About Hitchcock Family Medicine

Dr. Matthew Ray Hitchcock grew up in Dunlap, TN. After medical school, Dr. Hitchcock was commissioned as an active-duty officer in the United States Navy and completed his residency in family medicine at The Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton near San Diego, CA.

After completing his residency, he deployed twice on humanitarian missions to the South Pacific, received the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal for his extraordinary service while deployed, served as a faculty physician for the family medicine residency program at the Naval Hospital Camp Pendleton, and served as the hospital's Chief Medical Informatics Officer. 

Dr. Hitchcock and his wife Kathleen have four energetic children.

Dr. Hitchcock graduated from:

The McCallie School (Chattanooga, TN)

Clemson University (Clemson, SC)

The University of Tennessee College of Medicine (Memphis, TN)

He is board-certified in family medicine.

Dr. Todd N. Torbett is a southeast Tennessee native, born in Cleveland, TN. He graduated from the University of Tennessee Chattanooga and Lincoln Memorial University DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine. He completed his residency in internal medicine at LewisGale Hospital Montgomery in Blacksburg, VA. 

After completing his residency, Dr. Torbett decided to return to the southeast Tennessee area to practice medicine and serve the primary care needs there. His faith is extremely important to him, and he enjoys traveling, music, movies, kayaking, cooking and fall Saturdays at Neyland Stadium.  

Dr. Ashley Sanders was born in Huntsville, AL, and grew up near the sunny beaches of St. Petersburg, FL. She attended the University of Florida in Gainesville where she earned her undergraduate degree and then moved on to medical school at the University of South Alabama in Mobile. 

Upon graduating from medical school, she transitioned to active duty as a Lieutenant in the Navy.

Dr. Sanders completed her internal medicine residency at the Naval Medical Center San Diego in California and was selected for a six-week humanitarian mission aboard the USNS Mercy during her time there. She was then stationed at the Naval Hospital Guam where she worked as a staff physician and served as the clinical director for aeromedical evacuations. 

Her last tour of duty was at the Naval Hospital Jacksonville where she supervised family medicine residents and chaired the hospital Infection Control Committee.

Dr. Sanders is a board-certified internal medicine physician and has made Chattanooga her home after completing her military service. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, discovering new restaurants and watching college football.

Dr. Michael D. Shepherd grew up throughout the US, including Collegedale, TN, but most of his life was spent in California, from grade school to college.

He attended medical school at Loma Linda University in California, after which, he was accepted to the Family Practice Residency in Hinsdale, Illinois and learned how to live in some “real” weather! He served his Federal grant payback in a very small northern California town where he was the only doctor. While there, he was in charge of a tiny hospital and ER. He then started and ran two different private practices in central and northern California while simultaneously running his own horse farm, complete with green pastures and white fences!

Prior to joining Hitchcock Family Medicine, Dr. Shepherd spent 12 years as a faculty member at the Chattanooga Family Medicine Residency program, training the next generation of doctors. His specialty there was teaching procedures and small surgery. 

Dr. Shepherd and his wife Lyn raised 2 wonderful children, who both live in the Chattanooga area and now have families of their own. When Dr. Shepherd is not enjoying his wood-working hobby, his 4 grandkids keep him busy and feeling so blessed.

Dr. Erik Ewing was born and raised in El Paso, TX. He served in the U.S. Air Force for four years, where he worked as an Arabic cryptologic linguist prior to pursuing a career in medicine.

He attended the Medical College of Georgia and completed a residency in Rome, GA. Prior to joining Hitchcock Family Medicine, he worked for seven years as a primary care physician in Harrison, TN. He is board-certified in Family Medicine and enjoys developing strong relationships with individuals and families.

He and his wife, Kayla, are raising four boys and spend most of their time participating in year-round sports.