Knox County hires new public health officer 

Jay FitzOur Town Health

Megan Edwards M.D. will serve as Knox County’s new public health officer, beginning in late March.

Dr. Edwards is a graduate of the University of Tennessee and received her medical degree at East Tennessee State University’s Quillen College of Medicine. She is currently working at The University of Tennessee Medical Center where she specializes in infectious diseases and holds an academic appointment with the UT Graduate School of Medicine.

Prior to that, she practiced medicine at Maine Medical Center, and in Massachusetts with Baystate Medical Center, and held academic appointments at Tufts University. She is board certified in internal medicine, pediatrics and adult infectious diseases.

In her profile at UT Medical Center, she identifies as an “amateur botanist, cheese connoisseur and outdoor enthusiast.” She earned a rating of 4.9/5 with 55 patient ratings. “I grew up in Northeast Tennessee,” she wrote. “When I’m not at work, I’m buying plants, taking photographs or enjoying the outdoors.”

Edwards will join Kevin Parton, senior director of the Knox County Health Department. The two of them are replacing Dr. Martha Buchanan, who did both jobs. Dr. Warren Sayre has been serving as interim public health officer and will stay on until Dr. Edwards takes over in March.

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