Visiting after the Aiken's Choice Top Docs event, held Feb. 25 at Newberry Hall, are Jeremy Rodriguez, left, chief operating officer of Independence Physician Management; Hayley Mack and her husband, Dr. Darren Mack, a urologist.
Medical excellence was in the spotlight Feb. 24 at Newberry Hall, as professionals in a variety of categories were honored in the annual Aiken's Choice Top Docs event, run by the Aiken Standard.
This year represents a major milestone for at least one honoree: Dr. Wayne Frei, who was honored in the general surgeon category and is on the verge of retirement. He plans to retire at the end of this year, at age 65, wrapping up 30 years of medicine in Aiken -- "my first and only stop from Spartanburg, South Carolina, where I was in the residency for five years," he said, recalling time at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center.
He and his wife, Mary, raised four kids in Aiken, "so it's been a beautiful, beautiful time here in Aiken, and actually I've lived here longer than anywhere else," he added.
Most other honorees are relative newcomers to their professions, and some, such as Dr. Myles Potter, have lived in the Aiken-Augusta area for most of their lives. Potter, largely remembered as a valedictorian and standout multi-sport athlete at North Augusta High School, won top honors in the ophthalmologist category this year, on the basis of his work at Aiken Ophthalmology.
It was a family affair for Potter, as his wife, Dr. Kathryn Anne Potter, was honored as the top dermatologist, in recognition of her work with Wellstar Dermatology, in Aiken.
Among the organizations getting a salute was Nuclear Care Partners, which had Stacy Todd, a regional vice president of clinical operations, at Tuesday's gathering.
Todd said that she has been with NCP for 10 years and welcomed a strong endorsement from the public and a chance to celebrate the company's growth. "This is a big deal for us to get the award for tonight... We enjoyed the whole experience -- the whole voting process and being awarded it," she said.
This year's honorees ranged -- in terms of alphabetical order -- from allergy specialist (Dr. Gregory Esselmann) and audiologist (Jessica Mahaffey) on through internal medicine (Dr. Alyssa Degnan) and local pharmacy (Family Pharmacy) to vein specialist (Dr. Thomas Paxton) and vision/eye-care center (Aiken Ophthalmology).
One of this year's awards was bestowed posthumously, as Dr. Edwin Martinez de Andino was chosen as the year's top rheumatologist but died Nov. 1, 2024.