Carolina Huertas Ayala, MD, born and raised in Comerío, Puerto Rico, obtained her medical degree from San Juan Bautista School of Medicine in Caguas, Puerto Rico. She completed her residency in Family Medicine at Emory University, where she is now continuing her training with a fellowship in Geriatric Medicine. Driven by the growing needs of the aging population in her hometown, Dr. Huertas Ayala is committed to advancing the care of older adults and giving back to her community. Outside of medicine, she enjoys dancing, cooking, and spending time with family, friends, and doggies.
Karla Marie García Ortiz, MD, was born and raised in Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico. She earned her medical degree from the Universidad Central del Caribe in Puerto Rico. Later on, she decided she wanted to pursue further education in the mainland and completed her Family Medicine residency training at Emory University. During her residency experience, Dr. García Ortiz fell in love with the geriatric population, discovering a passion for continuity of care, managing chronicity and complexity, as well as the companionship, understanding, compassion, and teamwork that involves both patients and their families with their physician when it comes to progressing conditions like dementia. Whenever she is not at work, you can probably find Dr. García Ortiz at the Beltline enjoying a coffee while walking with her dog and her husband.
Joseph Laseter, MD, was born and raised on the south side of Chicago, IL, and earned his medical degree from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, OH. After leaving the Midwest, he completed his family medicine residency training at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (UPenn) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. With his parents retired in Atlanta, Dr. Laseter is looking forward to both exploring the city and learning how to become an excellent geriatrician! Dr. Laseter's interests lie at the intersection of race and other marginalized identities (e.g., sexual/gender minorities and those who are incarcerated). He hopes to devote his career as a geriatrician championing care for the most vulnerable, medically complex, and those experiencing social frailty. Outside of the medical space, Dr. Laseter is a video game enthusiast, an avid long-distance runner, and loves all things R&B.