Our History The Carithers Pediatric Group, established in 1941 by Drs. Hugh and Connie Carithers, continues to build on its long tradition of providing excellent care for children in Northeast Florida.  Both Dr. Hugh and Dr. Connie were instrumental in improving the standards in the field of pediatrics on the state and national level. Dr. Ray Edwards was the Carither's first partner and initiated a poison control center in our area. After Dr. Edwards' death, Dr. Robert Threlkel from Vanderbilt University joined the Carithers in 1971. He followed their example of assuming leadership roles in both local and national pediatrics.  Jacksonville native, Robert Colyer, was a patient of Dr. Hugh as a child.  Following his education and a pediatric residency at Vanderbilt, Dr. Colyer returned to Jacksonville where in 1977 he became a member of the group.  Dr. Julie Baker joined the practice in 1983, from the University of Alabama at Birmingham program and both she and Dr. Colyer were quick to enter into leadership in both local, state and community medical organizations. The members of The Carithers Pediatric Group believe in sharing their gifts, education and experience with the larger community, and encourage the physicians on their staff to follow their example.   The practice grew through the years to include Dr. Paul Robinson in 1988 and Dr. James Cheek in 1990, both of whom trained at Vanderbilt. As Jacksonville grew so did the number of our physicians. Dr. Wendy Sapolsky joined the group in 1995 from Wake Forest, Dr. Kim Dal Porto and Dr. Raoul Sanchez joined in 1997 from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, Dr. Amy Hardman joined in 1998 from Vanderbilt, Dr. Thomas Connolly joined in 2002 from the United States Air Force, Dr. Anne Egan joined in 2003 from a practice in Pittsburgh, and Dr. Andreae Shaw joined in 2009 from the University of Florida.  Several of the doctors in the practice share the commonality of being patients as children or having strong roots in Jacksonville. Leah Copham, Meg Cheney, and, Katie Mershon, all former patients were our first pediatric nurse practitioners; Trudy English joined our group of nurse practitioners in 2010 and Cari Trappe joined in 2012. In 1999, the Physicians formally named the practice, "The Carithers Pediatric Group" in honor of the legacy of Dr. Hugh and Dr. Connie and their hard work for the children of Jacksonville. At The Carithers Pediatric Group, we strive for excellence as physicians and staff and participate in efforts to make a healthier community. In return we have seen the larger community of Jacksonville and Northeast Florida express an appreciation for our work and service. Our group is not only about quality care for our patients, but medical leadership for our area. It’s all about giving back!   Our Mission Statement “The Carithers Pediatric Group is committed to  providing exemplary healthcare to children from  birth through adolescence in Jacksonville and  surrounding  areas. Patients are not an interruption  of our work.  They are the purpose of it. Providers  and staff work diligently with our patients and their  families to help them achieve a foundation of  physical and emotional health that will empower  them to attain their life’s goals.”   The CARITHERS  Pediatric Group Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine