Luis Quiñones, MD, and St. Mary's Medical Group opened a new general surgery practice, St. Mary's Surgical Associates, on Oct. 24 to serve Franklin, Stephens and Hart counties and surrounding areas.

Dr. Quiñones provides general surgery services at St. Mary's Sacred Heart Hospital. His office is located in the Sacred Heart Medical Office Building, 355 Clear Creek Parkway, Suite 1008, Lavonia.

As a general surgeon, Dr. Quiñones provides open and minimally invasive procedures for conditions affecting a wide variety of systems, including the colon, gallbladder, stomach, breast, appendix, thyroid and parathyroid glands, among other organs. Surgical procedures at Sacred Heart can be performed on an inpatient or outpatient basis, depending on the procedure and the individual patient's needs.

"It is an honor to join St. Mary’s Medical Group, and offer surgical care to the residents of Franklin County and its surroundings," says Dr. Quiñones. "It is also a privilege to be part of the growth of St. Mary’s, and carry forward its Mission of providing care that is not only healing to our communities, but is also compassionate. I am proud that St. Mary’s is committed to serving the poor and the most vulnerable among us.

"The field of medicine and surgery are rapidly evolving, and it is the responsibility of each and every physician to understand the latest therapies and technological breakthroughs that our current era is providing us," he adds. "I have an interest in colon pathologies, such as diverticulitis and colon cancer. I am eager to form strong partnerships with our primary care physicians, specialists and patients in achieving excellent health outcomes for individual patients, our families and our community as a whole."

Dr. Quiñones earned his bachelor's degree in science and engineering from Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. He completed additional premedical education at California State University, San Francisco, before earning his medical degree from the University of California at Davis School of Medicine in Sacramento, Ca. He went on to complete his general surgery internship at UC Davis School of Medicine and then came to Atlanta to complete his general surgery residency at Morehouse University School of Medicine.

During his academic career he earned numerous honors, including the Arnold P. Gold Foundation Humanities and Excellence in Teaching Award at Morehouse, the MacKenzie Foundation Medical Scholarship at UC Davis, and the Swarthmore Scholars Award at Swarthmore College.

Dr. Quiñones is a member of the American College of Surgeons. He has been an active researcher and is co-author of "Colostomy creation for fecal diversion: Single incision laparoscopic approach versus open" and "Religion, spirituality, social support and perceived stress in pregnant and postpartum Hispanic women." He is fluent in English and Spanish and is proficient in French.He enjoys singing and horseback riding.

Dr. Quiñones is now accepting new patient appointments. Please note that a physician referral is required. As part of St. Mary's Medical Group, Dr. Quiñones accepts most major insurance plans and Medicare; reduced rates and charity care may be available to those who qualify. For more information, please call 706.356.6894.