J. Eugene Huffstutter, MD
J. Eugene Huffstutter, MD, has been installed as the 2024 president of the Medical Foundation of Chattanooga. Dr. Huffstutter is a rheumatologist at Arthritis Associates in Hixson. He succeeds Immediate Past President James Haynes, MD, University of Tennessee College of Medicine Chattanooga. Other officers are Vice President Colleen Schmitt, MD, Galen Digestive Health, and Secretary-Treasurer Melanie Blake, MD, Unum Group.
The Foundation was created in 1986 to serve as the charitable arm of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society. Today the foundation is the administrative base for several key programs, including:
Southeast Tennessee Project Access – The physician-led partnership to provide access to health care for low-income uninsured residents will continue to grow reaching audiences before not served.
LifeBridge Physician Well-Being Resources – Focusing on the needs of physicians as they continue to experience growing stress and challenges in practicing medicine.
Community Health - Serving the community through the continued work of Project Access and other efforts to increase access to care, as well as new ventures to decrease health disparities and address hunger.
“The Medical Foundation’s work is growing in importance every year,” Dr. Huffstutter said. “The last three years put a spotlight on health care disparities that may have been less obvious before. The work of Project Access continues to serve our uninsured neighbors who need specialized health care. This service will continue as we expand the program into neighboring Tennessee counties.”
In addition to the officers, the 2024 Medical Foundation board includes: Mark Anderson MD, CHI Memorial Infectious Disease Associates; Christie Kizer Burbank, JD, CommonSpirit Health; Marijka Grey, MD, Commonspirit Health; Tracie LeSar, Vascular Institute of Chattanooga; Harish Manyam, MD, Erlanger Cardiology; Vanessa McNeil Trent, Unum; Phyllis Miller, MD; Richard Moody, MD, Chattanooga Family Practice Associates; Glenn Newman, MD, Beacon Ridgeside Internal Medicine; Nita Shumaker, MD, Galen North Pediatrics; Todd Thurston, MD, Refined Looks; and Harsha Vardhana, MD, Tennessee Oncology.