About Our Staff

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Cindy has been with the Clinic since December 2021. 

Having grown up in Montana with the mountains of Glacier National Park in her backyard, Cindy has a deep appreciation for the great outdoors.  She is excited to explore all the adventures the Smoky Mountains have to offer. 

Cindy has a background in publishing, marketing and community involvement.  Her true passion is being able to serve her community through working with non-profits.  She moved to North Carolina to be closer to family and to enjoy a slower pace.

Cindy was drawn to The Community Care Clinic because of their belief that everyone deserves basic healthcare.  She looks forward to serving the patients of the Community Care Clinic of Franklin.  She is delighted to call Franklin home and is excited to become an active part of the community.

 Cody, originally from Sylva, NC, joined the Clinic team in July 2021. He obtained his Medical Assistant Certification after graduating from Smoky Mountain High School. Currently pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Healthcare Administration, Cody began as a Medical Assistant and later transitioned to the role of Administrative Assistant for the Executive Director in August 2023. During his free time, he enjoys traveling, spending time with family, and  with his three dogs – a Maltese Poodle and two English Bulldogs. Cody is excited and ready to help the members of this community.

 Cherie has been with the Clinic since August 2021.

Having had a life-long desire to practice medicine, she finally reached that in goal in 2010, after her children were grown and moved away from home. She has worked in ENT, Geriatrics, and Oncology, but her greatest satisfaction is being a Primary Care PA. One of the greatest thing about the PA profession is the ability to work in both primary care or in a specialty field. She is glad to have the opportunity work in primary care so that she can help people make better life choices that can benefit their overall health. She states "It is so rewarding to be a part of that change."

She is pleased to be one of the health care providers at the Community Care Clinic of Franklin. She derives great pleasure by being able to provide high quality, compassionate care to our patients, many of whom have either received very limited, or no health care-sometimes for years. It is her hope that with time and the excellent leadership of our Executive Director and our Board, that this clinic will be able to partner with other health care specialists in our area to better meet the needs of the uninsured in our community.  

 Hannah has been with the Clinic since February 2022. She has been caring for residents of Macon and surrounding counties for many years. As an RN, Hannah worked for both Long-term care facilities as well the Mother-Baby, Pediatric, and Medical-Surgical units of Harris Regional Hospital. After Graduating with her Nurse Practitioners Degree, she has been working in Urgent Care, Family Care, Psychiatric Care, and Internal Medicine meeting the needs of all ages. 

Ms. Caplinger started out by going to Southwestern Community for her Associates of Science in Nursing. She then transferred to Western Caroline University for her Bachelors of Science in Nursing in 2014 and Graduated in 2019 with her Master of Science in Nursing-Family Nurse Practitioner Degree. 

Ms. Caplinger was raised in Sylva, N.C. She has grown up in the community and is now raising her son Jeremiah here. She also has a lab mix named Princess Leah, and a Morkie Puppy named Bella-Ewa. She enjoys traveling, watching star wars, hiking, crafting, and reading, She is excited and ready to care for and meet the needs of this community.  

Kevin has been with our clinic since Spring 2023 volunteering as a Medical Assistant.

Before joining the Community Care Clinic of Franklin, Kevin completed his undergraduate education at Georgia Tech as well as graduate degrees in business and environmental sustainability at the University of Michigan. After completing his military service as an Army Engineer, he devoted myself to improving the way companies do business through technology and sustainability. All this time, his interests in healthcare continued to grow from his early introduction emergency medical training in the Army. Two years ago, he decided to pursue medicine full time and later this summer will be starting his first year of medical school. Outside of the clinic, he is always in the mountains running, climbing, or skiing with friends. 

When asked what the best part of volunteering at the clinic was, he said: “The people. Community Care Clinic's patients and staff are wonderful”. He states, “I love working with patients and have a passion for helping people in need. Volunteering with the Community Care Clinic of Franklin is a tremendous opportunity to connect with and assist patients while pursuing my sense of purpose in medicine. Volunteering is an act of service. Through volunteering we can bring others together for a purpose greater than ourselves and have a greater impact on improving our world by collaborating with others than we ever could individually.”. 

He is excited to see the Community Care Clinic of Franklin continue to grow and expand its support for patients this year and years to come!