MINT HILL, NC – Located in downtown Mint Hill across from Town Hall, Novant Health Mint Hill Family Medicine is uniquely situated to meet the community’s primary care needs. The Mint Hill Times is proud to introduce the practice’s four physicians to the community.
Dr. Harriet Davis
“I knew I wanted to be a doctor when I was 10 years old,” says Dr. Harriet Davis. “My father died of a massive heart attack when he was only 51. He took his health for granted,” she continues. “The day he died was the day I knew what my purpose was, and it never changed.”
A Salisbury native, Dr. Davis attended NC State for undergrad and UNC Chapel Hill for medical school. She followed up a residency in Virginia with a sports medicine fellowship at Wake Forest. She returned to Virginia for her first job with Sentara Medical Group in Virginia Beach, but when her son started kindergarten, a desire to be closer to family drew her back to NC.
Davis worked with Atrium Health in South Charlotte for 11.5 years from 2007 until 2018. In January of 2019, Davis started working at the Mint Hill office near the hospital, and she was the first physician to move to the new office in downtown Mint Hill when it opened in May of 2019.
“I love the camaraderie,” says Davis of the Mint Hill office. “It just feels like a family more than just coworkers. Mint Hill reminds me of where I grew up, a smaller town but very close to a large town. If I go to the pharmacy, I usually see someone I know.”
Davis practices family medicine; at Novant, that means she treats patients two years of age and up. She considers primary care her passion. “Primary care is all about prevention,” she says. “We’re all about preventing chronic diseases. I love primary care because I help my patients lay the foundation for a healthy lifestyle.”
When it comes to health and fitness, Davis tries to lead by example. The self-described “fitness fanatic” has been vegan for fifteen years and works out before and after work, training and competing as a professional bodybuilder. “I practice what I preach to my patients,” says Davis. “It’s easy for me to connect to them because they know I’m making those same sacrifices I’m asking of them.”
For Davis, setting that example goes beyond exercise and healthy eating. “I feel like I should be the example of health to my patients – healthy lifestyle, sleep, mental health – everything,” she says. “I don’t mind telling patients I have a life outside of medicine! I love doing everything that improves Harriet.”
Dr. James Reed
“I was always interested in science,” says Dr. Reed when asked what inspired him to become a doctor. “ As a kid, I was somewhat accident prone and spent some time in the ER getting stitches. I just made the leap when I was in college that this is definitely what I want to do.”
An internist, Reed has always seen treating the whole person as his goal. “I could not really see myself specializing in one organ or one system,” says Reed. “I’ve always seen a person as something you need to to take care of. I’ve never really been off of internal medicine or primary care; that’s always been what I wanted to do.”
Originally from New York, Reed studied at Syracuse University and completed his internship and residency at Albany Medical Center. After medical school, Reed accepted a job in private practice outside Manassas, VA, where he stayed for 25 years.
A relatively recent transplant to NC, Reed moved to the Charlotte area a little over a year ago to be closer to family who had also relocated to the area. Although he’s been here over a year, Reed feels in many ways like he’s still getting a feel for NC because so much has been shut down this past year due to COVID. “So far, I like it,” he says. “I think there’s a good mix of country and urban, a good community. I’ve heard raves about the weather, but I haven’t been too impressed yet!” he laughs at a week of rainfall.
Reed is another recent addition to Novant Mint Hill, moving there in January after a year at another Novant location near the Mint Hill hospital. “We’ve got a good location, we’ve got a good, brand-new office building, a good staff,” says Reed. “We’ve got the Novant system behind us, and we’ve got three different, dynamic internists. Everyone gets along here, and it’s a very fun and professional place to work.”
A retired athlete, Reed played tennis and basketball in college. “I’m a little old for those now!” he chuckles. When he’s not practicing medicine, Reed enjoys playing chess online. In Virginia, he enjoyed teaching chess to kids in school, and he’d like to try to set up a similar program when things open back up.
Though he’s only been there a few months, Reed is optimistic about the future of the Mint Hill office. “We’ve got the start of something really good here. I think this is an up and coming office,” says Reed. “We take good care of people here. Our doors are open, and we’re getting busier. I think we’re building something special here.”
Dr. Kim Foust
Novant Mint Hill Family Medicine is pleased to welcome Dr. Kim Foust to the practice.
