THE KNOXVILLE ACADEMY OF MEDICINE
Knoxville Academy of Medicine
The Knoxville Academy of Medicine (KAM) is located in West Knoxville at 9032 Cross Park Drive, Knoxville, TN 37923. KAM is Knoxville’s professional organization of MDs and DOs. KAM is a component society of the Tennessee Medical Association (TMA) and is also affiliated with the American Medical Association (AMA).
If you are a guest to our website, we invite you to become familiar with our organization, and become acquainted with our physician members by using the Physician Finder which contains vital information.
History of KAM
For almost 200 years, Knoxville’s physician medical society, the Knoxville Academy of Medicine (KAM), has been serving the needs of East Tennessee’s physicians. The pioneer physicians of Knox County were also farmers, ministers, teachers, business men, and civic leaders. The first and most notable Knox County physician was Dr. Samuel Carrick. Dr. Carrick originally came to this area to become the first pastor of the Lebanon-in-the-Fork Presbyterian Church and later established the First Presbyterian Church in Knoxville. In 1794, he became the President of Blount College (later the University of Tennessee). There were no medical schools in America until just prior to the American Revolution. Anesthetics were not used until about 1840. After the start of the 19th century Knoxville became a growing frontier town and began attracting more physicians. There were only three medical schools in the entire country at this time. Tennessee had a small minority of men who had received an M.D. degree and they developed a movement for the organization of a state medical association. In 1824, twelve physicians from six counties of East Tennessee met and organized the Medical Society of East Tennessee. Five charter members from Knox County attended the organization of the Tennessee State Medical Association in 1830. Those Knox County physicians were Drs. J.G. M. Ramsey, Donald McIntosh, James King, William J. Baker and Joseph C. Strong. In 1853, the state society chartered organize local societies and in 1856 the state legislature chartered the Knoxville Medical Society, giving it all the powers that had been granted to the Medical Department of the University of Nashville.
During the Civil War many medical associations were disrupted and their members dispersed. In 1871, the East Tennessee Medical Society was reorganized, along with the reorganization of the Knox County Branch of the East Tennessee Medical Society. In 1884, it was reorganized under the authority of the Tennessee State Medical Association. After the turn of the century, increased interest in medical legislation developed and the medical society frequently invited the state legislators from Knox County to attend their meetings to discuss legislation which would protect and improve both the medical profession and public health and welfare.
In 1926, our society physicians organized the “E” Club whose primary objective was to familiarize young doctors with the code of medical ethics of the AMA—the “E” standing for ethics. The historic James Park home was purchased in 1945 for the medical society. In 1946, the medical society name was changed to the Knoxville Academy of Medicine and published its first Bulletin. The Academy established and housed a medical museum in the 1950s which was transferred to the McClung Museum at the University of Tennessee in 1986 and then moved to East Tennessee State University where it remains.
The Knoxville Academy of Medicine Foundation was established in 1985 and is the philanthropic arm of the Academy. The KAM Foundation has provided funding for many community programs. Some of these programs have included Free Flu Shot Saturday, East Tennessee Health Discovery Center, Habitat for Humanity, the Serenity Shelter, TMA Physicians Health Program, and purchasing fans for the needy during the hot days of summer. In Spring 2004, the Foundation Board of Governors voted to end its Free Flu Shot Program in order to establish Knoxville Area Project Access (KAPA), a comprehensive healthcare plan for low-income uninsured citizens of our community and is housed at the Knoxville Academy of Medicine. KAPA is a physician-led effort which coordinates needed health care services in cooperation with multiple community health partners.
In 2002, KAM sold the 200 year-old Park home and has since moved twice to accomodate the growing programs of the Knoxville Academy of Medicine. The KAM building now houses the Knoxville Academy of Medicine, Knoxville Academy of Medicine Foundation, Knoxville Academy of Medicine Physician Services, Knoxville Area Project Access, and the Tennessee Community Resource Network.
Today the Knoxville Academy of Medicine is busy representing physicians and their patients as the legacy continues from those who paved the way to make a difference in our community and state.
REFERENCES:
Medical Men and Institutions of Knox County Tennessee 1989-1957, authored by S. J. Platt, MD and Mary L. Ogden,
Our Leadership
The strong leadership of the Knoxville Academy of Medicine (KAM) and the Knoxville Academy of Medicine Foundation (KAMF) Boards ensure that we remain focused on the current issues that affect physicians and the greater health care community.
KAM BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2023
2023 OFFICERS
President: Brian Daley, MD
President Elect: David Harris, MD
Immediate Past President: Jeff Ollis, MD
Secretary: Melissa Chiles, MD
Treasurer: Jeff Gilbert, MD
KAM CEO/EVP: Kimberly Weaver, PhD
CONTINUING BOARD MEMBERS
Rosalind Cadigan, MD
Patrick McConville, MD
Matt Doppelt, MD
Carley Fowler, MD
Darinka Mileusnic-Polcan, MD
Greg Curtin, MD
Liaisons
Randal Dabbs, MD – EMS Liaison
Daniel Bustamante, MD – TMA Liaison
Richard DePersio, MD – AMA Liaison
Keith Gray, MD – UT Liaison
Robert Page, MD –TPQVO Liaison
Mark Browne, MD – Covenant Liaison
Richard Briggs, MD-Tennova Liaison
Debbie Christiansen, MD –ETCH Liaison
KAM FOUNDATION BOARD OF GOVERNORS 2023
2023 OFFICERS
President: Patrick McFarland, MD
Treasurer: Neil Barry, DO
Immediate Past-President: Pat O’Brien, MD
Corporate Secretary/CEO: Kimberly Weaver, PhD
CONTINUING BOARD MEMBERS
Matt Mancini, MD
Patrick McFarland, MD
James Shamiyeh, MD
Neil Coleman, MD
Neil Barry, DO
Joseph Rothwell, MD
Eric Penniman, DO
Steven Massaro, MD
Stephen Wheless, MD
Liaisons
Brian Daley, MD – KAM President
David Harris, MD – KAM President Elect
Jeff Ollis, MD – KAM Immediate Past President
Jack Lacey, MD – KAPA/TCRN Medical Director