URGENT CARE OF OCONEE - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Office Manager
- Billing and Front Desk Coordinator
Aimee has 9 years of experience in the medical office setting and a true passion for patient care. She was born and raised in Athens and loves spending time outdoors with her family.
Job Titles:
- Front Desk and Medical Assistant
Amanda is a Georgia native. She graduated from a local high school and furthered her education at Gwinnett Tech. She holds a certificate as EMT-I and Medical Assistant. Amanda has over 6 years of experience in the medical field and hopes to continue her education to become a registered nurse. Amanda's largest achievements are becoming a wife to her loving husband and mother to her free-spirited child.
Ashley is from Madison, Georgia. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. She has several years of experience in customer service. Ashley enjoys traveling, hiking, and loving on her dogs in her spare time.
Chad is originally from the Midwest. He earned a Bachelor's Degree from Shorter College in Music. Chad went on to earn a Master's Degree from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana. Prior to working at the Urgent Care of Oconee, he spent time in nephrology and oral surgery and general dentistry. He moved to Athens seven years ago from metro Atlanta, where he lived for nearly 20 years. Chad main interests are reading and the culture of literary as well as cooking.
Crystal received her Masters Degree of Physician Assistant from Medical College of Georgia. Prior to MCG, she graduated from Lagrange College in Biology as a collegiate athlete playing softball. Crystal's areas of interest are orthopedics and family medicine. She has been practicing medicine for over 14 years. Crystal loves practicing medicine and helping others. She is married to Steve Cotrell, Commerce High School Baseball coach, and they have 4 children. They love to travel and camp as a family.
Emily Hunt was born in Athens, GA. At the age of 6 her family moved to Rochester, Minnesota where she spent most of her youth. During her adolescence and twenties, Emily was active in participating and teaching marital arts. She achieved her second-degree black belt in 2002 and fought competitively winning the National Championship in Women's fighting in 2002. She enjoyed spending her time mountaineering, back packing, snowboarding, canoeing and river rafting. Her most memorable adventure was a two-month back packing expedition in the Yukon Territory in Canada.
She graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a degree in Biomedical Sciences with minors in chemistry, art and history. In 2010, Emily graduated from Jefferson College of Health Sciences in Roanoke, Virginia with her master's in medical science as a Physician Assistant. During her time in graduate school, she continued to hike and enjoy the outdoors.
After practicing Pain Management in Phoenix, Arizona for 2 years and working Emergency Medicine for 4 years in rural California, Emily returned to Georgia in 2016 to be closer family. Once back in Georgia she continued her career in Emergency Medicine in the greater Atlanta area for 3 years. She then joined the Urgent Care of Oconee team in early 2019.
Emily enjoys adopting rescue dogs and continues to work in medicine so she can support this habit. She frequently jokes that she may never be able to retire secondary to ongoing vet bills.
In her free time, she enjoys gourmet cooking, throwing dinner parties, yearly hiking trips out West, trips to the beach, running 5ks, traveling internationally and spending time with her family, dogs and friends.
Emily is excited to be back in her home state of Georgia and is pleased to be serving the local community.
Dr. Wingate is a Georgia native who has been a member of the Oconee community for a number of years. Dr. Wingate is a 1984 cum laude graduate of the University of Georgia with a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a 1988 graduate of the Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine. Dr. Wingate is a 1990 graduate of the Medical College of Georgia Family Practice Residency Program and holds board certifications in both Family Practice and Emergency Medicine. Dr. Wingate has over 25 years of experience in emergency medicine and family practice and is the founder and associate editor of the Journal of Rural Emergency Medicine and past chair of the American College of Emergency Physicians section of rural emergency medicine. Dr. Wingate has held numerous leadership positions in professional organizations nationally and in rural hospitals throughout northeast Georgia. Dr. Wingate and his wife Ann are the parents of ten children, live in Watkinsville and are proud to be part of a vibrant and growing community.
Harry Wingate IV is a Georgia native, graduating from North Oconee High School in 2007. He served in the Army National Guard for six years and graduated in 2015 from the Athens Technical College Radiography program. Harry loves watching the Georgia Bulldogs with family and friends.
Jeff is a Rome, Georgia native who has lived in Oconee area for over 25 years. Jeff is a 1991 graduate of the University of Georgia with a BSeD in Exercise Science/Sports Medicine, a 1998 graduate of the University of Georgia Graduate School with a MeD in Health Promotion, and a 2000 graduate of the Emory University School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program with an MMSC. Jeff has worked in both emergency medicine and orthopedics over the past 17 years and holds board certifications in primary care medicine and a certificate of added qualification in general surgery and orthopedic surgery. Jeff's experience prior to physician assistant school included serving as an athletic trainer for the University of Georgia, the Minnesota Twins and numerous years with local high school athletic teams. Jeff currently serves as a Lt. Col. in the United States Air Force Air National Guard with the 187th Fighter Wing and has extensive medical training in trauma as the executive officer of the Alabama Air National Guard's CERFP disaster team. Jeff and his wife Jennifer have three boys in the Oconee school system and are proud to be part of the Oconee community.
She is originally from Roswell, Georgia and graduated from the University of Georgia with a BBA. She has worked in franchising, informational technology and software development and then in ministry at Athens First United Methodist church working with children. She and Jeff settled in Oconee County where they have raised their 3 boys who are an eighth grader, freshman, and senior. They feel very blessed to be a part of this wonderful community and now able to serve it here at Urgent Care of Oconee.
