Brooke Lawrence Hata, MD, FAAP:

We welcome Dr. Hata to Unifour Pediatrics:  Dr. Brooke Lawrence Hata has recently joined us, moving to Hickory from Durham, NC, where she practiced primary care pediatrics since 2005 with University Pediatrics at Highgate (part of the UNC Health Care System). She is native to North Carolina, raised in the Asheville area, and looks forward to becoming an integral part of the Unifour community. We are honored to have her join our practice, and look forward to her energy, talent, and commitment toward high quality care. We feel certain that you will appreciate our choice of this bright and caring individual who shares our ideals and will enhance our practice. We encourage you to read our Guiding Principles to gain an insight into the importance she places on excellence in service, patient education, and continuity of medical care. Dr Hata will be maintaining full admitting privileges at both Catawba Valley Medical Center and Frye Regional Medical Center.

Undergraduate: Wake Forest University, BS 1995, Magna Cum Laude

Medical School: Duke University School of Medicine, MD 2001

Pediatric Residency: University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, 2001-2004
                   (Chief Resident and Associate Clinical Professor, 2004-2005)

Board Certified: American Board of Pediatrics.

Fellow: American Academy of Pediatrics.

Associate Clinical Professor: Department of Pediatrics, .
                     University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2004-2008

Pediatric Practice: In general pediatric practice continuously 2005-2008 in the Durham, NC area with University Pediatrics at Highgate (part of the UNC Health Care System). During that time, she continued to serve as an Associate Clinical Professor of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Hata started at Unifour Pediatrics in January 2009, and has been well received by our patients, their families, and by our staff. Special interests include developmental pediatrics, preventive care, international health, adolescent medicine, and medical student education.

Professional Activities and Honors: North Carolina Pediatric Society. American Medical Association. Christian Medical and Dental Association, Publications in Contemporary Pediatrics and Gastroenterology.  Missionaries of Charity, (Calcutta, India), Camp Hollymont for Girls (camp physician), UNC-CH (Associate Clinical Professor), Camp Firefly (for pediatric hematology/oncology patients), Shelter for H.O.P.E Medical Clinic,  Tenwek Hospital (Bomet, Kenya), St. Francis Inn (soup kitchen), City of Joy Scholar (Calcutta, India), William Louis Poteat Scholarship, Albert Schweitzer Fellow, Jefferson Award (outstanding achievement and commitment to community service), Excellence in Teaching Award for Residents, UNC-CH, Outstanding Teaching Resident for Pediatrics, NC Children's Hospital Resident Award, Past service as: pediatric rehab technician Mission Memorial Hospital, Camp Hollymont for Girls (head counselor and waterfront director), The Asheville School (Instructor/Coach), and Department of Digestive Health (UNC-CH, Clinical Research Assistant). Extensive pediatric-specific continuous medical education each year, well exceeding the requirements.

Family: Married to Jonathan A. Hata MD, a surgeon with Hickory Surgical since 2008. They have a beautiful daughter, Catherine Marie (born in March 2007), and live in central Hickory. As you can gather from the activities listed above, Dr. Hata has been, and will continue to be, involved in community and international activities.

Interests: Hiking, camping, swimming, reading, and community service.

Elizabeth E. Sheeks, RD, MS, LDN
(Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist - specializing in infant/toddler ages)

We welcome Elizabeth Sheeks to Unifour Pediatrics:  Elizabeth Sheeks, a Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist also joined us in January 2009 and primarily sees medically fragile infants and toddlers. Elizabeth Sheeks recently retired after 29 years of working as a nutritionist for the State of North Carolina, primarily with the DEC/CDSA. She has worked exclusively with children with special health care needs for the past 15 years. Prior to that, she worked in public health and WIC. She brings to our practice considerable knowledge and experience in working with the specific nutritional problems of newborns, infants and toddlers. Her particular interest and expertise is in the area of nutrition and feeding problems of children with special health problems, such as premature infants, gastro-esophageal reflux, dysphasia, swallowing dysfunction, and "special needs" children. Elizabeth will NOT be working with our formal obesity prevention and treatment program. Again we have taken our time to carefully select individuals who not only have excellent clinical skills and judgment, but those who also possess qualities consistent with our vision and philosophy of pediatric care.

Undergraduate: University of North Carolina at Charlotte, BS Biology, 1976

Graduate Studies: Winthrop University, MS Foods and Nutrition, 1978, with concurrent ADA educational requirements.

Registration: American Dietetic Association, since 1979.

Licensure: North Carolina Dietetic Association - Dietitian/Nutritionist.

Practice Experience: Elizabeth has provided evaluation and medical nutrition therapy to children with special health care needs for the past 15 years, primarily with the DEC/CDSA. She has worked previously as a NC Public Health Dietitian, provided consultation to domiciliary homes in an 18 county region, and has worked as a NC Nutrition Program Consultant. She has also provided consultation to local public health nutrition programs in 9 county region, and was a county WIC/Nutrition Director.

Activities:  Extensive pediatric-related continual nutritionist education each year, far exceeding the state requirements.

Family: Elizabeth and her husband Kelly (both NC natives) live in Statesville with their two dachshunds, Cash and Godiva.

Interests: Orchids (Elizabeth is an accredited judge with the American Orchid Society), travel, cooking, hiking, jewelry making, gardening.