David Reagan Named Chief Medical Officer
NASHVILLE – David R. Reagan, MD, PhD, has been named chief medical officer for the Tennessee Department of Health. In this position, Reagan will serve as an advisor to the commissioner on matters of health policy and assist in setting priorities for the department.
“We are thrilled to welcome a physician leader and public servant of Dr. Reagan’s stature and vision to our team,” Health Commissioner John Dreyzehner, MD, MPH, said. “He is a consummate systems thinker and will be an exceptional addition to our team, leading Tennessee toward health and prosperity.”
As chief medical officer, Reagan will serve as medical director for the department and will work to assess the health needs of Tennesseans and establish statewide health objectives. He will collaborate with the department’s executive leadership team to assess the health needs of the state; to establish health objectives; to develop and maintain an appropriately organized infrastructure; and in developing, implementing and evaluating coordinated, effective public health programs.
“It is an honor and privilege to join Commissioner Dreyzehner and the excellent staff of the Tennessee Department of Health,” Reagan said. “I'm encouraged by the recent improvements in many measures of health in Tennessee, and realize there will be challenges in continuing those improvements. I'm excited and ready to get to work.”
Reagan comes to the Department of Health after serving as chief of staff for the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Mountain Home, Tenn. He also serves as associate dean for veterans affairs and clinical professor of medicine in the Department of Internal Medicine at James H. Quillen College of Medicine at East Tennessee State University. Reagan has also served as ambulatory services manager at Mid-South VA Healthcare Network in Nashville.
Reagan earned his medical degree and a PhD in organic chemistry from Vanderbilt University, and holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and physics from East Tennessee State University, where he graduated magna cum laude. He completed an internal medicine residency at Vanderbilt and a fellowship in clinical epidemiology and infectious diseases at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City. He is licensed to practice medicine in Tennessee, and is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.
Reagan serves as a member of a number of professional organizations, including the Grant Committee, Planning Committee and Faculty for Rural Health Professions Institute for the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. He also serves as a member of the Department of Veterans Affairs MidSouth Healthcare Network’s Resources Council and Operations and Planning Council. He has published numerous articles and book chapters.
Reagan’s community involvement includes work with the Boy Scouts of America, and service as an elder at Grace Fellowship Church in Johnson City for the past 15 years.