Hannah Zahedi, M.D., doesn’t just practice medicine; she lives it. In Marion, Alabama, her patients are neighbors, friends, and familiar faces she passes on her morning drive. A quick check-in call, a home visit, a conversation in the clinic, her day flows seamlessly between the office and the community she serves. For Zahedi, medicine is more than a job; it is a way of knowing the people behind every chart and responding to their needs with care and expertise.
Zahedi’s connection to Marion began long before she donned a white coat. As an undergraduate at the University of Alabama, she shadowed a local physician in Marion, observing how one provider could care for families across generations. Those experiences revealed the heart of rural medicine: attentiveness and a commitment to the people behind the care. These experiences set the trajectory that would guide her career.
A 2019 graduate of the UAB Heersink School of Medicine, Zahedi carried that vision through every stage of her training. Heersink provided rigorous preparation and encouragement to pursue family medicine confidently. Summer programs and rural clinical experiences allowed her to return to small communities like Marion, strengthening her understanding of primary care in settings where every patient’s story matters. After completing her residency at the University of Alabama Family Medicine Residency in Tuscaloosa, she returned to Marion, ready to serve the community that had inspired her early on.
Today, Zahedi practices at the Marion Clinic alongside her husband and her father-in-law, who has served the community for nearly 40 years. The clinic reflects the values she developed at Heersink: collaboration and accountability. In her work, patients are more than appointments; they are neighbors whose lives she knows intimately. On her drive home for lunch, she passes houses tied to stories she carries throughout the day: milestones celebrated, illnesses endured, lives remembered.
Heersink’s focus on team-based learning left a lasting imprint. When Zahedi entered residency, she was already comfortable working in care teams, managing patient plans, and coordinating treatments. “I was very well prepared for team-based learning,” she said. “I was used to team-based rounding, and I felt a little ahead because I already understood how to formulate a plan and think through patient care.” That early preparation allowed her to navigate complex cases with confidence, a foundation that continues to guide her practice.
Mentorship deepened those skills and shaped her approach to patient care. During her time at Heersink, Anne Halli-Tierney, M.D., her introduction to clinical medicine (ICM) preceptor, demonstrated how to connect with patients in ways that felt both professional and human, and Zahedi modeled many of her own encounters after this example. David Resuehr, Ph.D., encouraged hands-on learning with bedside ultrasound, giving her the confidence to perform procedures and make informed clinical decisions. Jennifer Clem, M.D., honed her judgment, teaching her to approach each patient thoughtfully. These lessons continue to shape every interaction she has today.
The rewards of rural medicine often arrive quietly but leave a lasting impact. Zahedi has cared for patients through illness, recovery, and life’s final stages. A late-night house call once allowed a neighbor to celebrate a milestone birthday; months later, she supported the same family when that patient passed. Zahedi has guided patients through cancer diagnoses, coordinated tests and treatments, conducted home visits for those unable to travel, and supported patients in hospice care. “In a small community, you know your patients beyond their charts,” Zahedi says. “I see them in their homes, know their families, and understand the little details that make a big difference in their care. That connection shapes everything I do.”
Practicing in Marion has shaped Zahedi’s approach to healthcare and community. Limited resources and infrastructure present challenges, but she models practical ways for patients to stay healthy, from exercising at home to preparing nutritious meals. Zahedi collaborates with local initiatives like Project Horseshoe Farms, which is expanding its support in Marion to assist patients with transportation and medication management, and she advocates for mobile services such as the monthly mammography unit that provides scheduled screenings in the community. Together, these efforts reflect her commitment to addressing both the medical and practical needs of the community.
Her advice to Heersink students is simple: “Go to class and attend lectures—you miss out on camaraderie and learning if you don’t. Make connections with your peers and faculty; what you put into it is what you get out.” Zahedi emphasizes that practicing in rural communities offers unique opportunities to be deeply involved in patient care, where the physician’s work is closely tied to the well-being of the community.
In Marion, Zahedi moves seamlessly between clinic, community, and everyday life, practicing medicine where care extends beyond the exam room. Every patient is a neighbor, and every moment is an opportunity to make a meaningful difference.