The Department of Medicine is comprised of a core of dedicated internists in the two Divisions of General Internal Medicine in Johnson City and in Kingsport, Tennessee supported by the subspecialty divisions of Cardiology, Infectious Diseases, Medical Oncology, Pulmonary and Critical Care, Endocrinology, Gastroenterology, Geriatrics, Rheumatology and Dermatology. We have 85 internal Medicine residents and we offer a broad choice of fellowships in the various subspecialties of Medicine. Within each of our divisions, education of medical students, residents, and fellows occurs daily. We provide medical care to a significant proportion of the population of Johnson City and Kingsport Tennessee. The faculty of the Department of Medicine is also an integral part of the larger community; we serve the people, educational institutions and businesses of east Tennessee.
The three core missions of the Department of Medicine, clinical care, education and research are interdependent. The vitality of our internal medicine residency program is central to all our missions in the Department and its success has and will continue to depend on education, patient care, and scholarly work. Clinical education of medical students, residents and fellows is accomplished concurrently with aiming to achieve the goal of the highest levels of patient satisfaction and professionalism. We are also dedicated to delivery of state-of-the-art medical care using the latest innovations and clinical research. Our devoted faculty direct and promote students and residents through their maturation as physicians, internists, and subspecialists. We have developed a national reputation for excellence in residency training, particularly, in primary care and general internal medicine.
The Department of Internal Medicine is lucky to have three large community based partner hospitals, Johnson City Medical Center, Holston Valley Medical Center, and the James H. Quillen VA Medical Center to support our teaching missions. In each of our partner hospitals, integrated and quality medical services are provided to inpatients, sophisticated technologies provide state of the art care, networks of system hospitals and outpatient faculties provide coordinated and comprehensive care to the general and veteran administration patient populations. Our other partners include East Tennessee State University College of Nursing, School of Public Health, College of Pharmacy and College of Clinical and Rehabilitative Sciences with whom we have meaningful and increasingly critical shared collaborative clinical and research programs. The Department has developed unique relationships with community sub-specialty groups to enhance our teaching programs.
The Department is fortunate to be financially stable and to be experiencing steady annual growth in research and clinical revenues. We are dedicated to continue this expansion and strengthen the Cardiovascular Diseases, Oncology and Gastroenterology divisions. We have a growing multidisciplinary Cancer Center that with a partnership with Johnson City Medical Center, we envision becoming a comprehensive cancer center within the next five years. Our Cardiovascular Center has experience spectacular growth in the last several years due to the dedication of our cardiologists and we anticipate additional growth in electrophysiology, imaging and structural heart disease.
We offer two distinct residency programs. The
Categorical Program trains physicians over three years for a career
in internal medicine; many of our residents then take fellowships
in the subspecialties of internal medicine. The Preliminary Program
fulfills the one-year training requirement in internal medicine
that is necessary for residencies in other fields, including
dermatology, neurology, radiology, and ophthalmology. Our
departmental culture provides trainees with the supervision and
mentorship they need to assume responsibilities consistent with
their improving skills, always stressing the scholarly and
humanistic facets of medicine. Our combined hospitals offer a
varied source of patients and illnesses, making for robust and
comprehensive training. The department is in the process of
enhancing its research curriculum and research opportunities.
As Chairman, I maintain an open door policy for faculty, resident
physicians, and medical students. I want your learning
experience to be not only exceptional but also enjoyable.
Our faculty, house staff, and administrative
staff are pleased to assist you with any questions you may have
about our programs and their possibilities.
J. Kelly Smith, M.D.
Interim Chairman