Thrive Magazine Fall 2015

INSIDE: Comprehensive LISTING OF AREA PHYSICIANS

Timing is

everything

How one Athens man faced testicular cancer as he was starting a family

PLUS:

Coffee’s benefits

The drink may help prevent colon cancer

Grill for good Tips to avoid carcinogens

Breast cancer updates New technologies help with early detection

Fall/Winter 2015 | THRIVE 1

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inside this issue Hidden benefits of coffee Daily consumption of caffeinated coffee may prevent a recurrence of colon cancer in people treated for the disease.

20

Alternative cancer treatments These treatments can’t cure your cancer, but they may provide some relief from signs and symptoms. 8

Grill it up Tips to cook your meat (or veggies) without adding to your risk of carcinogen exposure. 18

On the cover Colin Mays (center) shares his story of testicular cancer and how it may have been the diagnosis that saved his life.

Page 26 Photo by AJ Reynolds

No appetite?

Ideas for meals and snacks when you just don’t feel like eating. 25 Fall/Winter 2015 | THRIVE 3

{good good to to know know} Established April 2011 Established April 2011 Publisher Scot Publisher Morrissey Scot Morrissey V.P. of Audience Director Maggie of Louie Audience Maggie Louie V.P. of Sales V.P. of Clark Sales Kevin Kevin Clark Editor in Chief Editor Ed Morales in Chief Ed Morales Advertising Support/ Advertising Support/ Workflow Manager Workflow Ashley Catoe Manager Ashley Catoe Graphic Designer Graphic Kristen Designer Morales Kristen Morales Copy Editor Copy Ed Morales Editors Ed Morales Production Kristen Production Morales Kristen Morales Contributing Writer Contributing Writers Chris Starrs Chris Starrs Contributing Photographer Contributing Photographers AJ Reynolds AJ Reynolds Account Executives Account LucindaExecutives Bennett Lucinda Bennett Tom Bennewitz Tom Bennewitz Laura Jackson Laura JoshuaJackson Lyon JoshuaMurphy Lyon Christa Christa Myrphy David Schleter Savid Schleter THRIVE THRIVE One Press Place, Athens, GA 30601 One Press Place, Athens, GA 30601 Mailing Address Mailing Address P.O. Box 912, Athens, GA 30601 P.O. Box 912, Athens, GA 30601 Advertising: (706) 208-2302 Advertising: (706) 208-2302 Copyright 2015 Athens Banner-Herald Copyright 2015 Athens Banner-Herald All rights reserved All rights reserved THRIVE is a product is a product ofTHRIVE onlineathens.com and of onlineathens.com and the Athens Banner-Herald the Athens Banner-Herald

4 THRIVE | Fall/Winter 2015 4 THRIVE | Fall/Winter 2015

Cancer Cancer

myths myths

Misconceptions aboutcancer cancercauses causescan canlead lead Misconceptions about to worry about health. to unnecessary unnecessary worry about youryour health.

Find there’sany anytruth truthtotothese these Find out out whether whether there’s common myths about causes ofcancer. common myths about thethe causes of cancer.

By Timothy Moynihan By Timothy Mayo Clinic moynihan Mayo Clinic

Scary claims circulate on the Internet that everyday objects and Scary such claims ondeodorant, the Internetare that everyday objects and products, ascirculate plasticand secret cancer causes.

Beyond products, such as plastic and deodorant, are secret cancer causes.

Beyond beingwrong,manyofthesemythsmaycauseyoutoworryunnecessarily being manyhealth of theseand myths cause to family. worry unnecessarily aboutwrong, your own themay health ofyou your about your own health and the health of your family.

Before you panic, take a look at the facts.

Before you panic, take a look at the afacts.

Here,Timothy J. Moynihan, M.D., cancer specialist at Mayo Clinic, Here, Timothy J. Moynihan, M.D., a cancer specialist at Mayo Rochester,Minn.,takesacloserlookatsome popular myths aboutClinic, cancer Rochester, Minn., takes a closer look at some popular myths about cancer causes and explains why they just aren’t true. causes and explains why they just aren’t true.

Myth:Antiperspirantsordeodorantscancausebreastcancer.

Myth: Antiperspirants or deodorants can cause breast cancer.

Fact:There’s no conclusive evidence linking no conclusive evidence or linking the Fact: use ofThere’s underarm antiperspirants the use of underarm antiperspirants or deodorants with breast cancer, according deodorants withCancer breastInstitute cancer, according totheNational andother to the National Cancer Institute and other research. research.

Some reports have suggested havecontain suggested thatSome thesereports products harmful that these products contain harmful substances suchasaluminum compounds substances such that as aluminum and parabens can be compounds absorbed and parabens absorbed through thethat skincan or be enter the body through skincaused or enterby theshaving. body No throughthe nicks through nicks caused by shaving.

No clinical studies have yet given a definitive clinical yet given a definitive answerstudies to the have question of whether these answer tocause the question of whether these products breastcancer.

Butthe evidence products cause breast Butdon’t the evidence todatesuggests thesecancer. products causecancer. to date suggests productsthat don’tyour causeunderarm cancer. antiperspirant or If you’re stillthese concerned If you’recould still concerned thatrisk your antiperspirant deodorant increaseyour ofunderarm cancer,choose productsorthatdon’t deodorant could increase risk of cancer, choose products that don’t contain chemicals that your worry you. contain chemicals that worry you.

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Myth: Microwaving plastic containers and wraps releases harmful, cancer-causing substances into food.

Fact: Microwave-safe plastic containers and wraps are safe to use in the microwave.

But plastic containers not intended for use in the microwave could melt and potentially leak chemicals into your food. So avoid microwaving containers that were never intended for the microwave, such as margarine tubs, takeout containers or whipped topping bowls.

Check to see that any container you use in the microwave is labeled as microwave-safe.

Myth: People with cancer shouldn’t eat sugar, since it can cause cancer to grow faster.

Fact: Sugar doesn’t make cancer grow faster. All cells, including cancer cells, depend on blood sugar (glucose) for energy. But giving more sugar to cancer cells doesn’t speed their growth. Likewise, depriving cancer cells of sugar doesn’t slow their growth.

This misconception may be based in part on a misunderstanding of positron emission tomography scans, which use a small amount of radioactive tracer — typically a form of glucose.

All tissues in your body absorb some of this tracer, but tissues that are using more energy — including cancer cells — absorb greater amounts. For this reason, some people have concluded that cancer cells grow faster on sugar. But this isn’t true.

However, there is some evidence that consuming large amounts of sugar is associated with an increased risk of

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certain cancers, including esophageal cancer. It can also lead to weight gain and increase the risk of obesity and diabetes, which may increase the risk of cancer.

Myth: Good people don’t get cancer.

Fact: In ancient times, illness was often viewed as punishment for bad actions or thoughts. In some cultures that view is still held.

If this were true, though, how would you explain the 6-month-old or the newborn who gets cancer? These little ones haven’t been bad.

There’s absolutely no evidence that you get cancer because you deserve it.

Myth: Cancer is contagious.

Fact: There’s no need to avoid someone who has cancer. You can’t catch it. It’s OK to touch and spend time with someone who has cancer. In fact, your support may never be more valuable.

Though cancer itself isn’t contagious, sometimes viruses, which are contagious, can lead to the development of cancer.

Examples of viruses that can cause cancer include: Human papillomavirus — a sexually transmitted infection — that can cause cervical cancer and other forms of cancer Hepatitis B or C — viruses transmitted through sexual intercourse or use of infected IV needles — that can cause liver cancer Talk to your doctor about ways to protect yourself from these viruses.

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{good to know}

Alternative treatments These 10 options can’t cure your cancer, but they may provide some relief from signs and symptoms.

Mayo Clinic

Many people with cancer are interested in trying anything that may help them, including complementary and alternative cancer treatments. If cancer makes you feel as if you have little control over your health, alternative cancer treatments may offer some feeling of control. But many alternative cancer treatments are unproved and some may even be dangerous.

To help you sort out the good from the bad, here are 10 alternative cancer treatments that are generally safe.

Plus, there is growing evidence that these 10 alternative cancer treatments may provide some benefit.

How can alternative medicine help people with cancer?

Alternative cancer treatments may not play a direct role in curing your cancer, but they may help you cope with signs and symptoms caused by cancer and

cancer treatments. Common signs and symptoms such as anxiety, fatigue, nausea and vomiting, pain, difficulty sleeping, and stress may be lessened by alternative treatments.

Integrating the best of evidence-based complementary and alternative cancer treatments with the treatments you receive from your doctor may help relieve many of the symptoms associated with cancer and its treatment. Discuss all of your options with your doctor and together you can determine which strategies might work for you and which are likely to have no benefit.

Work closely with your doctor to determine the right balance between traditional medicines and alternative cancer treatments. While complementary and alternative cancer treatments, such as acupuncture, may reduce nausea or pain, they generally aren’t powerful enough to replace cancer medications from your doctor.

Continued on page 10

If you’re experiencing

Then consider trying

Anxiety Fatigue Nausea and vomiting Pain Sleep problems Stress

Hypnosis, massage, meditation, relaxation techniques Exercise, massage, relaxation techniques, yoga Acupuncture, aromatherapy, hypnosis, music therapy Acupuncture, aromatherapy, hypnosis, massage, music therapy Exercise, relaxation techniques, yoga Aromatherapy, exercise, hypnosis, massage, meditation, tai chi, yoga

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Acupuncture is one natural way to relieve symptoms of nausea.

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Which alternative cancer treatments are worth trying?

These 10 alternative cancer treatments have shown some promise in helping people with cancer. Talk to your doctor if you’re interested in trying: Acupuncture. During acupuncture treatment, a practitioner inserts tiny needles into your skin at precise points. Studies show acupuncture may be helpful in relieving nausea caused by chemotherapy. Acupuncture may also help relieve certain types of pain in people with cancer.

Acupuncture is safe if it’s performed by a licensed practitioner using sterile needles. Ask your doctor for names of trusted practitioners. Acupuncture isn’t safe if you’re taking blood thinners or if you have low blood counts, so check with your doctor first.

Aromatherapy. Aromatherapy uses fragrant oils to provide a calming sensation. Oils, infused with scents such as lavender, can be applied to your skin during a massage, or the oils can be added to bath water. Fragrant oils can also be heated to release their scents into the air.

Aromatherapy may be helpful in relieving nausea, pain and stress.

Aromatherapy can be performed by a practitioner, or you can use aromatherapy on your own. Aromatherapy is safe, though oils applied to your skin can cause allergic reactions. People with cancer that is estrogen sensitive, such as some breast cancers, should avoid applying large

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amounts of lavender oil and tea tree oil to the skin.

Exercise. Exercise may help you manage signs and symptoms during and after cancer treatment. Gentle exercise may help relieve fatigue and stress and help you sleep better. Many studies now show that an exercise program may help people with cancer live longer and improve their overall quality of life.

If you haven’t already been exercising regularly, check with your doctor before you begin an exercise program.

Start slowly, adding more exercise as you go. Aim to work your way up to at least 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week.

Hypnosis. Hypnosis is a deep state of concentration.

During a hypnotherapy session, a therapist may hypnotize you by talking in a gentle voice and helping you relax.

The therapist will then help you focus on goals, such as controlling your pain and reducing your stress.

Hypnosis may be helpful for people with cancer who are experiencing anxiety, pain and stress. It may also help prevent anticipatory nausea and vomiting that can occur if chemotherapy has made you sick in the past. When performed by a certified therapist, hypnosis is safe. But tell your therapist if you have a history of mental illness.

Massage. During a massage, your practitioner kneads your skin, muscles and tendons in an effort to relieve muscle tension and stress and promote relaxation. Several massage methods exist. Massage can be light and gentle, or it can be deep with more pressure.

Continued on Page 58

Paid advertisement

{good to know} A daily dose Aspirin appears to cut the risk of a common type of cancer

By Karen Kaplan Los Angeles Times

Colorectal cancer is one of the most common types of cancer, and researchers say they have found a way to reduce one’s risk of it by up to 45 percent — by taking aspirin, Advil, Motrin, Aleve or certain other painkillers.

A new study finds that people who took 75 to 150 milligrams of aspirin every day for at least five years were 27 percent less likely to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer than people who didn’t. (A tablet of regular Bayer aspirin, for instance, contains 325 mg of aspirin. The low-dose version designed to reduce the risk of a recurrent heart attack of stroke contains 81 mg of aspirin.)

Other types of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, or NSAIDs, appeared to reduce the risk even more. People who took non-aspirin NSAIDs for at least five years were 30 percent to 45 percent less likely to have colorectalcancer than those who didn’t take the painkillers.

Ibuprofen (the active ingredient in Advil and Motrin, among others) and naproxen (the active ingredient in Aleve) are two examples of this type of NSAIDs. The results appear in the Sept. 1 edition of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

Previous studies have suggested that regular use of aspirin or other NSAIDs may help protect against colorectalcancer. But the studies didn’t provide clear answers on the ideal dose to see a protective effect or how long someone would need to take it.

So the researchers turned to data from Denmark to find 10,280 adults from the northern part of the country who were diagnosed with colorectal cancer between 1994 and 2011. For each patient, the researchers also identified 10 “controls” — adults who shared the same birth year and gender and lived in the same area but did not have colorectal cancer.

In addition, the researchers used national databases to figure out which prescription drugs all of these people had taken. More than 90 percent of the low-dose aspirin sold in Denmark is prescribed by doctors, along with about 85 percent of non-aspirin NSAIDs. (The rest are sold over the counter, making them more difficult to track.)

The patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer were slightly less likely than the controls to have had a colonoscopy, 4.5 percent versus 7.5 percent. Other than that, the two groups were similar in most ways.

Compared with those who never took aspirin at all, those who had filled prescriptions at least twice were 6 percent less likely to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer. But to get a more substantial benefit from low-dose aspirin, people had to take it for five years or more. Their risk was 27 percent lower than for their counterparts who eschewed the drug.

Other NSAIDs provided an even greater benefit. People who took a “high-intensity” dose of the painkillers for at least five years were at least 30 percent less likely to be diagnosed with colorectal cancer, and those who took newer type of stomach-protecting NSAIDs (such as Celebrex) that block only production of COX-2 enzymes were 43 percent less likely to get the disease. A dose was considered high-intensity if it was about three times higher than the median dose for people in the study.

The researchers were not able to control for factors like diet, alcohol use and body mass index, all of which may contribute to one’s risk of colorectal cancer. Nor could they tell whether people in the study had a family history of the disease.

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{good to know}

By Timothy J. Moynihan

The possible connection between cellphones and cancer is controversial.

Many years’ worth of studies on cellphones and cancer have yielded conflicting results. There’s no consensus about the degree of cancer risk — if any — posed by cellphone use.

The primary concern with cellphones and cancer seems to be the development of brain tumors associated with cellphone use. Some research suggests a slight increase in the rate of brain tumors since the 1970s, but cellphones weren’t in use during the 1970s. Instead, the subtle increases are more likely related to other factors — such as increased access to medical care and improvements in diagnostic imaging.

So what have researchers learned about cellphones and cancer? Here’s an overview of various studies: In one study that followed more than 420,000 cellphone users over a 20-year period, researchers found no evidence of a link between cellphones and brain tumors.

Another study found an association between cellphones and cancer of the Continued on page 16

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A hidden

link?

Is there any link between cellphones and cancer?

Fall/Winter 2015 | THRIVE 15

Although noone knows if cellphones cause cancer, there is no convincing evidence that the use of cellphones increases your risk of cancer.

Continued from page 14

salivary glands. However, only a small number of study participants had malignant tumors.

Another recent study suggested a possible increased risk of glioma — a specific type of brain tumor — for the heaviest cellphone users, but no increase in brain tumor risk overall.

After evaluating several studies on the possibility of a connection between cellphones and glioma and a noncancerous brain tumor known as acoustic neuroma, members of the International Agency for Research on

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Cancer — part of the World Health Organization — agreed that there’s limited evidence that cellphone radiation is a cancer-causing agent (carcinogenic). As a result, the group classified radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to people.

Still, a series of recent studies can’t tell the entire story. It often takes many years between the use of a new cancer-causing agent — such as tobacco — and the observation of an increase in cancer rates. At this point, it’s possible that too little time has passed to detect an increase in

cancer rates directly attributable to cellphone use.

The bottom line? For now, no one knows if cellphones are capable of causing cancer. Although longterm studies are ongoing, to date there’s no convincing evidence that cellphone use increases the risk of cancer. If you’re concerned about the possible link between cellphones and cancer, consider limiting your use of cellphones — or use a speaker or hands-free device that places the cellphone antenna, which is typically in the cellphone itself, away from your head.

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{food}

Tailgating

grilling tips

that help fight cancer

By Crystal Langlois

One of the keys to maintaining a healthy diet is by consuming a mix of nutrients from both meat and plant sources. While preparing certain meats properly on the grill while tailgating can provide for a tasty meal, the availability of more plantbased foods offers additional opportunities to cook healthy, unique dishes.

Although convenient, you must also remember that grilling has its risks. In addition to the well-known issue of food-borne illness from undercooked meats, increasing evidence suggests over-cooked foods can contain carcinogens – especially food items that are charred, burned or blackened.

As you are planning your football tailgate, here are some sensible tips for eating and cooking healthy.

• Aim to keep portions of red meat (beef, pork or lamb) to three ounces or less, no more than five times per week.

Choose lean cuts and trim the fat. Avoid processed meats such as ham, bacon, hot dogs, sausages and deli meats; save these foods for special occasions.

When you do purchase them, try to find the nitrate/nitrite free versions.

• Although red meats are a good source of protein, they are also high in calories, cholesterol and saturated fat. Red meats also contain compounds that can be related to cellular damage and can form carcinogens when preserved by smoking, curing, salting or adding preservatives.

• Cooking “muscle meats” (including beef, pork, fish or poultry) at high temperatures can also produce Continued on page 21

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{food}

Coffee’s boost Caffeinated drink may prevent recurrence of colon cancer, study finds

By Delthia Ricks Newsday

Daily consumption of caffeinated coffee may prevent a recurrence of colon cancer in people treated for the disease with the strongest benefits for those drinking at least four cups, according to new scientific research.

The new findings come with caveats — and for some doctors, raise a long list of questions.

Pending further research, scientists at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, who conducted the study, said people should not begin drinking coffee if they aren’t already java drinkers. Those who drink it should not increase their number of daily cups, the scientists said.

The study is the first to examine whether coffee plays a role in preventing colon cancer recurrence and lowers mortality from the disease among U.S. Continued on page 22

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Continued from page 18

carcinogens, especially in areas where meat may become charred or blackened; the risk of carcinogens forming is higher for processed and red meats.

• Marinade meat for at least 30 minutes to help protect against the formation of carcinogens and improve flavor. A mixture of vinegar, juices, spices and herbs (such as pineapple juice, brown sugar, garlic, apple cider vinegar, ginger, red pepper flakes) makes a nice marinade.

• Pre-cook meats in the oven to reduce the time spent on the grill. When grilling, flip meats frequently to avoid charring, and be sure to cut off any charred areas before eating.

• To reduce the risk of food-borne infection, ensure meats are fully cooked with no pink inside; juices should be clear.

• Clean the grill after each use to prevent harmful chemicals from

building up and transferring to your next meal.

• Place punctured aluminum foil over the grill to prevent flare ups that can lead to burnt pieces.

