Internal Medicine

What is Internal Medicine?
Internal Medicine is a non-surgical medical specialty concerned with diseases of internal organs in adults as well as disease prevention; internists are skilled in managing complex disorders of the body. Internists may be either generalists or specialists.

General internists tend to serve as personal physicians to adults, developing long-term relationships with patients. Internists give patients regular physical examinations, offer preventive care, diagnose and treat most non-surgical illnesses, and refer serious or unusual cases to an appropriate specialist. If a patient complains of persistent lung problems, for example, a general internist might refer the patient to a pulmonologist, an internist who specializes in disorders of the respiratory system.

Within the field of Internal Medicine, nine subspecialties are recognized: Cardiology, the treatment of diseases of the heart and blood vessels; Endocrinology, the study of glands and other structures that secrete hormones; Gastroenterology, the care of conditions of the digestive tract, liver, and pancreas; Hematology, the study of blood and blood-forming tissues; Infectious disease, the study of blood and blood-forming tissues; Nephrology, the diagnosis and treatment of kidney diseases; Oncology, the study and treatment of cancerous tumors; Pulmonary disease, concerned with disorders of the lungs and other components of the respiratory system; and Rheumatology, the treatment of disorders involving joints and other connective tissues. An additional subspecialty gaining prominence is Geriatrics, the study of diseases affecting older adults.

Internal Medicine at Affinity
Affinity Health Group has eight internal medicine physicians and an additional four specialists in the fields of Pulmonology and Critical Care, Cardiology and Gastroenterology.

Physicians
Internal Medicine
Joseph M. Turner, M.D., F.A.C.P.
Richard E. McCullough, M.D.
Steven W. Rigdon, M.D.
Christopher A. Madden, M.D.
Kathrine Gibbons, M.D.
Christina H. Rich, M.D.
Dr. Loraine Sumner, M.D.
Robert Cella, M.D.
Craig Smith, M.D.

Pulmonary Medicine & Critical Care
William A. Guest, M.D.
Randall C. Lanier, M.D.

Cardiology
Paul M. Murray, M.D.

Gastroenterology
Robert E. Dale, M.D.

Resources
www.medlineplus.com