State of Franklin Healthcare Associates is proud to announce our new clinic, opening July 2022.

Providing comprehensive primary care for Bristol, TN/VA and the surrounding area.

What is a Doctor of Internal Medicine, or Internist?

Internal medicine physicians, or internists, are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. They are especially well trained in the diagnosis of puzzling medical problems, in the ongoing care of chronic illnesses, and in caring for patients with more than one disease. Internists also specialize in health promotion and disease prevention.

Internal medicine physicians can be called “internists,” “general internists,” and “doctors of internal medicine.” (But don’t mistake them with “interns,” who are doctors in their first year of residency training.) Although internists may act as primary care physicians, they are not family physicians, family practitioners, or general practitioners, whose training is not solely concentrated on adults and may include surgery, obstetrics, and pediatrics.

Internists routinely see patients with conditions such as heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and chronic lung disease. An internist may consult with doctors in other fields of medicine, or may be called to consult on a patient by another specialist.

^{Source: American College of Physicians}