Two new physicians have joined Phoebe’s highly-skilled heart and vascular team - Rachel Harris, MD, and J. William Mix, MD, FACS.  

“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Harris and Dr. Mix to Phoebe Physicians. Each brings knowledge and skill to their respective specialties. I know they are dedicated to providing high-quality care to patients, and we are pleased to add them to our excellent team,” said Dr. Suresh Lakhanpal, CEO, Phoebe Physicians.

Dr. Harris, joined Phoebe Cardiology – bringing the latest in advanced training and specialized skills in cardiovascular disease diagnosis and management to the region. A board-certified cardiologist, Dr. Harris earned her medical degree from Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta before completing an internal medicine residency at Duke University Hospital in Durham, NC. She has completed a cardiac CT practicum at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD, and a cardiovascular disease fellowship at University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital in Birmingham, AL. 

Additionally, Dr. Harris completed an advanced imaging fellowship at the University of South Florida in Tampa, FL – brining extensive training in advanced cardiovascular imaging to southwest Georgia. While she is looking forward to getting to know all her patients, Dr. Harris says she is passionate about women’s heart disease prevention – the leading cause of death for women in the U.S. 

Dr. Mix joined Phoebe Cardiovascular Surgery. With more than a decade of experience, Dr. Mix specializes in endovascular and traditional open vascular surgery. He has a special interest in treating abdominal/thoracic aortic aneurysms, thoracic aortic dissections, and thoracic outlet syndrome.

Dr. Mix earned his medical degree from Mercer University School of Medicine before completing a general surgery residency at Medical Center of Central Georgia/Mercer University School of Medicine. He also fellowship trained in vascular surgery from University of Tennessee-Knoxville, Graduate School of Medicine. 

In addition to Dr. Harris and Dr. Mix, Phoebe Physicians recently welcomed three additional specialists:

• Olyinka Afolabi, MD, also joined Phoebe Gastroenterology and has a special interest in treating inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and hepatitis.

• Stephen Alayli, DPM, joined Phoebe Orthopaedics. Dr. Alayli is a podiatrist specializing in foot and ankle surgery.

• Franklin Goldwire, MD, has joined Phoebe Gastroenterology. Dr. Goldwire brings advanced gastroenterology specialty skills to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of a wide variety of digestive tract and liver conditions.

“The addition of each one of these doctors further strengthens our network of physicians and continues our mission of meeting the healthcare needs of the communities we serve,” added Dr. Lakhanpal.

The Phoebe Physicians network consists of more than 300 dedicated, multi-specialty physicians and advanced practice providers – including primary care and more than 30 medical specialties. Each provider is integrated with the community they serve, providing local access and patient-centered care that extends beyond our hospital locations.