Department of Family Medicine
Faculty & Staff
Click on an individual's name for more detailed information.
 | Dr. Allen joined the faculty in 2010. Prior to this appointment, she was an Instructor at the College of Nursing teaching in the graduate program. Cindy was the recipient of the Golden Lamp Award from 2007-2010 and 2010 Palmetto Gold Award. Her graduate studies were earned from Case Western Reserve University and Medical University of South Carolina. Her areas of professional interest include: pediatrics, preventative care, research and medical education. |
 | Dr. Benich was born in Charleston, SC and attended college at Clemson University. He graduated from MUSC and completed the Trident/MUSC residency program serving as chief resident in 2008. Clinical and research interests include cardiovascular disease, preventive care, and medical education. He joined our faculty as an assistant professor in July 2008 and is the clinic director for our East Cooper University Family Medicine office. Dr. Benich became the program director for the Trident/MUSC Transitional Year Residency Program and the Assistant Program Director for the Trident/MUSC Family Medicine Residency Program in 2012. |
 | Dr. Blue joined the MUSC Department of Family Medicine in 1998. Dr. Blue is a Professor of Family Medicine and serves as the Assistant Provost for Education, and the Director of Creating Collaborative Care (C3). She works with our faculty on faculty development and educational research. Her areas of professional interest include: interprofessional education, undergraduate curriculum change, cultural competency in medicine and professionalism in medical education. |
 | Dr. Brock joined our department in 1981 and is one of our residency faculty members. He was trained in South Africa and spent 15 years in private practice before joining the faculty. Dr. Brock has a special interest in the doctor-patient relationship and is involved in Balint group work locally, nationally and internationally and is the past President of the American Balint society. |
 | Dr. Carek completed medical school and family medicine residency training at MUSC. In addition, he completed sports medicine fellowships at the Ohio Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine Clinic and University of Tennessee before joining the faculty in 1992. He has been Residency Program Director since 1995. His main areas of interest are sports medicine, quality improvement, medical education, physical activity and health promotion . |
 | Alexander W. Chessman, M.D. Dr. Chessman completed residency training in family medicine in 1987. While completing a fellowship in academic family medicine at UNC Chapel Hill, he served as chief resident during the following year. From 1987 until 1990, he served as the medical director for the department at the Naval Weapons Station Branch Medical Clinic. From 1990-2011, he served as director of medical student education, and he continues to teach and direct or co-direct medical school courses. His scholarly interests focus on medical education. |
 | Dr. DeCastro completed his family medicine residency training at Mcleod Family Medicine in 2005. He then served in the USAF in both Primary Care and Aerospace Medicine. He deployed to Iraq in 2008 and still currently serves as a flight surgeon in the USAF reserves. Additionally, he completed his sports medicine fellowship at the Southern Illinois School of Medicine in 2009. He then returned to SC and worked in Urgent Care prior to joining the faculty in 2012. His main areas of interest are sports medicine, cardiovascular fitness, and ultrasound, and medical education. |
 | Dr. Diaz received her medical degree from the University of Miami (FL) and completed residency in Savannah, GA. She joined our research division as a faculty member in 2004 after completing a two-year faculty development fellowship at MUSC that included obtaining her Masters of Science in Clinical Research. She is currently our Clinical Services Director. Her research interests include Latino health, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and women's health issues. A native of Panama, Dr. Diaz is fluent in Spanish. |
 | Dr. Dickerson currently serves as the Associate Chair for Academic Affairs, directing the department mentoring and faculty development program. Since 1997, she has served as the Associate Family Medicine Residency Program Director, where she directs the Clinical Scholars Program. As a clinical pharmacist, she delivers the longitudinal pharmacotherapy curriculum to provide point-of-care education in the inpatient and outpatient setting. Originally from Canada, Dr. Dickerson completed her Bachelor's Degree in Pharmacy at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1991. She completed her Doctor of Pharmacy and Specialty Residency in Family Medicine at the Medical University of South Carolina 1993 and 1994, respectively. Her interests include quality improvement and evidence-based medicine. |
 | Mr. Dodge joined the faculty in March 2003 upon retiring from the U.S. Air Force where he served as a physician assistant for 15 years and 5 years as an active Air Force Medic. His clinical interests include acute care, sports injury, and disease prevention. |
