Southern Medical Group, P.A.

It’s Nurse Practitioner Week! ??A big thank you to the 26 nurse practitioners that work for our Internal Medicine and Cardiology physicians, bringing exceptional care to our patients. We’re thrilled to celebrate your hard work, expertise, and dedication! ?? Did you know? NPs evaluate patients, order and interpret tests, make diagnoses, write prescriptions and bring a comprehensive perspective to health care in nearly 1 billion patient visits each year.

Please give a warm welcome to Elizabeth Van Vliet, APRN, the newest nurse practitioner working in our cardiology division with Dr. Romero. ?? Elizabeth enjoys spending time with her husband and daughter, hiking and cycling, and reading. Ms. Van Vliet is passionate about health education and enjoys working with her patients with the goal of shared decision making. ?? ?? Welcome to SMG, Elizabeth!

Great news for Perry residents! Shane McEntire, MD, of TMH Physician Partners, Services by Southern Medical Group – Vascular Surgery, is now seeing patients in Perry at Doctor's Memorial Hospital several times a month! Whether you're dealing with painful varicose veins, peripheral artery disease or even life-threatening blood clots - Dr. McEntire has you covered. He offers the latest minimally invasive and surgical treatments tailored to each patient's unique needs. Just call 850-216-0067 to schedule an appointment with Dr. McEntire in Perry or ask your Primary Care physician for a referral. He’ll do the traveling, so you don’t have to!

We loved celebrating the ??ribbon-cutting?? for the new Medical Office Plaza in Panama City Beach yesterday! ?? Thank you, The St. Joe Company, City of Panama City Beach Government, Bay County Chamber of Commerce and Panama City Beach Chamber of Commerce (and the dozens of partners who attended) for helping us make it official. We are grateful for the partnership and dedication from members of this community to helping us get to this point. However, the Medical Office Plaza is only the beginning! We look forward to the next phase of our Panama City Beach medical campus - a new hospital, slated to open in 2027! Read more: TMH.CARE/pcbmob

Please help us recognize SMG’s 11 Physician Assistants (PAs) during 2024’s National Physician Assistant Week! ?? ?? What is a PA? Physician Assistants are highly trained, licensed clinicians that have completed a master’s level education and passed the Physician Assistant National Certifying Examination administered by the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants. Beyond graduation on into their careers, PAs will continue to complete 100 hours of CME every two-year license cycle. ?? This Physician Assistant Week, let’s celebrate these incredible medical professionals who play a pivotal role in making healthcare more accessible and to the exceptional patient care they provide! Thank you for all you do! ?? #PAweek #PhysicianAssistantWeek #PAsGoBeyond #PhysicianAssistant #PhysicianAssociate #NationalPAweek #HappyPAweek #PAlife #WomeninMedicine

??Happy Advanced Practice Provider Week to our 37 APPs!?? ??An advanced practice provider is a health care provider who is not a physician, but performs medical activities typically performed by a physician – more commonly known as nurse practitioners and physician assistants! We are excited to continue their celebrations during PA Week (10/6-12) and NP Week (11/10-16). ??Stay tuned!

?? We can’t keep it a secret any longer – Maria Lahti, M.D. has joined SMG cardiology at our new location in Panama City Beach, Florida! ??? Beginning Wednesday, September 18th Dr. Lahti will start seeing patients at the new TMHPP medical office building located at 1002 N. Arnold Rd, Suite 301. Dr. Lahti is passionate about ensuring high-quality care with her patients. Her favorite part of her job is connecting with patients and their families, enabling her to provide education and care tailored to their needs. Dr. Lahti lives with her husband, daughter, and cat Coconut, and has two grown children living and studying in Utah and Texas. FUN FACT: Dr. Lahti is a former professional organist and retired ???? Colonel USAF after 27 years of service. Welcome to Southern Medical Group, Dr. Lahti! ??

Coming soon!

?? Breaking news – Southern Medical Group Cardiology is expanding to the beach! ??? ??Starting September 18th, the Panama City Beach community will have access to SMG’s premier cardiology care in their own backyard. Patients will be seen at the new TMH Physician Partners medical office building located at 1002 N. Arnold Rd, Suite 301. Stay tuned for more exciting details! ??

??Introducing Elizabeth Diekman, PA-C and Jackie Hoffman, APRN! Elizabeth and Jacki both work in our cardiology division at our main location for Drs. Rengifo and Umana, respectively. ??Jackie (left) is passionate about making a difference in her patients’ lives and helping them to achieve their health goals. In her free time, she enjoys reading, exercising, and traveling to new places with her husband. Fun fact: Jackie is originally from Tallahassee! ??Elizabeth’s (right) favorite part about working in Tallahassee is seeing patients from all over the North Florida and South Georgia area. When Elizabeth is not at work, she is happiest outdoors. Fun fact: Elizabeth comes from a family of die-hard Seminoles. Go Noles! Please give a warm welcome to Elizabeth and Jackie! We are excited you’ve joined our team! ??