Emily Cade Chappelear is a physician assistant at the Celo Health Center. She received her master’s degree in physician assistant studies at Shenandoah University in Virginia in 2007 and has been practicing Family Medicine ever since. Her bachelor’s degree is in Spanish from the University of North Carolina in Asheville.

Emily was born and raised in Yancey County. After traveling and volunteer work in Guatemala and Zambia, Africa, she practiced medicine in Eastern Tennessee for 3 years before she returned home to her beloved NC Mountains to raise a family with her husband Dr. Alex Chappelear. She has worked at the Celo Health Center since 2014 while raising her two children, Jack and Juniper.

Emily is competitive marathon runner. She also enjoys swimming, hiking, and being outdoors with her family. Her favorite animal is an octopus.