Dr. Turner is from Northwest Georgia. She received her medical degree from Des Moines University in Iowa, then completed her pediatric residency training at LSU-HSC Children’s Hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana. She is passionate about preventative pediatrics, and her practice philosophy is grounded in evidence-based medicine. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her son, baking, and photography.
Esophageal Diseases
Kyle D. Maxwell, MD
Dr. Maxwell was born and raised around the Chattanooga area, earned his medical degree at Marshall University in Huntington, WV, and completed his Pediatrics residency at Virginia Commonwealth University Children’s Hospital of Richmond in Richmond, VA, in 2023. He practices preventative medicine with an evidence-based approach with a focus on mental health.
Outside of the office, Dr. Maxwell enjoys video and tabletop gaming, cooking, and spending time with his wife, Erica, two children, Sydney and Jack, and their pets, Arwen, Stormy, and Ember.
Shalaka Akolkar, DO
Dr. Akolkar is a gastroenterologist at Hamilton Physician Group-Gastroenterology in Dalton, Georgia. She attended medical school at Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and her fellowship in gastroenterology at UNC Blue Ridge.
Dr. Akolkar treats patients with Gl conditions, including GERD, abdominal pain, peptic ulcer disease, inflammatory bowel disease, liver conditions including fatty liver, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C, and functional Gl conditions like gastroparesis and irritable bowel syndrome. She also performs general Gl procedures such as upper endoscopies, colonoscopies, flexible sigmoidoscopies, video capsule endoscopies, and manometries.
“I enjoy making a positive impact on my patients’ lives,” says Dr. Akolkar. “I picture myself in my patient’s position or imagine they are a family member, and treat them the same way I would like to be treated.”
Jaime Pesl, MSN, NP-C, AOCNP
Jamie Pesl, NP-C, is a Board Certified Oncology Advanced Nurse Practitioner at Peeples Cancer Institute at Hamilton in Dalton, GA.
Larry D. Shuster, MD
Dr. Shuster is a board-certified gastroenterologist at Hamilton Physician Group-Gastroenterology in Dalton, Georgia. He attended medical school at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in Memphis, Tennessee, his residency at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and his fellowship in gastroenterology at the University of Kansas, Kansas City, Kansas. Dr. Shuster practiced gastroenterology in Chattanooga and Cleveland for 31 years and was an assistant professor for ten years.
Dr. Shuster treats patients with GI conditions, including GERD, abdominal pain, peptic ulcer disease, inflammatory bowel disease, liver conditions including fatty liver, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C, and functional GI conditions like gastroparesis and irritable bowel syndrome. He also performs general GI procedures such as upper endoscopies, colonoscopies, flexible sigmoidoscopies, video capsule endoscopies, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), and manometries.
“The field of gastroenterology allows me to use the knowledge and skills I have gained to treat my patients’ medical issues, says Dr. Shuster. “I believe a good physician listens and provides personalized care appropriate to their patient’s needs and values.”
Sergio F. Quijano, MD
Dr. Quijano is a board-certified gastroenterologist at Hamilton Physician Group-Gastroenterology in Dalton, Georgia. He is fluent in English and Spanish. Dr. Quijano attended medical school and completed his residency training at the New York University School of Medicine in New York, New York. He also completed his fellowship in gastroenterology at the SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn in Brooklyn, New York.
Dr. Quijano treats patients with GI conditions, including GERD, abdominal pain, peptic ulcer disease, inflammatory bowel disease, liver conditions including fatty liver, hepatitis B, C, and functional GI conditions like gastroparesis and irritable bowel syndrome. He also performs general GI procedures such as upper endoscopies, colonoscopies, flexible sigmoidoscopies, video capsule endoscopies, and manometries.
“I chose to work in gastroenterology because it offers me the opportunity to perform procedures that can help prolong people’s lives and the opportunity to provide ongoing care to patients with chronic GI conditions,” says Dr. Quijano.
Habla español
Kateleen Pendergrass, FNP-C
William Hardeman Jr., DO, MPH
Dr. Hardeman is a general surgeon at Hamilton Physician Group-General Surgery in Dalton, Georgia. He obtained a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree in Public Health Administration at the University of South Florida in Tampa, Florida, and attended medical school at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine-Georgia Campus in Atlanta, Georgia. He then completed his residency training in general surgery at the OhioHealth Doctors Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.
“I realized that I wanted to be a physician when I was 10 years old,” says Dr. Hardeman. “As a young child, I watched my mother, an oncology nurse, care for her patients. That had a big impact on me.” Dr. Hardeman chose to specialize in general surgery because it often provides the opportunity for his patients to experience immediate results.
“North Georgia holds a very special place in my heart. I love the people and the natural beauty in this region. I have never felt more at home.”
Dr. Hardeman enjoys spending time with his wife and children, going to the gym, and watching college football.
Chris Barrett, FNP-BC
Kasey Buchanan, MSN, APRN, FNP-C
Kasey Buchanan, MSN, APRN, FNP-C is an advanced practice provider at Hamilton Physician Group – Gastroenterology in Dalton, GA.