But as much as you might like grilling meat, numerous studies show that increasing your intake of plantbased foods (fruits and vegetables) is a great way to improve health and maintain a healthy weight. In fact, the American Cancer Society reports that excess body weight contributes to as many as 1 in 5 cancer-related deaths.

So eating more plant-based foods can not only help you maintain a healthy weight, but by doing so can also reduce your risk of cancer.

Eating more plant-based foods doesn’t have to be difficult – and you can prepare many of them on the grill too. Some good examples include: • Tofu, tempeh and plant-based burgers are not only lower in calories and fat than meat, but are also good sources of protein and other important

nutrients.

• Fruits and vegetables can be grilled to add a new twist to your tailgate favorites like asparagus, corn on the cob, peppers and tomatoes; don’t be afraid to experiment.

• Other plant-based grilled meals include bean burgers, stuffed Portobello mushrooms and flatbread with grilled vegetables.

• Adding a salad with leafy greens or a dessert of berries or melon to your meal is a tasty way to increase intake of fruits and vegetables.

• Making kabobs is a great way to incorporate fruits and vegetables with just the right portion of meat.

When it comes to cooking, take advantage of all this season has to offer.

With a little imagination, your tailgate can be healthy, balanced and delicious.

Crystal Langlois, RD, CSO, LD, is a registered dietitian and board-certified specialist in oncology nutrition with Cancer Treatment Centers of America at Southeastern Regional Medical Center in Newnan.

Fall/Winter 2015 | THRIVE 21

The study is the first to examine whether coffee plays a role and lowers mortality from the disease among U.S. residents Continued from page 20

residents — who consume the most coffee globally.

Dr. Jules Garbus, co-chief of colon and rectal surgery at Winthrop-University Hospital in Mineola, N.Y., said the research cannot be easily dismissed because it raises questions about how coffee affects metabolism.

“Diet and lifestyle affect people’s cancer risk,” Garbus said. He also noted that Dana-Farber’s reputation adds credence to the findings. The study’s lead investigator, Dr. Charles Fuchs, said it was unclear why coffee didn’t prevent the patient’ cancers in the first place.

“We only identified subjects following the diagnosis of colon cancer so we don’t have their coffee consumption prior to diagnosis,” he said in an email.

Fuchs, director of the Gastrointestinal Cancer Center at Dana-Farber, said people with metabolic disorders have a higher colon cancer risk.

For example, high levels of insulin are associated with elevated risks of the cancer because the hormone can promote the growth of cancer cells.

Obesity also is associated with higher colon cancer risk and higher levels of insulin in the blood.

Caffeine helps lower insulin levels and is associated with decreased risk of type 2 diabetes, Fuchs wrote in the study.

Nearly 1,000 patients were involved in the research. All had been treated with surgery and chemotherapy. Those who had the best five-year survival rates drank at least four cups of caffeinated coffee

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John Rogers displays freshly roasted coffee at the Rogers Family Company in Lincoln, Calif. In a newly publ Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press

ole in preventing colon cancer recurrence ts — who consume the most coffee globally.

y published study, coffee consumption may help prevent colon cancer from recurring.

daily, consuming about 460 milligrams of caffeine. There was no correlation between a survival benefit and herbal tea consumption, the study found.

Results of the analysis were reported in the most recent Journal of Clinical Oncology. Patients who consumed four daily cups were 42 percent less likely to experience a rebound of their cancer and were 33 percent less likely to die from the disease.

Dr. Robert Amajoyi, a colorectal cancer surgeon at South Nassau Communities Hospital in Oceanside, N.Y., said while the research sheds new light on a role that coffee might play, he is not yet convinced of a causeand-effect.

“Coffee has potential antimutagenic properties,” he said, referring to antioxidants that may help prevent mutations. But it is impossible to say how java consumption affects cancer risk without stronger research, he said.

“That’s why I say more studies are required,” Amajoyi said, adding that rather than the questionnaire used by the Boston team, he would prefer to see a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study, the gold standard of scientific research.

Dr. Peter Bach, a physician and epidemiologist who directs the Center for Health Policy and Outcomes at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in Manhattan, also said more powerful data are required.

“Coffee drinking and lower risk may be related to an unseen third factor. I’m not saying that is the case, but we would only know if this were a true risk-reducing intervention with a randomized trial,” Bach said.

Fall/Winter 2015 | THRIVE 23

{food}

Nut butters are dense in protein, iron and calories — things your body needs even when you don’t feel like eating.

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No appetite?

How to get nutrition during cancer treatment

If cancer treatment leaves you without an appetite, try these tips to get the calories and nutrients you need.

By Mayo Clinic Staff

Sometimes cancer or cancer treatment can affect your appetite.

Though you might not feel like eating, it’s important to do what you can to maintain your calorie, protein and fluid intake during cancer treatment. Use this information to help plan meals and snacks that will be more appealing and provide the nutrition you need to get better.

Keep in mind that in some cases, such as advanced cancer, eating may not affect the outcome of your illness or treatment. In these situations, trying to follow specific dietary guidelines, such as adhering to a lowsodium or low-fat diet, may not be practical.

Sometimes caregivers or family members can unintentionally add stress by pushing or trying to force you to eat certain foods. Ask your doctor how carefully you need to follow specific dietary guidelines.

Mealtime

Eat small amounts more frequently. If you feel full after eating only a small amount, try eating small amounts throughout the day when you get the urge to eat. You may find it easier to eat small amounts several times each day rather than at mealtimes.

Schedule mealtimes. If you never seem to feel hungry, it’s often helpful to eat according to a schedule rather than to rely on appetite.

Eat more when you’re hungry. Take advantage of the times when you feel your best to eat more. Many people have their best appetite in the morning, when they’re rested.

Limit fluids during meals. Liquids can fill you up and limit your intake of higher calorie foods. It may help to drink most of your liquids at least a half-hour before or after meals.

Create a pleasant mealtime atmosphere. For example, use soft music, candles or nice place settings.

Make meals more appealing. Select foods with a variety of colors and textures to make your meals more appealing.

Avoid smells that make you sick. Pay attention to

smells, as certain scents may decrease your appetite or bring on nausea. Avoid smells that have this effect on you.

Snack time

Keep snacks handy. Have snacks readily available so that you can eat when you’re up to it.

Cheese, ice cream, canned fruit in heavy syrup, dried fruit, nuts, peanut butter with crackers, cheese with crackers, muffins, cottage cheese and chocolate milk are examples of high-calorie snacks requiring little or no preparation.

Don’t be too concerned that some of these options are high in cholesterol or fat. Once you regain your appetite, you can focus on lower calorie snacking options.

Have a bedtime snack. Bedtime may be a good time to snack because your appetite for the next meal won’t be affected.

Anytime

Try cold foods. Foods that are cold or at room temperature may be more appealing, particularly if strong smells bother you. Cold sandwiches or maindish salads, such as pasta salad or tuna, chicken, egg and ham salads, are good choices.

Experiment with foods. Once-favorite foods may no longer appeal to you, while foods you were never fond of may become appealing.

Exercise to increase your appetite. Regular exercise may help stimulate your appetite. Ask your doctor whether exercise is safe for you.

Try shakes and instant drink mixes. Nutritional supplement drinks, such as instant breakfast mixes and canned or powdered shakes, can provide a significant amount of calories and require little or no preparation.

It may be easier for you to drink rather than to eat something.

Increasing calories

During illness, treatment or recovery, your need

Continued on page 46

Fall/Winter 2015 | THRIVE 25

‘I thought about Jami and I thought about Harrison, and now that I’ve met the woman I want to marry and her son ...

26 THRIVE | Fall/Winter 2015

All I wanted to do was take care of them.’

When Colin Mays was diagnosed with testicular cancer, he never realized it would end up saving his life

By Chris Starrs

Although Colin Mays didn’t necessarily think so at the time, discovering that he had testicular cancer may have been the best thing to ever happen to him.

The 38-year-old Mays, who for nearly a dozen years has been a go-to chef in the kitchens of Big City Bread Café, Mama’s Boy and Pulaski Heights BBQ, and who’s now at Goody Two Shoes, says that the diagnosis of his cancer probably prevented his death from another form of the disease.

In the spring of 2012, Mays learned from Athens urologist David Allen that he had a low-malignancy spindle cell tumor in his left testicle. Allen urged aggressive action, and Mays remembers that his doctor was troubled by unusual aspects of the tumor and called for rounds of scans, tests and x-rays – at which time it was determined Mays was facing a potentially bigger problem.

“I think everybody was baffled,” Mays says. “They didn’t know what it meant. It took several weeks to hear back and it was during all this testing and scanning they found a tumor on my left kidney…It covered the majority of my kidney.”

Surgery, recovery, surgery

The father of two sons had two surgeries in quick succession. His left testicle was removed weeks after his original diagnosis, and after “five or six weeks” of recovery time, Mays’ left kidney was extracted. And what doctors discovered about his kidney was alarming.

“The tumor was 5.5 centimeters, and the tumors grow at about a centimeter a year, so I’d already had the thing for five or six years and didn’t know it,” he says. “And when it gets to about 7 centimeters, that’s when you get into Stage II, where you can run into a lot more problems.”

Fortunately, the tumors had no relationship and neither had spread anywhere else in his body. Mays says testicular cancer tumors tend to grow faster than those found in renal cancer, but his kidney had a head start.

“There’s no way to know you have (renal cancer) – it’s not symptomatic,” he says. “The only way I knew I had renal cancer was through testicular cancer diagnosis.

“Doctor Allen told me I could look at my testicular cancer in a different way now – it probably saved my life. In another year or so, I would have been in bad shape. And

Colin Mays with his son, Charlie.

Photo by AJ Reynolds

Fall/Winter 2015 | THRIVE 27

there’s no treatment for renal cancer.

Chemotherapy is not a good treatment for renal cancer.”

“The renal cancer would likely kill him because there was no indication he had any cancer at all,” Mays’ wife, Jami, says. “Finding the lump in his testicle saved his life. It was a whirlwind.”

While two surgeries in less than two months seems less than comforting, Mays expressed his good fortune at not having to endure chemotherapy or radiation after his procedures. He’s been seeing his physicians on a regular basis and his freedom from disease was recently highlighted by being cut back to annual checkups, although everyone’s still keeping an eye on his kidney situation.

“My kidney has been keeping up,” he says. “It’s working overtime now.”

“Colin did not have to have chemo or radiation, thankfully, because everything was taken care of through surgery,” Jami Mays adds. “It was six or eight months before the weight of all that settled on us and we realized he could have died. It all happened so quickly.”

Never a good time for cancer

“The renal cancer would likely kill him because there was no indication he had any cancer at all. Finding the lump in his testicle saved his life.”

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There’s never a good time for a cancer prognosis, but Mays’ diagnosis came at a particularly inopportune time. He and Jami — a self-employed graphic and web designer — had met in November 2010 and she and her 8-year-old son Harrison had moved to Athens in the spring of 2011. The couple began making matrimonial plans and had discussed having a baby.

When Mays received the bad news, his thoughts revolved around Jami and Harrison.

“Jami and I were in love and we knew we were going to get married — we were working out all of the details,” he says. “I thought about Jami and I thought about Harrison, and now that I’ve met the woman I want to marry and her son, all I wanted to do was take care of them.

“It was all I thought about. I was a very sinking feeling. It came in spurts, but I definitely had feelings of desperation. At the beginning, it felt like the inside of me was just endless

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— where is this going to end, where is this going to go?”

Once he learned he also had renal cancer, Mays, who says he considers himself a positive person, wasn’t quite as alarmed, as he’d grown confident with Allen and he received plenty of support and encouragement from Jami.

“I was gearing myself up for the worst, but in a positive way,” he says. “I basically looked at this as, ‘Well, let’s do this. What else are we going to do?

I really don’t have a choice.’ Whatever was going to happen was going to happen and I couldn’t change that.”

Jami adds that Mays’ diagnosis also signaled a change — for the better — in his outlook on life, work and family.

“Having an experience like that shifts your perspective on what’s important and what really matters,” she says. “Colin has been a chef his entire working life and he used to work 50 or 60 hours a week because he’s great at his job and passionate about what he does. And after he got sick he left a position where he’d been for several years to take a job in another kitchen where he’d be working less and was home with his family more, because that became more important.”

“We just kind of clung to each other and held on, and we’re grateful for all the people who were in our corner.”

Plentiful support

And in those darkest of moments, Mays received a heap of support from friends and colleagues, most notably Cooper Hudson and Alicia Segars, who own Mama’s Boy and Goody Two Shoes. Mays said the owners continued to pay him while he was recovering from his surgeries, and between the two procedures a group of Mama’s Boy employees join with other family friends to help Mays and Jami move into a new home.

“We just had so much support, so many people looking out for us,” Jami says. “We just kind of clung to each other and held on, and we’re grateful for all the people who were in our corner.”

Mays and Jami were married on March 23, 2013, and their son Charlie was born on July 3, 2015.

Now a confirmed cancer survivor, Mays says, “Having cancer doesn’t define who I am – it’s just a part of who I am.” He adds that he’s moving

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Jami, Harrison, Colin and Charlie Mays. AJ Reynolds/Staff

on with life and isn’t taking too many looks in his rear-view mirror.

“I am in the best place I’ve ever been in my life,” he says. “I am more confident than I’ve ever been. I feel confident and I feel happy. I don’t hear footsteps. And when things come up and I wonder how I ever going to make things work, I can say, ‘Well, I beat cancer; if I can beat cancer, I can handle this.’ There are a lot of things I can now say that about. And now that I have a son, it makes everything I do different.

I do everything now with a different perspective.”

He admits, however, that when he meets other cancer survivors and swap tales of triumph, he feels a little guilty that so many others have had to endure the pain of post-surgical treatment, something he didn’t experience.

“I can’t begin to understand what people who have experienced (treatment) have actually gone through,” Mays says. “And I won’t pretend to understand. But I feel very lucky that I didn’t have to go through that. I’ve been involved in some things as a cancer survivor and talked about my experience and I’ve talked to survivors who have been through the treatments and there are times when I almost feel like I kind of cheated a little bit, like I got off easy. But at the same time, I know the people I talk to would have given anything to avoid what they’ve experienced.

“It’s an odd feeling. It’s just another thing that goes into that bank of mine, that part of me that says, ‘You can’t do anything about it.’ But it has literally strengthened me to my core.”

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Understanding prostate cancer, one man at a time

By Sheryl M. Ness Living With Cancer

Researchers at Mayo Clinic are using genetic sequencing to improve treatments for men with advanced prostate cancer.

Those with advanced prostate cancer can have tumors resistant to standard hormone treatments that lower testosterone. This stage is called castrate-resistant prostate cancer — when hormonal treatments no longer control the cancer.

Using an individualized approach, researchers are attempting to study the genetic changes within the tissue of metastatic prostate cancer tumors to better understand how to treat and gain control of the cancer.

The research is called the Prostate Cancer Medically-Optimized Genome Enhanced Therapy study, and is sponsored by the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine.

Men with CRPC have many treatment options that can prolong life after hormone therapies stop working. However, there’s still no cure for CRPC. Also, there’s no way to predict how each patient will respond to each treatment.

The study will attempt to understand how the tumors of those enrolled respond to different treatments, based on the genetic information of their individual tumors.

As part of the research, a biopsy is taken from the one of the sites in the body where the prostate cancer tumors have spread. The tissue is analyzed in the laboratory to study and test which drugs work best against the tumor. Once treatment starts, participants’ tumors are closely monitored by medical oncologists with periodic imaging scans to see how the tumors respond to the new treatments.

All men who are diagnosed with castrationresistant prostate cancer are eligible to participate in the study who: • Have advanced prostate cancer that has stopped responding to hormone treatments.

• Are about to start taking additional medications that target the CYP17 enzyme (abiraterone acetate or Zytiga).

• Agree to undergo two tumor biopsies.

The cost of the drug is covered for the first 12 weeks of the study during which time two tumor biopsies are performed.

PROMOTE aims to help physicians better understand which drugs to prescribe, based on the genetic makeup of each person’s individual cancer, and help patients live with a better control of their cancer.

For more information about the PROMOTE study, please call 507-538-7623 or visit the Center for Individualized Medicine page at Mayo Clinic

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{new technology}

Early cancer, bigger risk Breast cancer at a young age may be riskier for some women

By Lindsey Tanner Associated Press

New research shows that chances of dying from very early breast cancer are small but the disease is riskier for young women and blacks, the same disparities seen for more advanced cancer.

Death rates in the 20 years after diagnosis totaled about 3 percent for women whose breast cancer was confined to a milk duct. The death rates were twice as high for those younger than 35 at diagnosis and in blacks — but still lower than those with more common invasive breast cancer.

The findings will likely add to the debate over how to treat these early kinds of tumors that some have said should not even be considered a true cancer because they rarely spread.

The study authors analyzed U.S. government data on more than 100,000 women diagnosed from 1988 to 2011 with DCIS — ductal carcinoma in situ. Women were aged 54 on average at diagnosis.

Though low, the risk of dying from breast cancer was almost twice as high as the breast cancer rate in the general population of U.S. women, said Dr. Steven Narod, the lead author and a senior scientist at Women’s College Research Institute in Toronto.

More than 900 women died of breast cancer during the study years. Some had developed invasive disease in either breast, but more than 500 deaths were in women never diagnosed with a second tumor or recurrence, meaning their DCIS had likely spread before they received treatment, Narod said.

The study was published in JAMA Oncology.

DCIS will be found in about 60,000 U.S. women this year, versus

A radiologist compares an image from earlier, 2-D technology mammogram to the new 3-D Digital Breast Tomosynthesis mammography. The technology can detect much smaller cancers earlier. Chances of dying from DCIS (ductal carcinoma in situ), a very early form of breast cancer are small but the disease is riskier for young women and blacks — disparities seen previously in more advanced cancer, according to a recent study.

Torin Halsey/Times Record News via AP

more than 230,000 women expected to be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer, the cancer society estimates.

More women have been diagnosed with DCIS in recent years because of increased screening and better imaging techniques.

Standard DCIS treatment is lumpectomy followed by radiation, although some women choose to have the entire breast or even both breasts removed. The study found that radiation reduced chances for disease recurrence but didn’t lower 20-year survival chances. That may lead some women to skip radiation, Narod said.

By contrast, the results may lead some young women and blacks to seek more aggressive treatment including chemotherapy, although that isn’t usually recommended when the death

rate is less than 10 percent, he said.

“These are tough choices,” said Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, the American Cancer Society’s deputy chief medical officer.

Women diagnosed with DCIS shouldn’t panic, he said, because chances for being cured are good. Still, the study shows the disease can behave like invasive cancer and doctors should discuss rates for recurrence and death, and inform patients of all options, he said.

Dr. Richard Bleicher, a breast cancer expert at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, noted that the study lacked information that may have influenced women’s outcomes, including whether younger women who died had genetic mutations that may have put them at risk.

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A fighting chance Clinical trial uses the body’s own immune cells to fight cancer

By Andrea K. McDaniels The Baltimore Sun

Feeling suddenly sick to his stomach one evening, Marty Melley rushed to the bathroom, where he grabbed the toilet to vomit and then blacked out.

“I thought for sure I was dying,” Melley said. “I thought it was the end of me.”

At the hospital, doctors eventually tested Melley’s blood and determined that he had multiple myeloma, an incurable cancer of the plasma cells.

