In the medical landscape of Asheville, which saw significant strides from the late 1960s to the early 1970s, two key figures are often recognized for their pioneering roles – Dr. Charles Keller, a cardiothoracic surgeon, and Dr. John Russell, medical cardiologist. Their efforts elevated Asheville into one of the country’s premier medical communities, attracting numerous incredibly specialized medical and surgical groups that spanned critical care, nephrology, oncology, neurosurgery, among others.
A significant juncture in this medical narrative was in 1979 when Dr. William Simons, who moved from Wake Forest, laid the foundations for the Asheville Infectious Disease Consultants. It was a time marked by critical breakthroughs in the field such as the growth in the complexity of antibiotic treatment procedures, a surge in the number of patients with compromised immunity due to advancements made in cancer treatment, and the first signs of the AIDS epidemic. A year following its inception, Dr. Terry Lee from UNC Chapel Hill joined the practice, and the duo laid the foundational bricks of infectious disease treatment within this rapidly evolving community.
In the subsequent years, the group was further expanded. Dr. Darilyn Dealy joined in 1984 followed by myself in 1987, replacing Dr. Simons when he decided to change his focus to Psychiatry. During this period, Dr. Lee emerged as the face of infectious disease expertise in the region. A highly charismatic and gifted clinician, Dr. Lee’s magnetic personality swayed physicians, nurses, administrators, and patients alike. He fervently embraced community service and outreach, even volunteering as the chief of medical staff at Mission Hospital. With Asheville Infectious Disease Consultants being the only infectious disease practice in Western North Carolina, we provided consultation services and advice free of charge to medical professionals and hospitals spread across the region.
Dr. Lee passed away in 1998, leaving a large void within the community that was hard to fill. Despite this, Asheville Infectious Disease Consultants carried on, growing steadily over the years with AIDS treatment becoming a practicality, hepatitis C being curable, and the expansion of immunosuppressive treatment into various medical fields – all of which augmented the importance of our work in infectious disease.
The successful journey of Asheville Infectious Disease Consultants has been significantly supported by collaborative relationships with the administrations of the Mission and St. Joseph’s Hospital, both of whom were heavily invested in infection prevention, outbreak control, and advanced microbiology labs. The consolidation of these hospitals further extended our relationships and we also partnered closely with the pharmacy to foster an antibiotic stewardship program aimed at improving antibiotic use across the region and hospital.
By 2013, Asheville Infectious Disease merged with Mission Hospital enabling us to expand our team and enhance our consultative capacity. We continued to uphold Dr. Lee’s legacy by providing free phone consultations to doctors across the region with an unwavering goal to enhance the health of entire Western North Carolina community.
The tumultuous experiences ranging from the 2014 Ebola scare, the wide disruption during the COVID-19 pandemic, and recent monkeypox in 2022 have underscored the prominence of infectious diseases. Despite my retirement in May 2021, I continue to educate upcoming doctors in infectious disease, while the tireless efforts of my colleagues at Mission Infectious Disease continue to shape the health of Western North Carolina, carrying forward Dr. Terry Lee’s legacy.