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Heather Dunn, FNP-C

Specialist in Family Medicine

A LITTLE ABOUT ME

Heather Dunn, FNP-C is a licensed family nurse practitioner at Galen Mountain View Medicine. She grew up in the Houston, Texas area and moved to the Chattanooa area in 2008 with her husband.  She received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from East Tennessee State University in Johnson City, Tennessee. 
 
Heather has been practicing in the greater Chattanooga area since 2018 as a Nurse Practitioner. She became interested in the medical field after being diagnosed with Leukemia at age 16 and subsequently receiving a Bone Marrow Transplant in 2004 at the age of 18. Since then, she has had a passion for health and helping others in their health journey. Her philosophy is to give the best possible health care and provide patients with the appropriate education and resources in order to achieve their health goals. She also loves the patient and provider interaction as well as the trust and relationship she is able to develop with patients and family members. 
 
Heather is married with two children, one boy and one girl. They also have a family dog named Penny. On her day off she enjoys spending time with her family. This usually involves the outdoors, going hiking, kayaking, fishing or just a simple picnic out by the lake. She loves playing board games with family and friends or a competitive game of corn hole. She attends a local church in Ringgold, GA where she is able to grow in her faith and community. 

I SPECIALIZE IN:

I'M LOCATED AT

Galen Mountain View Medicine

9309 Apison Pike

Ooltewah, TN 37363

BEEN IN PRACTICE:

 Since 2017.

MY EDUCATION:

FNP-C | East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee

RN |  East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, Tennessee

SERVICES & PATIENT RESOURCES:

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.