Blood plasma cells are the linchpin of the immune system, making the antibodies that recognize and attack infections. The cancer manifests itself in bone marrow as cancerous cells disrupt the production of normal blood cells. The disease weakens the bones and can cause kidney problems.

Doctors told Melley he might live three to five years with the cancer. That was 13 years ago.

Melley believes he benefited from a clinical trial he participated in through the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center.

In the trial, doctors altered the patients’ T cells — a variety of the white blood cells, which are the agents of the body’s immune system — to attack and kill the cancer.

Cancer cells often survive because the immune system, which protects the body from infections and disease, can’t identify them as something dangerous.

Patients participating in the trial, including Melley, experienced much longer periods of remission, when the cancer is significantly reduced or even appears absent.

Dr. Aaron P. Rapoport, the lead author on the research, published in the online version of Nature Medicine last month, believes the treatment could be life-changing for the 77,000 people in the United States who have the disease and the 24,000 diagnosed with new cases each year.

So far, the longest a patient in the study has remained in remission is three years. The study was done in conjunction with researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and its Abramson Cancer Center.

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“Even the patients who had a temporary response had many clinical benefits they might otherwise have not,” said Rapoport, professor of medical oncology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

The research is the latest in the growing field of immunotherapy, which uses the patients’ immune system to fight cancer. The therapy often works better than common cancer treatments like chemotherapy and stem cell transplants, particularly in patients with late-stage cancer, said Dr. Elizabeth Jaffee, deputy director of the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins.

The Food and Drug Administration has approved immunotherapy drugs for several cancers, including lung and prostate cancers and the skin cancer metastatic melanoma.

There are also many clinical trials underway in which the therapy is being used to treat other cancers, such as lymphoma and leukemia, Rapoport said.

And there is even more room for advancement, said Jaffee, an immunology expert with a focus on pancreatic cancer and a member of the American Academy of Cancer Research board of directors, which is planning one of the biggest conferences to date on immunotherapy.

“The way I look at it, we have just skimmed the surface of what we can do with the immune system,” Jaffee said.

“We are just at 2 to 3 percent of what we can do. I see new (treatments) coming out every year.”

Immunotherapy works by boosting the immune system to work better at attacking cancer cells or by marking cancer cells to make them easier to find by white blood cells.

In the University of Maryland study, the patients underwent a stem cell transplant to harvest their T cells.

They then received an infusion of about 2.4 billion of their re-engineered T cells.

To fight off infection, T cells use a protein on their surface to attach to diseased cells. But T cells often don’t recognize the specific marker on the cancer cell that

Continued on page 44

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Second time

By Marilynn Marchione Associated Press

Second cancers are on the rise. Nearly 1 in 5 new cases in the U.S. now involves someone who has had the disease before.

When doctors talk about second cancers, they mean a different tissue type or a different site, not a recurrence or spread of the original tumor.

Judith Bernstein of suburban Philadelphia is an extreme example. She has had eight types over the last two decades, all treated successfully.

“There was a while when I was getting one cancer diagnosis after another,” including breast, lung, esophageal, and the latest — a rare tumor of her eyelids,

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she said. “At one point I thought I had cancer in my little finger.”

About 19 percent of cancers in the United States now are second or more cases, a recent study found. In the 1970s, it was only 9 percent. Over that period, the number of first cancers rose 70 percent while the number of second cancers rose 300 percent.

Strange as it may sound, this is partly a success story: More people are surviving cancer and living long enough to get it again, because the risk of cancer rises with age.

Second cancers also can arise from the same gene mutations or risk factors, such as smoking, that spurred the first one. And some of the very treatments that help people survive their first cancer, such as radiation, can raise the risk of a new cancer forming later in life, although treatments have greatly improved in recent years to minimize this problem.

Psychologically, a second cancer often is more traumatizing than the first.

“I think it’s a lot tougher” for most people, said Julia Rowland, director of the federal Office of Cancer Survivorship. “The first time you’re diagnosed, it’s fear of the unknown. When you have your next diagnosis, it’s fear of the known,” and having to face treatment all over again.

around Robert Ulrich, 58, a contractor and building inspector in Wasilla, Alaska, said that when doctors told him in 2013 he had advanced colon cancer, two decades after he had overcome Hodgkin lymphoma, it was like “they put a time stamp on your existence ... it makes your head spin.”

He is making end-of-life plans while fighting the disease with aggressive chemotherapy.

“My outlook on it is, I got 30 years out of the first goround, which gave me an opportunity to raise my family and enjoy my bride. So whatever time I get forward here I consider free time,” he said. “You hope for the best and you prepare for the worst.”

Imagine what it has been like for Bernstein, 72, the Philadelphia-area woman who has had skin, lymphoma, breast, two types of lung, esophageal, thyroid and now the eyelid cancer, a form of lymphoma.

“I’m not going to tell you I’m some uber human being,” Bernstein said. She went to a psychiatrist after one diagnosis and “spent four days very upset” after the latest one.

But she said that exercising has helped her feel well through treatments, and that having endured many tragedies among her friends and family has given her resilience. “Some people just can grieve and deal with it”

1 in 5 US cancer cases is a repeat

when faced with challenges like cancer, she said.

“She is so upbeat,” said Barbara Rogers, a nurse practitioner at Fox Chase Cancer Center who has treated Bernstein for more than a decade. For most patients, “it is harder the second time around, or third or fourth ... like, ‘Oh, God, not again.’”

Medically, second cancers pose special challenges.

Treatment choices may be more limited. For example, radiation usually isn’t given to the same area of the body more than once. Some drugs also have lifetime dose limits to avoid nerve or heart damage.

“The body has a memory for the radiation or chemotherapy” and can’t endure too much of the same type, said Dr. Alan Venook, a colon and liver cancer expert at the University of California, San Francisco,

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who treats Ulrich, the Alaska man.

A second cancer means doctors need to assess genetic risk to the patient and possibly the family, Venook said.

“We’ve failed if a woman who had a BRCA1 mutation and had breast cancer develops colon cancer,” he said.

The gene mutation means she should be monitored and screened often enough for other cancers to have any precancerous colon growths removed, he said.

Experts have this advice for cancer survivors: ■Have a formal survivorship plan, a blueprint for the future that includes a detailed summary of the treatment you received and what kind of monitoring is needed.

“Anyone who’s had a first cancer needs to understand what kinds of symptoms they need to be alert to and what kind of medical follow-up” they need, said Elizabeth Ward, an American Cancer Society researcher who authored a recent report on second cancers.

■Don’t neglect screenings for other forms of cancer besides the one you were treated for. Make sure to get any recommended tests such as colonoscopies, mammograms or HPV or Pap tests.

■If you get a second cancer, “take a deep breath,” Rowland said. Treatments improve every day, and there are more resources, including social media, for support, and doctors are more used to treating cancer more than once.

“No one’s giving up on you,” she said.

“I got 30 years out of the first go-round, which gave me an opportunity to raise my family and enjoy my bride. So whatever time I get forward here I consider free time.

You hope for the best and you prepare for the worst.”

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When cancer returns: How to cope with cancer recurrence The Mayo Clinic

Your cancer is back, and so are the shock and fear that came with your first diagnosis. The uncertainties are back, too, and you wonder about more cancer treatment and about your future.

The distress you feel is normal — some say the second cancer diagnosis can be more distressing than the first.

What is a cancer recurrence?

When cancer returns after a period of remission, it’s considered a recurrence. A cancer recurrence happens because, in spite of the best efforts to rid you of your cancer, some cells from your cancer remained.

These cells could be in the same place where your cancer first originated, or they could be in another part of your body. These cancer cells may have been dormant for a period of time, but eventually they continued to multiply, resulting in the reappearance of the cancer.

A cancer recurrence means it’s the same cancer coming back after some period of time. In rare cases, you may be diagnosed with a new cancer that’s completely unrelated to your first cancer. This is referred to as a second primary cancer.

Where does cancer recur?

Your cancer can recur in the same place it was originally located, or it can migrate to other parts of your body. Recurrence is divided into three categories: Local recurrence. This means the cancer reappears in the same place it was first found or very close by. The cancer hasn’t spread to the lymph nodes or other parts of the body.

Regional recurrence. A regional recurrence occurs in the lymph nodes and tissue located in the vicinity of your original cancer.

Distant recurrence. This refers to cancer that has spread (metastasized) to areas farther away from where your cancer was first located.

Where your cancer recurs depends on your original cancer type and stage. Some cancer types commonly recur in specific areas.

How are cancer recurrences diagnosed?

Cancer recurrences are diagnosed just like any other cancer. Your doctor might suspect a cancer recurrence based on certain tests, or you might suspect a recurrence based on your signs and symptoms.

After your last round of treatment, your doctor probably gave you a schedule of follow-up exams to check for cancer recurrences.

You were probably told what signs and symptoms to be alert for that might signal a recurrence.

Watching for a cancer recurrence is often very different from screening for the original cancer. And the goals of the two are Continued on page 44

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{new technology} A sharper image New imaging helps detect cancer in dense breast tissue

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The Mayo Clinic

For women with dense breast tissue, supplementing standard mammography with a new imaging technique called molecular breast imaging can lower the cost of diagnosis of breast cancers, according to a Mayo Clinic study published in the American Journal of Roentgenology.

Researchers at the Mayo Clinic Center for Individualized Medicine found that adding MBI to mammography of women with dense breast tissue increased the costs of diagnosis 3.2 times, compared to costs of mammography alone, and nearly quadrupled the rate of cancer detection. Because the supplemental test found more cancer, screening with a combination of mammography and MBI saved $8,254 per cancer detected.

While mammography is still

the standard tool for widespread breast cancer screening, it is now known to perform less effectively in women with dense breast tissue.

Both tumors and normal dense breast tissue can appear white on a mammogram, making tumors hard to detect. Nearly half of all women over age 40 have mammograms classified as “dense,” according to Carrie Hruska, a medical physicist in the Mayo Clinic Department of Radiology and the study’s lead author. Supplemental screening techniques like MBI address a significant need for better cancer detection methods for this patient population.

In an MBI examination, a radioactive tracer readily absorbed by cancerous breast cells is injected into the body. A small, semiconductor-based gamma camera then scans the breast, lighting up any areas where the tracer is concentrated. “It works

really well in our practice at Mayo Clinic,” Hruska says. “Patients generally like it, and radiologists think it’s relatively easy to read.”

The screening combination of MBI and mammography can detect more cancers than mammography alone at acceptable radiation doses for screening, as the research group reported in a study published in AJR in February. But concerns persist about the cost-effectiveness of MBI. Though the test finds more cancer in dense breast tissue, additional screening could also generate more false-positive results and lead to biopsies that do not result in a cancer diagnosis, ultimately increasing costs unnecessarily.

Hruska and her colleagues used the same data from the February study to compare the cost-effectiveness of screening 1,585 women with dense breast tissue with mammography alone and the combination of mammography and MBI. The comparison resulted in these findings:

— Cost per patient screened increased from $176 to $571 for the combination of tests. Mammography alone detectedcancer in five of these patients. With the combination, physicians detected cancer in the first five women and an additional 14 patients, nearly a fourfold improvement.

— The cost per cancer detected was $55,851 for mammography alone and $47,597 for the combination of mammography and MBI, a savings of $8,254 per cancer detected.

The risk of receiving an unnecessary biopsy because of a false-positive result increased from 0.9 percent with mammography alone to 3 percent with the addition of the MBI examination. However, this 2.1 percentage point increase in the benign biopsy rate is lower than the 6-point increase observed in outside studies using screening ultrasound or screening MRI, two alternative supplemental techniques.

— The positive predictive value of MBI, or the likelihood that a biopsy generated by MBI would result in a cancerdiagnosis, was 30 percent.

In contrast, biopsies generated by screening ultrasound and MRI have PPVs of 6 percent and 20 percent, respectively.

“Cost saving per cancer detected with supplemental screening MBI is compelling evidence for future coverage of screening MBI of women with dense breasts,” the authors write.

The study did not consider any costs beyond the point of cancerdetection; however, the authors speculate that earlier detection with MBI may reduce the costs of treatment of advanced cancer further. When dense breast tissue is the only criterion for supplemental imaging like MBI, insurance coverage varies from state to state and among insurance providers.

Hruska calls the latest study a critical Continued on page 44

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A good prognosis Many patients with metastatic melanoma living longer, experts say

By Melissa Healy Los Angeles Times

While there’s never a good time to be diagnosed with metastatic melanoma, former President Jimmy Carter can be thankful that he fell ill in 2015 instead of 2010.

Five years ago, it was one of those cancers “that makes oncology look bad,” said Dr. Antoni Ribas, a specialist at the University of California, Los Angeles’ Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Advanced melanoma escaped the surgeon’s scalpel, defied chemotherapy’s poison and roared back from blasts of radiation.

“We couldn’t treat it,” he said.

But new remedies have begun to improve the prognosis for patients with metastatic melanoma. These treatments expose cancer cells to the full force of the immune system and target the specific genetic mutations that make it grow and spread so aggressively.

In a specialty where a meager 5 percent of patients once responded to available cancer drugs, combinations of new treatments now slow or stop melanoma in close to two-thirds of patients, said Anna C. Pavlick, codirector of the Melanoma Program at New York University’s Langone Medical Center. Some 80 percent of these patients survive for at least two years.

In many cases, the new drugs can drive cancer cells into remission.

“The last five years have made a humongous difference in the outcome and survival of our melanoma patients,”

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Former President Jimmy Carter embraces his brother Billy’s widow Sybil while greeting family following service at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains. Diagnosed with metastic melanoma, new treatments have begin to improve the prognosis for patients.

Ben Gray/Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Pavlick said.

In fact, she said, “I’ll put my nickel down: I don’t think President Carter is going to die from melanoma.”

Even with a tumor in his liver and four small masses on his brain, the 90-year-old humanitarian has “very limited” disease, Pavlick said. He will get stereotactic radiation to the brain — a long-standing treatment for brain metastases — and the best available drugs, she said.

Melanoma accounts for approximately 5 percent of all new cancer diagnoses in the United States.

An estimated 76,100 Americans will be diagnosed with the disease this year, and 9,710 will die from it, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Worldwide, rates of melanoma — the deadliest of the three forms of skin cancer — are increasing faster than any other type ofcancer.

It arises in the cells that make the pigment responsible for color in the skin. More than 90 percent of cases are linked to exposure to the sun or other sources of ultraviolet radiation.

The turnaround in treatment comes courtesy of new drugs that

attack melanoma cells by a variety of means. Some unmask the cells, notorious for cloaking themselves from the immune system. Some destroy defenses that disarm the immune system’s ability to fight. Others disable genes that drive growth.

Therapies that help the human immune system recognize, home in on and disrupt the normal function of cancer cells rely on monoclonal antibodies — cloned armies of genetically engineered molecules that mimic the function of immune cells.

The first such drug available to patients with melanoma that has spread beyond the skin was Yervoy, which hit the market in 2011. Two more — Keytruda and Opdivo — followed in 2014.

Meanwhile, advances in genomic medicine have led to the development of medicines that target the DNA mutations that drive cancers’ growth.

In melanoma, as in cancers of the breast, ovaries, prostate and lungs, scientists have discovered that therapies are often best tailored not to the organ in which the cancer occurs but to the genes that gave rise to it in the first place, or that make it thrive.

Fall/Winter 2015 | THRIVE 43

Continued from page 38

different.

For most forms of cancer, a local recurrence may still be curable, so early detection of a local recurrence is very important. For most cancers, a recurrence at a site distant from where the cancer first began means the chance of cure is not good.

All cancers are different, so talk with your doctor about what type of cancer you have and what can be done if it recurs at a distant site. This can guide what tests you undergo during routine checkups after your initial treatment.

Can cancer recurrences be treated?

In many cases, local and regional recurrences can be cured. Even when a cure isn’t possible, treatment may shrink your cancer to slow the cancer’s growth. This can relieve pain and other symptoms, and it may help you live longer.

Which treatment you choose, if any, will be based on many of the same factors you considered when deciding on your treatment the first time.

Consider what you hope to accomplish and what side effects you’re willing

Continued from Page 34

identifies it as diseased. The reengineered T cell has a protein, known as a receptor, designed to recognize the cancer cell marker.

The modified immune cells made their way to the bone marrow, where myeloma tumors are found, and were able to fight the tumors over a long period of time, the researchers found.

Melley was also involved in an earlier study at the University of Maryland in 2003 that involved activated patient-derived T cells that were not genetically modified but were administered in conjunction with a pneumonia vaccine. He joined the newest trial in 2012 when his cancer recurred.

In the most recent trial, Rapoport and the other researchers used technology developed by

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to endure. Your doctor will also take into account what types of treatment you had previously and how your body responded to those treatments.

You might also consider joining a clinical trial, where you may have access to the latest treatments or experimental medications. Talk to your doctor about clinical trials that are available to you.

How to cope with a cancer recurrence

A cancer recurrence brings back many of the same emotions you felt when you were first diagnosed with cancer. Common emotions include: Distress. When you ended treatment for your initial cancer, you slowly started to move on with your life, thinking the cancer was gone. In the weeks, months or years that passed, cancer became less and less a part of your daily life.

The shock of having cancer come back after you assumed it was gone can cause distress — sometimes more so than your first diagnosis did.

Self-doubt. You may doubt the wisdom of your past treatment decisions or the lifestyle choices you made since your last cancer experience.

the English biotechnology firm Adaptimmune Therapeutics to reengineer the T cells.

The trial treated 20 people, and 14 of those — 70 percent — went into remission within three months.

Half the patients were treated in Maryland and the other half in Pennsylvania.

Rapoport said they plan to do larger clinical trials examining the same therapy.

Melley, now 76, recently began taking chemo pills again after three years in remission, as the cancer has started to reappear. But he said the two T cell trials helped give him more life than he ever dreamed after his diagnosis. He is most happy he has gotten to watch his grandkids grow up.

“I have been the luckiest guy in the world,” he said. “Everything they tried for me has worked.”

Try not to look backward. Instead, focus on your current situation and what you need to do now to move forward.

Anger. It’s very common and reasonable to be angry that your cancer has returned.

You might even be angry with your doctor for not stopping your cancer the first time. Or you might wonder why you put up with the side effects of your original treatment, just to have the cancer recur anyway. But you and your doctor made treatment choices based on the information available at that time.

Fatigue. It’s normal to feel that you can’t deal with cancer again. Whether it’s the side effects of treatment you’re dreading or having to tell your friends and family that you have cancer, you’ve done it before. Take heart in the fact that you were able to do it the first time, even though you might have doubted yourself back then.

All of these feelings are normal, and the same coping mechanisms you used during your first cancer diagnosis are likely to work now. Whether it was a best friend, a family member or a support group you turned to, you know that person or group provides good emotional support.

Continued from Page 41

step in developing MBI as an individualized screening approach for patients with needs unmet by current options.

“The question is: What’s the right screening regimen for you?” says Hruska. “For about half of women of screening age, mammography works well. The other half — those with dense breasts — may want to consider adding another test. If you have additional risk factors, like family history or a genetic mutation that predisposes you to breast cancer, then you should have a supplemental MRI. But there’s this huge group of women in-between who don’t qualify for a supplemental MRI and need something more than a mammogram. That’s who we’re trying to reach.”

Fall/Winter 2015 | THRIVE 45

Continued from page 25

for calories and protein may be greater than usual. The following suggestions can help increase the number of calories you consume: Add butter or oils to foods. Use butter or margarine generously on potatoes, bread, toast, hot cereal, rice, noodles and vegetables and in soups. Put olive oil or another oil on bread, rice, pasta and vegetables.

