Provider Directory · Buncombe County
Geriatricians and Geriatric Medicine Providers in Buncombe County
By Asheville Senior Care Guide · Updated May 2025
Board-certified geriatricians are scarce across the country, and Buncombe County is no exception. The providers listed here represent the area’s primary avenues for specialist geriatric care, ranging from a concierge practice with direct access to board-certified geriatricians to the team-based geriatric programs at MAHEC. Each offers a different model of care, with different access arrangements and cost structures.
For background on what geriatricians do and when to seek one, see our Geriatric Medicine guide. For referral assistance, the Council on Aging of Buncombe County can help identify the right fit for your family’s situation: (828) 277-8288.
A note on this directory
We verify provider information and update this directory regularly, but practices change — accepting status, hours, and services can shift without notice. Always call the practice directly before scheduling to confirm availability and whether they accept your insurance. We do not accept payment for inclusion in this directory.
Concierge Geriatric Practice
Golden Oak Medicine is a concierge geriatric practice founded by two board-certified geriatricians and designed specifically for adults 55 and older. The practice emphasizes comprehensive, coordinated care for complex older adults, with particular expertise in early detection of cognitive decline, dementia diagnosis, medication management, frailty evaluation, and care transitions. Medical house calls and transitional care are available in addition to office visits.
Providers
Dr. Golnosh Sharafsaleh, MD, MS, MBA, CPE, AGSF, FAAFP
Board-Certified in Geriatric Medicine, Family Medicine, and Lifestyle Medicine
Dr. Sharafsaleh holds master’s degrees in gerontology and business administration in addition to her medical degree, and is a Fellow of both the American Geriatrics Society and the American Academy of Family Physicians. Her clinical focus includes early cognitive decline detection using advanced neuroimaging and blood biomarker analysis, complex medication management, and comprehensive geriatric assessment for older adults with multiple chronic conditions.
Dr. Kate Marshall, MD
Board-Certified in Geriatric Medicine
Dr. Marshall is a board-certified geriatrician and co-founder of Golden Oak Medicine, providing comprehensive geriatric care for adults 55 and older. She works alongside Dr. Sharafsaleh to deliver coordinated, patient-centered care that integrates primary care with geriatric specialty expertise.
Services
Comprehensive geriatric assessment, cognitive evaluation, medication management, primary care, house calls, transitional care, frailty evaluation
Model of Care
Concierge membership model. Membership fee covers enhanced access and time; insurance billed for covered services separately.
Location
Asheville, NC (Biltmore Forest area)
Academic and Community Geriatric Programs
MAHEC Suzanne Landis Center for Healthy Aging
Mountain Area Health Education Center · Team-Based Geriatric Care
mahec.net →
The Suzanne Landis Center for Healthy Aging at MAHEC is Buncombe County’s primary academic geriatric medicine program. Named for longtime MAHEC geriatrician Dr. Suzanne Landis, it operates on a team-based model that bridges clinical geriatric care with social services for older adults across Western North Carolina. The center trains primary care providers, pharmacists, and other clinicians in geriatric principles, and serves as a hub for geriatric education and care model innovation in the region.
Program Leadership
Dr. William McLean, MD
Family Medicine Faculty Physician · Co-Director, Center for Healthy Aging
Dr. McLean is a family medicine physician and faculty member at MAHEC who co-leads the Center for Healthy Aging. His work focuses on team-based models of care for older adults and the integration of clinical geriatric care with community social services.
Tasha Woodall, PharmD, BCGP, CPP
Clinical Pharmacist, Board-Certified in Geriatric Pharmacy · Co-Director, Center for Healthy Aging
Dr. Woodall is a clinical pharmacist with board certification in geriatric pharmacotherapy (BCGP) and serves as Program Director of MAHEC’s PGY2 Pharmacy Residency in Geriatrics and Associate Professor of Clinical Education at UNC Eshelman School of Pharmacy. She co-directs the Center for Healthy Aging with a focus on medication management for older adults and training future geriatric pharmacists. Medication review by a BCGP-credentialed pharmacist is one of the most effective and underused tools for improving safety in complex older adults.
Services
Geriatric-informed primary care, medication management, team-based care coordination, geriatric education and training, links to social services
Insurance
MAHEC is a Federally Qualified Health Center and accepts most major insurers, Medicare, Medicaid, and offers sliding-scale fees for uninsured patients.
Address
121 Hendersonville Road, Asheville, NC 28803
Additional Avenues for Geriatric Care
Mission Health System. Mission Health, now part of HCA Healthcare, provides hospital-based geriatric evaluation for inpatients and some outpatient geriatric services through affiliated providers. Discharge planning staff and the Mission Neurology outpatient clinic (890 Hendersonville Road, Suite 200, (828) 213-9530) can be a point of referral for patients with cognitive concerns who are already in the Mission system.
Your primary care physician as a starting point. For families without immediate access to a geriatrician, the best first step is often a direct conversation with the current primary care physician. Ask whether a geriatric consultation is appropriate, and ask whether the practice has access to a clinical pharmacist for medication review. Many primary care practices have added team members with geriatric training even without a board-certified geriatrician on staff.
Telehealth geriatric consultations. For families who cannot access local geriatric care due to waitlists or limited availability, telehealth geriatric consultation is a growing option. Several academic medical centers now offer virtual geriatric assessments. Ask your primary care physician for a referral, or contact the Council on Aging to ask which telehealth options they have encountered locally.
Council on Aging of Buncombe County
The Council on Aging is the most reliable local resource for navigating geriatric care options in Buncombe County. Their staff understand the current availability of local providers, can provide referrals, and can help families determine whether a geriatric consultation, a medication review, or another type of assessment is the right starting point. Free of charge, no appointment required for initial consultation.
(828) 277-8288.
About this directory: This directory is maintained by
AshevilleSeniorCareGuide.com as a free community resource. Listing here does not constitute endorsement. Provider availability, insurance acceptance, and services change — always verify directly with each practice. Last updated May 2025.
