DR. JOHNSTON Dr. Lester T. Johnston Jr. is one of the newest and youngest doctors to join the medical staff at Wills Memorial Hospital. He came to Washington-Wilkes about a year and a half ago.

Dr. Johnston likes practicing in a small town because he can get to his office or to the hospital in just a few minutes. Sometimes he rides his bicycle to the hospital.

He also says that he likes the opportunity to get to know his patients and feeling like he can make a true difference in healthcare in Washington Wilkes and the surrounding area. He also likes being here because of the close proximity to his family and the family of his wife. Some members of his immediate family are about 75 miles away; and her family is just 20 miles away in Thomson.

The doctor was born in New York but reared in Savannah. His wife Amy is from Thomson and they have a two-year-old son, Trey; and eight-week-old Carter. He is the younger brother of three sisters - one in Watkinsville; one in Houschton; and one in LasVegas.

Baseball is his game. He pitched for Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College (ABAC), 1992-94; was named 1992 Savannah Baseball Player of the Year; and received the first academic-athletic All American award at ABAC.

He received his Bachelor of Science at Mercer University in Macon and his Medical Doctor degree from St. George University School of Medicine. He was associated with the Orlando Regional Medical Center in Florida from 2001 to 2006; and the Arnold Palmer Hospital for Women and Children, also in Orlando. He completed residencies in Pediatrics and Internal Medicine.

Dr. Johnston is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Pediatrics and received the Residence Award for Neurology Research. He has served as Chief Pediatrics Resident, and is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Physicians - Internal Medicine.

In Washington-Wilkes he and his family are active members of the First Baptist Church and he is also a member of the Washington Rotary Club.

He believes in a healthy lifestyle combined with a mixture of exercise and proper diet. "You can eat Big Chick, but not every day," he says.

"Good communication between patient and doctor is the most important aspect of good medical care," he says.