AppFamily Medicine Providers
AppFamily Medicine providers are a team of board-certified family medicine physicians joined by resident physicians as a part of the MAHEC Rural Family Residency Program in Boone. Our residents are doctors who are fully licensed to practice medicine in North Carolina. AppFamily physicians work together with our residents to provide family medicine, pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, care for older adults, same-day acute care, and more, while training talented young doctors.
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Molly Benedum, MD
AppFamily Medicine
Specialty: Family Medicine
Dr. Molly Benedum is a board-certified family physician. She provides comprehensive primary care for all ages, including newborn/pediatric care and inpatient hospital care. Special clinical interests include women’s health, adolescent medicine, and integrative medicine. She loves caring for underserved and vulnerable populations. She divides her time between seeing patients and directing the new MAHEC Rural Family Medicine Residency Program and is passionate about teaching the next generation of excellent primary care physicians to serve the High Country.
David Brendle, DO
AppFamily Medicine
Specialty: Family Medicine
David Brendle, DO, joined Appalachian Regional Healthcare System in April 2017. Dr. Brendle completed his undergraduate degree in Business Administration at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and his master’s degree in Exercise Science at Appalachian State University. Before attending medical school, he worked at the Geriatric Research and Education Clinical Center (GRECC) in Baltimore, Maryland. He graduated from medical school at Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine in Pennsylvania and completed his family medicine residency at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, NC.
Karen Isaacs, MD,MPH
AppFamily Medicine
Specialty: Family Medicine
Dr. Isaacs received her undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and attended Wake Forest School of Medicine. She completed her family medicine residency at New Hanover Regional Medical Center in Wilmington, NC. Dr. Isaacs has 11 years of experience as a full spectrum family medicine physician, six of which she served as the medical director for a non-profit adolescent health clinic. She has a special clinical interest in harm reduction, health disparities, and community medicine.
In her free time, Dr. Isaacs enjoys playing volleyball, jogging, and spending time with her spouse.
Chris L. McCracken, MD
AppFamily Medicine
Specialty: Family Medicine
Chris McCracken, MD graduated from Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk, VA, and completed his Family Medicine residency at Washington Hospital in Washington, PA. Particular interests of his within Family Medicine include women’s health, pediatric and adolescent medicine, orthopaedic and sports medicine, and in-office dermatologic procedures.
Beverly Womack, MD
AppFamily Medicine
Specialty: Obstetrics, Gynecology, Women’s Health
Dr. Beverly Womack, a board certified gynecologist, graduated summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, with a B.S. degree in Microbiology from the University of Georgia. She completed medical school and residency at Medical College of Georgia, serving as the chief administrative resident in 2001. Dr. Womack moved to Boone from Americus, Georgia in 2009 with her husband and two busy boys.
Laura Zimmerman, MD
AppFamily Medicine
Specialty: Family Medicine
Laura Zimmerman, Ph.D., M.D., provides same-day and walk-in care at AppFamily Medicine. Dr. Zimmerman completed her medical training at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her residency at Duke University Medical Center and Pitt County Memorial Hospital. Outside of medicine, she also has her M.ED. from the University of Houston and her Ph.D. from the University of Georgia.
Before joining Appalachian Regional Healthcare System, she practiced medicine at Rex Express Care in Holly Springs, NC. When not at work, she enjoys reading, exercise and going to the theatre.
Third Year Residents
Connor Glen Brunson, MD
MAHEC Rural Family Medicine Residency
Specialty: Family Medicine
Dr. Brunson comes to the High Country with a background as a middle school science teacher and an EMT. He earned a BS in Public Health from the University of South Carolina and his medical degree at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine, Greenville. His special clinical interests include obstetrics, narrative medicine and underserved populations. He says being in Boone helps him reconnect with a small community and return to nature. Dr. Brunson is a musician who writes his own music as well as plays the guitar, drums and piano. He is also a Dungeons and Dragons enthusiast.
Toria Knox, DO
MAHEC Rural Family Medicine Residency
Specialty: Family Medicine
Dr. Knox is passionate about rural underserved healthcare in Appalachia. She received her BS in biochemistry from Virginia Tech and DO from Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine. Her special clinical interests include lifestyle medicine, osteopathic manipulative treatment and caring for vulnerable populations. She enjoys gardening, outdoor activities, learning new things, and snuggling with her 16-year-old cat Rascal.
Caitlin Porter, DO
MAHEC Rural Family Medicine Residency
Specialty: Family Medicine
Originally from the mountains of Western North Carolina, Dr. Porter is excited about practicing medicine in Boone. She received a degree in biology from Gardner-Webb University and completed medical school at Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine. Special clinical interests include patient education, rural and underserved populations, and osteopathic manipulative treatments. She enjoys fishing, hiking, spending time with family and hanging out with her goldendoodle Bogey. Her husband is a teaching professional at Grandfather Golf and Country Club.
