A native of the region, Dr. Banks was born at Spruce Pine Community Hospital (now Blue Ridge Regional Hospital) and raised in Burnsville. Inspired by her parents, both local physicians, she developed an early appreciation for the meaningful impact of community-based healthcare.

Dr. Gretchen Cort Banks earned a Bachelor of Arts in Music from Wheaton College (Illinois) before pursuing medicine at Wake Forest University School of Medicine, where she was inducted into both the Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society and the Gold Humanism Honor Society. She

completed her pediatric residency at Brenner Children’s Hospital at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center, and later served on the faculty at Wake Forest, helping train medical students and residents.

In 2013, Dr. Banks returned home to western North Carolina, where she has since worked at Mission Children’s Hospital in Asheville, continuing her passion for pediatric care while also supporting the education of future healthcare providers.

“It is such a joy to care for children of all ages and to help them thrive,” said Dr. Banks. “I am honored to return to serve the community where I grew up and look forward to building relationships with local families.”

Dr. Banks and her husband, Seth, have three sons—David, Luke, and Garrett. In her free time, she enjoys playing the violin and piano, cooking, and gardening.