 | Dr. Freedy started his career at MUSC as a clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. After returning to medical school and residency training at MUSC, he joined the Family Medicine residency faculty in 2005 as the Director of Behavioral Science Curriculum. He is active in medical education across the spectrum of learners (medical students, resident physicians, practicing physicians). He also serves as Associate Dean for the Student Affairs in the College of Medicine. His academic interests include: violence and traumatic stress, impact of mental health on physical health, behavioral science curriculum development, and doctor-patent relationships (including Balint training). |
 | Before entering academic family medicine, Dr. Garr worked for six years as the Medical Director of Family Practice Group, a National Health Service Corps practice in rural Tooele, UT. He then moved to Denver, CO where he taught for four years in a family medicine residency program. He and his wife Deborah relocated to Charleston in 1985 when they accepted teaching positions at MUSC. His clinical interests include training physicians to become community responsive practitioners, health promotion/disease prevention, practice-based research and medical ethics. |
 | Tony Glaser, M.D. Dr. Glaser was born in London and earned his BA and PhD in Social Psychology at University of Sussex in England. He taught Medical Psychology and Biostatistics at the American University of the Caribbean for 13 years and received his MD there followed by his residency at MUSC. During his time on faculty at American University he wrote High Yield Biostatistics, a biostatistics book for medical students, now in its third US edition (in addition to Indian and Chinese editions). Dr. Glaser practices in the Flowertown University Family Medicine office in Summerville. |
 | Wanda Gonsalves, M.D. |
 | Barry L. Hainer, M.D. After his residency at MUSC and private practice in rural Virginia, Dr. Hainer returned to MUSC as a faculty member from 1980-1985. Between 1985 and 1988, he served as residency program director at East Carolina University before again returning in 1988 to MUSC. Dr. Hainer currently serves as Professor and Interim Chair. Dr. Hainer's professional interests include procedural skills and immunization training. Dr. |
 | Dr. Hart completed her medical degree from The Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University in 2008 and her family medicine residency from MUSC. She currently practicing at the Flowertown Clinic. Her clinical and research interests include all aspects of Family Medicine, including Community Health and Preventive Medicine. |
 | Kesh Hebbar, M.D. MRCPI (Dublin), MRCGP (UK) Dr. Hebbar completed residencies in the United Kingdom in both Internal Medicine and Family Medicine. He was in practice until 1994 when he came to the United States. Dr. Hebbar joined the residency faculty in 1997 after completing his family medicine residency at MUSC. His professional interests include primary care, diabetes and cardiology. |
 | Dr. Hueston completed his MD training at Case Western Reserve University and his residency at Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, OH. He then practiced rural family medicine in eastern Kentucky for 7 years before entering academics. He came to the department from the University of Wisconsin and served as Department Chair from 1997 to 2012. His professional interests include primary care, respiratory diseases, thyroid disorders, and obstetric health services. |
 | Dr. Jenkins joined the department in 1987 as a Research Programmer/Specialist and Statistician. She completed her PhD in 2005 in Medical Informatics from MUSC's Department of Biostatistics, Bioinformatics and Epidemiology and joined the Family Medicine faculty in 2006. She is the Information Manager for the Practice Partner Research Network (PPRNet), a national primary care research network of practices that use electronic health records. |
 | Dr. Kaur obtained her medical degree from Dayanand Medical College in India. She went on to complete her residency in Family Medicine from Wyoming Valley Family Medicine Program in Wilkes Barre, PA. She is currently practicing with Department of Family Medicine at MUSC. Her professional interests include medical education in evidence based medicine and sports medicine. |
 | Donna Kern, M.D. Dr. Kern joined the department in 1999 and serves the College of Medicine as the Associate Dean for Curriculum Integration and Implementation, Clinical Sciences and the Assistant Dean for Patient Safety and Simulation. |
 | Scott joined the Medical University of South Carolina in 1988 as a management engineer and proceeded to fulfill many roles for the University from Director of Management Engineering to Administrator for the Institute of Psychiatry. He received his Masters in Health Services Administration from MUSC in 1991 and in July 1994 joined the Department of Family Medicine. He currently serves as the Administrator for the department. |
 | David B. Mahoney, MD, MBE |
 | Arch "Chip" Mainous, Ph.D. Dr. Mainous obtained his PhD from the University of Texas and spent 8 years as director of research in the Department of Family Medicine before joining the Department of Family Medicine at MUSC 1998. He currently is the Associate Dean for Assessment and Evaluation and a Professor for the Department. Dr. Mainous' research interests are in diabetes and cardiovascular health, treatment of respiratory infections, and hemochromatosis. |
