends. |
 |
David Price, MD Dr. Price earned his medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia and completed his residency at Carolinas Medical Center. He completed his primary care sports medicine fellowship at Bayfront Medical Center in St. Petersburg, FL and, after working in rural Australia for a short period, returned to Charlotte, NC to join the Carolinas Medical Center family medicine residency as a faculty member. Active in teaching, Dr. Price is an associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and in 2015 transitioned from Co-Director to Director of the primary care sports medicine fellowship in the Department of Family Medicine at Carolinas Medical Center. He also serves as medical director of athletic training in the Department of Sports Medicine and Special Events. In this role, he works closely with Charlotte Mecklenburg High School Athletics and is the team physician for Johnson C. Smith University. Dr. Price has an avid interest in sudden cardiac death and is the medical director for Heart of a Champion Day, a high school athletic pre-participation screening program that includes non-invasive cardiac testing to identify athletes at risk for sudden cardiac death. He also has an interest in sports concussion and is the medical director of Carolinas Concussion Network. His funded research in these areas focuses on affected athletes. Dr. Price is active in the sports community and enjoys treating endurance athletes. He speaks locally and nationally as an expert in the field of sports medicine. Dr. Price is a member of the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine and the American Academy of Family Physicians. He lives in Charlotte with his wife and three children and enjoys triathlons, soccer and music. |
 |
May Royer, MD Dr. May Royer is board certified in family medicine and specializes in hospital medicine, maternity care, women’s health, newborn and adolescent medicine, procedures and obesity and weight management. She is a Charlotte native who earned her both her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology and her Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She returned to Charlotte to complete her residency in the Carolinas Medical Center Family Medicine Residency Program, Elizabeth track, where she also served as the President of the House Staff Liaison Committee for Atrium Health. After residency, she joined the Cabarrus Family Medicine Residency Program in Concord, NC as clinical faculty – practicing full spectrum family medicine including inpatient and outpatient care and continued to deliver babies. In 2022, Dr. Royer returned to Atrium Health CMC Family Medicine Residency Program in Charlotte, NC as Core Faculty and currently serves as the Director of Inpatient Medicine. Outside of medicine, Dr. Royer enjoys spending time with her loved ones, listening to live music/concerts, cheering on the Carolina Panthers and UNC Tarheels, skiing and traveling. |
 |
Lindsay E. Shade, MHS, PA-C Lindsay Shade attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received her undergraduate degree in Exercise and Sport Science with a minor in Chemistry. In 2006 she graduated from the Duke University Physician Assistant Program with a Master of Health Sciences degree. She has practiced in Family Medicine in Charlotte, NC ever since and enjoys cultivating relationships with her patients. Her special interests include pediatrics and women’s health as well as preventative health care. Lindsay is also the Director of Clinical Trials and Quality within Carolinas Medical Center’s Department Family Medicine Research division. Current projects focus on chronic disease management, improving participants’ outcomes and using participatory methods including shared decision making. In her spare time, she enjoys running, playing tennis, practicing yoga, making jewelry and most of all watching Carolina basketball. |
 |
Benjamin F. Simmons III, MD Dr. Simmons grew up in Manassas and Hampton, VA. He received his undergraduate education at Longwood University in Farmville, VA, and attended medical school at Howard University in Washington, DC. After completing his residency training at Carolinas Medical Center Department of Family Medicine he was the lead physician at Atrium Health Urgent Care in Salisbury, NC. During his time with the Division of Urgent Care he served as Physician Champion for Patient Experience and Medical Director of the Urgent Care ACP Fellowship. He currently serves on the board of the North Carolina Academy of Family Physicians. His interests include performing and teaching procedures and health care and patient advocacy. Dr. Simmons enjoys going to art museums, salsa dancing and traveling. |
 |
Holly Stegall, MD Dr. Stegall grew up locally in Polkton, North Carolina. She received her undergraduate education at Wingate University and attended medical school at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University. After the completion of her residency training at Cabarrus Family Medicine, Dr. Stegall practiced in Anson County for a short while, honing her skills in rural and underserved care. Dr. Stegall joined the Department of Family Medicine in 2016. Her medical interests include performing and teaching procedures, maternity care, women’s health, pediatrics, inpatient medicine and travel medicine. In her free time, she enjoys running, traveling and spending time with her husband and extended family. |
 |
Shala Sundaram, MD Shala Sundaram, MD, FAAFP found her path to family medicine in a unique fashion. She attended Georgia Institute of Technology and earned a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering prior to earning her medical degree from Ross University School of Medicine. She completed her residency at Stamford Hospital/Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons. Dr. Sundaram completed her fellowships in faculty development at University of Massachusetts and at the University of NC at Chapel Hill. She also completed a year of the Program Director Development Fellowship with the Association of Family Medicine Residency Directors. With her background in engineering, she enjoys building a bridge between the world of electronics and medicine. She takes pleasure in practicing and continuing to learn medicine every day, with a drive to institute this passion via teaching to the upcoming generation of new family physicians. Dr. Sundaram enjoys cooking, staying active and spending time with her family & friends! |
 |
Hazel Tapp, PhD Hazel Tapp, PhD, grew up in Wales and attended the University of Birmingham in England where she received her undergraduate and PhD degrees in Chemistry. After meeting her husband she moved to New York City to pursue a fellowship in biomedical research. They moved south, first to Florida then Charlotte. In her spare time she enjoys family activities with husband and two sons. Dr. Tapp is also a big fan of marathon running and her running group, University City Road Runners. |