“I grew up in it,” says Foust when asked what inspired her to go into medicine. “My father was a surgeon. My mother was a nurse. My sister became a pediatric gastroenterologist, and I just like taking care of people!”
Foust grew up in Ohio and attended Miami of Ohio for undergrad. After medical school at the Medical College of Ohio, she received her number one residency pick in Charleston, SC. “It’s a good teaching program and a great community hospital to work in,” says Foust. “Plus, I wanted to be on the water in a nice, warm place!”
In Charleston, Foust married and had a son. Right after the birth of her son, Foust and her family moved to Concord, NC, where she practiced with Atrium for 22 years. When she remarried and moved to South Charlotte, she also moved to First Charlotte Physicians Matthews, where she practiced for two and a half years before moving to Novant Mint Hill.
“I wanted to go to a smaller clinic, and it just worked out that they were looking to put more people in that office,” says Foust. “So far, it’s great. The people are really friendly, and communication is good. The office manager is very professional, very communicative, proactive. It’s like a work family. They’re very supportive.”
Specializing in internal medicine, Foust is oriented toward preventative care and general health. Self described as “fitness oriented,” she runs and does pilates in her free time. She enjoys boating on Badin Lake, grilling out, entertaining at home and visiting with grandchildren.
After growing up in the Midwest, Foust continues to enjoy the mild Charlotte weather that makes those hobbies possible. “I love having access to the mountains and the ocean and the lake within a few hours,” she says. “My son lives in Charlotte, so that’s been fun to have him here after he finished college.” Foust’s son broke from tradition to pursue a career in business, but according to mom, he’s currently dating a nurse – so there’s hope for keeping medicine in the family!
Dr. Ray Feaster
Joining the staff at Novant Mint Hill 1-2 days a week is Dr. Ray Feaster. Feaster started with Novant thirteen years ago as a hospitalist; over time, her role has evolved to include significant administrative responsibilities in addition to hospital and primary care. She’s been providing primary care at the Mint Hill office for a year and a half.
Feaster took a unique route to wind up in Charlotte. After finishing her training in 2005, she worked in South Carolina briefly before working as a traveling contract physician. “That’s how I ultimately ended up in Charlotte,” says Feaster. “I liked it and found the right opportunity at Novant, and I’m still here 13 years later.”
Although she wears many hats at Novant, Feaster enjoys the relationship-building aspect of her work at the Mint Hill office. In her work as a hospitalist, Feaster works to pinpoint and address the cause of whatever has landed a patient in the hospital and ultimately discharge them to their primary care doctor.
As a primary care provider, Feaster focuses on health maintenance and wellness – keeping her patients out of the hospital. “As a primary care doctor, you develop ideally a long term relationship with your patients,” she describes. “As a hospital physician, you see them for that acute episode and you actually hope you don’t see them again!”
“I really enjoy the opportunity to help people achieve wellness,” continues Feaster. “Whatever their wellness goals are – not only physical well-being but also mental well being as well. This pandemic has wreaked havoc on the mental and emotional state of our community. As doctors, we recognize that and want to connect people with the resources to get them fully restored mentally and emotionally.”
When she’s not busy fulfilling one of her many roles for Novant, Feaster enjoys traveling, movies and trying different restaurants – at least, when COVID isn’t preventing her from doing so! Working out regularly is important to her, and she’s also active in her church and on several boards in the City of Charlotte.
Feaster enjoys her time at the Mint Hill office including the friendly and welcoming staff and the diverse patients that come in. “We’re all accepting new patients,” she affirms. “It’s a great group of doctors who enjoy what they do and enjoy one another and the practice of medicine. We hope that patients come in and discover their medical home where they get all their care needs met ideally for the rest of their lives. We welcome patients of all backgrounds, all genders – diversity is important to us. All are welcome to come see any of us, and they will get treated with high respect and get the personalized attention that all patients deserve.”
If you are looking for a primary care home, Novant Health Mint Hill Family Medicine would be happy to assist you in scheduling with any of their physicians. You can reach them by phone at (980) 302-3550 (option 3), where they can also prep you for your initial visit and ensure you get the time slot you desire. If you prefer, you can also schedule online directly at https://www.novanthealth.org/clinic-locations/novant-health-mint-hill-family-medicine.
