MEMBERSHIP & MEMBER SERVICES By Peter Graber NCAFP Communications Services
~ AWARDS ~
Dr. Thomas White Named 2020 NC Family Physician of the Year Dr. Thomas R. White, a ‘hometown’ and ‘Main Street’ family physician, has been named North Carolina's 2020 Family Physician of the Year, the most prestigious award from the NCAFP. Dr. White was formally presented with the award during a ceremony early last November in Cherryville. Dr. White currently practices at Hometown Direct Care in Cherryville, NC, a direct primary care practice he founded in 2015. Dr. White’s practice has had a tremendous impact on the health of the community. And while his practice setting and style have changed during his 32 years serving the people of Cherryville, Dr. White’s commitment has never wavered. Dr. White’s interest in medicine began just prior to him entering undergraduate study Duke University. With a badly burned arm from an accident, he was treated over the course of several months by Dr. Marshal Anger, a well-known family physician from Cherryville. This experience inspired him greatly. “I just remember the respect he commanded and deserved, and the dedication he clearly had,’ noted Dr. White in recalling the experience. “On the other hand, I was intimidated by the sheer number of patients he saw daily, and how little time he had to listen and deal with multiple complex issues. So I was inspired to be a community small town physician, but hesitant based on the demands,’ Dr. White explained. Dr. White went on to graduate from Duke University, earning both his undergraduate and medical degrees.
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He completed his Family Medicine residency training at Charlotte Memorial Hospital and returned to Cherryville 1988 to found Cherryville Primary Care. Dr. White’s practice would later be acquired by Carolinas Health Care System, which operated it until its 2015 closure. Dr. White subsequently founded Hometown Direct Care in Cherryville, the area’s first direct primary care practice and an ongoing success. Since opening, Dr. White has established a satellite office in Shelby and added another family physician, Dr. Joshua Carpenter, with plans to add another family physician in the summer of 2021. White’s change in his care model has enabled him to once again deliver personalized, accessible, and comprehensive care, and leverage much-longer visit times to provide holistic care for his patients. “When a patient tells me I listened and understood them, that is when I most appreciate the privilege of doing what I am doing,” Dr. White explained. He also thinks the change has extended his career, too. “More than that, I think it has made me better appreciate being a doctor,” said White. Outside of his practice, Dr. White is very involved in his community and is a huge giver of his time, resources and energy to several causes. He has sponsored numerous athletic teams, quietly assisted community members with
The North Carolina Family Physician
