Teresa E. Garrison, M.D.

A board-certified Geriatric and Internal Medicine specialist, Dr. Teresa Garrison recently joined CenterWell in Slidell, LA, with six years of experience in healthcare. Dr. Garrison’s interest in becoming a physician came from her own medical journey as a premature infant. The story of the doctors and nurses that saved her life inspired her to study medicine, so that she, too, could help others.

For Dr. Garrison, the best part about being a doctor is having management tools that can make a difference in people’s lives – whether it’s a medication adjustment to prevent dizziness, giving an injection to help with arthritis pain, or discussing ways to help a family member with dementia.

She is excited to work with the team at CenterWell because of their mutually aligned missions – to provide seniors with the best possible care. According to Dr. Garrison, the ideal doctor-patient relationship is built upon trust and respect, and she strives to treat her patients as she would her own mother or grandparent.

A graduate of Spelman College, Dr. Garrison attended Medical College of Georgia and completed her Internal Medicine/Primary Care residency at Emory University. She also completed a Geriatric Fellowship at the University of South Carolina/Prisma Health. Before CenterWell, she was a Primary Care physician at Jencare for three years and was part-time Hospice Medical Director for the LHC Group. Dr. Garrison also helped develop a successful clinic for medically complex, high-risk adult and senior patients.

As a Black woman, Dr. Garrison is proud to be among less than 3% of all physicians in the U.S.; one of the reasons she is passionate about mentoring others interested in medicine. She is happily married with two daughters, a pre-schooler and an infant. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, cooking with her daughter and trying out new places to eat with friends.