10 physicians honored on Doctors’ Day

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society, Medical Foundation of Chattanooga, Medical Alliance and Project Access, in conjunction with New 12 This Morning and BlueCross Blue Shield Community Trust, are recognizing local physicians by saluting 10 honorees for Doctors’ Day Appreciation. The honorees were selected from nominations submitted by local residents.

The 10 honorees are: Joseph Cofer, M.D., University Surgical Associates; Mark Heinsohn, M.D., Laramore, Heinsohn & Donowitz; Lynn McGee, M.D., McGee, Jurgens, Parker & Jolley; Patricia McLelland, M.D., Galen East OB-GYN; Robert Mynatt, M.D., Associates in Ear, Nose and Throat; Mukta Panda, M.D., Academic Internal Medicine; Eugene Ryan, M.D., Diagnostic Center; Molly Seal, M.D., Seal, Lawrence & Nicola; Charles Sienknecht, M.D., Arthritis Associates; and James Zellner, M.D., Alliance of Cardiac, Thoracic & Vascular Surgeons.

Patients submitted 140 nominations of Chattanooga-area physicians this year.

Phyllis Miller, M.D., with Women Institute for Specialized Health and Mark Brzezienski, M.D., with the Plastic Surgery Group, were also honored with the Outstanding Physician Award and Distinguished Service Award respectively by the Tennessee Medical Association.

The first Doctors’ Day observance was March 30, 1933, in Winder, Ga., on the anniversary of the first use of general anesthetic in surgery. The U.S House of Representatives adopted a resolution commemorating Doctors’ Day on March 30, 1958. In 1990, Congress established March 30 each year as the National Doctors’ Day.

This year’s observance also salutes the 625 volunteer physicians who care for low-income uninsured residents of the Chattanooga community through Project Access.