Dr. William Tumlin Fund

Dr. Bill Tumlin was a long-time advocate for those suffering from addiction. While running his family practice, Dr. Tumlin dedicated himself to the study of Addiction Medicine in the late 1980s, launching several recovery programs in the Athens area: The Commencement Center, the Cobb House, 24th Street, and Apex Recovery. His family remembers his legacy of service with pride. “Dad was one of the first trained Addiction specialists in our area,” daughter Holly Phelan recalls. “He understood the faith-based, spiritual aspect to recovery, but he also wanted to apply the science of treating addiction as a medical disease.” Scott Phelan, Holly’s husband, remembers his father-in-law’s enthusiasm for serving others. “Bill was the happiest when he was working with people in the recovery community. He was a pretty quiet guy but when talking about recovery, he wouldn’t stop. He was so passionate about it. He was making a real difference in the world.” Dr. Dipal Patel, Associate Program Director of PAR’s Internal Medical Residency Program, shares a similar resolve for tackling this disease. Dr. Patel envisions primary care that incorporates addiction treatment into their patient-centered, comprehensive care model. As lead faculty in PAR’s Clay Community Care Clinic, she believes many patients would benefit from outpatient treatments for alcoholism, smoking or substance use disorders that are effective but expensive. When Holly and Scott learned of the opportunity to expand Addiction Medicine at the Clay Clinic, they felt the approach was true to that of Dr. Tumlin: medically sound and rooted in compassion. Holly and Scott made a founding donation to establish the Dr. William Tumlin Fund for Addiction Medicine as a memorial to Dr. Tumlin who passed away in 2021.

“The Tumlin Fund will empower our clinic to treat addiction as a core component of chronic disease care, giving our patients a real chance at healing and our physicians the tools to lead that change.” explains Dr. Patel. The Tumlin Fund will support physician training, patient treatment costs for those who qualify, and other recovery supports. With 60 percent of PAR’s Internal Medicine graduates remaining in Georgia, Dr. Patel appreciates the Phelan family for the long-term benefits of this gift. “Our hope is through this fund, our residents will carry this knowledge and compassion into the communities they serve, creating a lasting impact far beyond our clinic walls.” Holly imagines new possibilities for the patients who will be served. “Dad would be thrilled to know no one will be overlooked who needs support. Through the Tumlin Fund, we will continue Dad’s message of hope. You can recover from this. As he loved to say, “You got this!”

The Dr. William Tumlin Fund for Addiction Medicine Challenge – Any donation to the Tumlin Fund made through June 30, 2026, will be matched 1:1 up to $25,000. Donations may be made by check payable to the Piedmont Athens Regional Foundation noting The Dr. William Tumlin Fund for Addiction Medicine in the memo field.

The Community Care Clinic – The Community Care Clinic expands access to primary care by accepting all adult patients regardless of insurance status or income level. Our mission is “to provide quality access and continuity of care to the patients we serve.” The original Clay Clinic on Prince Avenue and its second location on West Broad Street accept insurance and co-payments when possible but rely on community donations to help cover care and medication costs for those who cannot afford it. Staffed by over seventy resident physicians from PAR’s Graduate Medical Education program, the clinic operates on an appointment basis delivering more than 13,000 visits annually to individuals from seventeen counties.