Dr. Frank Stegall joins Harbin Vascular team

For Dr. Frank Stegall Jr., becoming a Harbin Clinic surgeon could be considered preordained.

“I don’t remember a time when I didn’t want to become a doctor,” says Dr. Stegall. “My grandfather was a general surgeon, my dad was a cardiologist. I always knew I was going to take this path as well.”

Dr. Stegall joins Harbin Clinic Vascular Surgery & Endovascular Intervention Rome. A third generation medical professional, his father is retired cardiologist Dr. Frank Stegall Sr., who served Harbin Clinic for 37 years.

“I remember visiting him at his office when I was a kid,” recalls Dr. Stegall with a smile. “I used to play with the 1980s Dictaphone he used to record his notes.”

“I’m just thrilled to death he’s joining Harbin Clinic,” says Dr. Stegall Sr. “He grew up within the Harbin culture, so for him, the patient will always come first.”

Dr. Stegall Sr. says he’s also happy his son will be working closely with his godfather, vascular surgeon Dr. John S. Kirkland, who has been with Harbin Clinic since 1978.

“It’s a small world,” says Dr. Kirkland. “I’m proud my godson is joining Harbin Clinic. He’s certainly completing the circle.”

“My father regarded joining Harbin Clinic as one of his greater accomplishments and felt it was a real honor that Dr. William Harbin and his contemporaries welcomed him,” says Dr. Stegall. “For me, there’s most definitely an equal sense of pride in joining Harbin Clinic.”

Vascular surgeon Dr. Jonathon Molnar, who serves as head of Harbin Clinic’s Vascular Surgery Department, says Dr. Stegall’s exemplary training makes him a valuable asset to Harbin Clinic’s vast health care scope.

“Dr. Stegall has had excellent training at Vanderbilt and the University of Alabama, the premiere institutions for surgery in the Southeast,” says Dr. Molnar. “He’s been instructed in the entire spectrum in vascular surgery and he’s a perfect fit for us. Our whole department is excited about him being here.”

Dr. Stegall received his Medical Doctorate degree from the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta. He completed his residency in general surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, Tennessee, where, years prior, he had earned his Bachelor’s Degree.

At the University of Alabama Hospital at Birmingham, Dr. Stegall completed his fellowship in vascular surgery. He is a member of the American College of Surgeons, the American Medical Association and the Christian Medical and Dental Association.

After years of schooling, Dr. Stegall is glad to be back home in Rome with his wife Natalie, whom he met at Vanderbilt University as an undergraduate.

“We got married when I was in my third year of medical school,” he says. “We have two wonderful sons: Frank III, who is 3 years old, and our 1-yearold, Oliver. My wife worked in marketing and communication until Frank was born, then she decided to be a stay-athome mom. Now she works harder than I do.”

Throughout his life, Dr. Stegall has enjoyed volunteering for various causes, something he says is born from his being raised in Floyd County.

“I was very active in the church and the Boy Scouts,” he says. “Community service was a big part of my growing up.”

Throughout his years of medical training, Dr. Stegall volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House in Nashville, tutored fellow medical students and completed a medical mission trip to Bulgaria, among other services.

He says he hopes to involve his sons in some volunteer ventures in Floyd County as they continue to grow. Until then, Dr. Stegall is relishing being back in his hometown again.

“Rome’s changed a lot in the 15 or 16 years since I’ve been gone. It’s a really wonderful place to raise a family,” he says. “It has a slower pace of life than the other cities my wife and I have lived in over the last 10 years, which is a nice change.”

Dr. Stegall believes what draws patients to Harbin Clinic is the array of medical services that exist beneath one umbrella, and says he’s thrilled for the opportunity to have a hand in that.

“Patients are comforted by the fact their Harbin Clinic Family Medicine physician refers them to a Harbin Clinic neurologist or pediatrician or orthopedist. They’re not being passed from clinic to clinic,” Dr. Stegall says. “It’s a real privilege and an honor to serve Harbin Clinic and the community that served me growing up. It’s awesome to come back and take care of who I consider my people.”