Faculty

Thomas Horton, MD

PROGRAM DIRECTOR

Thank you for viewing our website and learning more about our program. Please allow me to introduce myself and spend some time describing the formative experiences motivating me to want to build a unique residency program comprised of faculty with "real world" experience and residents seeking to serve where they are most needed.

My path began many years ago when I graduated from the University of Mississippi Medical Center in Jackson, MS and accepted a PGY-1 position in the original Montgomery Family Practice Residency Program at Jackson Hospital in Montgomery, AL. Because I was anxious to resolve a National Health Service Corp (NHSC) obligation requiring two years of practice in an underserved area in return for receiving funding for part of my medical education, I left residency at the end of my PGY-1 year.

I completed my NHSC obligation via the 'private practice option' (meaning I was self-employed and had no funding) by practicing in unserved areas in Mississippi. In the process, I developed a lifelong affinity for the rural communities so desperately needing healthcare and a deep admiration for the physicians willing to serve there. I also incurred a lot of debt and learned first-hand of the difficulty of running a private practice in those areas. The economic, bureaucratic, psychologic, and physical challenges are very real and demanding. Still, the reward was tremendous.

Email: Thomas.Horton@jackson.org

Paul Eugene Sheffield comes to Jackson Hospital and Clinics in Montgomery to join the faculty of the Family Medicine residency program. He comes from Jackson, Mississippi where he most recently worked as a clinic physician with Saint Dominic Medical Associates during which time, he was not only able to continue teaching medical students in their third-year rotation for family medicine, but also to increase the number of students because of the proximity to the main campus of the University of Mississippi Medical Center.

Dr. Sheffield completed his pre-medical education at Mississippi College in Clinton and then attended the University of Mississippi Medical School in Jackson. He then went on to do his family medicine residency at UMMC in Jackson, completing this in 1983. He worked for a brief period of time for Disability Determination Services of Social Security while the building was completed for his first practice.

In November of 1983, Dr. Sheffield opened Lakeshore Family Medical Clinic with growth up to four physicians before merging the practice with Mississippi Baptist Medical Center in 2005. Having been in the practice of family medicine for 39 years, Dr. Sheffield has served on various hospital committees and even as chief of staff of Hinds General Hospital (now Merit Central).

Email: Paul.Sheffield@jackson.org

READ MORE ABOUT DR. SHEFFIELD

George Handey, MD

CORE FACULTY

George Handey, M.D. graduated from the University of Alabama School of Medicine and is Board Certified in Family Medicine. He has had the privilege of practicing at Jackson Hospital & Clinic for over 40 years. He and his wife, Jeannie, are proud of their two grown children, their spouses and four grandchildren. They have been blessed to live and work on Handey Farm. Many days they are tired, but their souls are always rested and nurtured by tilling the soul, planting the seed, and sharing the harvest. I appreciate the opportunity to be part of the Jackson Family Medicine Residency Program and training Family Physicians for our community.

Mary Margaret Johnson, DO

CORE FACULTY

A native of Montgomery, AL, Dr. Johnson has known she wanted to be a physician since a young age. She received her undergraduate education at Covenant College on Lookout Mountain, GA and attended medical school at ACOM (Alabama College of Medicine) in Dothan, AL where she developed an interest in the application of OMT in medical care. Following graduation from medical school, she went to the UK East Kentucky Family Medicine program in Hazard, KY to complete her specialty training. With varied personal interests including sports, outdoor activities, and woodworking, Dr. Johnson aspires to apply her entrepreneurial experience and hands-on skills to the field of medicine while serving the citizens of Montgomery. To quote Dr. Johnson, “I am so excited to return home where I can invest in the growth and reconciliation of Montgomery all while working at a residency where I will get to be a part of training the next generations of doctors.”

Meagan Thomas, MD

CORE FACULTY

Dr. Meagan Thomas studied medicine at the University of South Alabama College of Medicine in Mobile, AL. She completed her family medicine residency at University of South Carolina – Palmetto Health in Columbia, SC. She lives in Prattville, AL where she enjoys taking walks and visiting local parks with her husband and daughter.

Margaret Lamkin, DO

CORE FACULTY

Dr. Lamkin is a native of Montgomery who graduated from Davidson College (B.A. English) and The University of Alabama (M. A. Counselor Education). She worked for many years as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Florida prior to pursing medical school. She graduated from Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine in 2014 and returned to Montgomery where she completed her residency through the Montgomery Family Medicine Residency program. She is actively involved in providing medical care to the underserved through Medical Outreach Ministries and enjoys reading, writing, college sports and outdoor activities.