About Us - Department of Family Medicine

nurse group photo — Celebrating our nurses during National Nurses Week, 2020

UNC Family Medicine provides patient-centered primary care, conducts groundbreaking research, and trains the best and the brightest young doctors. We aim to support and improve the health of the communities we serve, with a special commitment to the underserved, mothers and children, the elderly and other populations at risk in a time of rapid changes in the organization of health care. We are concerned with both current needs and future generations.

Our Mission

We are proud to support the mission of the UNC School of Medicine, and grateful to serve the people of North Carolina.

Meet our Chair

It is a privilege to provide our patients with excellent care in a nationally recognized department of family medicine.
- Margaret Helton, MD

Margaret Helton, MD is the Chair of the Department of Family Medicine.

“Dr. Helton has been an outstanding leader for the Department and especially through the challenges of COVID-19. I’m very excited for her to continue her leadership as Chair and look forward to proudly supporting the work of the Family Medicine faculty as they improve the health of North Carolinians and train our next generation of physicians,” said Cristy Page, MD, MPH, Executive Dean of the UNC School of Medicine and former Chair of Family Medicine.

Helton is a graduate of the University of Michigan Medical School and completed her family medicine residency and fellowship in geriatrics at the University of North Carolina.

“It is an honor to serve as the Chair of the UNC Department of Family Medicine and uphold our mission to improve the health and well-being of the North Carolinians we serve through excellence in patient care, education, and research, including reaching all communities and reducing health disparities across the state and beyond. We provide rigorous training to our residents, students, fellows, and other healthcare professionals, creating the highly skilled workforce of the future that reflects the people we serve. Our faculty serve in leadership roles in the UNC School of Medicine, UNC Health, and other agencies and organizations across North Carolina and the country. We have nationally renowned researchers who innovate and lead. We are committed to excellence in all we do, and maintaining a supportive and caring environment for our patients, staff, physicians, and other members of our health care team.”