Physician Extenders

Physician Extenders are 'mid-level' providers licensed by the State of TN to provide independent medical care to patients under the general direction of a supervising physician. There are two main types of primary care Physician Extenders. One type is a Nurse Practioner (NP), which is what you see in most doc-in-the -boxes at the pharmacies, and the other type is a Physician Assistant (PA), which is what we employ at SPC.

Physician Assistants have graduated from an accredited Physician Assistant program and have passed a national registry exam demonstrating their medical knowledge and proficiency. They fall under the oversight of the TN State Medical Board.

Nurse Practioners are generally RN's who have completed additional schooling in a Nurse Practioner program and passed a national registry exam demonstrating their knowledge and proficiency. They fall under the oversight of the TN state Nursing Board.

Please note: Physician Extenders are authorized by the State of TN to provide medical services approved by their supervisory Physician to patients. Most of the private insurances in TN do not actually issue Physician Extenders a Provider #, and accordingly you will probably not see them listed as a PCP in your Provider directory. Our policy is that new patients to the Practice must first be seen by a doctor before being seen by an Extender. You may request to see an Extender after your initial visit, but we also insist that every 3-4 visits or at least once a year you should be seen by a physician. This is our policy to make sure your medical status is first evaluated by a Physician and periodically on a regular ongoing basis. This is true even if you select them as your PCP through the TNCare program.

Click on the Physician Assistant’s name below for more information about them.

• Kristin Williams, PA-C
• Rebecca Eaton, PA-C
• Kari Hammer, PA-C