ABOUT US

Providing you with the best doctors for the best care

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Charles F. Degenhardt, III, MD, PhD

Dr. Charles F. Degenhardt III is board certified in Rheumatology and Internal Medicine. He completed his fellowship training at the University of South Florida in Tampa, FL. While at USF, he participated in clinical research studies concerning lupus and inflammatory arthritis. Dr. Degenhardt completed his residency in Internal Medicine at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, SC. Before residency, Dr. Degenhardt received his medical degree from the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, SC.

Prior to pursing his medical training, Dr. Degenhardt earned a Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Armstrong Atlantic State University in Savannah where he graduated cum laude. He went on to earn his Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry also from the University of South Carolina.

While in private practice in Myrtle Beach, SC, Dr. Degenhardt was heavily involved and interested in lupus research in addition to caring for patients with a variety of rheumatologic conditions. In 2014, he moved back to Savannah where he started Coastal Rheumatology. Dr. Degenhardt is excited to continue to bring his knowledge and services to his hometown of Savannah, Georgia and the surrounding areas of the Lowcountry and coastal Georgia. He resides in Savannah with his wife and their three beautiful daughters.

Dean H. Stephens, MD

Dr. Dean Hugh Stephens is board certified in Rheumatology and Internal Medicine. He attended medical school at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, GA. His rheumatology fellowship and internal medicine training were completed at the University of Vermont. After fellowship he joined the faculty at UVM and worked as an Academic Rheumatologist. His research interest was in Dermatomyositis.

He and his wife decided to leave Vermont and move back to Savannah, their hometown, after their first child was born. He and his wife now live in Southside Savannah with their two children.

Dr. Stephens has been practicing Rheumatology in the Savannah area for 6 years. He serves on the clinical staff at Memorial University Medical Center. He has an appointment with the Mercer University School of Medicine as an Associate Clinical Professor and enjoys teaching medical residents. He is excited to be providing rheumatology care to the people of South Georgia, the Savannah area and the South Carolina Low Country.

Sarah Tarplin, MD

Dr. Sarah Tarplin is board certified in Rheumatology and Internal Medicine. She grew up in Summit, New Jersey. She was initially inspired to become a physician after participating regularly in community service-related medical volunteer trips to the Dominican Republic. She attended Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., where she studied Spanish Language and Linguistics as well as premedicine. She then performed cancer research at the National Institutes of Health before going on to attend medical school at Georgetown University School of Medicine. Dr. Tarplin completed her Internal Medicine residency at Loyola University Medical Center, in Chicago, IL. During that time, she developed a strong interest in Rheumatology and healthcare quality improvement, as well as women’s health concerns within the field of Rheumatology and shared decision-making.

Dr. Tarplin then completed her Rheumatology Fellowship Training at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN. At Vanderbilt, she further cultivated her clinical and research pursuits in Rheumatology, helping to create an online curriculum on Gout arthritis in order to improve care of Gout patients and improve medical education. She also designed a clinical research initiative on pregnancy outcomes in women with Rheumatoid Arthritis, with the goal of better understanding and improving the care of pregnant women with Rheumatoid Arthritis and women of child-bearing age with Rheumatoid Arthritis. In addition to these interests in Gout and Rheumatoid Arthritis, Dr. Tarplin is also interested in Vasculitis syndromes such as ANCA-associated vasculitis (GPA and MPA) and GCA (Temporal Arteritis), as well as Psoriatic Arthritis, Reactive Arthritis, Ankylosing Spondylitis, Lupus, and medication management of inflammatory eye conditions using an inter-disciplinary approach with ophthalmology. Dr. Tarplin is also an advanced Spanish-speaker and is able to communicate very well with Spanish-speaking patients. Dr. Tarplin is passionate about the care of all rheumatology patients and is very excited to join Dr. Stephens and Dr. Degenhardt to provide Rheumatology care to the people of Savannah, GA and all of the surrounding areas.

