Dr. William Chafin is a board-certified rheumatologist at the Arthritis Center of North Georgia, seeing patients at the Watkinsville location. He brings 16 years of rheumatology experience and a reputation for collaborative, patient-centered care.

A Georgia native from McDonough, Dr. Chafin attended Emory University where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Biology, played varsity baseball, and conducted research at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He earned his medical degree at the Medical College of Georgia before completing his internal medicine residency at USC Palmetto Health Richland in Columbia, South Carolina — where he served as chief resident and was named Internal Medicine Resident of the Year — and his rheumatology fellowship at the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. He joined the Arthritis Center of North Georgia in 2012.

Dr. Chafin is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in rheumatology and is a member of the American College of Rheumatology and the Georgia Society of Rheumatology. He holds admitting and consulting privileges at St. Mary’s Hospital in Athens and serves as a preceptor for the University of Georgia Medical School. He was also recognized with the Charles Bryan Scholar Award during his training.

His clinical interests span the full range of rheumatologic disease, including rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis and the spondyloarthropathies, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, Sjögren’s syndrome, vasculitis, inflammatory myositis, polymyalgia rheumatica, giant cell arteritis, gout, osteoporosis, fibromyalgia, and juvenile arthritis.

Dr. Chafin believes that the best outcomes come from a collaborative relationship between physician and patient. He takes time to ensure patients are fully informed of their options, and the treatment plan is always one that both doctor and patient are comfortable with. What drew him to rheumatology, he says, was the combination of complex immunology, problem-solving, and the opportunity to build meaningful long-term relationships with patients navigating chronic disease.

Outside of medicine, Dr. Chafin is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys boating, fishing, hunting, hiking, skiing, wake surfing, and golfing — almost always with his family. He is married to Melissa and they have three children: Will, Harris, and Caroline. He is an active member of Prince Avenue Baptist Church and coaches his kids’ sports teams.