Joe grew up in Huntsville, Alabama. He earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Microbiology with a Minor in Clarinet Performance. Joe earned a Master of Education in Physical Activity and Health. While attending Auburn University, he met his wife, Sarah. Joe worked in three different hospital systems as a medical laboratory scientist, with a focus on hematology and blood banking. In 2016 he moved to Atlanta to attend Mercer University, where he graduated summa cum laude with a Master of Public Health and Master of Medical Science in Physician Assistant Studies and received the Distinguished Graduate Award for his PA cohort. Joe's current hobby is powerlifting, and he holds over a dozen national records and four world records. His best lift is a 584lb deadlift at 163lb body weight. Joe is a prolific board gamer, with Settlers of Catan and chess intramural championships under his belt. He is also undefeated (3-0) in university talent shows. His favorite book series is the Color series by Ted Dekker. Joe enjoys anything to do with Winshape Camps, mission trips, and working with the children's ministry at his local church.
John received his master degree in Physician Assistant Studies from Emory University in Atlanta. John became interested in Sports Medicine after suffering a collegiate sports ending knee injury and decided to enter the field of sports medicine. While serving as an athletic trainer for the University of Central Missouri, John graduated with honors receiving a bachelor's degree in fitness/wellness and a masters degree in Sports and Exercise Science. While at Central, he was the head graduate assistant athletic trainer for baseball, wrestling and volleyball and assisted other trainers in football, basketball, track and sports rehabilitation. While at Emory, John was able to work in many different facets of medicine including emergency medicine, pediatrics and orthopedics. John currently volunteers his services to the ARC Disaster Services to help boost efforts to help individuals and families in need of assistance during difficult and trying times. He is a member of the Air National Guard training with a search and rescue medical group in Alabama. John's areas of interest include family medicine, sports medicine, orthopedic trauma and pediatric care. He and his wife, Ivy, are parents of 2 children, a boy and a girl.
Joseph "Joey" Alfera is from Annapolis, Maryland. He graduated from Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland with a Bachelor of Science in Biology. In 2019, Joey gradated with his Master's in Health Science and Certificate of Physician Assistant Studies from the University of Maryland Baltimore. Joey worked in Oncology/Hematology before joining the Urgent Care of Oconee. He has a special interest in Orthopedics, Emergency Medicine, Trauma and Rural Medicine.
In his free time, he likes to build furniture and house renovating. Joey's hobbies include hiking, running, paddle boarding and Disc Golf.
Kara Whyte is a Physician Assistant certified by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA) since 1994. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Wagner College, while concurrently earning her certificate of completion from Bayley Seton Hospital PA program in Staten Island, New York. For the past 25 years, Kara has worked in Family Practice, College Health, Interventional Radiology and Neurosurgery prior to joining the Urgent Care of Oconee. She was raised in Connecticut, went to school in New York and has happily spent her entire career in the south. Kara enjoys time laughing with her husband Brad as they venture into life with two children in college.
Job Titles:
- Medical Assistant
- Certified Medical Assistant
Lindsey is a Certified Medical Assistant. She is originally from Loganville, GA. Lindsey previously worked in neurology before coming to the Urgent Care of Oconee in January of 2021. She and her husband are foster parents and adopted their son, Maddox in March of 2021. They love to travel as a family. Lindsey likes to shop, spend time outdoors, play with her dog and be with her family.
Job Titles:
- Billing and Front Desk Coordinator
Maria Paula Vanegas graduated from The University of Georgia in 2016 with a Bachelor's Degree in Biology. She has over 6 years of experience in the medical field. Maria was born and raised in Cali, Colombia and moved to the USA in her late teens. She is fluent in Spanish and experienced in medical interpretation. When not at work, you can find her working out, traveling the world, enjoying nature, organizing, and/or spending time with family and friends.
Mariah grew up in Milledgeville Georgia and attended Georgia Military College and Georgia College State University before attending and graduating from the Masters of Physician Assistant Studies program at the Medical College of Georgia in 2009. She is married to JW Thaxton and has two boys (Eli and Wade) with a third little boy on the way.
Mariah started her PA career off in inpatient cardiology at Gwinnett Medical Center in Lawrenceville. After three years,
Mariah made the move to emergency medicine where she spent the next seven years serving alongside the ER team at St. Mary's. While there, Mariah earned a certificate of added qualification in emergency medicine awarded by the NCCPA.
When the pandemic hit in 2020 Mariah signed up to help temporarily in NYC where she was assigned to the inpatient peritoneal dialysis program at Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn. The temporary assignment evolved into almost a year and a half of traveling with her husband and two boys back and forth on the weekends. Mariah was happy to move back to Watkinsville in August of 2021 and excited to join the family at Urgent Care of Oconee.
Mary Alice is from Southeast Georgia. She has a bachelor's degree in Kinesiology from Georgia Southern University. Mary Alice went on to earn her Master's of Science in Physician Assistant Studies from the Medical University of South Carolina. She has an extensive background in Emergency Medicine, Family Medicine and Internal Medicine. Mary Alice and her husband are devoted to running a homestead and homeschooling their three children. In her spare time, she loves to travel to new places.
Michelle is a Georgia native from McDonough. Michelle began her career as a flight attendant for Delta Airlines before working part time and raising her children. She has served our community through teaching at First Presbyterian Preschool and volunteering at her church and in her children's school.
Natalie is from Springfield, MO, however, she has lived all over the world, including Africa. Natalie made Georgia her home 20 years ago. She earned her undergraduate degree from Georgia College and State University and her Physician Assistant Master's Degree from the Medical College of Georgia. Natalie previously worked in Orthopedic Surgery Primary Care and Emergency Medicine. Her interests include music, reading, hiking, camping and traveling. Natalie is an avid gardener. She volunteers her time with ACC-SANE, which is an organization that specializes in helping victims of sexual assault.
Vanessa is from Canton, Georgia. She has lived in Athens for the past eleven years. She is working in her degree in Biology from the University of Georgia. She has six years of experience in customer service. Vanessa loves spending time with her family and spending time outdoors with her two dogs.