BRENTWOOD and COOKEVILLE, Tenn. — Interstate Health and Satellite Med are signing an agreement for Interstate Health to acquire the Cookeville-based urgent care and family medicine practice.
“The Cookeville community and I-40 corridor are hubs for commercial drivers and dynamic places for businesses and families to call home,” said Jeff Seraphine, CEO Interstate Health. “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.“
More Healthcare Options for Drivers on the Move
The addition of Satellite Med, located off exit 287 on Interstate 40, expands Interstate Health’s growing presence in Tennessee, which includes Occupational Health Center in Cookeville and Interstate Health Knoxville.
The acquisition was partially funded by a grant awarded to Occupational Health Center – Interstate Health by the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) and will enable the clinic to expand services, including by accepting Medicare, Medicaid and many commercial insurance plans.
Satellite Med
Satellite Med was founded in 2006 by James Cates, M.D., and his wife Connie Cates and is a fully licensed medical clinic that provides non-urgent and semi-urgent care on a walk-in basis or by appointment.
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. Additionally, Interstate Health will expand service offerings at the clinic, including:
- Accepting Medicare, Medicaid and more commercial insurance plans.
- 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.
Quality Accessible Care
“When Connie and I founded Satellite Med 20 years ago, we had a vision to create a better model of healthcare that was more accessible, more affordable, and higher quality for patients,” said Dr. Cates, physician and owner of Satellite Med. 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.”
This transaction was funded in part through the TDH’s Health Resiliency Grant Program, a statewide effort to expand capacity to deliver quality healthcare services. The program is the result of the Tennessee Resiliency Plan with oversight from the Tennessee Financial Stimulus Accountability Group, a bipartisan legislative and executive branch committee charged with planning the use of federal funding available to states through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
“Investing in public health is working for Tennesseans,” said Ralph Alvarado, MD, FACP, Tennessee Health Commissioner. “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 healthcare facilities, providers, and services.”
Service Mission
“Interstate Health’s mission is to ensure access to quality healthcare for people who live near and frequent America’s highways,” the company said. “Backed by veteran transportation and logistics executives, the company aims to address glaring health disparities facing our nation’s commercial drivers, including increased risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes and hypertension, while increasing access to quality healthcare for communities along the nation’s highways.”
Along with Satellite Med, the company partners with Occupational Health Center – Interstate Health in Cookeville, Tenn. and has clinic locations in:
- Knoxville, Tenn.
- Port Wentworth, Ga.
- Racine, Wis.
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
