Foothills Medical Associates

Primary Care Providers and Surgical Services

ALERT: To limit the risk of exposure to Coronavirus (COVID-19), we are not accepting sick walk-in visits during morning hours. If you need to schedule a sick visit, please call 828-894-5627.

130 Forest Glen Road, Suite B
Columbus, NC 28722
Office: 828-894-5627
Fax: 828-894-5879

Dr. Jeffrey Viar, DO

Gerhardt Winkel, MD, FACS

Janet Howell, PA

Colden O'Dell, FNP

Evan Drake, PharmD, CPP

Since 1999, Foothills Medical Associates has been dedicated to providing Polk County residents with exceptional care, close to home. Under the direction of Jeffrey Viar, DO, Foothills Medical Associates prides itself on providing patients with highly skilled, dedicated physicians and physician's assistants who focus on personalized attention using the latest procedures to ensure a faster recovery. As primary care practitioners, our providers care for all stages of life, from infants to the elderly.

Members of St. Luke's Physician Network, the Foothills Medical Associates team includes Physician Assistant Janet Howell, Family Nurse Practitioner Colden O'Dell and Pharmacist Evan Drake, complemented by a knowledgeable staff who work with each patient and family throughout the treatment and recovery process.

To provide patients the ability to access their private online healthcare information 24/7, Foothills Medical Associates offers a secure, convenient patient portal, MyStLukesChart.org. The portal offers patients the ability to view lab results, medications, medical records, secure messaging and other helpful features. My St. Luke's Chart is designed to encourage patients to partner with Foothills Medical Associates to make sure every possible resource is available throughout the treatment process.

The Surgery Experience

For some, even minor surgery can cause concern and anxiety, but from the very beginning, our patients know they are in good hands. At St. Luke's Hospital, our team of Peri-operative specialists understand and address apprehension, with extra TLC.

Professional and skilled, our Peri-operative staff and certified nurse anesthetists go above and beyond to provide a positive experience. Whether it's a colonoscopy or joint replacement, our team provides the know-how for smoothly handling surgical procedures, going above and beyond to cater to patients and families.

Another benefit of surgery at St. Luke's? Convenience! Patients scheduled for surgery only need to meet with an Outpatient Surgery Nurse for a preoperative interview/assessment and preliminary surgical workup prior to the day of the procedure. When the patient arrives on the morning of surgery, every step is geared toward surgery and recovery.

General Surgery

St. Luke's Surgery Department handles a large and diverse variety of procedures, big and small, simple and complex. Highly skilled general surgeons are trained and experienced to perform our surgery cases, including advanced laparoscopic procedures for a shorter recovery time and reduced hospital stay.

Anesthesia Services

Our skilled team of certified nurse anesthetists (CRNA) works closely with the surgeon and OR team to insure that during surgery, patients maintain normal blood pressure, proper respiration, good cardiac readings and a host of other monitors while kept at a safe level of anesthesia.

Post Anesthesia Care Unit

When the procedure is over, known as post-op, our staff are experts at making patients comfortable as well as tending to all immediate physician orders. Many patients are pleasantly surprised to find that their OR nurse is continuing to care for them in the Post Anesthesia Care Unit. At a time like that, it's nice to see friendly, familiar faces nearby.

Peri-operative Services staff provide round-the-clock emergency surgical care every day of the year. Their ability to function as a team is exemplary and unique. Devotion to the team spirit is evidenced by an extremely low turnover rate in the department as well as by the positive responses to our follow up phone calls, surveys and letters.

Appointment Information

Patients are seen by appointment however, walk-ins are allowed. You may have a short wait, but we'll treat our patients as quickly as possible.

Office hours are Monday - Thursday, 7:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m., and Friday, 7:30 a.m. - noon. Please remember to bring insurance information and any appropriate referrals.

New Patient Forms

New Patient Form
Patient Registration Form
Authorization for Release of Health Information Form
Patient Information Form
Financial Policy Form
Acknowledgment Form

My St. Luke's Chart

To provide patients the ability to access their private online healthcare information 24/7, Foothills Medical Associates offers a secure, convenient patient portal, MyStLukesChart.org. The portal offers patients the ability to view lab results, medications, medical records, secure messaging and other helpful features. My St. Luke's Chart is designed to encourage patients to partner with Foothills Medical Associates to make sure every possible resource is available throughout the treatment process.

Fees and Insurance

We offer several options for payment of professional services. We accept check, cash, MasterCard, Visa, Discover and American Express. We participate in several managed care plans, Medicare and Medicaid. For insurance plans in which we participate, we will file your claim. You will be responsible for only the co-pay, co-insurance and/or deductible at your visit. Fees for services rendered are due at the time of service, unless prior arrangements have been made. If necessary, we offer payment plans.