• Spread peanut butter or other nut butters — which contain protein and healthy fats — on toast, bread, apple or banana slices, crackers, or celery. Dip pretzels in peanut butter.

• Use croissants or biscuits to make sandwiches.

• Add powdered creamer or dry milk powder to hot cocoa, milkshakes, hot cereal, gravy, sauces, meatloaf, cream soups or puddings.

• Add sliced avocado or guacamole to salads and sandwiches.

• Add seeds, such as sunflower and pumpkin seeds, to salads, stir-fries and casseroles.

• Add ground flaxseeds to yogurt, smoothies, hot cereals and casseroles.

• Top hot cereal with brown sugar, honey, dried fruit, cream or nut butter.

• Top pie, cake, gelatin or pudding with ice cream, whipped cream or cream.

• Use fruit canned in heavy syrup.

It has more calories than does fresh or juice-packed fruit. If you prefer fresh fruit, add sugar and cream.

• Drink beverages that contain calories, such as fruit juice, lemonade, fruit-flavored drinks, malts, floats, soda pop, cocoa, milkshakes, smoothies and eggnog. Nutritional supplement drinks are convenient options.

Though some of these suggestions add more fat and sugar to your diet, this shouldn’t be a concern since you’re only adding the extra calories until you can get your appetite back on track.

Check with your doctor or a dietitian if you have concerns about changing the way you eat.

Increasing protein

Protein is important for growth, health and repair of your body. If you’ve been ill, you may need extra

46 THRIVE | Fall/Winter 2015

Elia Carranza prepares to add cheese to a veggie burger as she grills an order in Aventura, Fla. A slice of cheese can add needed calcium and calories to your diet. Wilfredo Lee/ Associated Press

Add some protein

If illness has made red meat — beef, pork or lamb — less appealing to you, try the following foods, which also are good sources of protein: Cheese Cottage cheese Beans Lentils Eggs Fish Poultry Nuts and nut butters Peanut butter Milk Milkshakes Custard Pudding Vegetarian burgers Yogurt Quinoa

protein. Some suggestions include: • Add extra meat, poultry, fish, cheese or beans (pinto, navy, black, kidney) to casseroles, soups or stews.

• Choose meat salads, such as chicken, ham, turkey or tuna.

• Make your own high-protein milk: Add 1/4 cup powdered milk

to 1 cup whole milk, or add 1 cup powdered milk to 1 quart whole milk.

Use it as a beverage, add it to malts or shakes, or use it in cooking.

• Try a commercially prepared protein supplement.

Fluids

Drinking plenty of fluids also is key to helping your body during treatment. Try to drink at least 64 ounces (2 liters) of fluid a day, unless your doctor has directed you to limit your fluid intake.

• Try to choose drinks that contain calories. If sweetened beverages are too sweet, try flavored water or fruit juices diluted with water.

• Consider a multivitamin • If your loss of appetite is keeping you from eating well for more than a few days, you might consider taking a multivitamin to help you get the vitamins and minerals you need.

• Check the label and look for a multivitamin that doesn’t give you more than 100 percent of the Daily Value of all the vitamins and minerals.

Keep in mind, though, that if you’re drinking liquid nutritional supplements, those will give you some of the vitamins and minerals you need, so you may not need a multivitamin.

Fall/Winter 2015 | THRIVE 47

Health Care Professionals Worth Knowing

Choosing a health care professional can be overwhelmingly difficult and worrisome.

The relationship with your doctor is a sacred bond of trust, openness and compassion and is, therefore, one of the most important decisions you will make.

To help you select a practitioner who will meet your needs, the following health care professionals want to tell you more about themselves, their practice and how partnering with them will improve your quality of life.

Also included in this section are medical listings. This is not an exhaustive list of all local area health care professionals.

48 THRIVE | Fall/Winter 2015

Physicians Listings Acupuncture & Wellness Jana Galis, L.Ac., MTCM, Dipl.OM Thrive Intergrative Medicine 2080 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-850-2000 Tony Galis, L.Ac., MTCM, Dipl.OM Thrive Intergrative Medicine 2080 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-850-2000 William D. Skelton, D.Ac. Mind Body Institute Athens Regional Medical Center 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-7330

Allergy & Immunology Ronald G. Beebe, MD Allergy and Asthma Associates of Gainesville 725 Jesse Jewell Pkwy., Ste 275 Gainesville, GA 770-536-0470 Dean E. Firschein, MD Allergy Partners of Georgia 3320 Old Jefferson Rd. Bldg.

200 Ste. B Athens, GA 706-613-8500 Loren W. Hunt Jr., MD Allergy, Asthma & Arthritis Center 330 Hawthorne Lane Athens, GA 706-546-8518 Stephen K. Lucas, MD Athens Pulmonary and Sleep Medicine Center 3320 Old Jefferson Rd. Bldg.

200 Ste. A Athens, GA 706-549-5560

Anesthesiology G. Scott Crowell, MD ARMC Anesthesiology Dept.

1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-7643 Kassandra Gadlin, MD Anesthesia Consultants of Athens 1230 Baxter St. Athens, GA 706-389-2140 Ned Hembree, MD Anesthesia Consultants of Athens 1230 Baxter St. Athens, GA 706-389-2140 Warren Horn, MD Anesthesia Consultants of Athens 1230 Baxter St. Athens, GA 706-389-2140 Peter C. Kelly, MD ARMC Anesthesiology Dept.

1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-7643 Robert Lee, MD ARMC Anesthesiology Dept.

1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-7643 Robert Leffert, MD Anesthesia Consultants of Athens 1230 Baxter St. Athens, GA 706-389-2140 J. Patrick Levelle, MD ARMC Anesthesiology Dept.

1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-7643

George Lingenfelser, MD Anesthesia Consultants of Athens 1230 Baxter St. Athens, GA 706-389-2140 Richard C. McCormick, DO ARMC Anesthesiology Dept.

1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-7643 Raul Mendiola, MD Anesthesia Consultants of Athens 1230 Baxter Street Athens, GA 706-389-2140 Shaun O’Rear, MD Anesthesia Consultants of Athens 1230 Baxter Street Athens, GA 706-389-2140 Jack W. Paschal, MD Anesthesia Consultants of Athens 1230 Baxter Street Athens, GA 706-389-2140 Leland Perry, MD Anesthesia Consultants of Athens 1230 Baxter Street Athens, GA 706-389-2140 Liviu D. Radu, MD ARMC Anesthesiology Dept.

1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-7643 Joseph Rawlings, MD Anesthesia Consultants of Athens 1230 Baxter St. Athens, GA 706-389-2140 Rosemary L.Richards, MD ARMC Anesthesiology Dept.

1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-7643 Albert Santora, MD Anesthesia Consultants of Athens 1230 Baxter St. Athens, GA 706-389-2140 Mary Santora, MD Anesthesia Consultants of Athens 1230 Baxter St. Athens, GA 706-389-2140 Karl J. Sennowitz, MD ARMC Anesthesiology Dept.

1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-7643 John W. Whiteley, MD ARMC Anesthesiology Dept.

1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-7643 George S. Young II, MD ARMC Anesthesiology Dept.

1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-7643

Audiology Lawrence O. Crockett, AuD. Georgia Hearing Center 150 Nacoochee Ave. Athens, GA 706-546-5689 Jennifer A. Douberly, AuD. Georgia Hearing Center 150 Nacoochee Ave. Athens, GA 706-546-5689 Robin Hardin, M.A., FIC-A,F-AAA Athens-Oconee Audiology 1360 Caduceus Way, Bldg. 200, Ste. 101 Watkinsville, GA 706-510-0123

Kirstin Luffler, AuD. Georgia Hearing Center 150 Nacoochee Ave. Athens, GA 706-546-5689 G’Anne Thomas, AuD. Athens Hearing and Balance Clinic 1061 Dowdy Rd., Suite 204 Athens, GA 706-549-3111 Bruce Townsend, AuD. B. Townsend Hearing Aid Center 1650 W. Broad St. Athens, GA 877-245-1214 UGA Speech & Hearing Clinic College of Education 593 Aderhold Hall Athens, GA 706-542-4598

Cardiology Subodh K. Agrawal, MD, MBBS Athens Heart Center 2005 Prince Avenue Athens, GA 706-208-9700 Erick Avelar, MD, FACC Oconee Heart and Vascular Center 2470 Daniells Bridge Rd., Bldg. 200, Ste. 251 Athens, GA 706-389-3440 Paul Beltran, MD Northeast Cardiology 700 Sunset Dr. Bldg. 300, Suite 302 Athens, GA 706-548-9111 Clay Chappell, MD Oconee Heart and Vascular Center 2470 Daniells Bridge Rd., Bldg. 200, Ste. 251 Athens, GA 706-389-3440 Andrew Cross, MD Athens Heart Center 2005 Prince Avenue Athens, GA 706-208-9700 Jared T. Griffis, MD, FACC Athens Regional Cardiology 1199 Prince Ave Athens, GA 706-475-1700 Parker C. Grow, MD Athens Regional Cardiology 1199 Prince Ave Athens, GA 706-475-1700 Benjamin H. Holland, MD, FACC Athens Regional Cardiology 1199 Prince Ave Athens, GA 706-475-1700 Peter G. Lavine, MD The Medical Group of St. Joseph’s 1000 Cowles Clinic Way, Suite O-200 Greensboro, GA 762-243-3880 John. W. Layher, MD Oconee Heart and Vascular Center 2470 Daniells Bridge Rd., Bldg. 200, Ste. 251 Athens, GA 706-389-3440 L. Steven Lowman, MD Oconee Heart and Vascular Center 2470 Daniells Bridge Rd., Bldg. 200, Ste. 251 Athens, GA 706-389-3440 Jonathan Murrow, MD Athens Regional Cardiology 1199 Prince Ave Athens, GA 706-475-1700

Charles B. Neckman, MD Oconee Heart and Vascular Center 2470 Daniells Bridge Rd., Bldg. 200, Ste. 251 Athens, GA 706-389-3440 Kent R. Nilsson, MD, MA Athens Regional Cardiology 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-1700 Harvey Ouzts, MD Oconee Heart and Vascular Center 2470 Daniells Bridge Rd., Bldg. 200, Ste. 251 Athens, GA 706-389-3440 Jonathan Patton, MD Athens Regional Cardiology 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-1700 Ferdos Kahn Pohlel, MD, FACC Athens Regional Cardiology 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-1700 Joseph Poole, MD Athens Regional Cardiology 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-1700 Amit Shah, MD Oconee Heart and Vascular Center 2470 Daniells Bridge Rd., Bldg. 200, Ste. 251 Athens, GA 706-389-3440 Robert D. Sinyard, Jr., MD, FACC Athens Regional Cardiology 1199 Prince Ave Athens, GA 706-475-1700 Dr. Masih Uddin, PC Athens Heart Center 2005 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-208-9700 Patrick Willis, MD Oconee Heart and Vascular Center 2470 Daniells Bridge Rd., Bldg. 200, Ste. 251 Athens, GA 706-389-3440 David A. Woodard, MD, FACC Athens Regional Cardiology 1199 Prince Ave Athens, GA 706-475-1700

Chiropractic Dr. Mark Anthony Anthony Chiropractic 335 Hawthorne Lane Athens, GA 706-543-5901 Doug Giles, DC Stewart Clinic 2425 W. Broad St. Athens, GA 706-543-7246 Evan Greller, MD Athens Atlas Chiropractic Center 855 Sunset Dr., Ste. 8 Athens, GA 706-543-5212 Joel T. Groft, MD Athens Chiropractic Healthcare 623 N. Milledge Ave.. Ste. A Athens, GA 706-227-3292 Dr. Barry Hitchcock Family Chiropractic of Athens 2330 W. Broad Athens, GA 706-353-8032 Tony Simpson, MD 700 Hawthorne Ave Athens, GA 706-543-1900

Dental (General) W. David Allen, DMD, LLC 175 Hawthorne Park Athens, GA 706-353-7860 Lane V. Barker, DMD Athena Dental Associates 1020 Hawthorne Ave. Athens, GA 706-546-7390 Chanda Bennett, DMD 1165A Mitchell Bridge Rd. Athens, GA 706-546-7722 Mark A. Blankenship, DMD Athena Dental Associates 1020 Hawthorne Ave. Athens, GA 706-546-7390 J. David Brown, DMD 1010 Woodlands Rd. Watkinsville, GA 706-769-7727 Rhonda M. Mobley, DMD 2281 Hog Mountain Rd. Watkinsville, GA 706-769-6671 Leigh A. Cummings, DMD Athens Family Dental Center 3380 Old Jefferson Rd. Athens, GA 706-548-3279 John Dobberstein, DMD North Oconee Dental Care 1181 Langford Dr., Bldg 200, Ste. 103 Bogart, GA 706.395.0079 Claude T. DuBose, DDS East Athens Family Dentistry 348 Oak St. Athens, GA 706-543-6527 Brandon Esco, DMD 1155 Cedar Shoals Dr. Athens, GA 706-546-8720 R. Lawrence George, DMD 1520 Jennings Mill Rd., Ste. A Bogart, GA 706-353-1958 Billy J. Goldman, DDS 1010 Prince Ave., Ste. 286 Athens, GA 706-546-7362 DeAnn Harmon-Smith, DMD Oconee Dental 1590 Mars Hill Rd., Ste. 1 Watkinsville, GA 706-769-1659 Thomas M. Henson, DDS 700 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. A5 Athens, GA 706-549-3110 Alex Karamanolis, DMD Athens Family Dental Center 3380 Old Jefferson Rd. Athens, GA 706-548-3279 Dr. Rosanna U. Masciadri 1175 Oglethorpe Ave. Athens, GA 706-227-2502 Thomas R. McDonald, DMD 1010 Prince Ave., Ste. 104-East Athens, GA 706-543-8208 Matthew McRae, Jr., DMD 995 Baxter St. Athens, GA 706-546-8480 David Miller, DMD Athens Family Dental Center 3380 Old Jefferson Rd. Athens, GA 706-548-3279

Fall/Winter 2015 | THRIVE 49

Physicians Listings Deck E. Neisler, DDS Athens Family Dental Center 3380 Old Jefferson Rd. Athens, GA 706-548-3279 Terry E. Parkman, DMD 700 Sunset Dr., Ste. 401 Athens, GA 706-546-7149 J. Benjamin Patrick, DMD 1155 Cedar Shoals Dr. Athens, GA 706-546-8720 Robert A. Pate, DMD Athens Family Dental Center 3380 Old Jefferson Rd. Athens, GA 706-548-3279 William G. Rice, DDS 140 Hawthorne Park Athens, GA 706-543-4060 Stanley D. Satterfield, DMD Athens Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery Associates 2000 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-543-8377

Dental (Orthodontics) Lang Foster, DMD Waugh & Allen 2470 Daniells Bridge Rd., The Exchange Ste. 201 Athens, GA 706-353-3500 Tradd C. Harter, DMD Classic City Orthodontics PC 600 Oglethorpe Ave. Athens, GA 706-549-4748

F. Neal Pylant, DMD 375 Hawthorne Lane Athens, GA 706-543-0026

Dental Specialist Robert B. Ward, Jr., DDS Dental Sleep Medicine of Georgia 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 2300 Athens, GA 706-546-8407

Dermatology Tish Anderson, NP Lockman Dermatology 728 Cobb St. Athens, GA 706-548-3019 Stella M. Bulengo, MD, FACC Athens-Oconee Skin Cancer & Dermatology, LLC 1582 Mars Hill Rd., Ste. A Watkinsville, GA 706-769-7546 Ross M. Campbell, MD GA Skin Cancer & Aesthetic Dermatology 1180 Resurgence Dr., Ste. 100 Watkinsville, GA 706-543-5858 Joy Chastain, MD 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 3000 Athens, GA 706-543-1335 Jonathan B. Fass, MD Dermatology of Athens 2000 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-353-8220

Tradd C. Harter, DMD Classic City Orthodontics PC 1091 Park Dr. Watkinsville, GA 706-769-6116

David M. Greeson, MD Dermatology of Athens 2000 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-353-8220

Robert L. Waugh, Jr., DMD Waugh & Allen 2470 Daniells Bridge Rd., The Exchange Ste. 201 Athens, GA 706-353-3500

David S. Lockman, MD Lockman Dermatology 728 Cobb St. Athens, GA 706-548-3019

Dental (Pediatrics) E. Jayni Bradley, DMD 1120 Mars Hill Rd. Ste. 101 Watkinsville, GA 706-769-1994 Michelle S. Harmon, DM Athens Dentistry for Children 2470 Daniels Bridge Rd., Ste., 231 Athens, GA 706-355-3109 Brandi Owensby, DMD Athens Dentistry for Children 2470 Daniels Bridge Rd., Ste., 231 Athens, GA 706-355-3109 Eric Wells, DMD Healthy Smiles 1010 Prince Ave., Ste. 202-East Athens, GA 706-548-7373 Jennifer C. Wells, DMD Healthy Smiles 1010 Prince Ave., Ste. 202-East Athens, GA 706-548-7373

Dental Peridontics

Karen E. Maffei, MD Athens Dermatology Group 1050 Thomas Ave. Watkinsville, GA 706-769-1550 Shenara A. Sexton, MD, FAAD 1181 Langford Dr., Bldg. 300-103 Bogart, GA 706-552-1226 Joyce Thomas, MD 700 Sunset Dr., Ste. 105 Athens, GA 706-543-3400 Kristen Thomas, MD 1180 Resurgence Dr., Ste. 100 Watkinsville, GA 706-543-5858 Lauren Whalen , MD 728 Cobb St. Athens, GA 706-548-3019

Diagnostic Athens Diagnostic 1063 Baxter Street Athens, GA 706-316-3662 MRI & Imaging of Athens 845 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-549-7070

James B. Moncrief, DDS Practice Limited to Periodontics 700 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. A3 Athens, GA 706-549-5604

50 THRIVE | Fall/Winter 2015

Emergency Medicine

Endocrinology

Brad Burgess, MD Athens-Clarke Emergency Specialists, LLP 1230 Baxter Street Athens, GA 877-478-4019

Jeremy Anthony, MD Endocrine Specialists of Athens 2470 Daniells Bridge Rd., Bldg. 200, Ste. 221 Athens, GA 706-389-3180

Williams A. Dix, MD Athens-Clarke Emergency Specialists, LLP 1230 Baxter Street Athens, GA 877-478-4019 Patrick Eagleson, MD Athens-Clarke Emergency Specialists, LLP 1230 Baxter Street Athens, GA 877-478-4019 Lewis D. Earnest, MD Athens-Clarke Emergency Specialists, LLP 1230 Baxter Street Athens, GA 877-478-4019 Frank Ferlisi, MD Athens-Clarke Emergency Specialists, LLP 1230 Baxter Street Athens, GA 877-478-4019 Rachel Hamil, MD Athens-Clarke Emergency Specialists, LLP 1230 Baxter Street Athens, GA 877-478-4019 David L. Hatmaker, MD Athens-Clarke Emergency Specialists, LLP 1230 Baxter Street Athens, GA 877-478-4019 Brandon K. Hicks, MD Athens-Clarke Emergency Specialists, LLP 1230 Baxter Street Athens, GA 877-478-4019 Robert Hull, MD Athens-Clarke Emergency Specialists, LLP 1230 Baxter Street Athens, GA 877-478-4019 Joshua Knott, MD Athens-Clarke Emergency Specialists, LLP 1230 Baxter Street Athens, GA 877-478-4019 Neal A. Priest, MD Athens-Clarke Emergency Specialists, LLP 1230 Baxter Street Athens, GA 877-478-4019 Susan Podolsky, MD Athens-Clarke Emergency Specialists, LLP 1230 Baxter Street Athens, GA 877-478-4019 Gobind Singh, MD Athens-Clarke Emergency Specialists, LLP 1230 Baxter Street Athens, GA 877-478-4019 Adam While, MD Athens-Clarke Emergency Specialists, LLP 1230 Baxter Street Athens, GA 877-478-4019

