Physician Assistant Joins FirstHealth Family Care-Raeford
| Date Posted: 2/22/2012
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Valerie Taylor, P.A. |
RAEFORD – Valerie Taylor, P.A., knew as a child that her future would be in medicine.
While she didn’t have a particular inspiration for her professional goal, she knew she wanted to make a difference in the way people get their health care. Becoming a physician assistant seemed the best approach.
“The more I learned about physician assistants and the more exposure I got through shadowing and working in local hospitals, I knew it was the profession for me,” she says.
Taylor recently joined the FirstHealth Family Care Center-Raeford as a physician assistant. At the clinic, she joins Marcus Lowry, M.D.; Robert Townsend, D.O.; and Christopher McLaren, P.A.-C, in providing health care for the entire family – from children to seniors. It’s the kind of health care she most enjoys.
“I enjoy family medicine, because I am able to help people with not only specific problems, but also their general health overall,” she says. “It also allows me to build relationships with people over time and to see them through their health issues rather than seeing them one time and never again. The continuity of care attracted me.”
The youngest of three children in a military family headed by “two wonderful parents,” Taylor earned a B.S. degree in biology with a minor in nutrition from East Carolina University in Greenville before entering the Physician Assistant Studies program at Methodist University in Fayetteville. She earned her Master of Medical Science degree in December of last year.
Originally from Clarksville, Tenn., Taylor has lived in the Fayetteville area for more than 10 years and is married to her college sweetheart.
She is CNA, ACLS and BLS certified, and is a member of the North Carolina Association of Physician Assistants and the American Academy of Physician Assistants.
Valerie Taylor, P.A., is now accepting patients at the FirstHealth Family Care Center-Raeford, 313 Teal Drive, Raeford. To make an appointment with her or one of the other providers at the clinic, call (910) 904-2350.
