Satellite Med

Satellite Med is a medical clinic in Cookeville, TN. Operating as a fully licensed medical clinic, it provides non-urgent and semi-urgent care on a walk-in basis or by appointment, and serves the Upper Cumberland community. The clinic combines urgent care with family practice, offering a full spectrum of services at its Cookeville location so patients do not need to travel to multiple facilities. Onsite offerings include lab services, digital x-ray, ultrasound, Impact Concussion Testing, walk-in drug screens, DOT services, and a medication dispensary. The clinic also provides telemedicine, a patient portal, online bill pay, and private counseling with Pastoral Counselor Christina Green.

Satellite Med was founded in 2003 by Dr. James Cates, M.D., and his wife Connie, after Dr. Cates drew on his experience in emergency and family medicine to build a practice grounded in evidence-based care. The Lord led them to Dr. Matthew Bolton and Dr. Marilyn Vermeesch, and the physical clinic was built in Cookeville, opening its doors on April 7, 2006. Dr. Cates, a Cookeville native, earned his medical degree at Meharry College of Medicine in 1985 and completed a three-year family medicine residency at UT Medical Center. He practiced emergency medicine at Cookeville Regional Medical Center beginning in 1987 and also worked at Livingston Regional Hospital and Mid State Sports Medicine. As a Credentialed ImPACT Consultant, Satellite Med serves as a referral center for concussion testing and training across the Upper Cumberland area. The clinic accepts commercial plans including Aetna, BlueCross BlueShield, Cigna, Farm Bureau, Claritev/MultiPlan, United Healthcare, and UMR, along with Traditional Medicare and several United Healthcare Medicare Advantage plans.

The clinic sits on Sams Street, about a quarter mile from the Tennessee Highway Patrol office and from South Jefferson Avenue, with Neal Street, Interstate Drive, and the Cookeville Mall all roughly half a mile away and Pilot Knob about seven-tenths of a mile from the location.

Now in its third decade of serving the Upper Cumberland area, Satellite Med offers walk-in access to imaging, lab work, and primary care providers under one roof in Cookeville.