ABOUT OUR TEAM
AUBURN FAMILY MEDICINE
Auburn Acute Care was founded by Keith Bufford, MD August 2008 having already served as a practitioner for years in our local community. Dr. Bufford saw a need for a high-quality family medical practice to serve our community with a vision of growing along with an ever-increasing Auburn Opelika population. This vision came to fruition, and, as a result of this, Michael Fagan, PA-C joined us in January 2016 and then James Gauthier, MD, MPH joined us in January 2017. Michael left in December 2022 to work in his church. Dr. Hammond, DO and Christy Young, FNP-C joined us in July 2020. Now we are excited to welcome Ashley Lane, MD who will start seeing patients after the 1st of January 2024. These valuable providers are helping us manage the ongoing growth of our clinic so we can better serve the Auburn-Opelika Area. In 2017, Auburn Acute Care changed its name to Auburn Family Medicine to better reflect our scope of care.
Keith Bufford, MD
B.S. - Auburn University
M.D. - University of Alabama School of Medicine
Residency Tuscaloosa Family Medicine
Board Certified Family Medicine
Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians
Medical Director Rural Medical Program Auburn University
ABOUT DR. BUFFORD
Dr. Keith Bufford was born in Opelika, Alabama and grew up on a farm 10 miles south of Auburn. He earned his BS degree from Auburn University and his Medical Degree from the University Of Alabama School Of Medicine, UAB. He completed his Family Medicine Residency in Tuscaloosa Alabama. He is currently the Medical Director of the Rural Medicine Program at Auburn
University / University of Alabama School of Medicine. He is Board Certified in Family Medicine and is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. He is married with 2 children. His hobbies and interests include outdoor activities when time permits such as, hunting, fishing, tennis, canoeing, biking and water skiing, working on the family farm and walking with his labrador retriever.
James Gauthier, MD, MPH
B.S. - Mercer University
M.D. - University of Alabama School of Medicine
Residency Tuscaloosa Family Medicine
Masters in Public Health (MPH)
Medical Review Officer
Board Certified Family Medicine
Board Certified Preventive/Occupational Medicine
ABOUT DR. GAUTHIER
Dr. Gauthier was born in Detroit, Michigan. He earned his BS degree from Mercer University in Macon, Georgia and his Medical Degree from the University of Alabama School Of Medicine, UAB. He completed his Family Medicine Residency in Tuscaloosa Alabama. He is Board Certified in Family Medicine and Preventive/Occupational Medicine. He is a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. He is married with 2 children. His hobbies and interests include playing the guitar with his harmonica, gardening, identifying wild flowers, kayaking, trail biking, camping and hiking.
Brandon Hamond, DO
B.S. - Erskine College
DO - Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine
Family Medicine Residency - Riverside Regional Medical Center
ABOUT DR. HAMMOND
Dr. Brandon Hammond was born and raised in Charlotte, NC and the surrounding areas. He earned his BS degree at Erskine College and his medical degree at Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Spartanburg, SC. He completed his Family Medicine residency in June of 2020 at Riverside Regional Medical Center in Newport News, VA. He and his wife have two children they love to play with and spend time participating in fun activities. In his spare time, Dr Hammond enjoys all things sports, serving in the local church and community, exercising, and making new memories with his family and friends.
Auburn Family Medicine Welcomes Ashley Lane M.D.
B.S. - Mercer University
M.D. - University of Alabama School of Medicine
Residency – UAB Huntsville Family Medicine Residency Program
Board Certified Family Medicine
ABOUT DR. LANE
Auburn Family Medicine is excited to announce Dr. Lane’s imminent addition to our team. Dr. Lane earned her medical degree from The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), and completed her residency in the UAB Huntsville Family Medicine Residency Program.
Dr. Lane’s medical interests include chronic disease management, preventative care, geriatrics, and women’s health. She chose a career in family medicine to have an opportunity to make a positive impact in the overall health and wellness of her patients' daily lives. Dr. Lane and her husband have two children.
When she is not working, Dr. Lane enjoys playing with her children, going on walks, reading, and Auburn sports.
Christy Young FNP -BC
BSN - Georgia Baptist College of Nursing of Mercer University
NP - Kennesaw State University
ABOUT CHRISTY YOUNG
Christy Young grew up in Snellville, GA and lived in Atlanta prior to moving to Opelika, Alabama. She went to Mercer University for her BSN-RN and became an Emergency Department/trauma nurse at Gwinnett Medical Center. After 6 years in the emergency department, she decided to further her educated and went to nurse practitioner school at Kennesaw State University. She has worked in various emergency departments as a nurse practitioner including Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, St. Francis and Piedmont Northside in Columbus, Georgia. She moved to Opelika in 2017 and lives with her husband, Clay and stepson, Bo and four-legged kids, a great Dane named Chaucer and a mutt named Soapbox (she came with the name.) In her spare time, she enjoys sporting events and traveling.
“By earning recognition, Keith Bufford, MD and James Gauthier, MD MPH have demonstrated that they provide effective, evidence-based care to their patients with diabetes ... For a person with diabetes, the right clinician can make the difference between living with diabetes as opposed to suffering from diabetes."
Margaret E. O’Kane,
President, National Committee for Quality Assurance