Dr. Lorena Wade is a native to western North Carolina, born and raised in Asheville. After attending undergraduate in Chattanooga Tennessee, she attended medical school at Loma Linda University, just east of Los Angeles. She did her Family Practice residency closer to home at Spartanburg Regional Medical Center in South Carolina. Dr. Wade’s love of Asheville and the medical community here led her to open a solo family practice in 1999. In this setting Dr. Wade formed genuine connections to her patients and commitment to their care and quality of life was fostered. After her marriage and the birth of her first child, she took a sabbatical to focus on her family life. When returning to practice in 2010 Dr. Wade rejoined the medical community in the role of an employed physician before changing roles and joining the managed care community. Dr. Wade served as the Medical Director of Integrated Care for Vaya Health from 2017-2021, a role designed to address a holistic approach to care for the members of our community. In January of 2022 she transitioned to her current role of Deputy Chief Medical Officer at Vaya Health.