 | Dr. Matheson completed his medical degree from Eastern Virginia Medical School in 2001 and his family medicine residency from St. Vincent’s Family Medicine Residency Program in 2004. Dr. Matheson completed his Masters in Clinical research from MUSC in 2009 and was hired to work for the Department of Family Medicine. Clinical and research interests include nutrition, preventive care, and medical education. He is currently an Assistant Professor. |
 | Kim Mallin, MD Dr. Mallin received her MD from The Brody School of Medicine in North Carolina, and completed her family medicine residency at Medical University of South Carolina. She practiced family medicine in Summerville, SC for several years before joining the faculty of MUSC. In 2011 she moved to Antigua, joining the Behavioral Sciences department at the American University of Antigua, where she taught medical students. She now returns to MUSC and will be working at the Flowertown office. |
 | Dr. Mallin initially joined the department in 1998. In 2011 he left for a position as Chair of Clinical Medicine at The American University of Antigua. He returned in 2012, as a tenured professor and Associate Chair for Education in the Department of Family Medicine. He is also the Program director of the Trident Family Medicine Residency. In addition to Family Medicine board certification he is certified by the American Board of Addiction Medicine and in that capacity serves as a consultant to the MUSC Transplant Program. |
 | Amy joined Family Medicine in 2004 as a Certified Nurse Midwife assisting with resident obstetrical training. Amy served in the US Army Nurse Corps as an obstetrical registered nurse for five years spent 16 months as a CNM in a private practice in North Charleston before joining Family Medicine. Her professional interests include childbirth education and nurse midwifery education. |
 | Steve M. Ornstein, M.D. Dr. Ornstein trained in this department and joined the faculty in 1985. Dr. Ornstein is the Founder of the Practice Partner Research Network (PPRNet), a national research of sites that uses electronic medical records. His professional interests include health promotion and computers in medicine. |
 | Dr. Player completed his family medicine residency at Christiana Care Health Services in Wilmington, Delaware in 2004. He spent an additional year there as a fellow in faculty development with a focus on underserved and vulnerable populations. He joined the Research Fellowship at MUSC Family Medicine and the Clinical Research masters program in the college of graduate studies at MUSC in July 2005. Research interests include cardiovascular risk factors and detection. |
 | Kelly Ragucci, Pharm.D., FCCP, BCPS, CDE Dr. Ragucci completed her Family Medicine Residency at MUSC in 1998 then rejoined the MUSC faculty in 2000. Dr. Ragucci holds appointments in Family Medicine and the Department of Pharmacy and Clinical Sciences. Her activities in family medicine include student/resident/patient education and provision of interdisciplinary care. |
 | William M. Simpson, Jr., M.D. After completing his Family Practice Residency in this department and serving two years in full-time family practice in the military, Dr. Simpson returned to head our Division of Undergraduate Education in 1976. Over the past 30 years he has served a number of roles including acting chair for two years. From 1984-85 he used his sabbatical to complete a fellowship in geriatric medicine at Johns Hopkins. In addition to directing geriatric education in the department, he worked with the Agromedicine Program, a public education program in partnership with Clemson University. He retired from full-time practice in 2009. |
 | Katherine Tabor has many years of experience in healthcare. She received her BSN from the University of Connecticut. She then went on to work in nursing for over 20 years. A career move sent her to the Medical University college of Nursing for her MSN several years ago. Since then she has been working in primary care and most recently came back to MUSC after working in the private practice setting. |
 | Dr. Thiedke completed her medical degree from MUSC in 1984 and her family medicine residency from MUSC in 1987. She currently is the Director of Medical Education and Associate Professor. Her clinical and research interests include women’s health, doctor patient communication, global health, and cognitive behavioral therapy in primary care. |
 | Andrea Wessell, Pharm.D., BCPS, CDE Dr. Wessell joined the faculty of the College of Pharmacy with a joint appointment in Family Medicine in 2002. As a PPRNet investigator, Andrea works with primary care practices across the United States on quality and safety improvement interventions. She also participates in the residency program’s Clinical Scholars program as an advisor for quality improvement projects. |
News & Events
Faculty Development
TBA
New Grants Received
Two Primary Care HRSA grants were funded for 5 years one for (PI Dr. William Hueston) and the other for (PI Dr. Peter Carek).
Received an elite rank by becoming a Patient Centered Medical Home (PCMH). Department of Family Medicine achieved a level 3 PCMH rating by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA)
Volunteers Needed for Vitamin D and Diabetes Research Study.
Charleston, SC 29425