Specialist in Pediatrics
Dr. Cindy Harris grew up in Middle Tennessee and attended college at Harvard University. She returned to Tennessee for medical school and received her M.D. in 2000 from the University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Dr. Harris and her husband, Dr. Chip Harris, couples matched for residency in Memphis, where she completed her pediatric training at the UT College of Medicine at LeBonheur Children’s Hospital. In 2003, she moved to Chattanooga and began her career as a pediatrician.
As a pediatrician, she considers it a privilege to guide families through the journey of development from newborn care to age 18 years. She evaluates newborns in the nurseries at Erlanger East Hospital and Parkridge East Hospital. She provides preventive pediatric health care and administers vaccines as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). In addition, she performs pre-participation sports physicals for middle and high school athletes.
As a mother, she enjoys supporting her children in their tennis and technical theater endeavors. Her hobbies include SCUBA, rock climbing, woodworking and tending her reef aquariums.
1651 Gunbarrel Road, Suite 302
Chattanooga, TN 37421
Since 2003
I believe each office visit is an opportunity to build a relationship with my patients and families. I strive to provide comprehensive medical care and to communicate well with families regarding their child’s health. I am proud to partner with an excellent team of office staff and experienced nurses who provide friendly patient care in the office, and timely follow up on parent concerns by telephone.
Residency | Pediatrics – University of Tennessee LeBonheur Children’s Medical Center, Memphis, TN
MD | University of Tennessee College of Medicine, Memphis, TN
BA | Biology and East Asian Studies, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA
Certifications:
American Board of Pediatrics
Hospitals:
Erlanger East Hospital
Parkridge East Hospital
Organizations:
Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics
Chattanooga & Hamilton County Medical Society
Tennessee Medical Association
Interests:
Support for Breastfeeding Mothers
Preventive care and promoting a healthy, active lifestyle
Early Literacy
What is a wellness exam: An annual exam is a Comprehensive preventative exam with your primary care provider for the sole purpose of preventative care. An annual exam does not include discussion of new problems or detailed review of chronic conditions. Annual exams may also be called routine check-ups, yearly exams, an annual pap, or preventive visit.
Will my insurance pay for a wellness exam?
Most health plans will pay for one wellness or preventative exam per year. Your insurance provider may consider this to be once per calendar year or one year and one day since the date of your last wellness exam.
If you have had any other visit billed as preventative 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 held 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: Preventative 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 of a problem,
that’s diagnostic care.
Can I have a wellness exam and problem visit at the same time: No. Billing issues prevent your provider from doing a wellness exam and a diagnostic visit on the same day. This is for your protection as your insurance carrier may deny one of these visits forwarding the financial responsibility to you. This does not prevent you from asking a
simple question or requesting refills of any maintenance medications; however, we ask that you please schedule a separate appointment, on a different day, if you have any new concerns or other ongoing health problems that need more attention. Should your wellness exam turn into a diagnostic or problem-oriented visit we will bill accordingly.
Our pediatricians provide not only medical care for children who are acutely or chronically ill but also preventive health services for healthy children. At Galen East Internal Medicine and Pediatrics we manage the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of the children under their care at every stage of development.
Our practice aims to reduce infant and child rate of illness, control the spread of infectious disease, promote healthy lifestyles for a long disease-free life and help ease the problems of children and adolescents with chronic conditions. Several conditions, disorders and illnesses treated at our practice include:
Vaccines play an important role in keeping us healthy. They protect us from serious and sometimes deadly diseases — like haemophilus influenzaetype b (Hib) and measles.
It’s normal to have questions about vaccines. Vaccines.gov works with scientists and doctors to answer your questions and provide the information you need to get vaccinated. make sure that you and your family are up-to-date on your vaccinations — they’re your best shot against serious, preventable illness.
Immunization is the process of becoming immune to (protected against) a disease. Immunization can also mean the process of getting vaccinated. For example, your “immunization schedule,” is the timing of your shots.
Our pediatricians offer a free consultation for expectant parents which allows you to meet the doctor, tour our office, meet our staff, and get answers to any questions you may have regarding becoming a patient in our practice.
Our experienced group of providers apply a modern approach and a caring touch to provide you with the highest quality health care in the Chattanooga region.
