Affinity Welcomes New Pulmonary/Critical Care Specialist & Nephrologist

• Rubal Patel, M.D. has joined Affinity Clinic and will provide pulmonary and critical care medicine services. Pulmonary medicine is the specialty that deals with diseases of the lungs and the respiratory tract.  Critical care is concerned with the provision of life support or organ support systems in patients who are critically ill and usually require intensive monitoring.  Dr. Patel will provide outpatient care at Affinity Clinic and inpatient respiratory and intensive care at Tift Regional Medical Center.  After earning her medical degree from Saba University in the Netherlands-Antilles, Dr. Patel completed an internal medicine residency and pulmonary/critical care fellowship at New York Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn, NY.  To make an appointment or referral to Dr. Patel, please call 391-4100. 
• Erik Bernstein, M.D. has joined Affinity Clinic and will serve as medical director of the Tift Regional Medical Center (TRMC) Dialysis Center.  As a nephrologist, Dr. Bernstein treats patients who suffer from diseases and disorders related to the kidneys, including kidney stones, renal failure and blood pressure issues.  Dr. Bernstein will provide outpatient evaluations and follow-up exams at Affinity Clinic and prescribe and oversee dialysis treatments at the TRMC Dialysis Center.  He will also provide inpatient consults at TRMC.   After earning his medical degree from MCP Hahnemann University inPhiladelphia, Dr. Bernstein completed an internal medicine residency and nephrology/hypertension fellowship at the Oregon Health and ScienceUniversity Hospital and VA Medical Center in Portland.  To make an appointment or referral to Dr. Bernstein, please call 391-4100.