David R. Reagan, MD, PhD, of Nashville, has been named the Tennessee Medical Association Public Health Champion for 2014. The honor recognizes TMA member physicians for their outstanding public health contributions across the state. Nominated by TMA’s Public Health Committee, Dr. Reagan was instrumental in developing a cohesive, long-range strategic plan for the Tennessee Department of Health and advancing its use of technology and data to support evidence-based decision making.
"In his role as Chief Medical Officer for TDH, Dr.
Reagan has created policies and statewide initiatives to help the department enhance electronic information exchange. He has earned national recognition for his role in the development and use of Tennessee’s Controlled Substances Monitoring Database, which has positively impacted the state’s prescription drug abuse epidemic. He has also worked closely with the medical community and state lawmakers to support legislation to address important public health issues like Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, motorcycle helmet use and e-cigarette policies," officials said. "Perhaps most notable among his many accomplishments has been Dr. Reagan’s consultation and decision support for Tennessee healthcare providers dealing with the unprecedented fungal meningitis outbreak in 2012-2013."
More recently, Dr. Reagan has convened a statewide task force to begin systematically integrating evidence into public health decision-making as it relates to policy development, identifying gaps in the evidence and the need for ongoing research from the state level to the local level.
“Dr. Reagan is a proven leader and innovator. His experience, passion and commitment to bringing quality, evidence-based care to all Tennesseans has been evident throughout his career in medicine and in public service. We are proud, on behalf of more than 8,000 of his peers across the state, to give him this honor,” said Dr. Stuart M. Polly, Memphis internal medicine specialist and chair of the TMA Public Health Committee.
“The State of Tennessee is truly fortunate to have a physician of Dr. David Reagan's caliber and character as CMO for the Tennessee Department of Health. He is a public health champion and I am grateful for his service and I am proud to have him as a colleague and friend,” said TDH Commissioner John J. Dreyzehner, MD, MPH.
Dr. Reagan is a graduate of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine. Before accepting his role of chief medical officer for the Tennessee Department of Health in 2012, Dr. Reagan was appointed an assistant professor of Medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine at James H. Quillen College of Medicine and chief of staff of the VA Medical Center. He has also served on the board of the American College of Physicians and remains a member of the Washington-Unicoi-Johnson County Medical Society.