Where wellness & aesthetics
expertly come together.
Where wellness &
aesthetics expertly
come together.
Welcome to Eastern Carolina Aesthetics of Wilson, N.C. We are a full-service, family-oriented aesthetic practice located at 2546 Ward Blvd. in Wilson, North Carolina. Our staff service providers include Wallace R. Nelms Jr. M.D., and Leana Higgins PA-C.
Our philosophy of practice is to treat each patient as though they were a member of our own family and to do no more or no less than we would want for our own.
This philosophy has held us in good stead for over forty years and we continue to do our best to carry on this tradition
Dr. Wallace R. Nelms Jr. M.D.
My name is Wallace R. Nelms Jr. I was born in Macon, Georgia in 1947. I attended public schools, graduating from Lanier Senior High for boys in 1965. In Macon, at that time we were segregated not only by race but by sex as well. After high school, I graduated from Vanderbilt University with a B.A. in English. It was my intent to go to law school; however, a friend who was enrolled at Vanderbilt Medical School persisted in lobbying me to change my mind and attend medical school as I had planned when I initially enrolled in Vanderbilt. One problem, I hated the sciences, or so I thought. I visited him at Vanderbilt Medical School, attended an anatomy lab, visited an active emergency room and I was hooked. I went back to school and took all the prerequisite science courses I was lacking and applied to medical school. I graduated from the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, Georgia in January 1975. I left Augusta, moved to Greensboro, NC, and completed a three-year residency in Family Medicine at Moses Cone Hospital.
Dr. Wallace R. Nelms Jr. M.D.
Dr. Wallace R.
Nelms Jr. M.D.
My name is Wallace R. Nelms Jr. I was born in Macon, Georgia in 1947. I attended public schools, graduating from Lanier Senior High for boys in 1965. In Macon, at that time we were segregated not only by race but by sex as well. After high school, I graduated from Vanderbilt University with a B.A. in English. It was my intent to go to law school; however, a friend who was enrolled at Vanderbilt Medical School persisted in lobbying me to change my mind and attend medical school as I had planned when I initially enrolled in Vanderbilt. One problem, I hated the sciences, or so I thought. I visited him at Vanderbilt Medical School, attended an anatomy lab, visited an active emergency room and I was hooked. I went back to school and took all the prerequisite science courses I was lacking and applied to medical school. I graduated from the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, Georgia in January 1975. I left Augusta, moved to Greensboro, NC, and completed a three-year residency in Family Medicine at Moses Cone Hospital.
All through medical school and my residency, I moonlighted in emergency rooms. After finishing my residency I became a full-time E.R. physician at Wesley Long Memorial Hospital in Greensboro for five years. Tiring of not having my own patients, I opened a practice in McLeansville, NC in 1980 and continued to work in the E.R. until 1982. In 1990 I moved to Wilson joining Bob Richards M.D. in his practice until January of 1993 when I opened my current practice. I was fortunate to have an excellent partner in the practice, Stephanie Griffin M.D., for 17 years until she left family practice to do urgent care in Greenville, NC. I have since been joined by my excellent associate, Leanna Higgins, PA-C.
Along the way, I became initially a private pilot in 1976 in order to overcome a fear of flying. Later I continued training and now have single-engine land and sea ratings, multi-engine rating, instrument rating, and commercial rating. I continue to fly a 1957 Birddog, a warbird tail dragger.
I am as addicted to reading now just as much as I was as a child, hence the English major. I enjoy fishing and sailing, but gave up hunting years ago. The older you get the more you respect all of life and are reluctant to take it. Hunting is fine for others, just not for me.
My philosophy of medicine is modeled on that of one of the finest men I have ever known, A.S. Witherington, Jr., M.D. “Dr. Sid” was a family practitioner for over 50 years in Munford, Tennessee. “Treat every patient as though he or she is a member of your family and do no more, nor any less than you would want done for them.” I have tried my best to follow his guidance.
I am asked frequently if I have plans to retire. My response each time is that I am one of the lucky ones. I love what I do and have never considered it a job. For me, it is a blessing that I have been fortunate to spend my life enjoying the challenges of practicing medicine
Leanna Higgins, PA-C.
Leanna attended NCSU and earned her bachelors and masters degrees in animal sciences in 2006 and 2009. She worked in research for several years before deciding to return to school to become a Physician Assistant with a degree from UNC Chapel Hill. Her favorite part of Family Medicine is patient education and helping patients advocate for their own health. Leana has been living in North Carolina for the past 20 years. She is married and the mother of two boys.