DHP DIGESTIVE HEALTH PARTNERS - Key Persons
Amanda Chase grew up in upstate New York in a small town called Lyon Mountain. She enjoys spending time with her family, her two dogs, good conversation with friends and a variety of outdoor activities.
Education & Fellowship
Amanda received her undergraduate degree from Hamilton College with a major in psychology and a minor in education in 2003. She then completed masters level courses in the field of special education at Simmons College. She moved to North Carolina in fall 2004 to join a post-collegiate running group. After pursuing a running career and working in the human services field at local non-profits for several years, she returned to school to complete her nursing education. She became a Registered Nurse in 2011 and then completed her Masters of Science in Nursing with a concentration in Family Nurse Practitioner at Duke University School of Nursing in 2014. After working in family practice for a couple years, she decided to subspecialize and joined Asheville Gastroenterology Associates in 2018.
Job Titles:
- Board Certified Gastroenterologist
As a board certified gastroenterologist, Dr. Meyer practices general gastroenterology with a special focus on inflammatory bowel disease. Dr. Meyer is married with two daughters, and she enjoys spending her free time with her family.
Job Titles:
- Board Certified Gastroenterologist
Dr. O'Connell grew up in Marshall, Michigan. He and his wife have two children. They enjoy hiking, camping, cross-country skiing, and snowboarding.
Job Titles:
- Board Certified Gastroenterologist
Dr. Garvin practices general gastroenterology with a special interest in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) as well as fecal incontinence. He offers both Solesta injection and sacral nerve stimulator (InterStim) evaluation for patients living with fecal incontinence. In his free time Dr. Garvin enjoys tennis, cooking, and camping with his three children.
Education & Fellowship
Dr. Garvin completed medical school at the Boston University School of Medicine, then trained in internal medicine at the University of Michigan and gastroenterology at the University of Washington.
Carrie has been part of Asheville Gastroenterology team since 2006 and has special interests in Crohn's disease, Ulcerative Colitis, and microscopic colitis.
Carrie grew up in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. She attended undergraduate studies at Wake Forest University majoring in Health and Exercise Science. She played for Wake Forest's Division One Field Hockey team during her years at Wake Forest. She received her Master of Medical Science and Physician Assistant degree at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center.
Carrie lives in Asheville with her husband, 2 children, and many pets including our dog Lola, chickens, fish and even a tortoise. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, spending as much time outside as possible hiking/cycling/ paddle boarding etc , completing home renovation projects, and gardening. Carrie played field hockey in the collegiate as well as international arena which allowed her to represent United States with travel to England and Holland when she was 15 years old.
Memberships:
NC GI Society
Crohn's and Colitis Foundation
American College of Gastroenterology
Cassie received her Family Nurse Practitioner degree from Western Carolina University in 2021. She has worked in both the triage and endoscopy departments as a nurse with AGA and is excited to have transitioned to her FNP role within the practice. Outside of work she enjoys spending time with her husband, 3 kids, and 2 dogs, soaking up all the fun in the WNC mountains - hiking and mountain biking.
Job Titles:
- Board Certified Gastroenterologist
Dr. Shrode has received numerous honors including the McPherson Fellowship Award for Excellence in Research in Gastroenterology and Hepatology. He is a member of the American Gastroenterological Association and the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.
Education & Fellowship
Dr. Shrode received his Doctor of Medicine from Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis. He completed his Residency in Internal Medicine and Fellowship in Gastroenterology at the University of Virginia Health System. Most recently, he has completed an Advanced Endoscopy Fellowship at the University of Florida in Gainesville.
Job Titles:
- Board Certified Gastroenterologist
Dr. Craig Cender is a native of Florida who relocated to Asheville, NC and joined Asheville Gastroenterology Associates in 2004. His medical interests include Therapeutic Biliary and Pancreatic Endoscopy, Endoscopic Ultrasound, Endoscopic Resection of Complex Intestinal Polyps, Endoscopic Placement of Enteral Stents, Hemorrhoid Bandings, and Inflammatory Bowel Diseases.
His personal interests include music, computers, mountain biking, and devoting time to his family and faith.
Dr. Cender is a member of several professional organizations including the American College of Gastroenterology, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the Buncombe County Medical Society, and the North Carolina Medical Society.
Job Titles:
- Board Certified Gastroenterologist
Dr. Hogan was born and raised in Chicago, IL. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Iowa. He then earned a Master's Degree from Boston University, where he worked in the Orthopedic and Developmental Biomechanics Laboratory. Dr. Hogan completed medical school at the A.T. Still University School of Osteopathic Medicine in Arizona, which due to its unique structure sent him to Brooklyn, New York to complete his clinical rotations. Dr. Hogan stayed in New York City where he completed his Internal Medicine Residency and a Fellowship in Gastroenterology at Lenox Hill Hospital. He continued his training in specialized hepatobiliary procedures through the Advanced Endoscopy Fellowship Program at Duke University.
Dr. Hogan has a clinical interest in diseases of the pancreas and bile ducts, and complex endoscopic procedures. As part of his practice, he performs upper endoscopy, colonoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, and endoscopic ultrasound.
Dr. Hogan is a member of several professional organizations and societies, including the American Medical Association, the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, the American Gastroenterological Association, and the American College of Gastroenterology.
Davis Marshall, PA-C is originally from The Lowcountry in Beaufort, SC. Davis, his wife, and four children enjoy the the outdoors including; hiking, skiing, and fishing which made relocating to Western North Carolina and easy decision. He appreciates everything Hendersonville has to offer and looks forward to taking care of any of you gastrointestinal needs.
