ADVERTORIAL
George Woodbury Jr. M.D. Rheumatology and Dermatology Associates PC celebrated its 24th birthday June 13th 2017 at our office at 8143 Walnut Grove Road, in Cordova TN. I’d like to comment upon who we are, and what we’re about. We are a two-physician practice dedicated to helping people to feel better about themselves and to function better at home and at work. The dermatology end of the company is chaired by yours truly – George Woodbury Jr. M.D. I decided to enter dermatology when in my third year of medical school at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, in 1986. I liked the fact that the specialty involved people of all ages, and that is used a combination of medical approaches and surgical approaches. Many of the therapies used by the specialty were also pretty effective in helping people to get better. I also had some perspective on the specialty, having grown up in a dermatology and ophthalmology household, my mother Linda Woodbury MD having been a dermatologist since 1965 – and my dad George Woodbury Sr. – having enjoyed the practice of ophthalmology – medical and surgical treatment of the eye just about a long. My family gave me an idea what life in the world of medicine was all about. My life changed pretty dramatically after I met my wife Cathy Chapman MD at the University of Chicago Medical School. We fast became friends, then fell in love and married the day after she graduated medical school in 1988. We came to Memphis after Dr. Chapman completed her specialty training in rheumatology – which is the study of arthritis and connective tissue diseases like lupus and scleroderma – at Strong Memorial Hospital, in Rochester New York – in 1993. We’ve been practicing together in Cordova TN since 1993.
MedComplete. It handles all the usual medical office functions from medical records to prescriptions to billing. MedComplete requires constant upgrades. Staying up-to-date allows us to deliver better care. On July 10th of 2017, we shall have reached 19 years of being entirely paper-free at our office! We are also both dedicated to staying up to date in our respective fields. We participate in a spectrum of medical organizations, Dr. Chapman being a member of the American College of Rheumatology and myself a member of the American Academy of Dermatology, as well as the Tennessee Medical Association and the Memphis Medical Society. My dermatology practice includes both medical and surgical treatments for common skin conditions – acne, seborrheic dermatitis, rosacea, psoriasis, and both precancerous and cancerous skin lesions, including melanoma, basal cell skin cancer, and squamous cell skin cancer. I perform Mohs surgery – Mohs Micrographic Surgery – for skin cancer – to allow me to check the margins while the patient is having the surgery. I also offer both sterile and clean surgeries in the office. And I offer allergy patch testing to try to identify what chemicals a person may be allergic to. I use systemic therapies for severe skin conditions – including Accutane (isotretinoin) for severe or resistant acne, and biological injections for psoriasis. These therapies help to improve patient’s self-image, a key factor in their success in life. So it’s all about helping people to heal both medically and emotionally. Rheumatology is the study of conditions of the connective tissues of the body – focusing particularly upon the joints – but also covering the tendons and ligaments. And Rheumatologists – like Dr. Cathy Chapman in our practice here in Cordova – are all about keeping people able to function in their lives to the fullest of their capacity.
Dr. Chapman and I practice different medical specialties, but our practice philosophy is similar: strong patient engagement. We believe that a patient who has a deeper understanding of the disease is better able improve quicker. Better patient understanding supports a solid treatment plan.
Dr. Chapman uses systemic therapies to help her patients with rheumatoid arthritis and connective tissue diseases like lupus and psoriatic arthritis. She offers joint ultrasound, as well as in-office X-rays and labwork. Since there are over 300 separate diseases in rheumatology, these tests greatly help Dr. Chapman to diagnose joint conditions and disorders and also to measure a patient’s progress.
We spent five years – between 1996 and 2001 – designing our own computer system at Rheumatology and Dermatology Associates – to enable us to become paper-free – thereby saving time that we could spend with patients. Our system is called
So welcome to Rheumatology and Dermatology PC, as we enter our 25th year in Memphis. We look forward to working with you.
• Diagnosis and management of conditions of the joints as well as the skin, hair, and nails • Medical evaluation of and testing of lupus, scleroderma, and dermatomyositis • Joint ultrasound • Management of acne, psoriasis, and contact dermatitis • Allergy patch testing • Surgical treatments of skin conditions such as skin cancers, atypical moles, and cysts • Keeping athletic people able to function to their full capacity 18
