Senior Primary Care Practice

"What makes the SPCP most special to me is that it allows me to spend quality time with my patients at a time in their lives when time is sometimes what they need most from their physician. This is something that often times cannot be done in a private practice setting."

Dr. Boston specializes in providing primary care services to patients 65 and older. Her focus is keeping seniors healthy through preventive care. Before joining the Senior Primary Care Practice, Dr. Boston honed her medical skill in the emergency departments of Piedmont Healthcare System and Providence Northeast Hospital. She also worked in family practice and urgent care medicine.  While obtaining her bachelor of sciences degree in  Biological Sciences at Clemson University, she was a member of the Golden Key National Honor Society, Alpha Epsilon Delta Pre-Med Honor Society, and Clemson University Black Student of Promise. Dr. Boston is also a Clemson alumni and Faculty Scholar. She feels that it is important to listen to her patients and respond to their concerns as if they were members of her own family. Dr. Boston is a dedicated community volunteer with particular interests in Women's Health and member of the South Carolina Medical Association and the American Academy of Family Physicians.

Professional Credentials

• Medical Degree: University of South Carolina School of Medicine
• Residency: Family Medicine, Palmetto Health Richland

Rachelle Gajadhar, M.D. 

"The care of older adults has unique challenges.  I am happy to be a member of Senior Primary Care where care is a team approach."

Dr. Gajadhar specializes in providing primary care services to patients 65 years and older. Dr. Gajadhar has done numerous presentations on issues regarding seniors. Some of the topics include Assisted Living: A Work in Progress, Delirium Due to Alcohol Withdrawal, Program of All-Inclusive Care, Perioperative Beta-Blocker, Modifications to Create Assisted Living in the Home, Update in Cardiology for Non-Physicians and the Safe At Home: Multidisciplinary Program Aimed at Allowing Older Adults to Age in Place.

Professional Credentials

• Medical Degree: University of Maryland
• Board Certified in Internal Medicine
• Board Certified in Geriatric Medicine
• Residency in Internal Medicine at Christiana Hospital (formerly Medical Center of Delaware)
• Fellowship in Geriatrics in the Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology at John Hopkins University School of Medicine

Victor A. Hirth, M.D.

"After working at a nursing home during high school and college, I knew walking into medical school that I would go into geriatric medicine. Our patients (at The Senior Primary Care Practice) want to be involved in their health. I encourage their interest in their care, enjoy our discussions, and appreciate the wisdom, knowledge and experiences they bring to me."

Dr. Hirth specializes in providing primary care services to patients age 65 and older. In addition to caring for patients at the practice, Dr. Hirth also is the medical director for Lowman Home Long Term Care Facility and Wildewood Downs Retirement Community. Education and research are particular passions. He is an assistant professor in the Geriatrics Division of the University of South Carolina School of Medicine and the associate program director for The Geriatric Fellowship Program at Palmetto Health Richland. Dr. Hirth has been recognized by his students for excellence in teaching. He has ongoing geriatrics-related research projects with the American Academy of Medical Colleges and Bowman Gray-Wake Forest University and has been published in national and international medical journals. In his free time, Dr. Hirth enjoys traveling with his wife and daughter.

Professional Credentials

• Medical Director, Palmetto Health Division of Geriatrics
• Medical Degree: University of Washington School of Medicine
• Residency: Internal Medicine, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics
• Fellowship: Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, University of Washington
• Board Certified, Internal Medicine
• Geriatric Medicine, Certificate of Added Qualifications

Professional Credentials

• Assistant Professor of Family Medicine at the University of South Carolina
• Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of South Carolina
• Board Certified in Family Medicine    
• Board Certified in Geriatrics
• Palmetto Health/University of South Carolina School of Medicine
  Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Geriatrics
  Geriatrics Fellow
• Palmetto Health/University of South Carolina School of Medicine                       
  Family Medicine Residency Program
• Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center/Bowman Gray University Medical
  Clinical Rotations in Internal Medicine, Pediatrics and OB/GYN
• Universidad Central del Ecuador School of Medicine
  Doctor of General Medicine and Surgery – M.D. Degree

William C. Logan, Jr. M.D., MHS, AGSF

"My love of medicine and desire to be a physician has been a constant since my early childhood. The only other physician in my family was my great-grandfather, a "horse and buggy" doctor in rural Alabama in the 1920s. His compassion, lack of discrimination, and role in the community are legendary in my family — I wanted to be like him.

