Specialist in Primary Care
Chris Snyder, PA-C is a graduate from Emory University School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program. He grew up in the Chattanooga area and completed his undergraduate work at University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC). His medical experience began in the back of an ambulance in Bradley County, Tennessee, and he now enjoys the daily challenges and rewards of practicing primary and preventive care medicine.
He has been with Galen since 2013, when he helped open Galen’s site at the Hamilton County Employee Health Clinic. His clinical and academic interests are wide ranging, and when he’s not taking care of people, he enjoys spending time with his wife, Brooke, and their two amazing children, Zoie and Jabari.
Chris’s personal pursuit of health and wellness currently include trail running, obstacle course races, going to the YMCA, and the ongoing challenge of making mindful choices. He wants to learn more about yoga, meditation, plant-based diet, and calisthenics. He is excited to join you on your own journey towards wellness.
163 Walnut Grove Church Rd.
Dayton, TN 37321
Hours of Operation:
Monday – Thursday 8:00am – 5:00pm
Friday: Closed
10 years
I care about people. I enjoy helping people pursue their best selves through listening, building relationships and using my medical training and experience to help guide their journeys toward wellness. While I understand the responsibility and context of my role as a Physician Assistant, I try not to take myself too seriously. I believe vulnerability and some degree of unsophistication catalyzes self-improvement and increases relatability. Reducing barriers, both real and perceived, is an important aspect of healthcare to which I give specific attention. Ultimately, my goal as a healthcare provider is to be supportive and compassionate while offering guidance in times of need, whether physical, emotional, or otherwise.
B.A. | University of Tennessee at Chattanooga
PA-C | Physician Assistant Program Master of Medical Science in Physician Assistant, University of Emory School of Medicine Department of Family and Preventive Medicine
Organizations:
American Academy of Physician Assistants
Tennessee Academy of Physician Assistants
Wellness Council of America
National Wellness Institute
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.
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 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.
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.
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.
