Our team - Blue Ridge Premier Medicine

Dr. Sarah Donahue

Dr. Sarah Donahue has deep family roots here and grew up in Western North Carolina, graduating from The Asheville School in 2000. She won an English Speaking Union scholarship to study abroad and afterwards stayed in Scotland to complete her MBChB medical degree (U.S. “MD” equivalent) at The University of Glasgow. She is the third generation of women in her family to graduate from Glasgow. She served for two mandatory years of residency with the NHS in Scotland before returning to the U.S. for her internal medicine training. She completed her U.S. Internal Medicine residency at the prestigious Medical College of Virginia in Richmond, VA in 2011 and was an academic hospitalist there before moving to Montana.

Dr. Donahue comes to Blue Ridge Premier Medicine after spending 12 years as a hospitalist and out-patient clinician in Bozeman, Montana. There she served as a medical school clinical instructor and clerkship director for Inpatient Medicine in the combined Pacific Northwest multistate university medical school WWAMI program. In addition to being a hospitalist and teaching medical students, she also worked in wound and hyperbaric medicine, as well as for her last 6 years in Montana, she was the medical director of a medical spa. Her time spent in wound care and aesthetics shifted her interest towards preventative care, wellness, and healthy aging. She is excited to do more full-time primary care, focusing on optimizing patient quality of life while still getting to care for her patients in the hospital.

Dr. Donahue is Board Certified in Internal Medicine by the American Board of Internal Medicine as well as holding full physician registration with the British GMC.

When not focused on her practice, Sarah loves reading, trying new recipes, and spending time outdoors with her husband Morgan, daughter Agnes, and bird dog Ghillie.

Dr. Davis Allen

Dr. Davis Allen is a seasoned physician with a diverse background. He earned his medical degree from the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, and he completed his residency in internal medicine at Duke University. With 11 years of experience as a hospitalist at Mission Hospital, he not only practiced inpatient medicine but also served as the medical director for Mission’s Outpatient Anticoagulation Clinic. In the past four years, he transitioned to outpatient internal medicine in Wilmington. Throughout his career he has taught residents and medical students including a formal lecture to Duke medical students on end-of-life care.

Dr. Allen's unique journey includes prior training as a pharmacist, providing him with a strong foundation in managing patients' medications. His evolving perspective emphasizes the importance of exercise, good nutrition, and stress reduction in maintaining good health.

Excited about concierge medicine, Dr. Allen sees it as an opportunity to integrate his wealth of experience from both inpatient and outpatient settings, offering comprehensive care to his patients.

Beyond the realm of medicine, Dr. Allen finds joy in spending quality time with his two boys and wife. A true enthusiast, he embraces interests in Carolina Tar Heel sports, regular workouts, reading, and a deep appreciation for music.

Dr. Rick Arwood

Dr. Rick Arwood moved to Asheville with his family in 1998. He has practiced in both the outpatient and hospital settings, experiencing the full spectrum of internal medicine care. While striving for wellness and prevention, he also understands the importance of relationships and comprehensive care for managing acute and chronic illness. The practice structure at Blue Ridge Premier Medicine allows him to provide this type of care.

Dr. Arwood grew up in Georgia and graduated from Emory University with a degree in Biology. At Emory, he was a member of the varsity swim team, serving as team captain his junior and senior years. He was also a GTE Academic All-American. Dr. Arwood earned his medical degree at Emory, graduating with Cum Laude honors and completed his Internal Medicine residency at the University of Virginia.

After practicing general internal medicine in Asheville for five years, Dr. Arwood transitioned to hospitalist work at Mission. During his time at Mission, he served in various roles including Associate Director of Asheville Hospitalist Group, Chief Medical Information Officer for Mission Health, and Medical Director for Utilization and Clinical Documentation Improvement. He chaired or participated in many different hospital committees focused on improving care pathways and quality. Recognized for his interpersonal skills, he served as an educator for medical staff training on communication in healthcare. These broad exposures have reinforced his focus on relationships in medicine, with patients and their families, as well as with other physicians and staff.

