Jarita Hagans, M.D. is a board-certified family physician, foodie, author and artist. She attended Howard University in Washington, D.C. for undergraduate and medical school. Afterwards, she completed a surgery internship at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital in Roanoke, Virginia. Eastern Virginia Medical School/Portsmouth Family Medicine is where she received her Family Medicine training. She had the honor of being Intern of the Year and Chief Resident while training there. Operating a clinic for a battered women’s shelter and providing medical care for a homeless shelter were two of her favorite projects.

After residency, she practiced in post hurricane “Katrina” New Orleans and developed a love for cooking, gardening and natural remedies. Since moving home to Maryland, she has worked at medical offices in Washington, D.C., as well as Baltimore and several other Maryland cities. She is the founder of Zion Family Practice, LLC offering in person and telemedicine visits in Washington, DC.

Dr. Hagans has had the pleasure of speaking about healthy eating, lifestyle changes, STD prevention and pathways to a medical career at schools, churches and community events since 2005. She has spoken at the Student National Medical Association Annual Medical Education Conference (SNMA AMEC) as well as the Graduate and Professional Schools Workshop at Morgan State University.

She is author of “MD Dreams: Practical Advice for Every Stage from Premed to Residency and Beyond”. “Women Who Lead: Extraordinary Women with Extraordinary Achievements” is a collaborative book that she co-authored along with 21 other women. Her third book, "Good Food Now: Recipes and Tips That Will Save Your Time and Sanity (Even if You Don't Have Time for That)" is available on Amazon for Kindle. Dr. Hagans is also the author of three children’s books: “Mya and the Golden Chest”, “Mason and the Magic Cape” and “Kid Astronaut: Space Dreams”