Peter F. VanDyck, MD Athens Diabetes & Endocrinology 3320 Old Jefferson Rd., Bldg. 600 Athens, GA 706-549-4155

Family Practice Nailah Abdulbaaqee, MD MedLink Winder 122 West Athens Street Winder, GA 770-867-6633 Kevin S. Adams, MD Adams Primary Care 25 Nomora Dr. Danielsville, GA 706-795-9588 Ryan Arata, MD 528 Panther Dr. Jefferson, GA 706-387-5656 Richard Baehler, MD Athens Regional Physician Group at Cowles Clinic 100 Cowles Clinic Pkwy., W-200 Greensboro, GA 706-999-9710 Mary Bond, MD Athens Primary Care 700 Sunset Dr., Ste. 101 Athens, GA 706-548-6068 Dennis G. Bullock, MD 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 200-A Athens, GA 706-353-0101 Lee G. Chisolm, MD 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste 3300 Athens, GA 706-208-1406 Jonathan M. Cook, DO Clarke Oconee Family Practice 1010 Prince Ave., Ste. 182-North Athens, GA 706-353-7747 Henry L. Dewitt, MD 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste 3300 Athens, GA 706-208-1406 Mark A. Earhart, MD Oconee Family Practice 1747 Langford Dr., Bldg. 400, Ste. 105 Bogart, GA 706-769-1100 Alice Edwards, MD Georgia Family Medicine 2410 Hog Mountain Rd. Bldg 200, Ste. 201 Watkinsville, GA 706-310-3470 Ronald E. Elliot, MD UGA University Health Center 370 River Road Athens, GA 706-542-8636 Gary Fleming, MD 675 College Ave. Athens, GA 706-546-5526 David C. Gaines, MD Georgia Family Medicine 2410 Hog Mountain Rd. Bldg 200, Ste. 201 Watkinsville, GA 706-310-3470

Timothy B. Gibson, MD Prince Avenue Primary Care 892 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-227-2027 Raymond L. Gilbert, Jr., MD 1550 Mars Hill Rd. Watkinsville, GA 706-769-6469 Samuel C. Griffin, MD Athens Primary Care 700 Sunset Dr., Ste. 101 Athens, GA 706-548-6068 Ronald Hart, MD Medlink Colbert 11 Charlie Morris Rd. Colbert, GA 706-788-2127 Paul D. Haver, MD 2205 Barnett Shoals Rd. Athens, GA 706-548-1555 James M. Haymore III, MD 479 Hwy. 98 E Danielsville, GA 706-795-5211 Linda M. Hueseman, MD Greater Athens Physicians 774 Athens Rd. Lexington, GA 706-743-8183 Gail Hurley, MD Athens Neighborhood Health Center 675 College Ave. Athens, GA 706-546-5526 402 McKinley Dr. Athens, GA 706-543-1145 G. Trippe Jones, MD 1550 Mars Hill Rd. Watkinsville, GA 706-769-6469 Farris Johnson, MD Johnson & Murthy Family Practice 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 200C Athens, GA 706-548-5833 Dr. Klassen Odyssey Hospice 855 Gaines School Rd., Ste. G Athens, GA 706-369-9888 Suzanne Lester, MD Athens Regional Community Care Clinic 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 600E Athens, GA 706-548-2133 Robert P. Marshburn, MD Medical Center Clinic 45 Medical Center Ct. Commerce, GA 706-335-5155 Aurelio Manto, MD Athens Regional Physician Group at Cowles Clinic 100 Cowles Clinic Pkwy., W-200 Greensboro, GA 706-999-9710 T. Andrew McElhannon, MD 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 200-A Athens, GA 706-353-0101 H. Philip Morris, Jr., MD Greater Athens Physicians 1450-B Barnett Shoals Rd. Athens, GA 706-543-6443 Vasu Murthy, MD Johnson & Murthy Family Practice 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 200C Athens, GA 706-548-5833 Azoma Naukwe, MD 340 Exchange Blvd.

Bethlehem, GA 678-963-7300

Physicians Listings Ifeoma Nnaji, MD Medlink Oglethorpe 247 Union Point St. Lexington, GA 706-743-8171 Ndubuisi Ndukwe, MD 528 Panther Dr. Jefferson, GA 706-387-5656 Kevin A. O’Neal, MD 1181 Langford Dr., Bldg. 100 Ste. 101 Watkinsville, GA 706-546-9838 Stephen W. Orr, DO North Broad Family Medicine 295 N. Broad St. Winder, GA 770-307-0661 Jigar Patel, MD 528 Panther Drive Jefferson, GA 30549 706-387-5656 Cathleen Quillian-Carr, DO Athens Area Family Medicine 1351 Stonebridge Pkwy., Bldg 104 Watkinsville, GA 706-769-4141 Dave A. Ringer, MD Family Med Associates of Lake Oconee, PC 1041 Park Dr. Greensboro, GA 706-453-4945 Natalie D. Russo, MD UGA University Health Center 370 River Road Athens, GA 706-542-8666 Vandana N. Setia, MD 1181 Langford Dr., Bldg. 100 Ste. 101 Watkinsville GA 706-546-9838 J. Michael Shiver, MD 2205 Barnett Shoals Rd. Athens, GA 706-548-1555 Joanna Suarez, MD Commerce Adult Medicine 687 Hospital Rd. Commerce, GA 706-335-7909 Adolph Suarez, MD Commerce Adult Medicine 687 Hospital Rd. Commerce, GA 706-335-7909 Alvin Wilson, MD Athens Associates in Family Practice 300 Hawthorne Ln. Athens, GA 706-353-7648 Syed S. Zaidi, MD Medlink Winder 122 West Athens Street Winder, GA 770-876-6633 Keith Zimmerman, MD 1618 Mars Hill Rd. Watkinsville, GA 706-769-2053

Gastroenterology Kelly C. Grow, MD 740 Prince Ave., Bldg. 15 Athens, GA 706-548-0008 Ranjit C. Mathew, MD Athens Regional Specialty Services Digestive Diseases Clinic 170 Hawthorne Park Athens, GA 706-549-1222

Aja S. McCutchen, M.D. Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates Barrow Medical Regional Center 314 North Broad St., Ste. 225 Winder, GA 678-987-1480 Asif M. Qadri, MD Athens Digestive Healthcare

Associates 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 500A Athens, GA 706-850-4985 Brad D. Shepherd, MD 740 Prince Ave., Bldg. 15 Athens, GA 706-548-0008 Gregory S. Smith, MD Athens Gastroenterology Center, PC 21 Jefferson Pl. Ste. 1 Athens, GA 706-548-0058 Claire Visitacion, MD 317 Resource Resource Pkwy.

Winder, GA 678-975-7471 J. Michael West, MD 740 Prince Ave., Bldg. 15 Athens, GA 706-548-0008 Stephen Wilde, MD Northeast Georgia Gastroenterology Associates 700 Sunset Dr., Ste. 501A Athens, GA 706-208-0065 Jeffrey M. Williams, MD Northeast Georgia Gastroenterology Associates 3320 Old Jefferson Rd., Bldg 400 Athens, GA 706-613-1625

Geriatrics May Luz F. Bullecer, MD Athens Geriatrics & Internal Medicine 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 3200 Athens, GA 706-546-5700

Petros George Nikolinakos, MD Northeast Georgia Cancer Care 3320 Old Jefferson Rd., Bldg. 700 Athens, GA 706-353-2990 Priya Rudolph, MD Georgia Cancer Sepcialists 125 King Ave., Ste. 200 Athens, GA 706-369-4478 James E. Splichal, MD Northeast Georgia Cancer Care 3320 Old Jefferson Rd., Bldg. 700 Athens, GA 706-353-2990 Jeffrey A. Thomas, MD Northeast Georgia Cancer Care 3320 Old Jefferson Rd., Bldg. 700 Athens, GA 706-353-2990 Mark Vrana, MD Northeast Georgia Cancer Care 3320 Old Jefferson Rd., Bldg. 700 Athens, GA 706-353-2990

Home Health A.C.T. Home Care, Inc. Home Care Services 1075 Gaines School Rd. Athens, GA 706-559-4432 Athens Regional Home Health 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-5500 Bright Star Care 3021 Atlanta Hwy., Ste. 106 Athens, GA 706-548-0100 Family Care, Inc. Home Healthcare Services 855 Sunset Dr. #6 Athens, GA 1-800-791-5156 Home Instead Senior Care 1551 Jennings Mill Rd., Ste. 2200A Bogart, GA 706-613-2224

Wayne S. Morris, MD 270 Hawthorne Ave., Ste. A Athens, GA 706-546-5700

Oconee Home Health 106 E. Paces Dr. Athens, GA 706-613-5494

Mark Paradela, MD Athens Geriatrics & Internal Medicine 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 3200 Athens, GA 706-546-5700

St. Mary’s Home Health Care 1021 Jamestown Blvd., Ste. 215 Watkinsville, GA 706-389-2273

Ram K. Reddy, MD Reddy Medical Group 1061 Dowdy Rd., Ste. 101 Athens, GA 706-621-7575 Rose Ann R. Weaver, MD 172 N. Main St. Madison, GA 706-342-4106

Hematology Ranjana Bhargava, MD Georgia Cancer Specialists 125 King Ave., Ste. 200 Athens, GA 706-369-4478 Richard Loyd, DO Georgia Cancer Specialists 125 King Ave. Ste 200 Athens, GA 706-369-4478 Neal N. Marrano, MD Northeast Georgia Cancer Care 3320 Old Jefferson Rd., Bldg. 700 Athens, GA 706-353-2990

Remain at Home Senior Care 3320 Old Jefferson Rd., Ste. 300 Athens, GA 30607

Hospitalist Fakhar Ahmad, MD Athens Regional Specialty Services 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-5076 Olayinka Akinpelu, MD Athens Regional Specialty Services 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-5076 Francis David Ampadu, MD Athens Regional Specialty Services 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-5076

Stephane Conte, MD Athens Hospitalist Services 1230 Baxter St. Athens, GA 706-389-3410 George Dasoveanu, MD Athens Regional Specialty Services 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-5076 Bhavesh Gajjar, MD Athens Regional Specialty Services 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-5076 Brendan Groarke, MD Athens Regional Specialty Services 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-5076 Christopher D. Hall, MD Athens Hospitalist Services 1230 Baxter St. Athens, GA 706-389-3410 Shahzad Khan, MD Athens Regional Specialty Services 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-5076 Abhinav Koul, MD Athens Regional Specialty Services 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-5076 Thai Le, MD Athens Hospitalist Services 1230 Baxter St. Athens, GA 706-389-3410 Sujatha Manthini, MD Athens Regional Specialty Services 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-5076 Geoffrey Marx, MD Athens Regional Specialty Services 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-5076 Robert J. Meyer, MD Athens Hospitalist Services 1230 Baxter St. Athens, GA 706-389-3410 Dan Moldoveanu, MD Athens Regional Specialty Services 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-5076 Diana Moldoveanu, MD Athens Regional Specialty Services 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-5076 Alan Morgan, MD St. Mary’s Neurohospitalist 1230 Baxter St. Athens, GA 706-389-3880 C. Van Morris, MD St. Mary’s Neurohospitalist 1230 Baxter St. Athens, GA 706-389-3880 Jaideep K. Patel, MD Athens Hospitalist Services 1230 Baxter St. Athens, GA 706-389-3410

Stephen Berry, MD Athens Hospitalist Services 1230 Baxter St. Athens, GA 706-389-3410

Rakshitkumar Patel, MD Athens Regional Specialty Services 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-5076

Frank Bonilla, MD Athens Regional Specialty Services 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-5076

Syed Rizvi, MD Athens Regional Specialty Services 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-5076

Roja Sanikapally, MD Athens Regional Specialty Services 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-5076 Geena Singh, MD Athens Regional Specialty Services 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-5076 Irina Slavina, MD Athens Regional Specialty Services 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-5076 H. McCord Smith, MD St. Mary’s Neurohospitalist 1230 Baxter St. Athens, GA 706-389-3880 Adam E. Trail, DO Athens Hospitalist Services 1230 Baxter St. Athens, GA 706-389-3410 Hindia Tahir, MD Athens Regional Specialty Services 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-5076 Lela Ward, MD Athens Hospitalist Services 1230 Baxter St. Athens, GA 706-389-3410 Eduardo Zouain, MD Athens Regional Specialty Services 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-5076

Hospitalist Pediatrics Shilpi Das, MD Athens Regional Specialty Services 1199 Prince Ave Athens, GA 706-475-7854 Christian Lindsey, MD Athens Regional Specialty Services 1199 Prince Ave Athens, GA 706-475-7854 Syed Rizvi, MD Athens Regional Specialty Services 1199 Prince Ave Athens, GA 706-475-7854

Hyperbaric/Wound Care Ricardo Duran, MD 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-2660 St. Mary’s Center for Wound Healing 4017 Atlanta Hwy. Athens, GA 706-389-3065

Infectious Disease Paul D. Martin, MD Gwinnett Infectious Diseases 1950 Riverside Pkwy. Ste. 100 Lawrenceville, GA 770-995-0466 Elliot G. Raizes, MD Gwinnett Infectious Diseases 1950 Riverside Pkwy. Ste. 100 Lawrenceville, GA 770-995-0466 Tzevetan V. Vassilev, MD Gwinnett Infectious Diseases 1950 Riverside Pkwy. Ste. 100 Lawrenceville, GA 770-995-0466

Fall/Winter 2015 | THRIVE 51

Physicians Listings Mark Visitacion, MD Infectious Disease Specialists of

Athens 700 Sunset Dr., Ste. 302 Athens, GA 706-559-4405

Internal Medicine Martine P. Adogu, MD Oconee Medical Group Athens Kidney Center 1440 N. Chase St. Athens, GA 706-227-2110 Beze Adogu, MD Oconee Medical Group Athens Kidney Center 1440 N. Chase St. Athens, GA 706-227-2110 Emad Ahmed, MD Kidney Clinic of Athens 385 Hawthorne Ln., Ste. 200 Athens, GA 706-543-3130 Matthew B. Baker, MD 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 2200 Athens, GA 706-543-0471 Abid Bashir, MD North Georgia Nephrology Consultant, LLC 5105 Jefferson Rd. Athens, GA 706-227-4075 700 Breedlove Dr. Monroe, GA 770-207-5514 Muhammad Bashir, MD Kidney Clinic of Athens 385 Hawthorne Lane, St. 200 Athens, GA 706-543-3130 Toby M. Bond, MD TMB Medical 1181 Langford Dr. Bldg. 200, Ste. 105 Bogart, GA 706-548-9655 Marilyn Digamon-Beltran, MD Northeast Internal Medicine 700 Sunset Dr., Bldg. 300 Ste. 302 Athens, GA 706-548-9111 333 Alcova St., Ste. 8 Monroe, GA 770-267-9485 Charles L. Braucher, MD Athens Adult & Pediatric Medicine 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 3400 Athens, GA 706-613-6080 A. Patrick Brooks, MD Athens Internal Medicine Associates 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 400-A Athens, GA 706-548-8600 May Luz F. Bullecer, MD Athens Internal Medicine & Geriatrics 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 3200 Athens, GA 706-549-8931 Zaigham A. Butt, MD 131 Hawthorne Park., Ste. B Athens, GA 706-227-2700 J. Steven Chesser, MD 700 Sunset Dr., Ste. 502 Athens, GA 706-433-0741 George Cleland, MD 1010 Prince Ave., Ste. 101 Athens, GA 706-549-8682

J. Michael Cobb, MD Greater Athens Physicians 129 Main St. Bogart, GA 770-725-7420

Jeanne Marie Martin, MD 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 2500 Athens, GA 706-548-7909

Community Internal Medicine of Athens 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Bldg. 200D Athens, GA 706-389-3875

Melissa K. Martin, MD 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 2500 Athens, GA 706-548-7909

Deepak Das, MD Athena Medical Clinic Sleep Medicine Associates of Athens 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 3100 Athens, GA 706-850-6383

Wayne S. Morris, MD 270 Hawthorne Ave. Athens, GA 706-546-5700

Shilpi Das, MD Athena Medical Clinic Sleep Medicine Associates of Athens 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 3100 Athens, GA 706-850-6383 Amanda J. Downs, MD Hawthorne Medical Associates 1351 Stonebridge Parkway, Bldg. 105 Watkinsville, GA 706-769-3331 Matthew Farmer, MD Athens Internal Medicine Associates 1500 Ogelthorpe Ave., Ste. 400B Athens, GA 706-548-8600 Mark R. Firth, MD Athens Internal Medicine Associates 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 400-A Athens, GA 706-548-8600 Jane A. Fleagle, MD Athens Internal Medicine Associates 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 400B Athens, GA 706-548-8600 Evan Fliegel, MD 740 Prince Ave., Bldg. 7 Athens, GA 706-546-5340 J. Clark Hill III, MD Hill Medical Group 1935-A Homer Rd. Commerce, GA 706-335-9060 Mary Bess Jarrard, MD 1000 Hawthorne Ave., Ste. H Athens, GA 706-546-0832 Elizabeth L. Johnson, MD 1000 Hawthorne Ave., Ste. H Athens, GA 706-546-0832 Thomas N. Kias, MD 1000 Hawthorne Ave., Ste. H Athens, GA 706-546-0832 Felicia S. Lacksen, MD Hawthorne Medical Associates 1351 Stonebridge Parkway, Bldg. 105 Watkinsville, GA 706-769-3331 Mary Ann Lim North Georgia Nephrology Consultant, LLC 5105 Jefferson Rd. Athens, GA 706-227-4075 700 Breedlove Dr. Monroe, GA 770-207-5514 R. Patrick Lucas, MD Hawthorne Medical Associates 120 Hawthorne Park Athens, GA 706-353-8700

52 THRIVE | Fall/Winter 2015

Omar Mushfiq, MD Kidney Clinic of Athens 385 Hawthorne Ln., Ste. 200 Athens, GA 706-543-3130 Roland Nash, MD Middle Georgia Medical Associates 1110 Commere Dr., Ste. 108 Greensboro, GA 706-999-0243 Michael E. Nelson, MD 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 2200 Athens, GA 706-543-0471 Mark J. S. Paradela, MD Athens Internal Medicine & Geriatrics 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste, 3200 Athens, GA 706-549-8931

Michelle Woodward, MD Hawthorne Medical Associates 1351 Stonebridge Parkway, Bldg. 105 Watkinsville, GA 706-769-3331 A. Fred Young, MD Hawthorne Medical Associates 120 Hawthorne Park Athens, GA 706-353-8700

Massage Amy Abrahamsen, LMT Mind Body Institute Athens Regional Medical Center 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-7330 Natalie Bayne, LMT Athens Healing Massage Therapy 465 Huntington Rd., Ste. 160 Athens, GA 706-296-3822

By Appointment Only www.ahmt.biz Specializing in Therapeutic Massage, Cranio/Sacral Therapy, Bowen Therapy, Usui Reiki Master Practitioner and Karuna Reiki Level 1 Practitioner™. Georgia License #006932.

