Meet Our Doctors
Dennis W. Ashley, MD, FACS, FCCM
Dr. Ashley practices in General Surgery, Surgical Critical Care, and Critical Care Medicine. Dr. Ashley received his Bachelor's Degree from Transylvania University in Lexington, Kentucky, and his MD Degree from University of Kentucky. He completed his General Surgery Residency at The Medical Center of Central Georgia and Mercer University School of Medicine which was followed by a Trauma Fellowship at Grady Hospital, Emory University School of Medicine, in Atlanta, Georgia. His Surgical Critical Care Fellowship was completed at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Dr. Ashley is the Director of Trauma and Adult Critical Care at The Medical Center of Central Georgia and Professor of Surgery at Mercer University School of Medicine. Dr. Ashley is a member of numerous medical societies, including the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, the Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma, the Society of Critical Care Medicine, the Southern Surgical Association, and the Society of University Surgeons. He is a member of the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma where he serves as chair of the Information Technology Committee. He also serves as one of Georgia's Governors for the American College of Surgeons, and is currently the Chairman of the Georgia Trauma Care Network Commission.
Amy B. Christie, MD
Dr. Christie practices in General Surgery, Surgical Critical Care, Surgical Oncology, Advanced Laparoscopic, Breast and Endocrine Surgery. Dr. Christie completed her General Surgery Residency and Surgical Critical Care Fellowship at Mercer University School of Medicine. Dr. Christie joined the faculty at The Medical Center of Central Georgia where she currently serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery and Surgical Critical Care Intensivist. Dr. Christie is Board Certified in General Surgery and Surgical Critical Care.
D. Benjamin Christie, III, MD, FACS
Dr. Christie practices in General Surgery, Surgical Critical Care and is also a robotically trained surgeon. Dr. Christie graduated from The University of Georgia and went on to complete his Doctor of Medicine at Mercer University School of Medicine where he went on to complete his General Surgery and Surgical Critical Care training. After completing his training, Dr. Christie joined the faculty at The Medical Center of Central Georgia, where he serves as Attending Trauma Surgeon, Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery and Surgical Critical Care Intensivist, and General Surgeon. He is also Program Director for the Department of Surgery, Mercer University School of Medicine. Dr. Christie is Board Certified and a member of the American College of Surgeons and the Society of Critical Care Medicine.
Ashley Jones, MD
Dr. Ashley Jones graduated from Mercer University School of Medicine, in Macon, GA. She received her residency training in General Surgery at Greenville Health System in Greenville, South Carolina. Dr. Jones completed her fellowship in Surgical Critical Care in the Navicent Health. Her professional interests include general and trauma surgery, as well as, surgical critical care, surgical education and quality improvement initiatives.
Eric L. Long, MD, FACS
Dr. Long practices in General Surgery, Laparoscopic Surgery, Hernia Surgery, Endocrine Surgery, Breast Surgery, Trauma/Critical Care, Melanoma and Skin/Soft Tissue Lesions. He completed his General Surgery Residency and Surgical Critical Care Fellowship at Mercer University School of Medicine and joined Surgical Institute in 2014. Dr. Long is Board Certified in General Surgery and Surgical Critical Care.
Robert J. Parel, II, MD, FACS
Dr. Parel practices in General Surgery including Advanced Laparoscopic, Robotic, Surgical Oncology and Bariatric Surgery. Dr. Parel received his Bachelor's Degree from the Honor's Program at the University of Georgia in 1993 and earned his Doctorate of Medicine from Medical College of Georgia in 1997. Dr. Parel went on to complete his General Surgery Internship and Residency at The Ochsner Clinic in New Orleans, Louisiana before entering into private practice. After 10 years of private practice he joined the faculty at The Medical Center of Central Georgia where he currently serves as an Assistant Professor of Surgery at Mercer University School of Medicine. Dr. Parel is Board Certified and a member of the American College of Surgeons, Southeastern Surgical Congress, and also serves as a Board Member of the Bibb County Medical Society.
