UNC Family Medicine Patient Advisory Council

As part of our commitment to being a certified patient-centered medical home, UNC Family Medicine works hard to include the patient voice in all activities. By providing input to faculty and staff in the clinical process, research, and redesign & renovation of the Family Medicine Center, the Patient Advisory Council has made a huge impact on the department. If you are interested in hearing more about the council please let us know.

The mission of the UNC Family Medicine Center Patient Advisory Council (PAC) is to advise faculty and staff in their mission to develop and refine policies, practices, services, and facilities to improve the healthcare experience. Many of our PAC members are also very involved in Community Health initiatives at UNC Family Medicine. If you’d like to learn more about Community Health at Family Medicine, check out our website here. 

Meet the Patient Advisory Council Chair

Gwen Waddell-Schultz

Gwen H. Waddell-Schultz, RN, MSN, NPD-C, NEA-BC is a graduate of UNC School of Nursing and recently retired from Durham Veterans Administration Health Care System. A resident of Chapel Hill, she has been a patient of UNC FPC since 1970. She is excited to contribute her skills and knowledge in a patient advocacy role on the Council.

Her career in nursing included intensive care, medical-surgical, outpatient, and oncology areas. For over 20 years, she had administrative responsibility for nursing student clinical rotations, nursing internships, and orientation of new nursing staff. She administered the VA scholarship program that provides RNs with the opportunity to pursue that next degree.

She holds a BSN and MSN from UNC-CH and a post-master’s certificate from Duke University School of Nursing. She holds adjunct faculty appointments at both UNC-CH and Duke University. She is on the Advisory Board of the Watts College of Nursing.

She holds two national certifications: ANCC Staff Development in Nursing and ANCC Nurse Executive.

She is an active member of the American Nurses Association and North Carolina Nurses Association, served as NCNA President, and a variety of other leadership positions within the professional organization. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau.

She holds the NC Great 100 designation, and the NCNA Hall of Fame Award. She has been recognized by UNC-CH SON as Alumnae of the Year, and has been recognized for her many contributions to the University and community. She has been a Volunteer Mentor to nursing students from UNC-CH.

She has six grandchildren, and is active in her faith community of University Presbyterian Church. She is an avid Tar Heel fan.

Meet the PAC Members

Whitney Gatling

Whitney’s family has been in the UNC system since 2021 in varying departments, including Family medicine, pediatrics, oncology, and other specialty clinics over the last few years. Positive experiences have been had, and it is a pleasure to be able to serve and assist on the PAC! Whitney’s family consists of my husband and our two teenage daughters and son. Whitney is also the caretaker for her father, who is also a patient of the UNC medical system.

Whitney Gatling is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor in the state of North Carolina and began her journey of working with active-duty service members in 2010 – 2013, collecting data and interviewing soldiers individually at Womack Army Medical Center and facilitating group sessions through the Army STARRS project. From 2014 to the present, Whitney has worked directly with active duty veterans and their family members on an outpatient basis, providing counseling services for a variety of issues related to combat and non-combat PTSD, family dynamic challenges, deployment readjustment, and transitional issues related to active duty to retirement. In 2019, Whitney opened Evolving Life Counseling and Psychotherapy in Fayetteville, NC, and the Durham office was opened in 2021, where a team of clinicians provide outpatient mental health services. Whitney also volunteers with Shining Light in Darkness, a nonprofit agency based in Durham, NC, which assists individuals who have experienced domestic violence or sexual assaults. Whitney is a member of other organizations that support the development and progress in the realm of mental health counseling in the state of North Carolina.

Pamela Griffis

Pamela Griffis became part of the Patient Advisory Council in February 2018, when interviewed for a prestigious role as Board Member. She loved the opportunity then and loves it even more daily. Her healthcare at the Family Medicine Center led her to apply to the PAC and she has had quality care from some of the finest doctors in the U.S.A.since committing to the standard of one primary care provider in 2014.

Joanne Lemmo

Joanne Lemmo has had a career in biotech and has held various leadership roles in pharmaceutical development and global regulatory affairs. She is currently serving as VP, Head of Regulatory Affairs at Sarepta Therapeutics.  She earned a BS degree in chemistry from Guilford College and has RAC certification.  Joanne is currently also volunteering with the development of the new MPS program in Regulatory Affairs at UNC-CH.

She is excited to contribute her leadership and technical experience developing medicines in biotech for patients in this role at the UNC PAC.   She is also passionate in supporting patients through rare disease diagnosis journeys and chronic disabilities/illness given her personal family experiences.

