As the 2016 House of Delegates for the Tennessee Medical Association draws to a close on Sunday, May 1, outgoing president John W. Hale, Jr, MD, will officially pass the gavel to cardiologist Keith G. Anderson, MD, FACC, to begin his year leading the 186-year-old statewide organization.
Growing up in Memphis, Anderson said his desire to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a physician was more of a gradual process than an ‘aha moment.’
“My high school and undergraduate leanings were always in the sciences,” he recalled. “As I got toward the end of my undergraduate time, I decided to go into medicine.”
Finishing his degree in math and chemistry from Vanderbilt University, Anderson moved back to Memphis to attend medical school at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. While some medical students begin with a specialty in mind, Anderson noted, “I think for most people, it’s a matter of step-wise exposure. You find your interest.” That was certainly the case for him.
As he progressed through his education and training, Anderson said he really enjoyed internal medicine and was fascinated by cardiology. “It’s a blend of the practice of medicine and procedural-based skills. You can learn something new every day,” he said.
Anderson remained at UT for internship, residency and fellowship. He is board certified in internal medicine, cardiovascular disease, and interventional cardiology and practices with Sutherland Cardiology Clinic in Germantown and Memphis.
From the very beginning, Anderson has been interested and involved in the local and state medical associations. “I was interested in organized medicine even as a student,” he noted. “I’ve probably been involved at the committee level for 20 years … at least.”
Anderson credits a lot of his involvement to the strength of the Memphis Medical Society and TMA. He said the organizations do a great job fostering engagement and involvement. “I’d like to put a word in for the staff of the statewide and local society. They work hard, and they’re very passionate about organized medicine,” he said.
Anderson served as president of the Memphis Medical Society in 2008. “Shortly after that, I was elected to the Board of Trustees at the state level,” he said, adding he served as chair of that group for two years.
In his new role, Anderson said there are a number of issues at both a state and federal level that deserve particular attention. One of his goals is to continue to strengthen the membership and ensure different practice perspectives are represented in light of a growing number of employed physicians.
“We want to make sure our membership values and addresses the issues of those physicians, not just the independent physicians; but at the same time, we don’t want to weaken our value system so the independent physicians aren’t represented, as well” he said, of the balancing act to meet all needs.
Anderson also looks to continue and to enhance collaborative efforts with other physician groups, incorporating specialty societies into the TMA meeting structure and educational offerings whenever it makes sense to pool resources.
On a broader stage, Anderson said physicians should have a seat at the table to discuss issues ranging from the logistics of caring for those at high risk of addiction to payment reform. While SGR is gone, it remains to be seen how the Medicare Access and Chip Reauthorization Act (MACRA) will be implemented. As intended, the law opens the way for more alternative payment models, which Anderson said is great in concept … but, he noted, the devil is in the details. “It’s going to be a slow evolution, but we’ve got to be at the forefront of payment reform,” he said.
When he isn’t seeing patients or representing organized medicine, Anderson and his wife Kay enjoy traveling and spending time with their two grown daughters. Anderson also loves deep sea fishing and fly fishing when he can find the time.
Of course, he added with a laugh, “There’s not a lot of down time lately.”
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