Acquisition will expand health care services in Cookeville and create another accessible clinic for commercial drivers and TN communities
Interstate Health (IH) has agreed to purchase Cookeville-based urgent care and family medicine practice Satellite Med (SM) in Cookeville, effective June 9. IH says the addition of the clinic, located off Exit 287 on Interstate 40, “expands Interstate Health’s growing presence in Tennessee.”
That presence includes Occupational Health Center in Cookeville and IH Knoxville. The deal was partially funded by a grant awarded to Occupational Health Center – Interstate Health by the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH).
This will enable the clinic to expand services, including accepting Medicare, Medicaid and many commercial insurance plans.
“The Cookeville community and I-40 corridor are hubs for commercial drivers and dynamic places for businesses and families to call home. The opportunity to grow our network with a practice like Satellite Med that has been serving patients for 20 years unlocks the potential to create more access to quality care for Tennesseans in Cookeville and beyond,” said IH CEO Jeff Seraphine.
SM, a fully licensed medical clinic that provides non-urgent and semi-urgent care on a walk-in basis or by appointment, was founded in 2006 by James Cates, M.D., and his wife Connie Cates.
“As part of Interstate Health, Dr. Cates and the entire Satellite Med provider and staff team will continue the clinic’s commitment to great service, convenience, quality and affordability,” according to the release.
IH will expand service at the clinic, including:
- Accepting Medicare, Medicaid and more commercial insurance plans, beginning June 9.
- Welcoming a new provider, Chris Archer, ANP-C, who is an experienced provider of primary care, urgent care, and orthopedic services in the Cookeville community.
- Creating truck-accessible parking for the many commercial drivers who live and drive through Cookeville daily.
- Adding orthopedic services and expanding primary care and occupational health capabilities.
- Purchasing new equipment that will expand our service capabilities.
“When Connie and I founded Satellite Med 20 years ago, we had a vision to create a better model of health care that was more accessible, more affordable and higher quality for patients. We are very thankful for what we’ve accomplished independently, and we are even more excited for how we can expand our services and our mission further as part of Interstate Health,” said Dr. Cates, physician and owner of Satellite Med.
The transaction was funded in part through the TDH’s Health Resiliency Grant Program, a statewide effort to expand capacity to deliver quality health care services.
“Investing in public health is working for Tennesseans,” Tennessee Health Commissioner Ralph Alvarado, M.D., FACP, said. “The Health Resiliency Grant Program continues to live up to its potential for having a long-lasting impact to benefit communities needing expanded, quality access to health care facilities, providers and services.”
What is IH’s overall mission?
According to the company, it wants to “ensure access to quality health care for people who live near and frequent America’s highways.” The company addresses what it calls “glaring” health disparities facing the nation’s commercial drivers while increasing access to quality health care for communities along the nation’s highways.
Those health issues include:
- increased risk of heart disease
- obesity
- diabetes
- high blood pressure
Along with SM and OHC in Cookeville, IH also partners with clinics in Knoxville, Port Wentworth, Georgia and Racine, Wisconsin. For more information, visit https://interstatehealth.com/.
The company will hold a community event Tuesday, June 24, from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Check back for more information.
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