Dr. Laura Hillard has always wanted to be a doctor.  

Coming from a family of engineers, she carved out her own path in medicine as a first-generation physician. Despite the shift, her family embraced her passion and jokingly labeled her an “engineer of the body.” 

Upon completing residency earlier this year, Dr. Hillard is excited to begin seeing patients at Medical Group of the Carolinas – Family Medicine – Forest City. 

At the core of Dr. Hillard’s heart for patient care is her desire to see people live to their fullest potential. 

“My goal in life has always been to help others live their healthiest and best lives, and medicine is a good path to do that,” Dr. Hillard said. 

Dr. Hillard grew up in the Upstate and attended the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine in Spartanburg before joining the Spartanburg Regional Healthcare System Family Medicine Residency Program. 

In medical school, she developed a love for family medicine and building strong, ongoing relationships with patients. 

“My desire is to build partnerships to improve patients’ health,” Dr. Hillard said. “I can guide them and offer them advice and assistance, but it’s really about what they want.” 

Seeing a change in patients and watching them grow gives her great joy, she said. 

“I'm not the one affecting change, but I'm encouraging them to create change in their own lives,” she said. 

Dr. Hillard has a special interest in supporting her patients with healthy lifestyle decisions and addressing their mental health needs. She also is certified in Osteopathic Manipulative Therapy, or OMT, and can perform simple hands-on musculoskeletal manipulations in-office to treat patients and provide relief as part of their healing process. She is also passionate about women’s health issues and brings that passion into her practice. 

Outside of medicine, Dr. Hillard and her husband are avid outdoor enthusiasts. On a given weekend, they may be stand-up paddle-boarding, kayaking or hiking up a mountainside. They recently returned from a trip to several national parks including Grant Tetons National Park and Glacier National Park. 

The two now live in Western North Carolina near Forest City with their Great Pyrenees, Bear. 

To schedule a new patient appointment with Dr. Hillard, call MGC – Family Medicine – Forest City at 828-245-6400.