Division News

Viviana Martinez-Bianchi, M.D., FAAFP believes there are three components needed for progress toward achieving health equity: pursuing health equity, teaching health equity and health equity as a personal value. In her new role as director of health equity for the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, she will have the opportunity to affect change in all these areas, at Duke and beyond.

Welcome Gregory Sawin, M.D., MPH, as vice chair for education and faculty development in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health. He joined the department on Jan. 1. Sawin earned his medical degree at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta, Ga., and he completed family medicine residency at the University of Virginia Medical Center in Charlottesville, Va. He later completed the Faculty Development Fellowship in the Department of Family Medicine at UVA and the National Institute for Program Director Development Fellowship. While at UVA, he also received a Master of Public Health with a focus in health care policy, law and ethics.

Welcome Fine Song, M.D., as clinical faculty in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health. He joined the department on Nov. 1.

Debra Whiteheart, MHS, PA-C, has been named assistant medical director of Duke Family Medicine Center, effective immediately. Whiteheart is a 2008 graduate of the Duke Physician Assistant Program, and has worked with the clinic since 2009.

Sara Sawka Mazzarelli, MHS, PA-C, joined the department in this spring as a PA seeing patients at Duke Family Medicine North Duke Street. Mazzarelli graduated from the Duke Physician Assistant Program in 2013, and earned her BA in Biological Sciences from Mount Holyoke College in 2009.

Family Medicine chief resident and resident leaders have been announced for the 2019-20 academic year.

Cerrone Cohen, M.D., assistant professor, is co-associate program director of the Duke Family Medicine Residency. He sees patients at the Duke Family Medicine Center and at Duke Behavioral Health Broad Street.

On Feb. 4, Duke Family Medicine opened a second clinic location — Duke Family Medicine North Duke Street at 3116 N. Duke St. — with six patient rooms and three providers. Brian Halstater, M.D., and Lorraine Sease, M.D., MSPH, will see patients there, and an advanced practice provider (APP) position will soon be filled.

Effective January 1, Brian Halstater, M.D., assumed the role of medical director for Duke Family Medicine. In this role he oversees clinical operations at Duke Family Medicine Center, 2100 Erwin Road.

Kenzie Johnston, M.D., CAQSM, medical instructor of community and family medicine, joined the department over the summer. She graduated from University of Maryland's School of Medicine in 2014, is a 2017 graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill's family medicine residency, and completed the UNC sports medicine fellowship in 2018. She sees patients at Duke Family Medicine Center and also at Duke Student Health.