"My love for older patients developed during my teenage years. I spent lots of time with my grandmother who lived near us. I was frequently invited to accompany her on outings — dinner, concerts, and Church events — that included not only her but many of her older friends. I learned to appreciate and enjoy the rich experiences and unique, well-differentiated personalities and characters that seemed to develop with aging. My final decision to pursue Geriatrics as a career happened under the direct mentorship of Dr. Paul Eleazer, Division Head of Geriatrics for the University of South Carolina School of Medicine. He also is responsible for me coming to Columbia and Senior Primary Care to practice."

Professional Credentials

• Masters of Health Sciences
  Clinical Research Training Program, Duke University and National Institutes of Health, Durham, NC
• Geriatrics Fellowship
  GRECC, Durham VA Medical Center and Duke Center for the Study of Aging
  and Human Development, Duke University,
  Durham, NC, July 1, 2004 to June 30, 2006.
• Internal Medicine Residency
  UNC Hospitals, Chapel Hill, NC, October 1995 to June 1998.
• General Surgery Residency with Clinician-Investigator Position in Immunology
  Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, June 1992 to October 1995.
• MD Degree
  University of North Carolina School of Medicine, May 1992.
• AB with Honors in Biology
  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, May 1988.
• Fellow, American Geriatrics Society, May 2004 to present.
• Diplomate, American Board of Internal Medicine, Geriatrics, October 2006 to present.
• Diplomate, American Board of Internal Medicine, November 1998 to present.
  Recertified November 2008.

"I chose to specialize in geriatric medicine for the opportunity to individualize the care of my patients."

As an internist and geriatrician, Dr. Matthews specializes in providing primary care services to patients age 65 and older. She is uniquely qualified for her chosen medical field. In addition to caring for patients at Senior Primary Care, Dr. Matthews is actively involved in ongoing research and teaching, serving as a guest lecturer at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine as well as mentoring medical students in geriatric-related research. Dr. Matthews enriches her knowledge through conferences like the Geriatric Medicine Conference hosted by the Harvard School of Medicine in Boston. She also is widely published in medical journals, including the American Geriatric Society, on topics ranging from physical activity and risk of depression in the elderly to assessing memory impairment. In her free time, Dr. Matthews enjoys being with her children.

• Medical Degree: University of North Carolina
• Residency: Internal Medicine, University of Colorado School of Medicine
• Fellowship: Clinical and Research Fellowships in Geriatrics, University of South Carolina School of Medicine
• Board Certified, Internal Medicine
• Geriatric Medicine, Certificate of Added Qualifications

Karen F. Mattocks, M.D.

"It is my desire as a geriatrician to help my patients experience healthy aging and a fulfilling and satisfying quality of life."

Dr. Mattocks joined Senior Primary Care Practice as a full-time clinician in October 2009.  She was previously employed by Palmetto Senior Care from 1998-2006. She is board certified in Family Medicine and is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family and Preventive Medicine. She was the first geriatric fellow to graduate from Palmetto Health/USC SOM Geriatric Fellowship Program in 1998.  It is her desire as a geriatrician to help her patients experience healthy aging and a fulfilling and satisfying quality of life. Patient education empowerment is important to her and working together with the patients to optimize their health. In Dr. Mattock's spare time she enjoys spending time with her family, crochetting, reading books and listening to music. 

Professional Credentials

• Medical Degree: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, School of Medicine
• Residency: Palmetto Health Richland
• Fellowship: Geriatirics, Palmetto Health Richland, University of South Carolina School of Medicine
• Board Certified: Family Practice

Craig Maylath, M.D.

Dr. Maylath specializes in providing primary care services to patients age 65 and older. Dr. Maylath joined the Senior Primary Care group in 2005 after completing a Geriatric Fellowship at Palmetto Health/USC School of Medicine.

Professional Credentials

• Residency: Internal Medicine; Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center
• Fellowship: Geriatrics, Palmetto Health/USC School of Medicine 2005
• Medical Degree: Temple University, 1993

Chuck Petit, M.D.

