Dr. John McCarley with Dr. Landon Combs, TMA's Immediate Past President

NASHVILLE, TENN. — John McCarley, M.D., a nephrologist with Nephrology Associates in Chattanooga, Tenn., was installed as the 171^st President of the Tennessee Medical Association (TMA). TMA is Tennessee’s pre-eminent medical professional and patient advocacy organization, which represents more than 10,000 physicians in Tennessee.

Dr. McCarley was officially sworn in on Saturday, May 17, at the association’s 190^th Annual Meeting and House of Delegates in Franklin, Tenn., during which more than 150 Tennessee physician leaders gathered to discuss association business and formulate TMA’s policy. Dr. McCarley will serve a one-year term as TMA president until May of 2026.

During his inauguration address, Dr McCarley emphasized two principles which will guide his year as TMA president; foremost, patients come first and are to be prioritized. The second principle is protecting and valuing the physician-patient relationship.  

Dr. McCarley is the former Speaker of the TMA House of Delegates. He has served on the TMA board for nine consecutive years, also serving as Secretary/Treasurer (head of the Finance committee) during that time. He is also a Past-President of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society (CHCMS). He is a 2014 graduate of the Ingram Institute for Physician Leadership. Additionally, he serves on the Board of Governors of the Tennessee Physician Quality Verification Organization (TPQVO) and also serves on the Medical Executive Committee of CHI/Memorial Hospital in Chattanooga. He serves as a volunteer physician with Project Access, a program of the CHCMS which coordinates specialty medical care for working local residents who do not qualify for other programs or are uninsured.

“Dr. McCarley has a long-tenured involvement in organized medicine in our state,” said Russ Miller, TMA’s CEO. “He is a respected physician leader, and his time on our board will provide the TMA great continuity in the years ahead.”

Dr. McCarley is a 1995 graduate of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. He completed his residency in Internal Medicine at the University of Tennessee College of Medicine, Chattanooga Unit, followed by a Nephrology and Hypertension fellowship at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta. He has practiced medicine in and around Chattanooga for most of his 30-year career. His reputation as a physician leader and patient advocate is well-regarded in the community he serves.  

The Tennessee Medical Association is a nonprofit professional organization for Tennessee physicians. TMA represents more than 10,000 Tennessee physicians and physicians-in-training. The organization advocates for public policies, laws and rules that promote healthcare safety and quality for all Tennesseans and improve the nonclinical aspects of practicing medicine. Learn more at tnmed.org.

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