C
ate Merrill is a Pensacola native and
received a Master’s in Communication
Disorders from the University of
Louisiana in Lafayette. Cate’s professional
experiences following graduate school
developed her desire to focus on early
intervention in the area of speech and
language pathology.
While living in the Mississippi Delta region,
she began a small business that focused on
providing these early intervention speech,
language, occupational, and physical therapy
services to an area which was in critical need.
Upon moving back to the Pensacola area, Cate
began working with the Escambia County
School District. Her passion has always
been working with families, and certainly
addressing the challenges faced by the families
affected by autism. “The most satisfying
part of my job has always been my ability to
support a family through their diagnosis and
steer them in the direction most appropriate
for their child and their family’s needs.”
Her relationship with Autism Pensacola
began in 2008 when she accepted the request
to serve on the Board of Directors. In 2013,
she chaired the annual Connecting the
Pieces gala and is now excited to serve the
organization as the new president and chief
executive offi cer (CEO) of Autism Pensacola,
Inc. Cate has three children: Kit, Caroline,
and Collier Jr.
President/CEO
Autism Pensacola
CATE
MERRILL
850.434.7171
3916 N 10th Ave, Pensacola
D
r. Ashley King is one of Pensacola’s
only female, fellowship-trained
urologists. She completed her
fellowship in Cleveland, Ohio, with a
training focus on Female Pelvic Medicine
and Reconstructive Surgery. Prior to her
fellowship at the renowned Cleveland Clinic,
Dr. King earned her medical degree from
Virginia Commonwealth University—which
is also where she completed her residency and
surgical internship
Dr. King is an avid researcher and writer.
She is published extensively within her fi eld,
and enjoys researching and discussing some
of the most complex and debated issues
within female urology. Dr. King uses her
practice to focus on female pelvic medicine
and reconstruction. Her specifi c interests
include the medical and surgical treatment of
incontinence, pelvic-organ prolapse repair,
complex reconstruction of the lower urinary
tract, and vaginal complication management.
In her free time, Dr. Ashley King enjoys
reading, running, and spending time with her
family. She and her husband raise their three
small children together, all currently under
eight years old.
She is an active member of the American
Urologic Association and the Society of
Urodynamics, Female Pelvic Medicine and
Urogenital Reconstruction.
Dr. King has been providing patient-
focused care at Woodlands Medical
Specialists since 2015.
850.351.0600
1401 Indian Bayou Trail, Destin
Woodlands Medical
Specialists
850.696.4000
4724 North Davis Highway
Pensacola
DR. ASHLEY
KING
D
r. Karen Kennedy has been in private
practice in the area for 18 years. She
manages any gynecologic issues and
focuses on health and wellness to prevent
disease. She is a member of the International
Pelvic Pain Society and uses ultrasound
greatly to guide pelvic pain and diagnosis. She
takes pride in giving individualized care for
each problem and wellness issue with each
person because not every person responds
the same to a treatment and managements
vary slightly with each case. She also excels
in offering different options for management
of a condition, whether one wants to be more
conservative or comprehensive.
To clear her mind from dedication and
extensive patient care, Dr. Kennedy turns to
fl ying airplanes on the weekends. She equates
fl ying to patient evaluation and management
in that both require complete attention to
detail. She enjoys navigating to area airports
and fl ying formation with other local pilots.
She fi nds joy in giving others the gift and
experience of fl ight. It is also fulfi lling to see
our local area from a birds eye view. She is
always looking for further accomplishments
in fl ight; she is preparing one of her planes for
aerobatics.
KAREN E.
KENNEDY, MD
850.916.7766
1118 Gulf Breeze Parkway
Suite 201
Gulf Breeze
30 | VIPPensacola.com
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