"The practice of medicine is still a science, an art, a ministry and a gift"

Dr. Petit joined the Senior Primary Care Practice in 2005 and has been active in teaching geriatric fellows, as well as medical and pharmacy students. Formerly, he served as the first medical director for Palmetto SeniorCare at its inception in 1988. Petit was also the founding president of the SC Geriatric Society. He is a geriatric hospitalist for the practice and his special interests include overseas medicine, palliative care, and faith issues as they apply to the care of patients. Dr. Petit is an ordained priest of the Episcopal Church, USA.
 

Professional Credentials

• Assistant Professor of Family Medicine
• Attending Physician at Palmetto Health Senior Primary Care
• Internship, Washington University School of Medicine 1978-1979
• Residency in Family Medicine at Wheeling Hospital 1981
• Fellow of American Academy of Family Physicians
• Masters of Divinity: University of the South 2003
• Medical Degree: West Virginia University School of Medicine, 1978

Sarah Schumacher, D.O.

"I chose the Senior Primary Care Practice, and they chose me, because we have a similar philosophy on patient care. We are focused on keeping our seniors autonomous and healthy. Part of  how we do this is by getting to know our patients, by actually spending time with them and listening to what they have to say."

Dr. Schumacher specializes in providing primary care services to patients 65 and older. Her focus is keeping seniors healthy through preventive care. Before joining the Senior Primary Care Practice, Dr. Schumacher spent four years in Allendale, SC working mostly with older adults. Her passion for helping seniors actually began in medical school, where she treated her first geriatric patients and learned how to treat each person as a unique individual. It was there Dr. Schumacher observed the wonderful doctor-patient relationships built between the physicians and the seniors they treated. Later, she completed her residency at the Warren Hospital Family Practice Residency Program, which emphasized geriatric care. She nutures her patient relationships by treating each person with dignity and respect. Dr. Schumacher enjoys teaching and loves spending her free time with her husband, also a physician, and their three children.

Professional Credentials

• Medical Degree: Doctor of Osteopathy, University of New England College of Osteopathic Medicine, Biddleford, ME
• Residency: Family Practice; Warren Hospital Family Practice Residency Program
• Board Certified, Family Medicine
• Board Certified, Geriatrics 

Matthew Y. Wisdom, M.D.

"Geriatric patients are the fastest growing segment of the U.S. health care system and provide unique challenges and rewards. Working with a geriatric practice provides an opportunity to manage many of the important medical issues facing older adults with an overall emphasis on patient independence and quality of life."

Dr. Wisdom is a member of the American Medical Association, the American College of Physicians, Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society, the Alpha Epsilon Delta Premedical Honor Society and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

His commitment to medical care has not gone unnoticed. He was a recipient of the Centers for Disease Control's Award of Excellence, as well as the Robert C. Byrd and Hope scholarships. He also served as a presenter at the National Immunization Conference in 2001.

When he is not working with geriatric patients, Dr. Wisdom enjoys running, biking, working on computers, gardening and dogs.

Professional Credentials

• Medical School: Medical College of Georgia
• Board Certified, Internal Medicine
• Residency, Medical University of South Carolina

Elaine Rogue Nazario, MD

"Taking care of geriatric patients can be a challenge because many times we are faced with complex medical and social problems. But, it is very satisfying how we can impact their lives."

Dr. Rogue-Nazario specializes in providing primary care services to patients 65 years of age and older. Prior to coming to Columbia and joining Palmetto Health's Senior Primary Care Practice, she was employed in long term care for elderly patients and was the Medical director for Rosemond Living Center in Greenville where she practiced as a family physician and geriatrician in providing medical and rehab care to patients in subacute rehab facilities. She is enthusiastic about using her geriatric knowledge to provide care for patients who are 65 years of age and older. She has offered her skills on various medical missions with Volunteers in Medical Missions. Dr. Rogue-Nazario did her Geriatric Fellowship here at Palmetto Health. She graduated Cum Laude from San Juan Batista School of Medicine, PR United States and did her Residency at AnMed Health Family Medicine Residency Program in Anderson, SC. 

Professional Credentials

Medical Degree: San Juan Bautista School of Medicine, Caguas, Puerto Rico

Residency: AnMed Health Family Medicine Residency Program

Board Certified: Family Medicine

Geriatric Medicine, Certificate of Added Qualifications

Geriatric Fellowship, Palmetto Health/University of South Carolina