Dr. Arwood has been living and practicing medicine in Asheville for more than twenty years. He loves the mountains and appreciates the quality of our medical community. When not working, he enjoys hiking, mountain biking, and traveling. He has recently taken up swimming again, competing in several open water endurance events. While his family nest is emptying, he continues to enjoy time with his wife and three children.

Dr. Clay Ballantine

Devoted to delivering top-notch medical care and accessibility, Dr. Clay Ballantine proudly opened Blue Ridge Premier Medicine with Dr. Jim Cummings in 2010. Providing concierge care allows Dr. Ballantine the time to engage comprehensively with patients around their medical needs, spanning acute illness treatment, broad general medical management, and a focus on thorough preventive care. Dr. Ballantine has extensive medical experience and knowledge along with expertise in coordinating care among subspecialists on behalf of his patients.

After receiving a B.A. degree in zoology from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio in 1984, Dr. Ballantine attended the University of Louisville School of Medicine where he was elected class president every year except as a sophomore when he served as overall student body president. He was chosen by his medical school classmates to receive the Pressley F. Martin Award as the class member who most embodied the characteristics of an ideal physician.

During his residency in internal medicine at Moses Cone Hospital in Greensboro, Dr. Ballantine was selected by the faculty and fellow residents as Chief Resident. After residency, he became a founding member of the Asheville Hospitalists, helping the group become one of the best in the region. Committed to medical education, Dr. Ballantine served as an Associate Clinical Faculty member with the University of North Carolina's AHEC program teaching medical students and residents. The Mountain AHEC Family Medicine Residency formerly awarded him with their Outstanding Community Faculty Award.

Dr. Ballantine hails from Louisville, KY, where he grew up as part of a large clan. He is a family man who enjoys outdoor recreation in the North Carolina mountains as well as traveling abroad. After his prior career working on and captaining sailing yachts in the Atlantic and Caribbean, he now enjoys mountain biking, hiking, camping, skiing, boating, and traveling with his wife, family and friends.

Dr. Jim Cummings

Jim Cummings received his undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and completed medical school at the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill. He then completed residency training at the Medical College of Virginia where he was also chief resident. He has practiced in his hometown of Asheville since 1998 and was a founding member of Blue Ridge Premier Medicine in 2010. Dr. Cummings appreciates the additional time this practice model allows him to dedicate to getting to know you better and optimizing your health. Recognizing that cardiovascular disease and cancer are the two leading causes of death in America, he will concentrate on preventive health and appropriate screening measures aimed at risk reduction in these areas, while also working to help you achieve optimal health in all aspects of your life.

He enjoys spending time with his close-knit family and pursuing outdoor activities. His true passion is fishing, and if he is not involved in patient care or with his family, that is where you are likely to find him.

Dr. Stefanie Erway

Stefanie Erway moved to Asheville in 2015 and has been practicing as a hospitalist at Mission hospital since that time. She has enjoyed teaching the MAHEC family medicine residents and has more recently been a core faculty member of the new internal medicine residency.

Dr Erway grew up in rural Pennsylvania. She graduated with honors from Penn State University with a BS in Nutrition Science. She then completed her medical degree at Temple University in Philadelphia. She migrated south to Charleston, SC for her internal medicine residency at the Medical University of South Carolina. She was named inpatient resident of the year during her final year of residency. She stayed at MUSC as faculty in an academic hospitalist role for 3 years prior to moving to Asheville to be closer to family.

While Dr Erway has enjoyed working as a hospitalist, she has also witnessed the negative impact of increasingly fragmented medical care. This has inspired her to join Blue Ridge Premier Medicine to establish long term relationships with her patients, focus on preventative health, and to collaborate with and coordinate the care for her patients, both outpatient and inpatient.

