Reflections of UPA

Physicians prior to the 1990's were independently responsible for their own contract negotiations with the insurance carriers while balancing valuable time with their patient care. This pressed providers with additional burden to approach the carriers for fee schedules and reimbursement negotiations. Until fully credentialed with the multiple insurance carriers, they were not paid for their services. During this same time at UT Medical Center, physicians and medical senior leaders began discussing how to more effectively manage the contracts.

The creation of University Physicians’ Association, (UPA) in 1995 became the solution, allowing physicians to meet and contract with the managed care organizations as one alliance. The new physician led association provided their members with contract negotiations which were beneficial to the insurance carriers under one signature for all UPA physician members and broadened the specialty services into the insurance networks that was beneficial to the patient population. As an additional benefit and courtesy to the members, UPA provided administrative support for the coordination of the carriers’ application process and worked with the provider offices and the medical staff office for privilege verifications. While members moved through the UPA committee process, they were simultaneously moving through the full credentialing process with each of the carriers. This was a massive process that became very successful for physicians.

The UPA began with 231 physician shareholders, three administrative staff members and six managed care organization contracts that included BCBS, Bowater, Initial Group, Preferred Health Partnership, Tennessee Health Partnership and UnitedHealthcare.

UPA Initial Leadership:

Trent Nichols, MD, President

C.E. Bilbrey, CEO

David Hall, Executive Director

Kim Friar, Provider Relations Director

John W. Lacey, III, MD, Medical Director

UPA FOUNDING Board Members:

Trent Nichols, MD, President (General Internal Medicine)

John W. Lacey, III, MD, Medical Director (General Internal Medicine)

Janet Purkey, MD (General Internal Medicine)

Robert Elder, MD (General OB-GYN)

Daniel Cox, MD (Family Medicine)

Larry Davis, MD (Family Medicine)

Ann Stuart, MD (Family Medicine)

Jack Gotcher, MD (Dentistry)

Larry Rodgers, MD (General Pediatrics)

Patricia Mohr, MD (General Pediatrics)

Mark Gaylord, MD (Medical & Pediatric Specialties)

J. Russ Langdon, MD (Hospital Based, Anesthesiology)

Steve Morris, MD (Hospital Based, Anesthesiology)

James Cox, MD (Surgical Specialties, Cardiology)

Mark D. Anderson, MD (Surgical Specialties, Gastroenterology)

William Horton, MD (Surgical Specialties, Otolaryngology)

John Neff, MD (Medical Specialties, Pathology)

What began as a need to secure the clinical practice 25 years ago, remains the same today.

The healthcare industry continues to bring new challenges whereas UPA was designed to adapt to these unforeseen circumstances. Along the years, UPA has supported growth for our clinicians to enable more services with success and benefit to our region.

We are unique and UPA’s reputation remains solid. We are physician established and physician led. Our support team of individuals choose to make a difference. We are not here by chance. It’s because of the many hands that work together every single day that make up UPA’s family and as we celebrate UPA’s 25 years of awesome in 2020, we believe, our best is yet to come.