Johnson City Faculty
Christopher Bridges, M.D.
Assistant Professor & Clerkship Director
I was born and raised in Greenville, SC. I am a Clemson University alum and completed my medical education at the Medical University of South Carolina. I completed residency at ETSU Family Medicine in Johnson City and upon graduation stayed on as faculty. In medicine, I have found a passion in point of care ultrasound, skin procedures, and preventative medicine. I love working with medical students and residents in both the clinic and hospital. Outside of work, I enjoy playing disc golf and ball golf, spending time with my family, significant other, and our dog Sweet Pea. The only thing that comes close to my love of medicine is my love of live music.
Brian Earley, D.O.
Professor & Program Director
Brian Earley, DO grew Up in Tucker, GA (suburb of Atlanta) and attended college at DePauw University in Greencastle, IN. After a “gap year” he attended medical school at Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine, and went on to do his Family Medicine Residency at Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, IL. After graduation from residency, he did general practice in Urbana from 2003-2005 before returning as the Associate Director of Carle Foundation Hospital Family Medicine Residency Program 2005-2008. While here, he helped to create the osteopathic component of this residency and was named the Osteopathic Program Director. He then moved to Madison, Wisconsin where he served as the UW Madison Associate Program Director and Osteopathic Program Director.
He moved to Florida in 2011 and there took a short break from academic medicine. He started a single-physician clinic in Melrose, FL 2011-2014 (through Shands Stark Hospital in Starke, FL). In 2014 he was hired as the Founding Program Director of the Ocala Regional Family Medicine Residency. He remained there as the Program Director until he had the opportunity to move to the mountains of Tennessee and become the Program Director of the ETSU Johnson City Family Medicine Program.
His professional interests include preventive medicine, Osteopathic manipulation, and community outreach in Family Medicine residencies. Outside of medicine, he enjoys spending time with family, camping, hiking, disc golf, hand arts, exploring northeast TN, learning to fish, and game nights with family and friends. Dr. Earley is happily married to his wife, Jaynie and they have five children.
Fereshteh Gerayli, M.D., FAAFP
Professor
I received my M.D. degree from Mashad University in Iran in 1981 and practiced as a general practitioner with major work in OB-GYN in an underserved area in Iran for more than ten years. Then I completed an Acupuncture course in Germany and worked there in both acupuncture and family medicine practices for about three years. I started my family medicine residency in the U.S. in 1997 with the University of Kentucky (East KY Family Practice). I worked with the East KY Family Practice Residency Program in Hazard, KY as faculty from August 2000 to December 2004 and relocated to ETSU family medicine in January 2005.
I have a very supportive husband, Hamid, and one daughter, Bana, who is a junior in Centre College in Kentucky and is planning on going to dental school. My hobbies are traveling, jogging, and socializing.
Jim Holt, M.D., FAAFP
Professor & Associate Program Director
I was born in Michigan, but raised in Baltimore. I am the fifth of six children. I attended Princeton University, receiving an A.B. in Biochemistry and a teaching license in math and science, graduating cum laude. I completed my medical school at the University of Maryland in 1982 and served my residency at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. I practiced at a rural health clinic in Warrenton, NC from 1985 to 1988 and at a private group practice in Lancaster, SC, from 1988 to 2001. Since joining the Johnson City Family Practice Residency Program in August 2001, I have served as the Medical Director. I have chaired the Curriculum Committee since March 2003. My wife Judy and I have five children. https://works.bepress.com/james-holt/about/
Brian Ingalls, M.D.
Associate Professor & Associate Medical Director
Born in Durham, NC when my father was in Surgery Residency at Duke, our family traveled to Oklahoma City, and then on to settle in the east-central Illinois town of Paris. My eventual medical career took me to Chattanooga, TN for 30 years of practice in Emergency Medicine/Family Medicine/Acute Care.
Two of our children have attended ETSU, and when the opportunity to join ETSU Family Medicine Associates arose, I felt it was a natural fit. I enjoy the outdoors with family and pets, including hiking, biking and golfing. I especially enjoy taking care of patients and their families, seeing them for follow-up visits...something I missed during my time in the ER!
Leigh Johnson, M.D.
Associate Professor & ETSU Health Director of COVID Response
I am so pleased to have returned to life in the mountains of Appalachia. I grew up in Bristol, VA and then ventured north to New Hampshire where I graduated from Dartmouth College with a degree in Psychology. I attended medical school right here at ETSUs Quillen College of Medicine, and then left again to fulfill my Army commitment. I completed residency at Madigan Army Medical Center in Fort Lewis, WA and then had the opportunity to deploy to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation New Dawn. Subsequently I moved to Fort Campbell, KY where I continued to care for our nation's troops and their families. I completed my Active Duty service in June 2013 and I am honored to have found my way back to Johnson City to join the faculty of the ETSU Family Medicine residency.
I love teaching and learning from patients, students, and residents, and have particular interests in Women’s Health and Contraception as well as the care of LGBTQ patients. In my free time, I enjoy running, CrossFit, travel, and spending time outdoors. My husband and I are loving the adventure of raising our incredible son in this amazing community!
Sarah McCray, LCSW
Licensed Medical Social Worker
Sarah is a LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker). She previously worked as a therapist for 11 years with children, youth, and their families/caregivers.
Outside of work, Sarah enjoys being outside, gardening, building and fixing things.
She is inspired by nature, knowing that she can learn, grow, and create things with
her own hands, animals, seeing people change for the better.
Ryan Tewell, Pharm.D.
Assistant Professor & Medical Director, Family Medicine and Bill Gatton College of Pharmacy
I was born and raised in the small Southern Illinois town of Robinson, Illinois. I obtained my Doctorate of Pharmacy degree from Butler University in Indianapolis. Moving South, I completed my PGY-1 residency at the Salem VA Medical Center in Salem, Virginia. I then spent a year on the coast completing my PGY-2 Ambulatory Care residency in Wilmington, North Carolina at New Hanover Regional Medical Center. The family feel of ETSU, focus on interdisciplinary care, and beautiful landscape brought me to the area.
My interest areas include diabetes, hypertension, ASCVD risk reduction, and reducing polypharmacy. Outside of pharmacy, I enjoy hiking with my wife and two dogs, reading, playing guitar, and watching Butler basketball and Colts football.
Joyce Troxler, M.D.
Associate Professor & Addiction Medicine Program Director
I am Board Certified in Family Medicine and Addiction Medicine. The majority of my clinical experience was gained in a rural community in Southwestern New Mexico, and my personal history is that of a rural upbringing in Central Appalachia. The last 3 years of my career in rural New Mexico was largely focused on providing treatment for Substance Use Disorder. In 2018 I returned to Tennessee to join the Department of Family Medicine.
Working with the Department of Family Medicine at East Tennessee State University, I assisted with the formation of an ACGME accredited Addiction Medicine Fellowship in 2019. Our ADM Fellowship graduates two physicians per year who will address the impact of addictive disorders in rural and under-served communities. https://works.bepress.com/joyce-troxler/about/