Zihan “Emily” Guo, MD, has lived in three countries and trained in healthcare systems around the world. But it’s the close-knit community of northeast Georgia that led her to Northeast Georgia Physicians Group (NGPG) Thompson Bridge.
“Living in different countries has really given me a unique perspective,” Dr. Guo said. “But what stood out to me about Gainesville was the sense of community I’ve found. And it’s not just with patients, it’s everyone at NGPG Thompson Bridge. They feel like family already.”
Dr. Guo recently completed her family medicine residency at Wellstar Douglas Medical Center in Douglasville, Georgia, which is just a little over an hour away from where she’ll now be practicing. She’s the first new physician to NGPG Thompson Bridge since 2011.
“North Hall has grown quite a bit in the last decade, and more growth is on the way, so we knew we needed to add another physician to help care for all the people moving into the area,” said Christy Wagner, MD, a family medicine physician who has been with NGPG Thompson Bridge for more than 20 years. “We’re excited to welcome Dr. Guo, and she’s going to be a great fit with the practice and the community.”
Dr. Guo was born in Beijing, China, but moved to Canada when she was 5 years old, where she helped her grandparents on their farm in London, Ontario. She earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of Toronto and went on to earn her medical degree at the University of Galway in Ireland.
“My grandfather was a doctor, and hearing his stories inspired me early on,” Dr. Guo said. “I think health care looks a lot different nowadays, but the desire to help people has remained the same. I love that every day brings new, meaningful work.”
Dr. Guo is especially interested in preventive care, chronic disease management and mental health. She’s tri-lingual – speaking English, Mandarin and French – which helps her connect with patients from diverse backgrounds.
Outside of work, Dr. Guo enjoys cooking, painting, running and playing piano. And just like her grandparents, she hopes to one day start her own farm in the area.
NGPG Thompson Bridge is open Monday through Thursday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. The office is located inside Medical Plaza 1 at 3641 Thompson Bridge Road in Gainesville. Call 770-219-9460 to schedule an appointment or visit ngpg.org/guo to learn more.
NGPG is an affiliate of Northeast Georgia Health System.