UNC Family Medicine

UNC Family Medicine Patient-centered primary care - groundbreaking research - the training of future leaders in medicine.

It's , which runs from National Nurses Day on May 6 to May 12 - Florence Nightingale's birthday. We would like to recog...
05/06/2026

It's , which runs from National Nurses Day on May 6 to May 12 - Florence Nightingale's birthday. We would like to recognize our crew of All-Star nurses at all The UNC Family Medicine Centers at Chapel Hill (main campus), Carraway Village, Durham, and South Durham, many of whom you know and love. These nurses provide outstanding, compassionate care to a diverse patient population.

Happy Nurses Week to our amazing Family Medicine nurses and to nurses everywhere! We appreciate all that you do. Thank a nurse!

UNC Family Medicine is proud to recognize several physicians who have been named 2026 Carolina Care Excellence Award hon...
04/29/2026

UNC Family Medicine is proud to recognize several physicians who have been named 2026 Carolina Care Excellence Award honorees by UNC Hospitals and UNC Faculty Physicians. This annual award celebrates physicians and advanced practice providers who consistently deliver compassionate, high-quality, patient-centered care.

Honorees are selected based on patient feedback from the Press Ganey Medical Practice Survey, which measures patients’ likelihood of recommending their provider to family and friends. During this year’s survey window, 240 providers across UNC Hospitals received the highest recommendation scores, placing them in the top quartile nationally.

These awards reflect the strong relationships UNC Family Medicine physicians build with patients and families, as well as their ongoing commitment to excellent care for ALL people across clinical, educational, and community settings.

Congrats to all of this year’s honorees for their dedication to serving patients and advancing family medicine!

March is , and we’re proud to spotlight Natalie Wrenn, MS, LAT, ATC, a Certified Athletic Trainer who plays a vital rol...
03/27/2026

March is , and we’re proud to spotlight Natalie Wrenn, MS, LAT, ATC, a Certified Athletic Trainer who plays a vital role on our UNC Primary Care Sports Medicine team at The UNC Family Medicine Center at Durham.

Natalie works closely with our Sports Medicine physicians to support patients of all ages and activity levels - from athletes to those managing chronic or everyday musculoskeletal concerns. Her work focuses on helping people manage pain, stay active, and return to the activities that matter most to them.

Natalie states, “What I enjoy most about working with the UNC Family Medicine Sports Medicine team as an Athletic Trainer is the variety of patients I get to support and the opportunity to make a real impact on their daily function. I love helping people manage pain, stay active, and return to the activities they care about… I’m energized by the mix of clinical problem solving and patient connection.”

From concussion evaluations and individualized rehabilitation programs to assisting with ultrasound-guided injections, Natalie’s expertise and collaboration help elevate patient care while supporting the education of resident and fellow physicians. Thanks for your excellent work, Natalie!

🌟 We’re hiring! 🌟
Interested in joining a collaborative, patient-centered Sports Medicine team like Natalie? UNC Family Medicine is hiring Athletic Trainers to support our growing Primary Care Sports Medicine clinic. Learn more here: go.unc.edu/FamMed-AthleticTrainer

March is Social Work Month! We're proud to highlight our team of social workers, who are an integral part of the care we...
03/25/2026

March is Social Work Month! We're proud to highlight our team of social workers, who are an integral part of the care we provide! Social workers at UNC Family Medicine are integrated into our primary care clinical service, offering behavioral health resources, coordinating care, connecting patients to services outside the clinic, and helping address various social determinants of health to better achieve health equity, benefiting all people. Make sure to thank a social worker!

We'd also like to highlight our MedServe Fellows, who work closely with our Social Work team and assist in providing many services as well.

Show them some love to say thanks to all for their selfless work in improving care for all patients!

It's , and we are EXCITED to announce our newest class of UNC Family Medicine Residents! This talented, diverse group o...
03/20/2026

It's , and we are EXCITED to announce our newest class of UNC Family Medicine Residents! This talented, diverse group of upcoming residents join us from across the United States. We can’t wait for you to get to know these future leaders in medicine! We look forward to working with and learning from them.

Special thanks to our incredible team who worked to make this day happen, including our resident recruitment chairs and our recruitment team, which includes coordinators Ashley Heidinger and Amanda Harvey, MA, and is led by Residency Program Manager Jess Smith, MPM, and Residency Director Mallory McClester Brown, MD!

