About Us
The Tennessee Medical Association is a nonprofit organization representing Tennessee physicians and the medical profession. Through advocacy, education and professional support, TMA promotes policies that enhance patient safety, healthcare quality and physicians’ ability to practice medicine effectively and independently.
Our Mission
To improve the quality of medical practice for physicians and the quality of healthcare for patients by influencing policies, laws and rules that affect healthcare delivery in Tennessee.
OUR VISION
To be the most influential advocate for Tennessee physicians in the relentless pursuit of the best possible healthcare environment.
Core Values
- We exist to support Tennessee physicians
- We advocate for patients
- We must be well-funded and fundamentally sound to carry out our mission
Leadership
TMA operates at the behest of the House of Delegates, the governing body and deliberative forum for the association. Physicians serving in the House meet annually to debate and ratify policies affecting the practice of medicine in Tennessee, and patient health.
The TMA Board of Trustees, a 15-member panel of physicians elected by their member colleagues, is responsible for the direction and implementation of Association activities between sessions of the House of Delegates. The Board assigns work to appropriate volunteer committees, and TMA staff, who carry out the work of organized medicine on a day-to-day basis.
History
The Tennessee Medical Association (TMA), originally named The Medical Society of the State of Tennessee, was created by legislative action in 1830. On May 3 of that year, 47 physicians gathered in Nashville for the inaugural meeting. TMA was formed to establish medical standards in the state, as there were no governing bodies providing oversight at the time. Nearly two-decades after its formation, the association began shaping organized medicine on a national scale when the American Medical Association (AMA) was founded in 1847. Over the centuries, TMA has developed into a thought leader and advocate for physicians in Tennessee. Â
Members chartered local medical societies across the state that still convene today to provide connection within the profession. Subsequential organizations were established over the years to support the efforts of the association, such as the TMA Alliance, the TMA Political Action Committee (formerly known as IMPACT), the Tennessee Foundation for Quality Patient Healthcare (TFQPH) and more. Most notably, TMA provided a solution to malpractice insurance offerings by working to create SVMIC in 1976. This came during a time when many commercial insurers began backing away from malpractice coverage. Â
TMA will celebrate its 200th anniversary in the spring of 2030. While the association has grown and evolved over its history, the mission of supporting physicians and protecting the practice of medicine remains at the core of everything TMA does.Â
"TMA is effective because it is a large organization that represents all different specialties. We work together and speak with a unified voice."
Amy Suppinger, MD | Internal Medicine | Franklin