New Family Medicine Physician Joining FirstHealth’s Troy Clinic
| Date Posted: 8/4/2021
Troy, N.C. -- A new family medicine doctor is joining FirstHealth Family Medicine in Troy.
Gabriel Lopez, M.D., MPH, is coming to central North Carolina after completing a family medicine residency program at Boston Medical Center. He will join Chrystal Eller, M.D. and Taressa Bryan, FNP, at the Troy clinic.
Lopez earned his Doctor of Medicine from the University of California Los Angeles in 2018 after completing a Master of Public Health at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Lopez said he’s excited to build relationships with patients in Troy and Montgomery County.
“Primary care, particularly within family medicine, allows me the opportunity as a provider to establish a rapport and build trust in order to achieve patient-centered goals and keep families healthy,” he said. “As a primary care provider, I can be a trusted advocate, a health and life coach or just a kind ear that can listen to issues people may be having.”
Lopez is a certified bilingual Spanish-speaking provider and has spent time researching ways to reduce health disparities in health care delivery.
“Your zip code, outward appearance or income should not impact your life expectancy. My hope as a new provider in the Troy clinic is that we can better understand the most pressing health disparities within the communities we serve,” he said. “That means crunching numbers, but it also means talking to those who call these communities home.”
Lopez said a volunteer experience led him to his career in medicine.
“As a child of Mexican immigrants, my initial goal was to go to college. My parents had less than a high school education and always instilled the importance of education. Initially, I considered becoming a high school biology teacher since one inspired me to pursue a degree in biology,” he said. “It wasn’t until I volunteered at a local hospital during college that I could envision a career in medicine where I could combine my passion for science and apply my knowledge to directly positively impact the health of others.”
Outside of work, Lopez said he and his wife enjoy going for walks, hikes and runs. They are also expecting their first child.
To make an appointment with Lopez, call FirstHealth Primary Care & Cardiology in Troy at (910) 571-5510. The clinic is open Monday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday – Thursday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Friday 7 a.m. to 12 p.m.
