St. Mary’s, Dr. Lance McLeroy to open new GI practice
September 8, 2025
Athens, Ga. – To better meet Northeast Georgia’s growing need for gastroenterology care, St. Mary’s Medical Group and Dr. Lance McLeroy are creating a new gastroenterology practice, St. Mary’s Gastroenterology Associates (SMGA), which will begin providing patient care on Monday, Sept. 15, at 658 N. Chase St., Suite 201 in Athens.
Dr. McLeroy is a board-certified gastroenterologist who comes to St. Mary’s from Prisma Health Gastroenterology Consultants of Internal Medicine Associates in Greer, S.C. His partnership with St. Mary’s brings him back to Athens, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in finance, magna cum laude, from the University of Georgia and volunteered with Mercy Health Clinic and the Athens Nurses Clinic.
Dr. McLeroy earned his medical degree from the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, completed his internal medicine internship and residency at the Medical University of South Carolina, and then went on to complete his gastroenterology fellowship, also at the Medical University of South Carolina.
He is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in internal medicine and the specialty of gastroenterology. He is a resident member of the American Gastroenterology Association, the American College of Gastroenterology, and the American College of Physicians, and a member of the Medical Association of Georgia.
Before joining Prisma Health in 2020, Dr. McLeroy practiced as a nocturnist at the Medical University of South Carolina, which entailed admitting new patients and overseeing inpatient care at night on an as-needed basis. Before enrolling in medical school, he worked as an elections assistant/CRE Technician with the Carroll County, Georgia Board of Elections and Registration.
Outside of his medical practice, Dr. McLeroy enjoys landscaping, golf, college football, hiking, traveling, spending time with family, and entrepreneurship.
Gastroenterologists diagnose and treat diseases and conditions that affect the gastrointestinal (GI) system, including the esophagus, stomach, small and large intestines, and organs such as the gallbladder and liver. They can perform colonoscopies, upper GI endoscopies, and other diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.
Conditions they commonly diagnose and may treat include colorectal polyps, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Celiac disease, food allergies and intolerances, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), stomach ulcers, hemorrhoids, hepatitis, and swallowing difficulties. While gastroenterologists are experts in the use of minimally invasive endoscopes, they are not surgeons and will refer patients who need surgical care to general or colorectal surgeons for procedures such as gallbladder or appendix removal, colon resection, or hernia repair.
Dr. McLeroy is now accepting referrals and new patient appointments. For more information, please visit www.stmarys-health.org or call (706) 389-7804. Providers can make referrals through St. Mary’s TogetherCare/Epic system or via fax at (762) 208-2209. Patients whose insurance does not require a referral can schedule a visit using the MyChart feature on St. Mary’s website. As part of St. Mary's Medical Group, SMGA accepts most major insurance plans and Medicare.