Education & Fellowship
Davis Marshall graduated with a Bachelor's of Science from University of South Carolina at Beaufort. Subsequently, he attended Midwestern University, Glendale Campus in Arizona and received a Master's in Physician Assistant Studies. He then worked in in Santa Fe, New Mexico at Entrada Contenta Urgent Care and enjoyed exploring the mountains in the Midwest. However, his true passion was gastroenterology and he took a position at New Hanover GI in Wilmington, North Carolina prior to recently moving to Hendersonville.
Job Titles:
- Board Certified Gastroenterologist
- Member of the American Gastroenterology Association
Donald R. Varner, Jr., M.D. is a North Carolina native and was the second Gastroenterologist to join our practice. He specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of digestive disorders and the performance of endoscopic procedures. He is board certified in gastroenterology. He was re-certified in gastroenterology in 2013.
He lives in Hendersonville with his wife Nancy. They have three grown children and 6 grandchildren. He enjoys woodworking, gardening, and coastal and deep sea fishing.
Job Titles:
- Board Certified Gastroenterologist
Dr Jaben was born and raised in Waynesville, NC. He spent a year living in New Zealand and studying at Victoria University of Wellington before completing his undergraduate degree at UNC-Chapel Hill. He received a Masters of Science in Global Medicine at the University of Southern California, after which he attended medical school at Tulane University. He continued his medical training at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC where he completed internal medicine residency and fellowship in gastroenterology and hepatology.
Dr Jaben practices general gastroenterology with a particular interest in liver diseases. He performs upper endoscopy, colonoscopy, flexible sigmoidoscopy, and capsule endoscopy. He is a member of the American College of Gastroenterology, the American Gastroenterological Association, and the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.
Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his wife and two daughters, gardening, live music, cooking, and any number of outdoor activities.
Darrell completed his undergraduate education at Florida State University, followed by a Master of Science in physical therapy at University of Miami. He completed the Physician Assistant Program at Duke University.
Job Titles:
- Board Certified Gastroenterologist
Dr. Fisher has been part of Asheville Gastroenterology Associates since 2015, with a specialized interest in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
Originally from Knoxville, TN, Joe enjoys living and working in the southeastern United States. His interests include playing golf, sports, and gardening.
Education & Fellowship
Upon completing his undergraduate degree from Emory University in Atlanta, GA, Joe worked with a gastroenterologist to help research and develop a new treatment for esophageal cancer. This led to his interest in GI medicine, and he completed the Physician Assistant Program at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX.
Job Titles:
- Board Certified Gastroenterologist
Dr. Wood was the first physician in Western North Carolina to perform capsule endoscopy, a new technique to directly view the small intestine for bleeding or disease. He has a special interest in celiac disease and other diseases of the small intestine, and has lectured on these topics throughout the region. His other interests involve colon cancer prevention and performance of colonoscopy and therapeutic endoscopy.
Dr. Wood is a member of several professional organizations including the American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy, American College of Physicians, North Carolina Medical Society, and the Buncombe County Medical Society.
Job Titles:
- Board Certified Gastroenterologist
Dr. Heacock is a member of several professional associations including the American Gastroenterological Association, the American College of Gastroenterology, and American Medical Association.
Education & Fellowship
Dr. Heacock received his undergraduate degree in Biochemistry from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio and his medical degree from Ohio State University. He returned to North Carolina to complete his Internship and Residency in Internal Medicine and his Fellowship in Gastroenterology at Duke University Medical Center.
Job Titles:
- Board Certified Gastroenterologist
Dr. Clark moved to our area with his wife and two daughters in 2015. He enjoys international work and travel, backpacking and introducing family and friends from around the world to Western North Carolina. He is trained in advanced endoscopic procedures including EUS (endoscopic ultrasound) and ERCP.
Scott Nelson joined Asheville Gastroenterology Associates in 2012, following fifteen years of prior experience in family and internal medicine. He is fluent in Spanish and his interests include spending time with family, tennis, and cycling.
Education & Fellowship
He graduated with honors from the Physician Assistant Program at Wake Forest University.
Job Titles:
- Board Certified Gastroenterologist
Dr. Perez's practice includes all areas of general gastroenterology, with an emphasis on therapeutic endoscopy including endoscopic management of pancreatic and biliary diseases and treatment of hemorrhoidal disease. Additionally, he served as the Medical Director of The Endoscopy Center from 2003-2010. In his spare time, Dr. Perez enjoys vacationing with his family, playing tennis, and fishing.
Job Titles:
- Board Certified Gastroenterologist
- Clinical Assistant Professor for the UNC School of Medicine
In his spare time, Dr. Whitlock prefers the great outdoors - biking, hiking, camping, canoeing, rafting, and traveling. As part of Digestive Health Partners in Asheville, his professional interests focus on general gastroenterology, capsule endoscopy, and quality improvement.
Currently a Clinical Assistant Professor for the UNC School of Medicine, Dr. Whitlock has also served in multiple administrative and educational capacities, including Course Director for UNC Chapel Hill Medical School's clinical GI rotation in Asheville, Medical Director of the Endoscopy Center, executive board representative and president for Asheville Gastroenterology and Digestive Health Partners.
Job Titles:
- Board Certified Gastroenterologist
Dr. Harlan is a board certified adult gastroenterologist with a particular interest in inflammatory bowel disease including ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease and microscopic colitis. He is the director of clinical research at Asheville Gastroenterology Associates and has served as the principal investigator at AGA for over fifty studies. While very interested in the prevention of disease, he is even more committed to offering patients new treatment opportunities through ongoing participation in clinical research.
Education & Fellowship
Dr. Harlan completed medical school at Duke University School of Medicine, and went on to complete an Internship and Residency in Internal Medicine at Duke University Medical Center. He then returned to North Carolina for a Fellowship in Gastroenterology at the University of North Carolina.