Jessica Stevens, MD
MAHEC Rural Family Medicine Residency
Specialty: Family Medicine
Dr. Stevens welcomes the opportunity to return to and serve within a community she loves for her residency. She received her undergraduate degree from Appalachian State University and then attended UNC Chapel Hill for medical school. Her special clinical interests include lifestyle/prenatal medicine and sexual health. She enjoys trail running, backpacking, tiny living, botany, reading and spending time with her partner Will and dog Sam.
Second Year Residents
Jason Karimy, MD
MAHEC Rural Family Medicine Residency
Specialty: Family Medicine
Dr. Karimy completed his undergraduate degree and masters at the University of Colorado, Denver and the University of Maryland, Baltimore, respectively. He earned his medical degree at Quinnipiac University. His prior experience includes research in neuroimmunology. Dr. Karimy has special clinical interests in rural family medicine, social determinants of health, food insecurity and preventive medicine.
He has a vested interest in preventing chronic illness associated with food insecurity in rural communities. In his spare time he enjoys hiking, gardening, scuba diving, reading, writing and playing music.
Dan Moore, MD
MAHEC Rural Family Medicine Residency
Specialty: Family Medicine
Dr. Moore completed his undergraduate degree at Duke University and medical school at the University of North Carolina. He has served as a volunteer with Americorps and has special clinical interests in sports medicine and wilderness medicine. Dr. Moore says he loves the personalized feel of the medicine practiced in Boone and the natural beauty and community the area provides. In addition to practicing medicine, he enjoys climbing and the outdoors as well as playing music with friends.
Anna Sparks, DO
MAHEC Rural Family Medicine Residency
Specialty: Family Medicine
Dr. Sparks says she fell in love with Boone and the community while completing her undergraduate degree at AppState and working at Tweetsie Railroad. She says she knew she wanted to return to serve the populations of Watauga and the surrounding counties. Dr. Sparks earned her medical degree at VCOM-Carolinas. Her clinical interests include rural medicine and serving underserved populations. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, trying new restaurants, collecting seashells and traveling.
Tiffany Warren, MD
MAHEC Rural Family Medicine Residency
Specialty: Family Medicine
Dr. Warren earned her undergraduate degree at Wake Forest University and her medical degree at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. With clinical interests in women’s health, preventive care, and healthy lifestyle counseling, Dr. Warren says she is excited to serve this beautiful community. “I love the small community environment and am looking forward to getting to know my patients and developing continuity of care,” she said.
Dr. Warren enjoys baking, cooking, hiking, gardening, running and anything outdoors with her husband.
Isaac Werner, MD
MAHEC Rural Family Medicine Residency
Specialty: Family Medicine
Dr. Werner received his undergraduate degree at the University of Miami and completed medical school at Meharry Medical College. He has experience working as an EMT. Dr. Werner is excited to work in a rural setting and providing care in an Appalachian community. With a clinical interest in sports medicine and wilderness medicine, he says he is looking forward to working with the AppState Athletics Department through this residency.
Outside of his profession, he enjoys hiking, camping, playing basketball, rock climbing and playing guitar. He also loves cooking and says he can make a “mean smothered chicken.”
First Year Residents
Mitchell, Brown, DO
MAHEC Rural Family Medicine Residency
Specialty: Family Medicine
Dr. Brown completed his undergraduate degree at Campbell University and earned his medical degree at Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine.
Evelyn Frederick, DO
MAHEC Rural Family Medicine Residency
Specialty: Family Medicine
Dr. Frederick completed her undergraduate degree at Clemson University and earned her medical degree at Campbell University School of Osteopathic Medicine.
Katie Justo, MD
MAHEC Rural Family Medicine Residency
Specialty: Family Medicine
Dr. Justo completed her undergraduate degree at Louisiana State University, and master’s at Tulane University. She earned her medical degree at Louisiana State University School of Medicine in New Orleans.
Zachary Lindsey, MD
MAHEC Rural Family Medicine Residency
Specialty: Family Medicine
Dr. Lindsey completed his undergraduate degree at UNC-Chapel Hill and earned his medical degrees from East Tennessee State Quillen College of Medicine.
Savannah Puckett, MD
MAHEC Rural Family Medicine Residency
Specialty: Family Medicine
Dr. Puckett completed her undergraduate degree at UNC- Chapel Hill and earned her medical degree from Florida State University College of Medicine.
Rachel Reed, MD
MAHEC Rural Family Medicine Residency
Specialty: Family Medicine
Dr. Reed completed her undergraduate degree at Wake Forest University and earned her medical degree from Wake Forest University School of Medicine.
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