Congrats to all med student matches throughout the country, especially those in primary care, the backbone of medicine!

❤️Family Medicine Means Everyone❤️

UNC Family Medicine was honored to host Kameron Leigh Matthews, MD, JD, FAAFP (middle in photo) as the featured speaker ...
03/19/2026

UNC Family Medicine was honored to host Kameron Leigh Matthews, MD, JD, FAAFP (middle in photo) as the featured speaker for the 2026 Robert R. Huntley, MD Lecture, an annual event that elevates leadership, innovation, and scholarship in family medicine. The Huntley Lecture continues its mission to highlight transformative work in primary care and serves as a key educational forum for learners, clinicians, and community partners committed to advancing health equity.

Dr. Matthews, a nationally recognized physician-leader, currently serves as Chief Health Officer of IMPaCT Care, where she helps organizations harness the strengths of the grassroots Community Health Workforce. She brings a distinguished record of service, including leadership roles as Chief Medical Officer at Cityblock Health and as Assistant Under Secretary of Health and Chief Medical Officer for the Veterans Health Administration.

A member of the National Academy of Medicine and a longtime advocate for diversifying the physician workforce, Dr. Matthews also co-founded Tour for Diversity in Medicine, expanding opportunities for underrepresented students across the country. Her educational path includes degrees from Duke University, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and the University of Chicago Law School, followed by a family medicine residency at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

In her address, Dr. Matthews shared insights on community-centered care, system transformation, and the importance of investing in a primary care workforce equipped to meet the needs of marginalized communities. Her message resonated deeply with the department’s commitment to improving the health and well‑being of all North Carolinians.

Pictured: Dana Iglesias, MD, MPH; Matthews; UNC Family Medicine Chair Margaret Helton, MD

Emily Hawes, PharmD, BCPS, CPP, professor of Family Medicine and Director of the Sheps Graduate Medical Education Techni...
03/13/2026

Emily Hawes, PharmD, BCPS, CPP, professor of Family Medicine and Director of the Sheps Graduate Medical Education Technical Assistance Center at the UNC Sheps Center for Health Services Research, delivered invited testimony on February 24th before the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means, Subcommittee on Health.

Dr. Hawes, a rural clinical pharmacist who practices in Boone, North Carolina, shared insights during the hearing, “Advancing the Next Generation of America’s Health Care Workforce” on February 24th. Drawing on her extensive work leading the Rural Residency Planning and Development and Teaching Health Center GME Technical Assistance Centers, she emphasized the critical role of rural residency training in addressing nationwide physician shortages and expanding access to care in underserved areas.

In her testimony, Dr. Hawes highlighted evidence demonstrating that physicians who train in rural settings are significantly more likely to practice in rural communities. She outlined several policy recommendations to strengthen and sustain rural training pathways, including expanding Medicare GME flexibilities, supporting new residency development, and ensuring rural hospitals receive adequate funding to maintain training programs.

Dr. Hawes’ national leadership in rural graduate medical education is informed by both her research and firsthand experience living and practicing in rural western North Carolina. Her testimony underscored how targeted federal investment can directly improve access to primary care, behavioral health services, obstetrics, and chronic disease management in rural communities.

Her perspective reflects both her national leadership in rural graduate medical education and her connection to the work of UNC Family Medicine, which has long prioritized rural health, workforce development, and expanding access to high-quality primary care across North Carolina.

Watch her testimony and view the transcript here: go.unc.edu/Hawes-US-House

UNC Health Chatham Hospital was featured by NC Health News today, highlighting a recently published three-year review of...
03/06/2026

UNC Health Chatham Hospital was featured by NC Health News today, highlighting a recently published three-year review of their Maternity Care Center, and its family‑physician‑led model that is helping restore access to maternity care in rural communities. The article underscores how Chatham’s approach offers a sustainable, patient-centered model for meeting the needs of growing families close to home. The article features several faculty who lead or work at Chatham: Jesus Ruiz, MD; Family Medicine Chair Margaret Helton, MD; Chatham Chief Medical Officer Andy Hannapel, MD; MCC Medical Director Dana Iglesias, MD; features review authors Katie Wouk, PhD; Ellen Chentwynd, PhD, MPH, IBCLC; and Chatham Chief Operating and Nurse Officer Eric Wolak, MSN, MHA, RN, NEA-BC.