Dr Erway spends her time outside of work with her husband, Zach, their two young children, Vivian and Ozzie, and their dog, Maizey. She enjoys painting, baking, and taking hikes with her family.

Dr. Elizabeth Gardner

Dr. Elizabeth Gardner and her family moved to Asheville in 2002 where she began her career in internal medicine. She and her husband, Dr. John Gardner, founded Apple Valley Family Medicine in 2004. There she provided exceptional care and developed strong skills in preventive medicine, the management of metabolic syndrome, and lifestyle coaching and counseling. Additional professional interests include women's health and medical dermatology.

After ten years of practice, Dr. Gardner joined Blue Ridge Premiere Medicine in 2012. This decision was motivated by a desire to provide more comprehensive care to a smaller number of patients - by building deeper relationships through longer appointments, being accessible after office hours, and by directing and coordinating care in the hospital.

Dr. Elizabeth Gardner grew up in Valdosta, Georgia. She attended Presbyterian College in Clinton, South Carolina where she earned degrees in both chemistry and English. Dr. Gardner received a full scholarship to attend the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta where she graduated at the top of her class. She was inducted into Alpha Omega Alpha, the highest medical honor society. She completed her residency in Internal Medicine at the University of North Carolina-affiliated program at Moses Cone Hospital in Greensboro, NC. There she was recognized as the Most Outstanding Resident. She is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.

With four young adult children, Dr. Gardner and her husband are enjoying their newly empty nest. They are glad to have their goldendoodle Georgia to keep the house from being too quiet. They enjoy family vacations, especially a winter ski trip and a lazy week at the lake each summer. She starts her day with a morning workout, and ends it with a few rows of stitches on her current needlework project. Church activities, and nights out to dinner with friends round out her routine.

Dr. Brett Senor

Dr. Brett Senor joined the very talented Blue Ridge Premier physician team, bringing a variety of experiences: internal medicine and pediatrics clinician, bench-top lab and clinical researcher in exercise biochemistry, educator of undergraduate and medical students, nurses, residents, and for the past 6 years, practicing physicians from across the country.

He moved to Asheville from Ohio in 2007 to become a hospitalist at Mission. Before moving here Dr. Senor practiced both internal medicine and pediatrics for 8 years and hospital-based adult internal medicine for an additional 3 years.

During his 17-year career as a hospitalist, Dr. Senor received the Excellence As A Physician Award from nursing staff and was recognized as Outstanding Faculty Educator by MAHEC residents. He has also served as a consultant since 2016, training physicians around the U.S. on proper medical coding and disease documentation. He has been an author and national speaker on several occasions, addressing disease-related coding and documentation topics.

But Dr. Senor's real passion has always been connecting with patients to improve their health. In late 2021 Dr. Senor renewed his internal medicine board certification to continue to practice conventional internal medicine. Additionally, he looks forward to incorporating evidence-based Lifestyle Medicine practices in collaborating with patients to prevent, slow, or potentially reverse many chronic diseases. Conditions such as diabetes, depression, obesity, hypertension and heart disease can markedly improve (or be avoided) when a patient is assisted in changing behaviors involving nutrition, physical activity, sleep hygiene, and stress management.

After attending the University of Toledo for his bachelor's degree, Dr. Senor enrolled in a Master's program in exercise physiology/biochemistry at Kent State University. He attended medical school at the Medical College of Ohio in Toledo where he was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. He then completed a 4-year combined internal medicine/pediatrics residency in Akron. Dr. Senor was co-chief resident in internal medicine and received the Peer Award for Excellence as a Pediatrician upon graduating from the program.

Dr. Senor somehow convinced the finest person he ever met to marry him, and sings in a choir that is led by his talented wife. They have 3 wonderful children, all living in the Chapel Hill/Raleigh area. His hobbies include music, cross training, hiking, drawing, sculpting and travel with his family.