Family Practice Center Patient-Focused Primary CareBy Patti Richter Drivers who frequent Hickory Flat Highway in Canton likely noticed two medical buildings under construction last year. The twin buildings trimmed in stone are located about a mile southeast of Northside Hospital Cherokee. Family Practice Center, PC, opened its doors in early 2022. This location provides the community easier access to a full-time primary care physician who is welcoming new patients who are age 6 and older. Partnering With Patients Dr. Ruth Wenching Wei, MD, came to anchor the Canton practice in January after first joining Family Practice Center, PC, at its Sandy Springs and Alpharetta locations in 2021.Born in Taipei, Taiwan, Dr. Wei grew up in Ann Arbor, Michigan, after her family moved there when she was 8 years old. Dr. Wei is bilingual, speaking perfect English and Mandarin-Chinese. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree with High Distinction in cell and molecular biology from the University of Michigan before earning her Doctor of Medicine degree from Wayne State University School of Medicine. Dr. Wei came to Atlanta for her family practice residency at Emory University School of Medicine.“I love the natural surroundings and the hiking opportunities in north Georgia,” Dr. Wei says. She and her husband, Dylan, live in Cobb County with their rescue dog, a dachshund-poodle mix. While her specialty is family medicine, Dr. Wei has interests in women’s health, preventative health, and health care management. Besides extensive work in community health programs focused on patient education, her background includes research related to critical aspects of heart health, breast cancer, and childhood obesity. Dr. Wei is also a registered yoga teacher, and she incorporates yogic principles in treating her patients in a variety of conditions. A Patient-Focused Approach “My approach to patient care is holistic and nonjudgmental,” Dr. Wei explains. “This includes preventative measures of diet, exercise, and partnering with patients using evidence-based medicine, rooted in high quality research studies, while incorporating a patient’s individual values and goals.” Family Practice Center is physician owned and “set apart from other health care providers,” according to Dr. Wei, who adds, “This small-practice feel is increasingly rare.”Founder and CEO Dr. James Wheeler, MD, established Family Practice Center over 40 years ago, in 1979, and he continues to see patients in the Atlanta office. Dr. Wheeler’s education background includes a medical degree from the University of Alabama Medical Center, an internship at the University of Southern California, and residencies in both psychiatry (Harvard Medical School) and family practice (University of California, Los Angeles). Over the years, Family Practice Center has grown to include 16 providers with the highest education levels. Dr. Wheeler believes this contributes to the level of care patients receive. These doctors come from top colleges and medical schools that include Harvard, Vanderbilt, Emory, and the University of Washington (Dr. Wheeler also serves as an adjunct professor of medicine at these last two medical schools). Family Practice Center locations in metro Atlanta offer top-level care and in-house diagnostic testing. Staff physicians work alongside physician assistants, nurse practitioners, medical assistants, and other health care professionals who pride themselves on providing the best possible experience for each patient.This comprehensive medical practice has become one of the highest-rated primary care practices in Georgia. Recent “Top Doctor” awards for 2022 have come from Castle Connolly Top Doctors, GA Top Docs, and Atlanta Magazine. Family Practice Center, which is home to three of Atlanta’s top 25 family medicine doctors, attributes its success to providing patient-focused health care, “the way you hoped it could be.” The Canton Team Joining Dr. Wei at the new Canton practice is Mitchell Pearce, PA, who became part of the Family Practice Center staff in 2021. He comes from eastern Tennessee, where he graduated cum laude from East Tennessee State University with a Bachelor of Science in Radiology. He later earned his Master of Physician Assistant Studies from Milligan University. Besides his full-spectrum family medicine capabilities, Pearce specializes in preventative care, mental health, and chronic medical conditions.“I am extremely grateful to be a contributing member of the team we are building to provide Canton the type of health care they deserve. We hope to fill a void in primary care in this area, which is growing at an incredible rate. I’m excited to be a part of that growth and hope to build strong and lasting relationships with patients here,” says Pearce.Dr. Wei says Pearce is very knowledgeable, thorough, and partners closely with doctors. “He has the gift of easy rapport with patients,” she adds, “which can make a monumental difference in forming a diagnosis.”Medical Assistants Kate and Stephanie round out the full-time staff in Canton. This office works closely with both Piedmont and Northside hospitals, and patients have easy access to both their records and providers. Dr. Wei and Pearce are available for same- or next-day appointments. Family Practice Center 1521 Hickory Flat Highway, Suite 200Canton, GA 30115404-256-1727FamilyPracticeCenterPC.com
to your business!