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Endocrine Specialists of Athens

Endocrine Specialists of Athens

Phone & Address

2470 Daniells Bridge Road
Bldg 200, Ste 221
Athens, GA 30606

Get directions

706-389-3180

706-389-3181

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Hours

Monday
8:00am
5:00pm
Tuesday
8:00am
5:00pm
Wednesday
8:00am
5:00pm
Thursday
8:00am
5:00pm
Friday
8:00am
2:00pm
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At Endocrine Specialist of Athens, we are proud to partner with you and your medical care team to meet your
Endocrinology & Diabetes care needs. It is our pleasure to offer a full range of treatment options for a wide
variety of conditions.

Jeremy Anthony, MD

Jeremy
Anthony, MD

Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism

Beth Melvin, NP

Beth Melvin, NP-C, RD, CDCES

Nurse Practitioner

Beth Melvin, NP

Lucia Finnegan Cotten, MD

Endocrinology, Diabetes & Metabolism

Appointment Information

All patients are scheduled by appointment only. Although we make every effort to honor your appointment time, we hope
you understand emergencies arise. If there are delays, we will inform you as soon as possible. If you need to cancel
or reschedule an appointment, please do so as far in advance as possible. If you are a new patient coming into our
office, please arrive at your appointment 30 minutes early to allow for completion of registration.

You can also fill out the patient form online. If your insurance plan requires prior approval for services, please be
sure to obtain your referral before your visit. Please keep us updated with any changes to your name, address,
telephone number or insurance information in order to maintain accurate information in your medical record.

Our Services

  • Diabetes and related complications
  • Diseases of thyroid dysfunction: hyper and hypothyroidism
  • Thyroid nodules
  • Thyroid cancer
  • Diseases of the pituitary: adenoma evaluation and management of states of hormonal excess or deficiency
  • Diseases of the parathyroid glands (hyper/hypocalcemia)
  • Diseases of adrenal glands including nodules, and hyper and hypofunctioning states (Cushing's syndrome,
    adrenal insufficiency)
  • Osteoporosis and metabolic bone disease

Collaboration With Other Experts

We take pride in having the ability to collaborate with other area experts as we assist in your care. An essential
member of your team is your primary care provider. We ask that all patients have a recent visit with their primary
care physicians within 4-6 months of our visits. Referrals are required for initial visits. There may be times or
circumstances that cause you to seek hospital care. Our hope is to guide and keep you on a path of health and
wellness.

We devote our time to outpatient medicine and utilize the services of area Hospitalists providing care during any
hospitalization.

Diabetes Frequently Asked Questions

Your blood glucose readings will greatly assist in evaluating how well your current diabetes treatment
plan is working. Regular blood sugar monitoring can help assess what part of your diet, physical
activity, or medication needs might need to be changed.
Since every patient has an individual treatment plan, it is best to consult your physician about the
best testing times for you.
This is also based on the individual and what treatment plan has been dictated by your physician. All
testing supplies such as lancets and strips require a prescription.
All of the meters recommended by our office have been FDA approved. However, all meters have a variance
of up to 20%. It is best to replace your meter every 3-5 years and keep tabs on the expiration date of
your test strips. If your test strips are expired, there is a much higher chance of obtaining an
inaccurate reading.
It means that you have a blood sugar of less than 70 mg/dL which can be very serious if left untreated.
Symptoms can include trembling, rapid heartbeat, inability to focus, perspiring, feeling weak or
excessive irritability.
You may ingest 4 ounces of juice, 4 ounces of regular soda or 4 glucose tablets and wait 15 minutes. At
that time, go ahead and check your blood sugar again to see if it has risen back to a normal level.
No, it is not. It’s very fatty and therefore slows down the process of your body’s absorption of
carbohydrates. Hypoglycemia is serious and needs to be addressed immediately.
Yes, in fact it may be life threatening. Non-treatment of hypoglycemia has been known to cause
unconsciousness, coma and in some cases, death.
Not at all. The goal for any diabetic is to maintain normal glucose levels. Insulin is often used along
with a healthy diet and exercise to support normal blood sugars.
Insulin can be administered in a few different ways. While the syringe is common, it can also be given
through a pen or an insulin pump.
There is no question that Carbohydrate rich foods like bread, pasta, potatoes, fruit and fruit juice,
rice and desserts will cause blood sugars to rise. Carbs can also be found in many fluids like regular
soda, sweet teas, sports drinks and alcohol.
You may still have carbs but in limited quantities. Our dietitian can help you customize a meal plan
that regulates your carbohydrate intake.
You may drink diet soda but it’s not a healthy option. It’s always best to reach for water when you are
thirsty.
Your dietitian can help you determine how much fruit should be included in your daily eating habits.
Fruit has its fair share of carbs that must be accounted for in order to regulate your blood glucose.
Just because a food is labeled “sugar free” does not mean it is free of carbohydrates. These foods
should be eaten in limited quantities.

Additional Resources

Diabetes Education Meeting

The Outpatient Diabetes Education meeting is on the first Tuesday of every month from 3 to 4 p.m. This goal
of this meeting is to provide patients with the best information about diabetes. It is hosted by a registered RN who
specializes in diabetes, and it lasts for an hour. If you are interested, please email Cheryl Elder at cheryl.elder@stmarysathens.org to register. This meeting is
currently held via Zoom but will eventually go back to in person.

Accepted Insurance

View insurance plans accepted by St. Mary's Health Care System in Athens, Georgia.

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