111 EPPERSON ST, Athens, TN 37303, US
Appointments: (423) 745-5955 Fax: (423) 745-6423
Rachel Jestrab Worley, MD, FAAP
Raised in Riceville, Tennessee, Dr. Rachel Jestrab Worley spent her youth as an active member of the Athens community. In 2000, upon graduating from McMinn County High School, she was one of twenty students accepted into the elite Honors College at East Tennessee State University. In 2004, she graduated Cum Laude with her Bachelor's Degree in Foreign Language with a minor concentration in Chemistry. She then attended medical school at Quillen College of Medicine in Johnson City, TN. During her college and medical school career, Dr. Worley was active in groups encouraging the empowerment of women and advocating for children. While in medical school she helped reestablish Student Women in Medicine and held officer positions in Women’s Health Student Interest Group and Pediatric Student Interest Group. In these positions she chaired activities providing education to students at various schools, supporting the Domestic Violence Shelter, and aiding the local Child Advocacy Center. At her medical school graduation, Dr. Worley was the recipient of The Ann Tranum Hawkins Award for Excellence in Women’s Health and The Katheleen M. Stern Award for ExcelIence in Developmental/Behavioral Pediatrics. In 2009, she moved to Columbia, SC to complete her three year pediatric residency at Palmetto Health Children’s Hospital. Throughout her pediatric residency she received numerous awards for her teaching abilities and she was the graduating recipient of the Biadin Roldan Resident Teaching Award. Additionally, during residency Dr. Worley was again honored for excellence in Developmental Pediatrics as the recipient of the USC Developmental Pediatrics Award.
In July 2012, Dr. Worley joined Brevard Health Alliance as the first pediatrician at the Titusville, FL location. For the following three and a half years, Dr. Worley was devoted to building a prosperous clinic and providing care to an underserved population. While in this position, she was a Board Member for the Healthy Start Coalition of Brevard County and served as the Coordinator for the Spotlight Magazine monthly medical contribution. Additionally, she continued to utilize her teaching abilities to educate both the families in her clinic and the students at several local schools. In January 2016, Dr. Worley joined Volusia Pediatrics a private practice in New Smyrna Beach, FL. In this position, she enjoyed becoming an active part of the community, advocating for her patients, and developing relationships with her patients and their families.
Though she loved life at the beach, the desire to be close to family prompted a decision to move back to the hills of Tennessee. In May 2018 Dr. Worley signed on with Athens Pediatrics LLC the practice where she had been a patient throughout her childhood. Inspired by her own pediatricians Dr. Ackaouy and Dr. Snider, she was only three years old when she first proclaimed her desire to become a pediatrician. Dr. Worley is thrilled to be able to provide comprehensive pediatric care for children from birth through high school years. She views every patient encounter with enthusiasm and genuinely loves developing relationships with the families that she serves. Dr. Worley is Board Certified in General Pediatrics and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Her professional interest include breastfeeding education, dermatology, and providing care for children with special needs.
Dr. Worley lives in Riceville with her husband Blake, her son Moses, daughter Gabriella, and daughter Adeline. In her personal time she enjoys going on outings with her family, attending local festivals, reading fiction novels, cheering for her children’s sports teams, biking, and running.
Melanie Long, FNP-BC
Melanie Long obtained her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in 1996 and her Master of Science in Nursing degree in 1998 from East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, TN. She is board certified in Family Practice by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. She was a critical care Registered Nurse in the medical/surgical/neurosurgical intensive care units at Holston Valley Hospital in Kingsport, TN. She then practiced Internal Medicine from 1998 to 2001 in Chattanooga, TN, before joining Athens Pediatrics in 2001 where she is now the owner. She is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, Gamma Beta Phi Honor and Service Society, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, and was recognized for having the overall highest GPA in the Family Nurse Practitioner program at East Tennessee State University in 1998. While working in Pediatrics, she has been actively involved in the education of new nurse practitioner and physician assistant students. Melanie lives in Athens, TN with her daughter, Hailey, and enjoys traveling and spending time with family and friends.
Joy Asbury, FNP-C
Joy Asbury is a native of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. She moved to Cleveland with her family in 2004. She is a 1980 graduate of Shelton College in Tuscaloosa, AL. She obtained her Associate Degree in Nursing from Shelton State College in 1987. Joy continued her education at Auburn University where she graduated with honors and received her Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree in 1991. She received her Master of Science in Nursing degree from Southern Adventist University in 2015 and is board certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Program. During her career as a Registered Nurse, she worked in a variety of specialty areas including: The University of Alabama Birmingham Heart Transplant ICU, Medical Intensive Care/Cardiac Intensive Care/Neuro Intensive Care units, Oncology, Out-Patient Surgery, and Student Health Clinics (college and elementary). Joy is a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing, Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society, and received the FOA Nursing Award for Outstanding Scholastic from Southern Adventist University. She is a member of Chattanooga Area Nurses In Advanced Practice (CANAP) and The American Association of Nurse Practitioners (AANP). Joy joined Athens Pediatrics in 2015. She lives in Cleveland, TN with her daughter, Annagrace. Her oldest daughter, Megan, is married with 2 small children and lives in the Cleveland area. In her spare time, she enjoys gardening and spending time with her family.
