Knoxville Infectious Disease Consultants PC has joined Covenant Medical Group, a division of Covenant Health. Covenant Medical Group (CMG) employs more than 150 physicians and manages more than 80 practice locations throughout the region.
Knoxville Infectious Disease Consultants has provided comprehensive infectious disease diagnostic and management services to the greater Knoxville area since 1985. The medical practice is led by board-certified physicians John S. Adams MD, FIDSA, FSHEA; E. Brian Kemp MD; and Catherine C. Sarbah MD, MPH. The group will welcome an additional physician to the practice in September 2021: Henry P. Shiflett DO, infectious disease specialist. The doctors are supported by Jeanette Groschel-Snead APRN, infectious disease nurse.
An infectious disease specialist is an internal medicine physician with additional training in the diagnosis and treatment of infections caused by germs such as viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites. These specialists treat patients with unexplained fever or other symptoms that are signs of an infection.
Dr. Adams said the affiliation with CMG highlights Knoxville Infectious Disease Consultants’ commitment to excellent care for patients in the community, particularly in light of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Clinical staff with specialized training in diagnosis, management and prevention of infectious disorders are extraordinarily valuable to the health system and the community,” he said. “The medical professionals at KIDC are dedicated to improving our patients’ health through expert diagnosis and management of infectious diseases, and we will continue these practices through Covenant Medical Group.”
Dr. Adams has worked with Covenant Health for many years, treating patients with infectious disease disorders at Parkwest Medical Center and Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center since 1988. He began serving as Parkwest’s hospital epidemiologist in 1995, a role that expanded to Fort Sanders Regional in the early 2000s. In 2019, he was appointed as Covenant Health’s system epidemiologist, advising the health system on matters related to infection prevention and antibiotic stewardship.
The KIDC team have been an important resource for the health system and the community regarding infectious disease prevention. Reflecting on the past year of dealing with Covid -19, he said, “Within a year of Covid-19 appearing on the scene, we already had clinical trials of vaccines which have proven to be highly effective, as well as many potential therapeutic agents. It’s my hope that as we continue to fight the threat of emerging infectious diseases and increased antimicrobial resistance, we take what we have learned and continue developing effective treatments for the future and the betterment of our community.”
Additionally, Dr. Adams expressed his hope of recruiting and retaining qualified infectious disease physicians in order to continue the consultative services that Knoxville Infectious Disease Consultants has provided over the last 30 years.
Knoxville Infectious Disease Consultants PC has an office location on Sutherland Avenue. Providers treat patients at Parkwest Medical Center and Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center, including the Transitional Care Unit and Patricia Neal Rehabilitation Center at the downtown hospital. KIDC also provides services at two Select Specialty facilities in Knoxville.
Info or to schedule an appointment, call 865-525-4333 or visit KIDCPC.com
Information provided by Public Relations Department of Covenant Health.