Internal Medicine
Dr. Harrington Merriweather is a board-certified internal medicine physician dedicated to providing compassionate, comprehensive care for adults. A Chattanooga native, she has long been committed to serving the community she calls home.
Inspired to become a physician at a young age, Dr. Merriweather began pursuing her calling by volunteering at a local hospital. Although she initially planned to specialize in pediatrics, her experiences during medical school led her to discover a passion for internal medicine—a field that combined her love of building lasting patient relationships with caring for the whole person.
During medical school, Dr. Merriweather conducted NIH-funded diabetes research that was presented at the Southern Medical Association Conference in New Orleans in 2005, where it received the Aventis American Federation for Medical Research Award. Her research was later published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry in 2006 under the mentorship of Dr. S. Solomon, and in 2007 she received the James R. Givens Award from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center Endocrinology Department for her research contributions.
After completing her training, Dr. Merriweather returned to Chattanooga in 2010, where she practiced as a hospitalist for nine years before transitioning to outpatient primary care. She values the continuity of internal medicine and enjoys partnering with patients to build lifelong healthy habits while caring for generations of families.
Outside the office, Dr. Merriweather has played the violin since the fourth grade and continues to perform weekly with her church orchestra. She also enjoys reading and spending time with her young son.
Dr. Merriweather is excited to join Galen Medical Group and looks forward to being part of a physician-led organization committed to providing exceptional care to the community.
9309 Apison Pike
Ooltewah, TN 37363
2010
Dr. Merriweather believes every patient deserves compassionate, individualized care that addresses the whole person. Guided by her faith, she strives to care for each patient’s physical, emotional, and mental well-being while building trusted, long-term relationships that support lifelong health.
Residency | Internal Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center | Memphis, TN
MD | University of Tennessee Health Science Center | Memphis, TN
BS | Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN
Our primary care physicians specialize in internal medicine for adults. They are equipped to diagnose and treat a broad and comprehensive spectrum of acute and chronic illnesses. Our providers emphasize disease prevention, and work with the patient to develop a healthy lifestyle, manage their individual health, and provide needed advice throughout the many stages of adulthood.
Our goal is to improve the health of those we serve with a commitment to excellence through mutual goal setting and evidence-based treatment in a caring, comfortable, convenient, and cost-effective setting.
Preventive medicine is practiced by all physicians to keep their patients healthy. It is also a unique medical specialty recognized by the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS). Preventive medicine focuses on the health of individuals, communities, and defined populations. Its goal is to protect, promote, and maintain health and well-being and to prevent disease, disability, and death.
Preventive medicine specialists are licensed medical doctors (MD) or doctors of osteopathy (DO), who possess core competencies in biostatistics, epidemiology, environmental and occupational medicine, planning and evaluation of health services, management of health care organizations, research into causes of disease and injury in population groups, and the practice of prevention in clinical medicine. They apply knowledge and skills gained from the medical, social, economic, and behavioral sciences.
What is a wellness exam?
An annual wellness exam is a comprehensive preventive exam with your primary care physician for the sole purpose of preventive care. An annual exam does not include discussion of new problems or detailed review of chronic conditions. An annual exam may also be called a routine check-up, yearly exam, annual pap, or preventive visit.
Will my insurance pay for a wellness exam?
Most health plans will pay for one wellness or preventive exam per year. Your insurance provider may consider this to be (1) once per calendar year or (2) or once every 366 days from the date of your last wellness exam.
If you have had any other visit billed as preventive during this time period your plan is likely to deny your wellness exam. This would include a well-woman exam or annual pap smear. Your plan may not pay for all testing and/or labs ordered during your wellness exam. If your provider has a concern and orders diagnostic testing and/or labs during your exam you may be financially responsible.
It is the patient’s responsibility to check with their insurance provider to see what is covered under their wellness benefit, and to ensure they are eligible prior to scheduling their annual wellness exam.
What is the difference between a wellness exam and a problem visit?
Preventive visits and tests ordered by your provider can help you stay healthy and catch problems early. Diagnostic visits and testing are used to diagnose a current health problem. Diagnostic tests are ordered by your provider when you have symptoms and they want to find out why. For example, your provider might want you to have a test because of your age or family history, that’s preventive care, but if it’s because you’re having symptoms or a problem, that is diagnostic care.
Can I have a wellness exam and problem visit at the same time?
The answer is Yes, but not preferred. It is possible to address a problem at a wellness exam, however, it is not the preferred method. A wellness exam is a comprehensive review of systems, medications, past and current medical history, health risk assessment, and preventive testing for potential risks. Wellness exams typically do not require a copay, and, many times, may be covered at 100% (this, of course, is dependent on your insurance plan). When you combine a problem visit with the wellness exam you are billed for both a wellness visit, and a problem visit; which may then require a copay, or have the charges applied to your deductible. For this reason, we ask that you please schedule a separate appointment, on a different day, if you have any new concerns or ongoing health problems that need more attention.