Emily Schofield, MSN, FNP-BC is a board-certified Family Nurse Practitioner specializing in rheumatology at the Arthritis Center of North Georgia, seeing patients at the Watkinsville location. She brings 12 years of rheumatology experience and a clinical background that spans intensive care nursing, advanced practice education, and long-term chronic disease management.

Emily grew up in Atlanta and attended the University of Georgia, where she graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. She went on to earn her Master of Science in Nursing from the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, then spent five years as a registered nurse in the medical-surgical intensive care unit at Athens Regional Medical Center — building a foundation in complex, acute care before transitioning to outpatient specialty practice. She subsequently completed her Post-Master’s Certificate in Family Nurse Practitioner at Georgia Regents University in Augusta. Emily joined the Arthritis Center of North Georgia in 2014 and has focused exclusively on rheumatology since.

She is a member of the Georgia Society of Rheumatology and is ANCC board certified as a Family Nurse Practitioner. She sees adult patients across the full range of rheumatologic conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, Sjögren’s syndrome, vasculitis, inflammatory myositis, polymyalgia rheumatica, giant cell arteritis, gout, osteoporosis, fibromyalgia, and juvenile arthritis.

Emily knows that a new diagnosis of chronic disease can feel overwhelming, and she works hard to make every visit feel comfortable and interactive. “I want patients to feel at ease asking questions,” she says. “With the right intervention, quality of life and longevity can absolutely be maintained — and I want every patient to know that from the start.” She values the long-term relationships that come with managing chronic disease, and believes that an informed, engaged patient is the foundation of good outcomes.

Outside of the clinic, Emily has called the Athens and Oconee area home for most of her adult life. She and her husband Paul have two children and are lucky to have family close by. She loves spending time at the lake, keeping up with her kids’ various activities, and traveling whenever she can convince her husband to join the adventure.