We're also proud to report that UNC Health Chatham Hospital has been named a High Performing Hospital for Maternity Care by U.S. News and World Report, a distinction shared by only five UNC Health hospitals statewide. This recognition reflects the commitment of clinicians, staff, and partners who work every day to ensure safe, high‑quality care for patients throughout the region.

UNC Family Medicine is honored to support and collaborate with teams advancing accessible, community‑rooted maternity care across North Carolina.

Read the NC Health News article: go.unc.edu/ChathamMCC-NCHealthNews

Read about the MCC review: go.unc.edu/Chatham-MCC-Eval

Read about the US News & World Report recognition: go.unc.edu/ChathamBestMCC

February is American Heart Month, and our teams at the UNC Family Medicine Centers at Chapel Hill, Carraway Village, Dur...
02/27/2026

February is American Heart Month, and our teams at the UNC Family Medicine Centers at Chapel Hill, Carraway Village, Durham, and South Durham showed their support by wearing red each Friday to raise awareness of cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in the United States.

Thank you to our incredible clinicians and staff for your daily work to prevent and treat heart disease! Swipe to the final image for tips on managing and preventing high blood pressure, and reach out anytime with questions about your heart health.

*WINTER WEATHER UPDATE*Due to another winter storm expected this weekend, the following scheduling updates are in place:...
01/30/2026

*WINTER WEATHER UPDATE*

Due to another winter storm expected this weekend, the following scheduling updates are in place:

SATURDAY, JANUARY 31:
-The UNC Family Medicine Center at Chapel Hill - 8:00AM-12:00PM
-Urgent Care at The UNC Family Medicine Center at Chapel Hill - CLOSED

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1:
-Urgent Care at The UNC Family Medicine Center at Chapel Hill - CLOSED

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 2:
-The UNC Family Medicine Centers at Chapel Hill (along with Urgent Care), Carraway Village, Durham, and South Durham -
OPEN at 1:00PM

For Urgent Care concerns, patients are encouraged to utilize UNC Health Virtual Care Now services:
unchealth.org/care-services/virtual-care/virtual-care-now

Check back here for further updates. Stay safe and warm!

The UNC Department of Family Medicine has launched UNC Health’s first fully embedded Primary Care Behavioral Health Coll...
01/28/2026

The UNC Department of Family Medicine has launched UNC Health’s first fully embedded Primary Care Behavioral Health Collaborative, a private practice–based model that brings mental health services directly into primary care to improve access, reduce stigma, and support earlier intervention across the lifespan. Based at UNC Health Family Medicine & Pediatrics at East Pittsboro, the initiative is supported by donor funding.

Patients can now meet with a behavioral health specialist through real-time warm handoffs during their medical visit, ensuring timely, compassionate support for concerns such as depression, anxiety, trauma, grief, substance use, and behavioral health needs tied to chronic conditions.

Led by Medical Director Erik Butler, DO, and behavioral health consultant Jacqueline Fuentes, LCSW, the program is transforming care through short-term counseling, immediate consultation, and seamless collaboration between medical and behavioral health providers.

The initiative builds on UNC Family Medicine’s long-standing commitment to integrated behavioral health, including its nationally recognized residency training model led by Linda Myerholtz, PhD, and faculty leadership in the UNC Behavioral Health Workforce Research Center, directed by Briana Lombardi, PhD, MSW.

It extends more than a decade of integrated behavioral health at UNC Health across 81 primary care and pediatric practices, including clinic-based specialists, crisis support, virtual care, and sustainable models that improve outcomes. What sets East Pittsboro apart is philanthropy-supported, real-time warm handoffs that bridge reimbursement gaps and connect patients directly with behavioral health care during their visit.

This work honors Dr. James B. Holt, who served Chatham and Lee counties for more than 40 years. Dr. Butler worked alongside Dr. Holt in Pittsboro, and the program continues his legacy through the Dr. James B. Holt Endowment. “Dr. Holt modeled nonjudgmental care,” Butler said. “This program keeps that spirit alive by making behavioral health an essential part of primary care for our community.”

Read more:
go.unc.edu/EastPittsboro-PCBH

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590 Manning Drive
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27599

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Thursday 7am - 7pm
Friday 7am - 7pm
Saturday 8am - 12pm

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