Massage Envy Spa 1850 Epps Bridge Pkwy 706-543-3000

Fareha Rahim, MD Hawthorne Medical 120 Hawthorne Park Athens, GA 706-353-8700

St. Mary’s Wellness Center 2470 Daniells Bridge Rd. Bldg. 300 Athens, GA 706-389-3355

Ram K. Reddy, MD Reddy Medical Group 1061 Dowdy Rd., Ste. 101 Athens, GA 706-621-7575

Sugar Magnolia Massage Sarah Tarpley Graves, LMT RMT 465 Huntington Road Ste. 160 Athens, GA 413-230-1575

By Appointment Only www.sugarmagnoliamassage. a bmp.com

William E. Rigsby, MD Rigsby Internal Medicine, PC 2410 Hog Mountain Rd., Ste. 107 Watkinsville, GA 706-769-8800 Eric Robach, MD 1351 Stonebridge Pkwy., Bldg. 105 Watkinsville, GA 706-769-3331 Elizabeth Smith, MD Athens Internal Medicine Associates 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 400-A Athens, GA 706-548-8600 Lisa D. Smith, MD Athens Internal Medicine Associates 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 400-A Athens, GA 706-548-8600 James Tippett, MD Middle Georgia Medical Associates 1110 Commerce Dr., Ste. 108 Greensboro, GA 706-999-0243 David Townsend, MD Hawthorne Medical 120 Hawthorne Park Athens, GA 706-353-8700 Rose Ann R. Weaver, MD 172 North Main St. Madison, GA 706-342-4106 Thomas W. Wells, MD Hawthorne Medical Associates 120 Hawthorne Park Athens, GA 706-353-8700

Integrative bodywork including Usui Reiki, prenatal, hot stone, Swedish, deep tissue, Thai stretching, Craniosacral Therapy and spa treatments.

Medical Spa Yuva Medical Spa 1061 Dowdy Rd., Ste. 102 Athens, GA 706-621-7585

Neonatology ARMC Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-3324 Victor A. Morales, MD St. Mary’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit 1230 Baxter St. Athens, GA 706-389-3430

Nephrology Beze Adogu, MD Oconee Medical Group 1440 N. Chase St. Athens, GA 706-227-2110 Emad U. Ahmed, MD 385 Hawthorne Ln., Ste. 200 Athens, GA 706-543-3130 Kaleem Ahmed, MD 641 Hospital Rd., Ste. 2 Commerce, GA 706-335-4212

928 Franklin Springs St. Royston, GA 706-245-1461 Abid Bashir, MD North Georgia Nephrology Consultant 5105 Jefferson Rd., Ste. B Athens, GA 706-227-4075 Gautam M. DasGupta, MD Athens Nephrology Associates, P.A. 2047 Prince Ave., Ste. B Athens, GA 706-546-0083 Zuoheng Fan, MD Oconee Nephrology Associates 700 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. B1 Athens, GA 706-353-1250 Krit K. Joshi, MD North Georgia Nephrology Consultant 5105 Jefferson Rd., Ste. B Athens, GA 706-227-4075 Beeki N. Kuppuswamy, MD Internal Medicine & Nephrology 212 Hospital Dr. Washington, GA 706-678-1538 Rene Mackay, MD Georgia Kidney Consultants 650 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 4 Athens, GA 706-850-8135 Omar Mushfiq, MD 385 Hawthorne Ln., Ste. 200 Athens, GA 706-543-3130 Srilakshmi Rebala, MD Georgia Renal Associates, PC 1500 Oglethorpe Ave, Suite 500C Athens, GA 706-546-7484

Neurology Athens Neurological Associates 1088 A Baxter Street Athens, GA 706-353-0606

Anthony T. Dacunha, MD Athens Neurological Associates 1088 A Baxter Street Athens, GA 706-353-0606 John Eldry, MD St. Mary’s Neurological Specialists 2470 Daniells Bridge Rd., Bldg. 200, Ste. 261 Athens, GA 706-310-1859 James A. Elmore, MD Athens Neurological Associates 1088 A Baxter Street Athens, GA 706-353-0606 Angela McSwain, MD St. Mary’s Neurological Specialists 2470 Daniells Bridge Rd., Bldg 200, Ste. 261 Athens, GA 706-310-1859 Brian W. Mitchell, MD Athens Neurological Associates 1088 A Baxter Street Athens, GA 30606 706-353-0606 E. Brannon Morris, MD Athens Neurological Associates 1088 A Baxter Street Athens, GA 706-353-0606

Physicians Listings Edward S. Novey, MD Athens Neurological Associates 1088 A Baxter Street Athens, GA 706-353-0606 Eric M. Pitts, MD Athens Neurological Associates 1088 A Baxter Street Athens, GA 706-353-0606 Jon S. Poling, MD, PhD Athens Neurological Associates 1088 A Baxter Street Athens, GA 706-353-0606 Mike Steadham, MD St. Mary’s Neurological Specialists 2470 Daniells Bridge Rd. Bldg 200, Suite 261 Athens, GA 706-310-1859 Terry L. Wimpey, MD, PhD Athens Neurological Associates 1088 A Baxter Street Athens, GA 706-353-0606

Obstetrics/Gynecology Sunil M. Alexander, M.D., F.A.C.O.G ARMC Midwifery Practice 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-5700 Stephanie A. Allen, MD Women’s Healthcare Associates 355 Hawthorne Ave. Athens, GA 706-369-0019 Melissa M. Anderson, MD 1181 Langford Dr., Bldg. 300, Ste. 101 Bogart, GA 706-227-8999 Clinton B. Ashford, MD 1750 S. Lumpkin St. Athens, GA 706-353-2550 Rebecca Ashford, MD 1750 S. Lumpkin St. Athens, GA 706-353-2550 James R. Bauerband, MD 335 Clear Creek Pkwy., Ste. 1004 Lavonia, GA 706-356-0780 Cassie N. Campbell, MD ARMC Midwifery Practice 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-5700 Ruby G. Cheves, MD ARMC Midwifery Practice 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-5700 Ruth M. Cline, MD Athens OB/GYN 740 Prince Ave., Bldg 3 Athens, GA 706-548-4272 Margaret K. Cramer, MD UGA University Health Center 370 River Rd. Athens, GA 706-542-8691 Rajiv D. Desai, MD 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Bldg,. 500, Ste, D Athens, GA 706-369-9375

Thomas W. Goggin, MD 700 Sunset Dr., Ste. 602 Athens, GA 706-353-0711 Melissa M. Halbach, MD Women’s Center of Athens 1181 Langford Dr., Bldg. 300, Ste.101 Bogart, GA 706-227-8999 Andrew H. Herrin, MD Athens OB/GYN 740 Prince Ave., Bldg 3 Athens, GA 706-548-4272 Walter A. Jarrett, MD Athens OB/GYN 740 Prince Ave., Bldg 3 Athens, GA 706-548-4272 Peter C. Johnson, MD Center for Women’s Health and Fitness 965 Hawthorne Park, Ste. 100-A Athens, GA 706-369-1200 Robert E. Kelley, Jr., MD Athens Gynecology 1580 Tree Lane Snellville, GA 706-548-4424 Andrew H. Leach, MD Women’s Healthcare Associates 355 Hawthorne Ave. Athens, GA 706-369-0019 Leah D. Lowman, MD Women’s Healthcare Associates 355 Hawthorne Ave. Athens, GA 706-369-00191 Lina Millan, MD Women’s Healthcare Associates 355 Hawthorne Lane Athens, GA 706-369-0019 Camille A. McPherson, MD Women’s Center of Athens 1181 Langford Dr., Bldg. 300, Ste. 101 Bogart, GA 706-227-8999 Cynthia A. Mercer, MD Athens Women’s Clinic 1270 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-548-1388 Rachel F. Murthy, MD Athens OB/GYN 740 Prince Ave., Bldg 3 Athens, GA 706-548-4272 Larisa Pearlman, MD ARMC Midwifery Practice 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-5700 Cary A. Perry, MD Athens Women’s Clinic 1270 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-548-1388 R. Brian Raybon, M.D. Urogynecology of Athens 740 Prince Ave., Bldg. 9 Athens, GA 866-913-8620

John F. Elder, MD 700 Sunset Dr., Ste. 601 Athens, GA 706-548-4754

Richard L. Rosemond, MD Athens Maternal-Fetal Medicine 700 Sunset Drive, Ste. 304 Athens, GA 706-549-0087

Rebecca Fletcher, MD Athens OB/GYN 740 Prince Ave., Bldg 3 Athens, GA 706-548-4272

Joshua G. Sepesi, MD Athens Healthcare for Women 1270 Prince Ave., Ste. 308 Athens, GA 706-552-1600

Kauskik S. Shah, MD Women’s Comprehensive Health Care Center 1000 Hawthorne Ave., Ste. M Athens, GA 706-548-8010 J. Judson Shelnutt, MD Shelnutt Obstetrics and Gynecology 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 200B Athens, GA 706-227-1164 T. Taylor Sholes, M.D. Sholes Center for Womens’ Health 1000 Hawthorne Ave., Ste K Athens, GA 706-286-8692 Eric Silver, MD St. Mary’s Womens’ Center 1000 Cowles Clinic Way Dogwood Building Ste D-300 Greensboro, GA 762-243-3860 J. Leon Smith, MD Athens Women’s Clinic 1270 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-548-1388

Occupational Medicine Paul Broun, MD 1061 Dowdy Rd., Ste. 100 Athens, GA 706-621-7575 Kelly Dixon-Martin, MD St. Mary’s Industrial Medicine 4017 Atlanta Hwy.,Ste. B Athens, GA 706-389-2222 Errol G. Duncan, MD Reddy Urgent Care 1061 Dowdy Rd., Ste. 100 Athens, GA 706-621-7575 Brian Forrester, MD Athens Regional Occupational Health and Industrial Medicine Regional First Care, Highway 29 North Athens, GA 706-353-6000 Kelly Mackey, MD Athens Regional Occupational Health and Industrial Medicine Regional First Care, Highway 29 North Athens, GA 706-353-6000 Reddy Urgent Care 1061 Dowdy Rd., Ste. 100, Athens, GA 132 Franklin Springs St., Royston, GA 280 General Daniels Ave, Danielsville, GA 138 West Gibson St., Hartwell, GA 500 Great Oaks Dr., Ste. 9, Monroe, GA 706-621-7575 Joseph Savitz, DO/Physiatrist Athens Orthopedic Clinic 1765 Old W. Broad St. Bldg. 2, Ste. 200 Athens, GA 706-549-1663 Stephen Schacher, MD Athens Occupational Medicine 105 Whitehead Rd., Unit 4 Athens, GA 706-248-0245

Occupational Therapy Athens Regional Rehabilitation Services 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-3511 Athens Orthopedic Clinic 1765 Old West Broad St., Bldg. 2 Athens, GA 706-549-1663

Oncology Ranjana Bhargava, MD Georgia Cancer Specialists 125 King Ave 2nd Floor Ste 200 Athens, GA 706-369-4478 Tzu-chuan Jane Huang, MD University Cancer & Blood Center 3320 Old Jefferson Rd., Bldg. 700 Athens, GA 706-353-2990 Richard Loyd, DO Georgia Cancer Specialists 125 King Ave 2nd Floor Ste 200 Athens, GA 706-369-4478 Neal N. Marrano, MD University Cancer & Blood Center 3320 Old Jefferson Rd., Bldg. 700 Athens, GA 706-353-2990 Petros George Nikolinakos, MD University Cancer & Blood Center 3320 Old Jefferson Rd., Bldg. 700 Athens, GA 706-353-2990 Priya Rudolph, MD Georgia Cancer Specialists 125 King Ave 2nd Floor Ste 200 Athens, GA 706-369-4478 Gordon O. Schoenfeld, MD University Cancer & Blood Center 3320 Old Jefferson Rd., Bldg. 700 Athens, GA 706-353-2990 Cynthia L. Shepherd, MD University Cancer & Blood Center 3320 Old Jefferson Rd., Bldg. 700 Athens, GA 706-353-2990 James E. Splichal, MD University Cancer & Blood Center 3320 Old Jefferson Rd., Bldg. 700 Athens, GA 706-353-2990 Ronald L. Terry, MD University Cancer & Blood Center 3320 Old Jefferson Rd., Bldg. 700 Athens, GA 706-353-2990

Anthony L. DeMarco, MD Athens Eye Doctors and Surgeons 105 Trinity Place Athens, GA 706-549-9993 Jing Dong, MD The Georgia Center for Sight 651 S. Milledge Ave. Athens, GA 1-888-237-2583 David G. Dillard, MD 1000 Hawthorne Ave., Ste. O Athens, GA 706-353-0093 Jon Forché, O.D., F.A.A.O. Five Points Eye Care 698 S. Milledge Ave. Athens, GA 706-543-2020 Nadine Forché, O.D., M.S., F.A.A.O. Five Points Eye Care 698 S. Milledge Ave. Athens, GA 706-543-2020 Scotty Gadlin, MD Athens Eye Associates 1080 Vend Dr., Ste. 100 Bogart, GA 706-549-7047 Mohan N. Iyer, MD Athens Retina Center 2705 Jefferson Rd. Athens, GA 706-543-3200 Michael S. Jacobs, MD Athens Eye Associates 1080 Vend Dr. Bogart, GA 706-549-7047 Joel Jenkins, OD Jenkins Vision Care 850 Prince Ave., Suite B Athens, GA 706-353-2520 Eric Johnson, OD Athens Eye Associates 1080 Vend Dr. Bogart, GA 706-549-7047

Jeffrey A. Thomas, MD University Cancer & Blood Center 3320 Old Jefferson Rd., Bldg. 700 Athens, GA 706-353-2990

Alexander P. Keller, III, MD Athens Eye Doctors and Surgeons 105 Trinity Place Athens, GA 706-549-9993

Mark Vrana, MD University Cancer & Blood Center 3320 Old Jefferson Rd., Bldg. 700 Athens, GA 706-353-2990

Emory G. Patterson, MD Athens Eye Associates 105 Trinity Place Athens, GA 706-549-7047

Ophthalmology/ Optometrist

Robert Penland, OD Jenkins Vision Care 850 Prince Ave., Suite B Athens, GA 706-353-2520

Martine P. Adogu, MD Oconee Medical Group 1440 N. Chase St. Athens, GA 706-227-2110 Richard H. Blue, MD Blue Laser Group, The Georgia Center for Sight 1747 Langford Dr., Bldg. 400, Ste. 101 Bogart, GA 706-549-0005 Meg Brya, O.D., F.C.O.V.D. Five Points Eye Care 698 Milledge Ave. Athens, GA 706-543-2020 Victor A.Crosby II, MD 140 Trinity Pl., Bldg. B Athens, GA 706-546-0170 Brent M. Crymes, MD Athens Eye Doctors and Surgeons 105 Trinity Place Athens, GA 706-549-9993

Walter A. Sams IV, MD Athens Eye Doctors and Surgeons 105 Trinity Place Athens, GA 706-549-9993 Russell Springer, OD Athens Family Vision Clinic 1000 Hawthorne Ave., Ste. A Athens, GA 706-543-3599

Oral Surgery Leigh Cummings, DDS Athens Family Dental Center 3380 Old Jefferson Rd. Athens, GA 706-548-3279 Brett Gray, DMD, MD Oral Surgery Associates & Dental Implants 740 Prince Ave., Ste. 1-A Athens, GA 706-549-9711

Fall/Winter 2015 | THRIVE 53

Physicians Listings Alex Karamanolis, DDS Athens Family Dental Center 3380 Old Jefferson Rd. Athens, GA 706-548-3279 Richard Manus, DMD 1010 Prince Ave., Ste. 103-South Athens, GA 706-548-0604 James McDonald, DMD 1010 Prince Ave., Ste. 103-South Athens, GA 706-548-0604 David C. Miller, DDS Athens Family Dental Center 3380 Old Jefferson Rd. Athens, GA 706-548-3279 Deck Nesiler, DDS Athens Family Dental Center 3380 Old Jefferson Rd. Athens, GA 706-548-3279 Robert Pate, DDS Athens Family Dental Center 3380 Old Jefferson Rd. Athens, GA 706-548-3279 Steven D. Pollack, DDS Oral Surgery Associates & Dental Implants 740 Prince Ave., Ste. 1-A Athens, GA 706-549-9711 Stanley D. Satterfield, DMD Athens Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery 2000 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-543-8377 Linda Stringer, DDS Athens Family Dental Center 3380 Old Jefferson Rd. Athens, GA 706-548-3279

Orthopedic David W. Bacastow, MD Athens Bone and Joint 1010 Prince Ave., Ste. 115 South Athens, GA 706-583-9000 John R. Dorris, MD Athens Bone and Joint 1010 Prince Ave., Ste. 115 South Athens, GA 706-583-9000 Logan K. Fields, MD Athens Bone and Joint 1010 Prince Ave., Ste. 115 South Athens, GA 706-583-9000 Mason Florence, MD Athens Orthopedic Clinic 1765 Old W. Broad St., Bldg. 2, Ste. 200 Athens, GA 706-549-1663 Robert E. Hancock, MD Athens Orthopedic Clinic 1765 Old W. Broad St., Bldg. 2, Ste. 200 Athens, GA 706-549-1663 David C. Harkins, DO Athens Orthopedic Clinic 1765 Old W. Broad St., Bldg. 2, Ste. 200 Athens, GA 706-549-1663 Jian Hu, MD Athens Orthopedic Clinic 1765 Old W. Broad St., Bldg. 2, Ste. 200 Athens, GA 706-549-1663 Joseph T. Johnson, MD Athens Orthopedic Clinic 1765 Old W. Broad St., Bldg. 2, Ste. 200 Athens, GA 706-549-1663

Stephen B. Johnson, DO Athens Orthopedic Clinic 1765 Old W. Broad St., Bldg. 2, Ste. 200 Athens, GA 706-549-1663 David Katz, MD Athens Orthopedic Clinic 1765 Old W. Broad St., Bldg. 2, Ste. 200 Athens, GA 706-549-1663

Jimmy Spivey, MD Athens Orthopedic Clinic 1765 Old W. Broad St., Bldg. 2, Ste. 200 Athens, GA 706-549-1663 William C. Tally, MD Athens Orthopedic Clinic 1765 Old W. Broad St., Bldg. 2, Ste. 200 Athens, GA 706-549-1663

Ormonde M. Mahoney, MD Athens Orthopedic Clinic 1765 Old W. Broad St., Bldg. 2, Ste. 200 Athens, GA 706-549-1663

Otolaryngology

John Robert Manfredi, MD Athens Orthopedic Clinic 1765 Old W. Broad St., Bldg. 2, Ste. 200 Athens, GA 706-549-1663

