The COVID-19 Equity Project could not have happened without the passion, dedication, and commitment of our doctors, their teams, and the openness of the communities they served. To our doctors, thank you for being agents of health, healing, and hope. To the communities who welcomed our doctors and their staff so warmly, thank you for reminding us of why we went into medicine in the first place.
Remember, “Know Before You Go.” Testing saves lives!
Click the team’s pictures to watch their stories:
Tracei Ball, MD
704-747-2262
Specialty: Internal Medicine & Pediatrics
Medical School: Meharry Medical College School of Medicine
Affiliations: UNC Health and Duke Regional Hospital
Dr. Tracei Ball is an internist, pediatrician, and chief medical officer of OnCall Mobile Medical and Wellness, a mobile medical service available for house calls 24 hours a day, seven days per week, after hours, weekends, and holidays by special appointment. In 2012, Dr. Ball created OnCall Mobile Medical and Wellness where she and her colleagues bring doctor appointments to the patients and treat them in their homes. During these house visits, Dr. Ball provides adult primary care, pediatric care, and treatment for addiction – namely opioid addiction, which has coursed through the country for years.
Gwendolyn Knuckles, MD
252-654-9847
Specialty: Obstetrics & Gynecology
Medical School: Tulane University School of Medicine
Affiliations: Carolina Care Clinic for Health & Wellness, Vidant Medical Center
Dr. Gwendolyn Knuckles is a U.S. Air Force veteran and gynecologist with more than 35 years of experience as a practitioner. She is currently the owner of the private practices Carolina Care Clinic for Health and Wellness and Women’s Health Center which are both in Greenville, NC. Dr. Knuckles provides gynecological care for women as well as dietary, weight loss and bariatric treatment for her patients.
Karen Smith, MD
910-904-1695
Specialty: Family Medicine
Medical School: Hahnemann University
Affiliations: Cape Fear Valley medical Center and First Health Moore Regional Hospital
For more than 20 years, Dr. Karen Smith has provided treatment for the Hoke County residents of all ages through a family medicine practice that she owns and operates. Dr. Smith is an avid supporter of social service efforts that address rural citizens such as food-related health disparities, after school programs and guidance, substance use issues and sharing pertinent health information.
Brian Shackleford, MD
336-515-0708
Specialty: Internal Medicine
Medical School: Wake Forest School of Medicine
Affiliation: Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center
Dr. Brian Shackleford, an internist and North Carolina native, prides himself on being an open, honest, relatable, and personable physician of faith who has a deep commitment to the health and well-being of his patients. Under his care, patients can be assured that their physical wellness is his top priority.
Phillip Hobbs, MD, MPH
336-355-5535
Specialty: Family Medicine
Medical School: Brody School of Medicine at ECU
Affiliations: Moses Cone, Wesley Long, Annie Penn and Sentara Albemarle
Dr. Phillip Hobbs is a board-certified family physician and hospitalist based in Greensboro, NC. Previously, Dr. Hobbs was an adjunct professor at the UNC Chapel Hill School of Medicine and was a staff physician and EMS Medical Director in the US Air Force.
Umar Bowers, MD
910-387-3788
Specialty: Internal Medicine
Medical School: Howard University College of Medicine
Affiliations: Kindred at Home, Aledade
Dr. Bowers is Dawson Med’s Medical Director and Attending Physician. A former Gates Millennium Scholar, he completed training in Internal Medicine at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, NC. There, Dr. Bowers participated in health disparities research at the Maya Angelou Center for Health Equity. Prior to residency, Dr. Bowers attended medical school at Howard University in Washington, DC, during which time he also worked as a Research Assistant at the Johns Hopkins Medical Center.
Veita Bland-Spencer, MD
336-252-4877
Specialty: Clinical Hypertension
Medical School: Temple Medical School
Dr. Veita Bland-Spencer is a Board-Certified Family Medicine physician. She is also a Clinical Hypertension Specialist, FASH, fellow of the American Society of Hypertension and FAHA, fellow of the American Heart association. She serves on committees with the AHA and other organizations. Dr. Bland is a syndicated columnist and the host of the nationally syndicated radio program, “It’s A Matter of Your Health: The 30 Min Health Magazine,” heard locally on 90.1, WNAA.
Rosemary Stein, MD
336-570-0010
Specialty: Pediatrics
Medical School: Universidad Nacional Pedro Henriquez Urena
Affiliations: International Family Clinic
Dr. Rosemary Stein is the owner and founder of the International Family Clinic, a pediatric practice located in Burlington, NC that was established with the mission of providing the best medical care and guidance to the underserved in Alamance County. The practice, which provides care for more 5,000 children and employs 14 people, is now the largest in the county.