Dr. Tarplin lives in Savannah, GA with her husband, Siberian husky, and cat. In her spare time, she enjoys yoga, the beach, reading, and spending time with her family.

Gustavo Carbone, MD

Dr. Carbone is board certified in Rheumatology and Internal Medicine. He completed a year of clinical research in the topics of polymyalgia rheumatica and giant cell arteritis at the Rheumatology Division of Winthrop University Hospital in New York and published a research paper on rheumatoid arthritis.

After his fellowship, Dr. Carbone joined a multi-specialty group, Rockland Orthopedic and Sports Medicine in New York, and was the only rheumatologist consultant for the practice. He later worked for the James J. Peters VA Medical Center where he trained rheumatology fellows from Columbia University.

Dr. Carbone, worked as an Assistant Professor of Clinical Medicine for the Division of Rheumatology at the University of Miami, affiliated with Jackson Memorial Hospital and the Miami VA, educating and training numerous fellows, residents, and medical students in rheumatology. He was a co-investigator for CorEvitas, one of the largest national registries in rheumatoid arthritis. Dr. Carbone's main interests are in rheumatoid arthritis and all inflammatory arthritis, including crystalline arthritis and spondyloarthropathies.

Cindi Boderman, NP-C

Cindi is an Adult Gerontology Certified Nurse Practitioner practicing in Coastal Rheumatology’s Bluffton office. She started her career as a Nurse Practitioner in Rheumatology at the Lehigh Valley Health Network in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Bringing additional experience as a Palliative Care Nurse Practitioner, Cindi partners with patients to treat their rheumatic disease while supporting their overall health and wellness.

Graduate Education
Master in Science - Nursing, Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, PA

Undergraduate Education
Bachelor's of Science in Nursing, Cedar Crest College, Allentown, PA

Bachelor's of Arts - English literature, Gettysburg College, Bettysburg, PA

Hobbies/Interests

golfing, swimming, boating

Cindi has a beloved Basset Hound, Emily, and enjoys Low Country living

Vanessa Thomas PA-C

Vanessa Thomas PA-C has practiced in Rheumatology since 2010. She completed her bachelor's in science majoring in Biology and psychology at Charleston Southern University. She is a graduate of Mercer University’s Physician Assistant Program. After earning her Masters she started work in Rheumatology in 2010 in Atlanta , later relocating to Savannah in 2017.

She is a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants, American College of Rheumatology and the Georgia Academy of Physician Assistants. She enjoys treating rheumatologic diseases and bringing relief for Rheumatoid pain. She treats rheumatoid arthritis, gout, psoriatic arthritis, lupus, fibromyalgia, vasculitis and osteoarthritis.

Graduate Education
Master of Medical Science, Physician Assistant May 2010
Mercer University Atlanta, GA

Undergraduate Education
Bachelor of Science Charleston Southern University

In Practice Since
2010

Affiliations
American College of Rheumatology, member since 2011
American Academy of Physician Assistants, member since 2010
Georgia Academy of Physician Assistants, member since 2010

Hobbies/Interests
Running, reading , cooking and spending time with family.

Trevor Brown, PA-C

Graduate Education
Master of Medical Science, Physician Assistant, South University, Savannah

Undergraduate Education
Bachelor of Science in Biology, Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA

Hobbies/Interests

tennis, pickleball, hiking and spending time with his wife and cat
Rheumatoid arthritis, crystalline arthritis, and spondyloarthropathies

Elizabeth Antoon, PA-C

Graduate Education

Masters of Science in Medicine (MSM), Mississippi College

Undergraduate Education

Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at the University of Mississippi

She moved to Savannah in 2018 and began working in Internal Medicine at Candler Hospital before focusing her interest in rheumatology

Hobbies/Interests

Elizabeth and her husband have two children. She enjoys watching Ole Miss sports and doing anything outdoors with her family.