When Dr. Landon Combs was installed as president of the Tennessee Medical Association earlier this year, he was well-prepared to hit the ground running.
As a decades-long member of the organization, Combs was already familiar with its work. Add in a multi-year term on its board of trustees, in addition to other leadership roles, and he had all the tools needed for success.
“I had kept up with all the current issues, and I already had some things in place and had attended a lot of committee meetings, so it was a lot easier of a transition versus trying to drink from a fire hose,” said Combs, who will serve as president until May 2025.
Combs is originally from Northeast Tennessee and graduated from ETSU with a history degree prior to enrolling in medical school at the ETSU Quillen College of Medicine. Drawn in by Quillen’s commitment to training primary care physicians, Combs found a home at ETSU not too far from where he grew up – or where he currently resides in Gray.
“It was great,” Combs said of his time at ETSU. “I couldn’t imagine not going that route.”
Inspired by his childhood pediatrician’s ability to connect with him, Combs strives to be the type of pediatrician that brings his patients comfort in what can sometimes be a stressful environment for children.
“He always made me feel comfortable, and that’s something I always try to do with the children and parents I see,” Combs said of his pediatrician. “I would like to think they know I am there for them and that I am going to help them.”
As a pediatrician, Combs has seen the health care landscape shift drastically over his career of more than two-decades – particularly since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which brought large-scale changes to the health care industry.
Combs felt compelled to run for president, a position voted on by TMA members, because he felt his experiences coming out of the pandemic could be valuable to other physicians.
“I felt I had some experience to offer coming out of the pandemic with all the changes to help alleviate some angst for physicians,” said Combs.
One of his priorities has been helping providers navigate changes relating to how they document patient information or bill for services, something he hopes will alleviate some stress for providers.
“If I can help one physician, that’s one more than before I started, so that’s an accomplishment,” said Combs. “Whether it’s billing, coding – any difference you can make on the life of a patient or the stress level of a physician is a win.
“Anything we can do to make their practice life better will make their life better, which will help patient care overall,” Combs added.
Photo Named 1NW0807 Dr. Landon Combs
Photo Contributed
Landon Combs
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