J. Edward Dempsey, MD ENT of Athens 150 Nacoochee Ave. Athens, GA 706-546-7908

Fayette M. McElhannon, Jr., MD Hawthorne Orthopedics 1000 Hawthorne Ave., Ste. J Athens, GA 706-548-1386 Larry L. Medders, MD Athens Orthopedic Associates 2319 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-354-1625 Charles L. Ogburn III, MD Athens Orthopedic Clinic 1765 Old W. Broad St., Bldg. 2, Ste. 200 Athens, GA 706-549-1663 Julian P. Price, MD Athens Orthopedic Clinic 1765 Old W. Broad St., Bldg. 2, Ste. 200 Athens, GA 706-549-1663 Bradley C. Register, MD Athens Orthopedic Clinic 1765 Old W. Broad St., Bldg. 2, Ste. 200 Athens, GA 706-549-1663 Mixon Robinson, MD Athens Orthopedic Clinic 1765 Old W. Broad St., Bldg. 2, Ste. 200 Athens, GA 706-549-1663 David S. Ryan, MD Athens Bone and Joint 1010 Prince Ave., Ste. 115 South Athens, GA 706-583-9000 Joseph M. Savitz, D.O./Physiatrist Athens Orthopedic Clinic 1765 Old W. Broad St., Bldg. 2, Ste. 200 Athens, GA 706-549-1663 Alonzo T. Sexton, II, MD Athens Orthopedic Clinic 1765 Old W. Broad St., Bldg. 2, Ste. 200 Athens, GA 706-549-1663 Michael Simms Shuler, MD Athens Orthopedic Clinic 1765 Old W. Broad St., Bldg. 2, Ste. 200 Athens, GA 706-549-1663 M. Shane Smith, MD Athens Orthopedic Clinic 1765 Old W. Broad St., Bldg. 2, Ste. 200 Athens, GA 706-549-1663

54 THRIVE | Fall/Winter 2015

C.A. Ashford, MD Ashford Ear Clinic, LLC. 1000 Hawthorne Ave., Ste. K Athens, GA 706-248-6860

David G. Dillard, MD 1000 Hawthorne Ave., Ste. O Athens, GA 706-353-0093 Robert F. Gomez, MD 1270 Prince Ave., Ste. 303 Athens, GA 706-549-3047 Elizabeth Katz, MD ENT of Athens 150 Nacoochee Ave. Athens, GA 706-546-7908 Charles M. Mixson, MD ENT of Athens 150 Nacoochee Ave. Athens, GA 706-546-7908 Byron Norris, MD ENT of Athens 150 Nacoochee Ave. Athens, GA 706-546-7908 Philip A. Sheffield, MD ENT of Athens 150 Nacoochee Ave. Athens, GA 706-546-7908 John R. Simpson, MD, DDS, FACS Northeast Georgia ENT Head Neck Surgery 700 Sunset Dr., Ste. 103 Athens, GA 706-546-0144 259 N.Broad St. Winder, GA

Outpatient Mental Health Erika Heinzle, MS, LAPC, NCC SEB Health, Inc. 105 Whitehead Road, Suite 3 Athens, GA 706-369-3856 Dr. Sarah Jackson, PsyD, LPC SEB Health, Inc. 105 Whitehead Road, Suite 3 Athens, GA 706-369-3856 Dr. Kathryn Scott-Young, PhD, LMFT SEB Health, Inc. 105 Whitehead Road, Suite 3 Athens, GA 706-369-3856 Natasha Young, BS SEB Health, Inc. 105 Whitehead Road, Suite 3 Athens, GA 706-369-3856

Pain Management Brian Adams, MD Spine Care & Pain Management 1620 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-549-8114

Richard Campbell, MD Spine Care & Pain Management 1620 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-549-8114

Virginia L. Tranovich, MD ARMC Pathology Associates 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-3398

Mark A. Ellis, MD Ellis Pain Center 1500 Langford Medical Drive Building 200 Bogart, GA 706.208.0451

Zane K. Wade, MD Path & Lab Consultants of Athens 1230 Baxter St. Athens, GA 706-389-2425

209 Mercer Place Northridge Specialty Suite Commerce, GA 706.335.6999 Peter Fong, MD Spine Care & Pain Management 1620 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-549-8114 D. Janene Holladay, MD Spine Care & Pain Management 1620 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-549-8114 Jian Hu, MD Athens Orthopedic Clinic 1765 Old W. Broad St., Bldg. 2, Ste. 200 Athens, GA 706-549-1663 Terrance Hughes, MD Ellis Pain Center 1500 Langford Medical Drive Building 200 Bogart, GA 706.208.0451 209 Mercer Place Northridge Specialty Suite Commerce, GA 706.335.6999 Benjamin E. McCurdy, MD Athens Spine Center 855 King Ave. Athens, GA 706-425-2400 William H. Megdal, MD Athens Spine Center 855 King Ave. Athens, GA 706-425-2400 Reginald Strother, MD Spine Care & Pain Management 1620 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-549-8114 Nazario Villasenor, MD Spine Care & Pain Management 1620 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-549-8114

Pathology Stephen L. Aleshire, MD ARMC Pathology Associates 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-3398 Joseph J. Gaines, Jr., MD Path & Lab Consultants of Athens 1230 Baxter St. Athens, GA 706-389-2425 Sven A. Swanson ARMC Pathology Associates 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-3398

Pediatric Cardiology Ian C. Balfour, MD Pediatric Cardiology Services 500 Medical Center Blvd., Ste. 340 Lawrenceville, GA 770-995-6684 Brandon Harden, MD Sibley Heart Center 2835 Bandywire Rd., Ste. 300 Atlanta, GA 404-256-2593 Gregory L. Johnson, MD Sibley Heart Center 2835 Bandywire Rd., Ste. 300 Atlanta, GA 404-256-2593 William Lutin, MD MCG Department of Pediatrics 1120 15th St. Augusta, GA 706-721-2336 Kenneth Murdison, MD MCG Department of Pediatrics 1120 15th St. Augusta, GA 706-721-2336 Shiva Sharma, MD Pediatric Cardiology Services 500 Medical Center Blvd., Ste. 340 Lawrenceville, GA 770-995-6684 James L. Sutherland, MD Sibley Heart Center 2835 Bandywire Rd., Ste. 300 Atlanta, GA 404-256-2593 Neill Videlefsky Pediatric Cardiology Services 500 Medical Center Blvd., Ste. 340 Lawrenceville, GA 770-995-6684 Henry B. Wiles, MD MCG Department of Pediatrics 1120 15th St. Augusta, GA 706-721-2336

Pediatric Endocrinology Paul Bernard, MD MCG Department of Pediatrics 1447 Harper St. Augusta, GA 706-721-3791 Christopher Houk, MD MCG Department of Pediatrics 1447 Harper St. Augusta, GA 706-721-3791

Pediatric Genetics David B. Flannery, MD MCG Department of Pediatrics 1446 Harper St. Augusta, GA 706-721-2694

Pediatric Hematology

Daniel W. Tench, MD ARMC Pathology Associates 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-3398

Afshin Ameri, MD MCG Department of Pediatrics 1120 15th St. Augusta, GA 706-721-3626

Renee B. Thomas, MD Path & Lab Consultants of Athens 1230 Baxter St. Athens, GA 706-389-2425

Colleen McDonough, MD MCG Department of Pediatrics 1120 15th St. Augusta, GA 706-721-3626

Physicians Listings Roger A. Vega, MD MCG Department of Pediatrics 1120 15th St. Augusta, GA 706-721-3626

Pediatric Hospitalists Shilpi Das, MD 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-7000 Christian Lindsey, MD 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-7000 Syed Rizvi, MD 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-7000 Leigha Woodruff, MD 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-7000

Pediatric Nephrology Louis Ortiz, MD MCG Department of Pediatrics 1447 Harper St. Augusta, GA 706-721-3626

Pediatric Neurology E. Brannon Morris, MD Athens Neurological Associates 1088 A Baxter Street Athens, GA 30606 706-353-0606

Pediatric Opthamology Brent Crymes, MD Keller, Crymes & DeMarco 105 Trinity Pl. Athens, GA 706-549-9993 Anthony DeMarco, MD Keller, Crymes & DeMarco 105 Trinity Pl. Athens, GA 706-549-9993 George Hubbard, MD Keller, Crymes & DeMarco 105 Trinity Pl. Athens, GA 706-549-9993 Alex Keller, MD Keller, Crymes & DeMarco 105 Trinity Pl. Athens, GA 706-549-9993 Walter Sams, MD Keller, Crymes & DeMarco 105 Trinity Pl. Athens, GA 706-549-9993

Pediatric Pulmonology Margaret F. Guill, MD MCG Department of Pediatrics 1446 Harper St. Augusta, GA 706-721-2635

Pediatric Rehabilitation Athens Regional Rehabilitation Services 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-3511

Pediatric Rheumatology Rita S. Jerath, MD MCG Department of Pediatrics 1446 Harper St. Augusta, GA 706-721-1400

Pediatric Surgery John Bleacher, MD Pediatric & Adolescent Surgical Associates 5455 Meridian Mark Rd., Ste. 570 Atlanta, GA 404-252-3353 Theodore Brand, MD Pediatric & Adolescent Surgical Associates 5455 Meridian Mark Rd., Ste. 570 Atlanta, GA 404-252-3353 Joseph Bussey, MD Pediatric & Adolescent Surgical Associates 5455 Meridian Mark Rd., Ste. 570 Atlanta, GA 404-252-3353 Julie Glasson, MD Pediatric & Adolescent Surgical Associates 5455 Meridian Mark Rd., Ste. 570 Atlanta, GA 404-252-3353 Robyn Hatley, MD MCG Children’s Medical Center 1446 Harper St. Augusta, GA 706-721-3941 Charles G. Howell, Jr., MD MCG Children’s Medical Center 1446 Harper St. Augusta, GA 706-721-3941 Daniel Kim, MD Pediatric & Adolescent Surgical Associates 5455 Meridian Mark Rd., Ste. 570 Atlanta, GA 404-252-3353 Robert Pipkin, MD MCG Children’s Medical Center 1446 Harper St. Augusta, GA 706-721-3941 Roger Pitt, MD Pediatric & Adolescent Surgical Associates 5455 Meridian Mark Rd., Ste. 570 Atlanta, GA 404-252-3353 George R. Raschbaum, MD Pediatric & Adolescent Surgical Associates 5455 Meridian Mark Rd., Ste. 570 Atlanta, GA 404-252-3353

Pediatrics Holly H. Aldridge, MD 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 600-B Athens, GA 706-549-3426 Gena D. Alexander-Albert, MD Kids 1st 1618 Mars Hill Rd., Ste. B Watkinsville, GA 706-769-8155 Matthew B. Baker, MD 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 2200 Athens, GA 706-543-0471

Nicole Broerman, MD Reddy Pediatrics 1061 Dowdy Rd., Ste. 101 Athens, GA 706-208-3715 Kristie Carter, MD Medlink Colbert 11 Charlie Morris Rd. Colbert, GA 706-788-2127

Melissa Martin, MD 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 2500 Athens, GA 706-548-7909

M. Tresa Chappell, MD Hometown Pediatrics 1020 Jamestown Blvd., Bldg. 200 Watkinsville, GA 706-769-0005

Van S. McCorkle, MD Pediatric Partners 1500 Langford Dr., Ste. 100 Bogart, GA 706-548-1216

Gloria Chu, MD 1020 Twelve Oaks Pl. Watkinsville, GA 706-769-7743

Kathryn McCusker, MD MedLink Winder 122 West Athens St. Winder, GA 770-867-6633

Diane E. Dunston, MD Athens Neighborhood Health Center 675 College Ave. Athens, GA 706-543-1145 Buford O. Edwards, Jr., MD 2 S. Main St., Ste. 201 Watkinsville, GA 706-769-7911 Dean E. Firschein, MD Allergy Partners of Georgia 3320 Old Jefferson Rd., Bldg. 200, Ste. B Athens, GA 706-613-8500 Gary Fleming, MD Athens Neighborhood Health Center 675 College Ave. Athens, GA 706-546-5526 Henry G. Garrard, IV, MD 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 600-B Athens, GA 706-549-3426 Alan D. Glassman, MD 700 Sunset Dr., Ste. 504 Athens, GA 706-549-3943 Brandon Harden, MD Sibley Heart Center Cardiology 1000 Hawthorne Ave., Ste. Athens, GA 706-548-2777 Ronald L. Hart, MD Medlink Colbert 11 Charlie Morris Rd. Colbert, GA 706-788-2127 Dana Hogan, MD, FAAP Sunshine Pediatrics, PC 1160 Capital Ave., Ste. 105 Market Center Watkinsville, GA 706-769-9410 Gail Hurley, MD Athens Neighborhood Health Center 402 McKinley Dr. Athens, GA 706-543-1145 Thomas Jones, MD 1020 Twelve Oaks Pl. Watkinsville, GA 706-769-7743

Ian Balfour, MD Pediatric Cardiology Services 500 Medical Center Blvd. 340 Lawrenceville, GA 770-995-6684

Carrie C. Kelly, MD Hometown Pediatrics 1020 Jamestown Blvd., Bldg. 200 Watkinsville, GA 706-769-0005

Katherine Blackmon, MD 1618 Mars Hill Rd., Ste. B Watkinsville, GA 706-769-8155

Elizabeth Long, MD Medlink Colbert 11 Charlie Morris Rd. Colbert, GA 706-788-2127

Charles L. Braucher, MD Athens Adult & Pediatric Medicine 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 3400 Athens, GA 706-613-6080

David C. Martin, MD, FAAP Child & Adolescent Medical Providers, PC (CAMP) 13375 Jones St., Ste. C Lavonia, GA 706-356-5439

Jeanne Marie Martin, MD 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 2500 Athens, GA 706-548-7909

Tara Merritt, MD Performance Pediatrics & Sports

Medicine 1181 Langford Dr., Bldg. 200, Ste. 101 Bogart, GA 706-850-8750 J. Patrick Morrison, MD 1020 Twelve Oaks Pl., Ste. A Watkinsville, GA 706-769-7743

105 Medical Ave. Athens, GA V.N. Murthy, MD 555 Research Dr. Athens, GA 706-353-3100 Michael E. Nelson, MD 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 2200 Athens, GA 706-543-0471 Ingrid R. Newman, MD 1500 Langford Dr., Ste. 100 Bogart, GA 706-548-1216 Rajiv K. Setia, MD Athens Area Pediatrics 225 Hawthorne Park Athens, GA 706-613-6136 Shiva Sharma, MD Pediatric Cardiology Services 500 Medical Center Blvd. 340 Lawrenceville, GA 770-995-6684 Narayan S. Shetty, MD 716 Hospital Rd. Commerce, GA 706-335-2108 Jeralyn Smith, MD Medlink Winder 122 West Athens Street Winder, GA 770-876-6633 Tammy G. Smith, MD Jefferson Pediatrics 2610 US Hwy 129 N Jefferson, GA 706-367-1010 David Sprayberry, MD Hometown Pediatrics 1020 Jamestown Blvd., Bldg. 200 Watkinsville, GA 706-769-0005 Kristina St. Clair, MD Athens Pediatrics at Resource Medical 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Bldg. 600, Ste.C & D Athens, GA 706-559-4171 Josephine T. Lopez, MD, FAAP Athens Kids Specialists, PC 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Bldg 100 Athens, GA 706-543-9899

Margaret Sherman, MD Athens Pediatrics at Resource Medical 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Bldg. 600, Ste.C & D Athens, GA 706-559-4163 St. Mary’s Children’s Specialty Services 1230 Baxter St. Athens, GA 706-389-2800 James R. Swails, MD 555 Research Dr. Athens, GA 706-353-3100 Meredith Udell, MD Medlink Colbert 11 Charlie Morris Rd. Colbert, GA 706-788-2127 Jon Udwadia, MD Athens Pediatrics at Resource Medical 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Bldg. 600, Ste.C & D Athens, GA 706-559-4188 Holly Van de Voort, MD 225 Hawthorne Park Athens, GA 706-613-6136 Neill Videlefsky, MD Pediatric Cardiology Services 500 Medical Center Blvd. 340 Lawerenceville, GA 770-995-6684

Physical Medicine Christopher E. Doerr, DO Physicians Back and Neck Clinic 108 Park Ave. Athens, GA 706-546-1333 12605 Augusta Rd. Lavonia, GA Jian Hu, MD Athens Orthopedic Clinic 1765 Old W. Broad St., Bldg. 2, Ste. 200 Athens, GA 706-549-1663 B. Cristian Jaliu, MD Georgia Neurological Surgery and Comprehensive Spine 2142 W. Broad Street Bldg. 100, Ste. 200 Athens, GA 30606 706-548-6881 Joseph M. Savitz, D.O./Physiatrist Athens Orthopedic Clinic 1765 Old W. Broad St., Bldg.2, Ste. 200 Athens, GA 706-549-1663

Physical Therapy Athens Orthopedic Clinic 1765 Old W. Broad St., Bldg. 2, Ste. 200 Athens, GA 706-549-1663 Athens Physical Therapy Physicians Back and Neck Clinic 108 Park Ave. Athens, GA 706-546-1333

12605 Augusta Rd. Lavonia, GA 706-356-1333 Athens Regional Rehabilitation Services 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-3511 Brian E. Prell, PT, MS, CDMA, RRT Rehabilitation & Performance

Center 1747 Langford Dr., Bldg. 400, Suite 103 Bogart, GA 706-395-3628

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Physicians Listings St. Mary’s Outpatient Rehabilitation Services 2470 Daniells Bridge Rd, Bldg 300 Athens, GA 706-389-2950

Plastic Surgery Cesar Gumucio, MD Gumucio Plastic Surgery 489 N. Milledge Ave. Athens, GA 706-613-6650 John E. Hurteau, MD Athens Plastic Surgery Center 2325 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-546-0280 Stephen B. Lober, MD Athens Plastic Surgery Center 2325 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-546-0280 James A. Parker, MD Parker Plastic Surgery 1181 Langford Dr., Bldg. 300, Ste. 105 Bogart, GA 706-543-0404 C. Edwin Pittman, MD Pittman Plastic Surgery, P.C. 3320 Old Jefferson Rd., Bldg. 100 Athens, GA 706-549-3203

Podiatry James L. Bouchard, DPM Allied Ankle & Foot Care Centers 650 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 5 Athens, GA 706-548-2740 Howard Bryant, DPM Absolute Foot & Ankle Center 2575 Snapfinger Rd., Ste. D Decatur, GA 770-981-6940 Tom Dang, DPM Family Footcare Center 679 Hospital Rd. Commerce, GA 706-335-4884 Frank J. DiPalma, DPMF Five County Foot Care 2003 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-354-1540 Anthony R. Gordon, DPM 798 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-208-9977 Jennifer Jacobs, DPM 1747 Langford Dr., Bldg. 400-102 Bogart, GA 706-425-5433 Jon T. Middleton, DPM Family Footcare Center 679 Hospital Rd. Commerce, GA 706-335-4884 Mostafa Niknafs, DPM 1010 Prince Ave., Ste. 180 Athens, GA 706-548-2544 Steven Richman, DPM Family Footcare Center 679 Hospital Rd. Commerce, GA 706-335-4884 Mauro A. Rossi, DPM Athens Podiatry 3320 Old Jefferson Rd., Bldg. 300, Ste. A Athens, GA 706-546-7417 Anastasia Thomas, DPM Allied Ankle & Foot Care Centers 650 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 5 Athens, GA 706-548-2740

Psychiatry

Public Health

Radiology

John R. Curtis, MD Adolescent and Adult Psychiatry 700 Sunset Dr., Bldg, 200, Ste. 201 Athens, GA 706-613-2799

Claude Burnett, MD County Health Departments: Barrow, Clarke, Elbert, Greene, Jackson, Madison, Morgan, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Walton

