Pardee BlueMD Opens New Primary Care Practice in Arden

UNC Health Pardee is expanding access to primary care with the addition of a new family medicine practice, Pardee BlueMD - Long Shoals Rd. The Arden practice is opening on Feb. 3 and will use a physician-pharmacist co-visit model, an integrated model in which a physician and a clinical pharmacist practitioner (CPP) see patients during the same visit. The practice will be staffed by Yuqi Mao, MD. a board-certified family medicine physician and certified physician assistant, Katherine Lorenz, PA-C. The CPP will be a provider with Sona Pharmacy.

Dr. Mao believes listening to his patients and understanding them as individuals is important. He focuses first on preventive care by teaching or reiterating to patients about health risks. “After a diagnosis, I work to thoroughly explain the next steps and create treatment plans with my patients to empower them in caring for themselves,” Dr. Mao said. When he’s not treating patients, Dr. Mao enjoys reading, classical and Broadway music, solving crossword and Sudoku puzzles, along with playing billiards and golf.

Katherine Lorenz has been a part of the Pardee team for more than 10 years, previously serving at Pardee Urgent Care. She believes in compassionate, quality care built on deepening relationships with her patients. In her free time, she has published three children’s nonfiction and two children’s fiction books.

This is the second Pardee practice to utilize this approach in partnership with Sona Pharmacy, which facilitates thorough medication reviews, drug therapy management and allows for disease management and education for chronic conditions such as diabetes, COPD and cardiovascular disease. The practice will offer primary care medical services to patients of all ages beginning at five years old, including complete physical exams, preventative medical care, treatment and management of chronic diseases, dietary counseling and weight management, and diagnosis and treatment of stress, anxiety, depression and other emotional health conditions. To schedule an appointment, call 828-435-8120.

UNC Health Pardee is a not-for-profit community healthcare organization and is managed by UNC Health. The hospital, founded in 1953, is licensed for 222 acute care beds. Pardee has several locations separate from the main campus, including a comprehensive physician practice network, a cancer center, and three urgent care locations. For more information or to find a physician, visit pardeehospital.org.