Christopher Seth Rion, MD, FACS
Dr. Rion received his Batchelor of Arts degree in Zoology with a minor in Social Gerontology from Miami University in 1994. He attended medical school at The Ohio State University School of Medicine and received his M.D. degree in 1998. His surgical residency training was completed at Atlanta Medical Center from 1998 to 2003. Dr. Rion has been in private general surgery practice since 2003, spending his last 13 years in Milledgeville, Georgia. He served as Chief of Surgery at Oconee Regional Medical Center from 2008-2010. His professional interests include minimally invasive surgery, breast surgery, and hernia repair. Dr. Rion is married to Barbara and they have two sons, Tyler and Matthew. The family lives in Milledgeville.
William M. (Kim) Thompson, MD, FACS
Dr. Thompson practices in General Surgery and Advanced Laparoscopic Surgery & Surgical Oncology. He also specializes in Breast surgery and Surgical Oncology. Dr. Thompson is board certified in General Surgery. He received his Bachelor's Degree from Georgia Institute of Technology and his Doctorate of Medicine from the Medical College of Georgia School of Medicine in Augusta, Georgia in 1982. He then completed his residency in General Surgery at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center & Affiliated Hospitals in Dallas, Texas where he was on the faculty in surgery for twelve years. Dr. Thompson serves as an Associate Professor of Surgery and Associate Chair of Clinical Education for the Department of Surgery at Mercer University School of Medicine. He also serves as the Associate Program Director for the General Surgery Residency Program at The Medical Center of Central Georgia. He is also the Director of the Simulation Center at The Medical Center of Central Georgia.
Danny M. Vaughn, MD, FACS
Dr. Vaughn practices in General Surgery, Colon & Rectal Surgery, Advanced Laparoscopic and Bariatric Surgeries. Dr. Vaughn completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Georgia and earned his Medical Degree from Mercer University School of Medicine going forward to complete his Surgical Residency training at The Medical Center of Central Georgia. His postgraduate training focused on his interest in Laparoscopic Surgery as well as Weight Loss Surgery. Dr. Vaughn is Board Certified by the American Board of Surgery and serves as an Assistant Professor of Surgery at the Mercer University School of Medicine, Medical Director of the Bariatric & Metabolic Institute of Georgia Surgery Program at the Medical Center of Central Georgia and as Director of Mercer University's Surgery Clerkship.
Kimberly Lyons, RD, LD
Kim Lyons is a Registered, Licensed Dietitian holding dual degrees in Health Science and Dietetics. She graduated summa cum laude from Life University in Marietta, Ga, where she also completed her Dietetics internship. During her schooling, she was a recipient of the Life University Memorial Scholarship, as well as the Leadership & Entrepreneurship award for her graduating class. Prior to joining Navicent Health, she served as clinical dietitian at Clearview Regional Medical Center in Monroe, Ga, where she recognized her passion for developing relationships with her patients to help them make lasting lifestyle changes. Kim grew up in Milledgeville, Ga, but has been in Atlanta for the past 12 years. She recently returned to middle Georgia and now lives in Macon, Ga, with her husband and 3 children. She is excited to be part of Navicent and is looking forward to getting out there and making a difference in the Macon community.
Michelle Rowell, NP
Michelle has been with the practice since it's inception in May 2013 and brings with her 15 years of experience as a Nurse Practitioner, with prior work experience as a Nurse Practitioner in Trauma, Gastroenterology, and Pain management. She has been a Registered Nurse for 27 years with experience in ER, Trauma, Oncology and Med-Surg. Her professional experience in conjunction with an interest in healthy lifestyle is what has motivated her to work with bariatric patients. For those patients who are on their journey to wellness, it is her desire to be a positive role model and motivator as patients make lifestyle changes to have a healthier and more satisfying life.