She is a mother of two adult children and has been married to her husband for 33 years.  Over her career, she has lived in several states, including MA, NJ, and CA, and is happy to move back to North Carolina during the pandemic. She lives in Hillsborough and her family are patients at UNC Family Medicine as well.

Ruth Lewter

A transplant to NC in 1964, via NY, Pa., NM, AZ, & TX, in 1966, Ruth started working for and being cared for by NC Memorial Hospital and it’s supporting physicians.  Ruth’s two sons were born while she was working at the hospital.

In the late 1980’s Ruth became employed by UNC and worked in several administrative officer/accounting positions until her retirement.  She has stayed very busy since 2006 traveling as a volunteer with a faith based disaster relief group, enjoying her large blended family, and other civic volunteer endeavors.  Ruth and her husband Gerald, a UNC retiree, are both UNC FM patients and have made their home in Northwest Chatham County for the past 30 years.

Bonnie MacDougall

Bonnie MacDougall has been a patient at UNC Family Medicine since 2003. Much of her professional background is rooted in social justice and working with nonprofit organizations. Currently, Bonnie works with medical and physician assistant students teaching them patient-centered gynecological and sexual health, with a health equity and trauma-informed lens. She is passionate about health equity, disability rights, cooperative vs. competitive culture, embodied movement practices, photography, and most anything in nature. Bonnie lives in Carrboro with her two teenage kiddos, their dog Harley, and two cats Frida and Georgia.

Janet Puryear

I became involved in volunteering for several organizations because of my family history of Heart and Diabetes medical issues. I want to be an advocate for patients as they interact with the medical community.

I volunteer with the American Heart Association and the American Diabetes Association, participating in Health Fairs, walks, and as a speaker. In addition, I have participated in the Heart of Diabetes, a part of the American Heart Association, by filming commercials and radio and television interviews.

I am thankful for the opportunity to serve on the UNC FM PAC, bringing my experience and knowledge both as a patient and spokesperson.

I enjoy spending time with my son, my daughter-in-law, and my three grandsons. My grandsons are active in various sports, and I love attending and supporting them.

I am the owner of JBP Medical ID Jewelry.

Spencer Reeves

Spencer Reeves joined the Patient Advisory Council in April 2024 after a couple of years of being a patient receiving great care from the doctors, nurses, and staff at the Family Medicine Center. Spencer lives in Hillsborough, NC, and works at Duke University as a research and program coordinator in the Sanford School of Public Policy. Although his educational background is not healthcare-related, he is passionate about ensuring everybody has access to high-quality healthcare. He is excited to join the PAC and serve as a voice for patients at the UNC FMC.

Jacquelyn Wilson

Jacquelyn G. Wilson, B.S., R.Ph., M.Sc., Pharm.D. has been a patient in Family Medicine since relocating to Chapel Hill in 2014. Jacquelyn is an experienced clinical pharmacist, academician, and clinical drug trialist with 21 years of pharmaceutical industry experience, Johnson and Johnson Inc., Ortho-McNeil Division (2000-2004) and Pfizer, Inc., (2004-2021). During her 17-year tenure in Clinical Development at Pfizer Inc., she was responsible for the design, execution, and analysis of Phase 2b – Phase 4 clinical studies across multiple therapeutic areas with a specialty in psychiatric pharmacotherapy. Jacquelyn’s “Last Act” at Pfizer prior to retiring in September 2021 was a Clinical Trial Diversity Lead, working with clinical study teams on strategies to improve equity and inclusion in Pfizer’s clinical trials with the goal of study participants being reflective of the epidemiology and diversity of the diseases under study.

Prior to joining the pharmaceutical industry, Jacquelyn was an Assistant Professor at Wayne State University (WSU) and held a joint appointment in the College of Pharmacy & Allied Health Professions, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience; and Faculty Associate, Institute of Gerontology.  Faith plays a major part in her life. Currently she is an active member of Watts Chapel Missionary Baptist Church in Raleigh, NC where she serves in several ministries (First Aide, Health Ministry, Impact Missions Ministry, and Women of Watts); and she’s passionate about serving those who are less fortunate and under-served locally and globally through medical mission and foreign mission to Uganda Africa (2005), Haiti (2017 & 2018), and Puerto Rico (2019). Since 1981, a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. providing service to all mankind.  Since March 2021, volunteer immunizer/vaccinator for the NCDHHS and FEMA for nationwide COVID19 vaccination efforts. Since 2018, Board of Director for a local community non-profit organization. She has given numerous national and international presentations and written several articles and co-authored a book chapter. Since retiring in 2021, Jacquelyn continues to follow her passion to improve equity and access to healthcare and clinical trials, which led to Jacquelyn becoming one of the newest members of the FM PAC in January 2022.