Christopher Opella, M.D., to Join Beaufort Memorial May River Primary Care in April 2022

Christopher Opella, M.D., a board-certified physician with broad experience across the spectrum of his family medicine specialty, will join Beaufort Memorial May River Primary Care next month at the practice’s new permanent location at Okatie Medical Pavilion in Okatie. With his addition to the practice, Beaufort Memorial is continuing its efforts to increase primary care access for residents south of the Broad River.

Dr. Opella comes to the Lowcountry after more than two decades as a clinician and a medical director at family medicine clinics and hospital emergency rooms in his native state of Texas, most recently Surepoint Family Medicine and Tarleton State University in Stephenville.

He received his medical degree from University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston in 1997 and in 2000 completed his medical residency in family medicine at John Peter Smith Hospital in Fort Worth.

Trained during residency in the full scope of his specialty—which includes emergency medicine and surgery as well as general medicine—Dr. Opella subsequently practiced family medicine in both small-town and urban settings. As a result, he brings an extensive knowledge of a number of medical specialties to patient care, among them cardiology, gastroenterology, gynecology, orthopedics, dermatology and emergency medicine.

"Like most other communities across the country, ours is experiencing a shortage of primary care providers," said Russell Baxley, president and CEO of Beaufort Memorial. "By adding a physician as well trained, broadly experienced and patient-centered as Dr. Opella to our medical staff, we are doing our very best to further address the shortage.

At Beaufort Memorial May River Primary Care, Dr. Opella joins board-certified primary care specialist Brad Kelly, D.O., working with his patients to prevent, diagnose and treat acute and chronic illness.

Due to the expansion of the practice with the addition of Dr. Opella, as well as additional providers joining the practice later this year, May River Primary Care will be moving to a new permanent location in Okatie. Currently located in Bluffton, the practice will move to Suite 300 in the Beaufort Memorial Okatie Medical Pavilion, 122 Okatie Center Blvd. North, on April 11.

Patients who have an appointment scheduled with any of the physicians on or after April 11, will be seen at the new location. Call (843) 706-2287 for information or to make an appointment Dr. Opella or any of the physicians.