John W. Barton, MD Athens Radiology Associates 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-3676

Ed Glauser, M.Ed., N.C.C., L.P.C. Licensed Professional Counselor 1 Huntington Rd., Suite 205 Athens, GA info@mindbodymedicinenetwork. com

Pulmonary

Stephen G. Bramlett, MD Athens Radiology Associates 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-3676

Shahzad Hashmi, MD Advantage Behavioral Health Systems 195 Miles St. Athens, GA 800-715-4225 Melinda Hawley, LCSW Mind Body Institute (ARMC) 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-7330 Steven M. Hines, MD 188 S. Milledge Ave. Athens, GA 706-549-2087 Mehmood Mehdi, MD Advantage Behavioral Health Systems 195 Miles St. Athens, GA 800-715-4225 Richard A. Panico, MD Mind Body Institute (ARMC) 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-7330 Bill Skelton, D. Ac Mind Body Institute (ARMC) 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-7330 Tim Sweatman, LCSW Mind Body Institute (ARMC) 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-7330 Mona Taylor, LCSW Mind Body Institute (ARMC) 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-7330 Marie Williams, Ph.D Talk Works, Inc. 3001 Monroe Hwy., Ste. 600-C Watkinsville, GA 706-224-0012

Psychology Tara Weiszer, Ph.D. Licensed Psychologist 1551 Jennings Mill Rd., Ste. 2000B Watkinsville, GA 706-424-5686

Psychotherapy Melinda D. Hawley, LCSW Mind Body Institute Athens Regional Medical Center 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-7330 Tina Sweatman, LCSW Mind Body Institute Athens Regional Medical Center 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-7330 Mona Taylor, LCSW Mind Body Institute Athens Regional Medical Center 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-7330

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Nehal K. Bhatt, MD Athens Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Center 3320 Old Jefferson Rd., Bldg. 200, Ste. A Athens, GA 706-549-5560 Jakemia Coleman, MD Athens Pulmonary & Allergy, PC 3320 Old Jefferson Rd. #200A Athens, GA 706-549-5560 F. Hugh Jenkins, MD Athens Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Center 3320 Old Jefferson Rd., Bldg. 200, Ste. A Athens, GA 706-549-5560 Karan Julka, MD Athens Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Center 3320 Old Jefferson Rd., Bldg. 200, Ste. A Athens, GA 706-549-5560 Stephen K. Lucas, MD Athens Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Center 3320 Old Jefferson Rd., Bldg. 200, Ste. A Athens, GA 706-549-5560 Thomas Martin, MD Athens Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Center 3320 Old Jefferson Rd., Bldg. 200, Ste. A Athens, GA 706-549-5560 Wayne F. Middendorf, MD Athens Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Center 3320 Old Jefferson Rd., Bldg. 200, Ste. A Athens, GA 706-549-5560 Jane M. Parks, MD Athens Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Center 3320 Old Jefferson Rd., Bldg. 200, Ste. A Athens, GA 706-549-5560 Shraddha Tongia, MD Athens Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Center 3320 Old Jefferson Rd., Bldg. 200, Ste. A Athens, GA 706-549-5560 Milos Tucakovic, MD Athens Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Center 3320 Old Jefferson Rd., Bldg. 200, Ste. A Athens, GA 706-549-5560

Patrick W. Cherry, MD Athens Radiology Associates 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-3676 Jon J. DeWitte, MD Athens Radiology Associates 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-3676 Brigid M. Gerety, MD Athens Radiology Associates 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-3676 Andrew J. Greenshields, MD Athens Radiology Associates 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-3676 William T. Herrington, MD Athens Radiology Associates 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-3676 Stuart M. Jacobsen, MD Gwinnett Medical Center Radiology Department 1000 Medical Center Blvd.

Lawrenceville, GA 678-312-4440 Shane Kudela, MD Athens Radiology Associates 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-3676 Daniel Measel, MD Athens Radiology Associates 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-3676 Val M. Phillips, MD Gwinnett Medical Center Radiology Department Lawrenceville, GA 678-312-4440 Robert Rhodes, MD Athens Radiology Associates 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-3676 Harry Rinker, MD Gwinnett Medical Center Radiology Department 1000 Medical Center Blvd.

Lawrenceville, GA 678-312-4440 C. Randall Smith, MD Athens Radiology Associates 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-3676 Jerry O. Smith, MD Athens Radiology Associates 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-3676 Philip G. Van Dyck, MD Athens Radiology Associates 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-3676

Janet R. Wall, MD Athens Radiology Associates 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-3676 Ronald C. Walpert II, MD Athens Radiology Associates 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-3676 David L. Wicker, MD Athens Radiology Associates 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-3676 James York, MD Gwinnett Medical Center Radiology Department 1000 Medical Center Blvd.

Lawrenceville, GA 678-312-4440

Radiology Oncology James B. Benton, MD Radiotherapy Clinics of Georgia 2349 Lawrenceville Hwy. Decatur, GA 404-320-1550 Frank Critz, MD Radiotherapy Clinics of Georgia 2349 Lawrenceville Hwy. Decatur, GA 404-320-1550 Russell Hinerman, MD University Cancer & Blood Center 220 Hawthorne Park Athens, GA 706-548-0500 Mark Merlin, MD Radiotherapy Clinics of Georgia 2349 Lawrenceville Hwy. Decatur, GA 404-320-1550 Narendra K. Shah, MD University Cancer & Blood Center 220 Hawthorne Park Athens, GA 706-548-0500 Gordon O. Shoenfeld, MD University Cancer & Blood Center 220 Hawthorne Park Athens, GA 706-548-0500 Ronald L. Terry, MD University Cancer & Blood Center 220 Hawthorne Park Athens, GA 706-548-0500

Rehabilitation Athens Regional Rehabilitation Services 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-3511 Cardiac Rehabilitation at St. Mary’s 1230 Baxter St. Athens, GA 706-389-2915 RiverMend Health Center of Athens 230 Briarcliff Road Athens, GA 844-303-2834 St. Mary’s Center for Rehabilitation Medicine 1230 Baxter St. Athens, GA 706-372-4419 St. Mary’s Outpatient Rehab 2470 Daniells Bridge Rd. Athens, GA 706-389-2950 Athens Orthopedic Clinic 1765 Old West Broad St., Bldg. 2 Athens, GA 706-549-1663

Physicians Listings Renal Athens Renal Center 2047 Prince Ave., Ste. A Athens, GA 706-549-2133 Srilakshmi Rebala, MD Georgia Renal Associates 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 500C Athens, GA 706-546-7484

Rheumatology Anthony Deutsch, MD Allergy, Asthma & Arthritis Center of Athens 330 Hawthorne Lane Athens, GA 706-546-8518 Loreen Hunt, MD Allergy, Asthma & Arthritis Center of Athens 330 Hawthorne Lane Athens, GA 706-546-8518

Services

Medical Services

A.C.T. Home Care, Inc. Home Care Services 1075 Gaines School Rd. Athens, GA 706-559-4432 Bet-Townsend Hearing Aids 1650 W. Broad St. Athens, GA 706-410-2580 Caring Man In A Van Personal Care Transportation 706-342-1566 Children’s Medical Services 645 Meigs St. Athens, GA 706-389-6923 Family Care, Inc. Home Healthcare Services 855 Sunset Dr. #6 Athens, GA 1-800-791-5156 Jennings Mill Drug Company 1360 Caduceus Way, Bldg. 400, Ste. 105 Watkinsville, GA 706-621-5996 Medlink Colbert 11 Charlie Morris Rd. Colbert, GA 706-788-2127 247 Union Point Rd. Lexington, GA 706-743-8171 Medlink Winder 122 West Athens Street Winder, GA 770-867-6633

Personal Services

Athens Community Council on Aging 135 Hoyt St. Athens, GA 706-549-4850 Athens First Bank & Trust 150 W. Hancock Ave. Athens, GA 706-357-7070 New Horizon Medical Institute 114 N. Broad St. Winder, GA 678-963-0387 St. Mary’s Highland Hills 1660 Jennings Mill Rd. Watkinsville, GA 706-353-8840 St. Mary’s Hospice & Hospice House 1660 Jennings Mill Rd. Watkinsville, GA 706-353-8840

Talmage Terrace-Lanier Gardens 801 Riverhill Dr. Athens, GA 706-369-7100

Sleep Disorder Specialists Athens Regional Sleep Center 1199 Prince Ave., Athens, GA 706-475-5017 Athens Sleep & Wellness Center 1490 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-613-6990 St. Mary’s Sleep Disorders Center 2410 Daniells Bridge Rd, Bldg 300 Athens, GA 706-389-3200 Subodh K. Agrawal, MD, MBBS Athens Sleep & Wellness Center 1490 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-613-6990 Nehal Bhatt, MD Athens Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Center 3320 Old Jefferson Rd., Bldg. 200, Ste. A Athens, GA 706-549-5560 Hugh Jenkins, MD Athens Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Center 3320 Old Jefferson Rd., Bldg. 200, Ste. A Athens, GA 706-549-5560 John P. Lazenby, MD Athens Pulmonary, Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Center 3320 Old Jefferson Rd., Bldg. 200, Ste. A Athens, GA 706-549-5560 Wayne Middendorf, MD Athens Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Center 3320 Old Jefferson Rd., Bldg. 200, Ste. A Athens, GA 706-549-5560 Jane M. Parks, MD Athens Pulmonary, Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Center 3320 Old Jefferson Rd., Bldg. 200, Ste. A Athens, GA 706-549-5560 Meredith Petry Athens Sleep and Wellness Center 1490 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-202-3151 Ram C. Sharma, MD Athens Sleep & Wellness Center 1490 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-613-6990 Shraddha Tongia, MD Athens Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Center 3320 Old Jefferson Rd., Bldg. 200, Ste. A Athens, GA 706-549-5560 Milos Tucakovic, MD Athens Pulmonary Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Center 3320 Old Jefferson Rd., Bldg. 200, Ste. A Athens, GA 706-549-5560

Terry L. Wimpey, MD, PhD Athens Neurological Associates 1088 A Baxter St. Athens, GA 706-353-0606

Eva Katherine Moore, MD Athens Regional Specialty Services 740 Prince Ave., Bldg. 1-B Athens, GA 706-549-5554

Speech Therapy

Mohammed H. Obeidin, MD Athens Regional Specialty Services 1010 Prince Ave., Ste. 186N Athens, GA 706-548-0991

Athens Regional Rehabilitation Services 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-3511 St. Mary’s Rehabilitation ServicesAdult Speech Therapy 2470 Daniells Bridge Rd. Athens, GA 706-389-2950

Surgery Cardiology Theresa Luu, MD Emory Healthcare 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-1950 Vincent J. Maffei, MD, FACS Athens Thoracic & Vascular Surgery, P.C. 784 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-208-1144 Cullen Morris, MD Emory Healthcare 1199 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-475-1950

Surgery Colon and Rectal Gregory A. DeLaurier, MD Athens Regional Specialty Services 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 3600 Athens, GA 706-546-7646 Andrew Lawrence, MD Athens General & Colorectal

Surgeons 740 Prince Ave., Bldg. 2 Athens, GA 706-548-5488 Sergio Mejias, MD Athens General & Colorectal

Surgeons 740 Prince Ave., Bldg. 2 Athens, GA 706-548-5488

Surgery General Robert M. Cannon II, MD Athens Area Surgical Associates 700 Sunset Dr., Ste. 503 Athens, GA 706-613-1040 E. W. Cody Gunn III, M.D., F.A.C.S. Athens Regional Specialty Services 740 Prince Ave., Bldg. 1-B. Athens, GA 706-549-5554 Thomas H. Hawk, Jr., MD Athens Regional Specialty Services 740 Prince Ave., Bldg. 8-A Athens, GA 706-353-1630 Andrew Lawrence, MD Athens General & Colorectal Surgeons 740 Prince Avenue, Building 2 Athens, GA 30606 706-548-5488 Rembert M. McElhannon MD, F.A.C.S Athens Regional Specialty Services 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 3600 Athens, GA 706-546-7646 Sergio T. Mejias, MD Athens General & Colorectal Surgeons 740 Prince Avenue, Building 2 Athens, GA 30606 706-548-5488

Steve M. Shirley, MD Northeast Georgia Surgical Consultants 1270 Prince Ave., Ste. 102 Athens, GA 706-543-5873 Whitney L. Webb, MD Athens Regional Specialty Services 740 Prince Ave. Bldg 8-A Athens, GA 706-353-1630

Surgery Neurological Bryan B. Barnes, MD Georgia Neurological Surgery and Comprehensive Spine 2142 W. Broad Street Bldg. 100, Ste. 200 Athens, GA 706-548-6881 Harlan J. Bruner, MD Georgia Neurological Surgery and Comprehensive Spine 2142 W. Broad St. Bldg. 100, Ste. 200 Athens, GA 706-548-6881 John V Cuff, MD Georgia Neurological Surgery and Comprehensive Spine 2142 W. Broad St. Bldg. 100, Ste. 200 Athens, GA 706-548-6881 Kimberly P. Walpert, MD Georgia Neurological Surgery and Comprehensive Spine 2142 W. Broad St. Bldg. 100, Ste. 200 Athens, GA 706-548-6881

Surgery Thoracic Vincent Maffei, MD 784 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-208-1144 Chris E. Malone, MD, FACS Athens Vein & Thoracic Specialists 1181 Langford Dr., Bldg. 306, Ste. 104 Bogart, GA 706-850-3444

Surgery Vascular Mark J. Costantino, MD Athens Vascular Specialists/ VeinSolutions 195 King Ave. Athens, GA 706-549-8306 Christopher Everett, MD Athens Vascular Surgery, PC 195 King Ave. Athens, GA 706-549-8306 Jeffrey Pearce, MD Athens Vascular Specialists/ VeinSolutions 195 King Ave. Athens, GA 706-549-8306 David M. Sailors, MD Athens Vascular Specialists/ VeinSolutions 195 King Ave. Athens, GA 706-549-8306

Jonathan Woody, MD Athens Vascular Specialists/ VeinSolutions 195 King Ave. Athens, GA 706-549-8306

Urgent Care Athens Orthopedic Clinic Urgent Care 125 King Ave. Athens, GA (706) 549-1663 Paul Broun, MD 1061 Dowdy Rd., Ste. 100 Athens, GA 706-621-7575 Errol G. Duncan, MD Reddy Urgent Care 1061 Dowdy Rd., Ste. 100 Athens, GA 706-621-7575 Reddy Urgent Care 1061 Dowdy Rd., Ste. 100 Athens, GA* 132 Franklin Springs St. Royston, GA* 138 West Gibson St. Hartwell, GA* 280 General Daniels Ave. Danielsville, GA 500 Great Oaks Dr., Ste. 9 Monroe, GA 706-621-7575 *Mon-Sat: 8am-8pm, Sun: 10am-6pm ReddyUrgentCareCenters.com Need to see a doctor now? Walk-in medical care. “Reddy” 7 days with extended hours. See us for all your sickness, injuries, sports/pre-emp physicals, various drug screenings and occupational medicine needs.

In-house X-ray, EKG and lab. Costs less than ER, most major insurances accepted. Located opposite Epps Bridge Walmart behind Ryan’s.

Regional FirstCare Highway 29 North Athens, GA 706-353-6000 1010 Village Dr. Watkinsville, GA 706-769-0000 528 Panther Dr. Jefferson, GA 706-387-5555 340 Exchange Blvd.

Winder, GA 678-963-7171

Urology David C. Allen, MD The Urology Clinic 120 Trinity Pl. Athens, GA 706-543-2718 John C. Blankenship, MD Urology Group of Athens 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 2000 Athens, GA 706-543-6261 Robert R. Byrne, MD Ellison, Walton and Byrne 2142 W. Broad St., Bldg. 200, Ste. 200 Athens, GA 706-612-9401 Mark F. Ellison, MD Ellison, Walton and Byrne 2142 W. Broad St., Bldg. 200, Ste. 200 Athens, GA 706-612-9401 Thomas H. Oliver, MD Urology Group of Athens 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 2000 Athens, GA 706-543-6261

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Physicians Listings Catherine Schwender, MD Urology Group of Athens 1500 Oglethorpe Ave., Ste. 2000 Athens, GA 706-543-6261

Gary R. Walton, MD Ellison, Walton and Byrne 2142 W. Broad St., Bldg. 200, Ste. 200 Athens, GA 706-612-9401

Vein Therapy Chris E. Malone, MD, FACS Athens Vein & Thoracic Specialists 1181 Langford Dr., Bldg. 306, Ste. 104 Bogart, GA 706-850-3444

Vincent Maffei, MD Maffei Vein Center 784 Prince Ave. Athens, GA 706-208-1144

Continued from Page 8

Studies have found massage can be helpful in relieving pain in people with cancer. It may also help relieve anxiety, fatigue and stress.

Massage can be safe if you work with a knowledgeable massage therapist. Many cancer centers have massage therapists on staff, or your doctor can refer you to a massage therapist who regularly works with people who have cancer.

Don’t have a massage if your blood counts are very low. Ask the massage therapist to avoid massaging near surgical scars, radiation treatment areas or tumors. If you have cancer in your bones or other bone diseases, such as osteoporosis, ask the massage therapist to use light pressure, rather than deep massage.

Meditation. Meditation is a state of deep concentration when you focus your mind on one image, sound or idea, such as a positive thought. When meditating, you might also do deepbreathing or relaxation exercises.

Meditation may help people with cancer by relieving anxiety and stress.

Meditation is generally safe. You can meditate on your own for a few minutes once or twice a day or you can take a class with an instructor.

Music therapy. During music therapy sessions, you might listen to music, play instruments, sing songs or write lyrics. A trained music therapist may lead you through activities designed to meet your specific needs, or you may participate in music therapy in a group setting. Music therapy may help relieve pain and control nausea and vomiting.

Music therapy is safe and doesn’t require any musical talent to participate. Many medical centers have certified music therapists on staff.

Relaxation techniques. Relaxation techniques are ways of focusing your

58 THRIVE | Fall/Winter 2015

A massage can be helpful in relieving pain, anxiety, fatigue and stress.

attention on calming your mind and relaxing your muscles. Relaxation techniques might include activities such as visualization exercises or progressive muscle relaxation.

Relaxation techniques may be helpful in relieving anxiety and fatigue.

They may also help people with cancer sleep better.

Relaxation techniques are safe.

Typically a therapist leads you through these exercises and eventually you may be able to do them on your own or with the help of guided relaxation recordings.

Tai chi. Tai chi is a form of exercise that incorporates gentle movements and deep breathing. Tai chi can be led by an instructor, or you can learn tai chi on your own following books or videos. Practicing tai chi may help relieve stress.

Tai chi is generally safe. The slow movements of tai chi don’t require great physical strength, and the exercises can be easily adapted to your

own abilities. Still, talk to your doctor before beginning tai chi. Don’t do any tai chi moves that cause pain.

Yoga. Yoga combines stretching exercises with deep breathing. During a yoga session, you position your body in various poses that require bending, twisting and stretching. There are many types of yoga, each with its own variations.

Yoga may provide some stress relief for people with cancer. Yoga has also been shown to improve sleep and reduce fatigue.

Before beginning a yoga class, ask your doctor to recommend an instructor who regularly works with people with health concerns, such as cancer. Avoid yoga poses that cause pain. A good instructor can give you alternative poses that are safe for you.

You may find some alternative treatments work well together. For instance, deep breathing during a massage may provide further stress relief.

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