NASHVILLE, TN — Vivak Bhatt, M.D., has joined Neighborhood Health as Chief Clinical Officer announced Brian Haile, CEO of Neighborhood Health.
As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, Dr. Bhatt will be responsible for guiding the delivery of clinically excellent healthcare with knowledge, commitment and passion and providing leadership to the provider staff and developing their knowledge and talent, while building fidelity to the patient centered medical home model of team-based integrated care.
“Dr. Bhatt brings extensive experience in managing physicians, nurse practitioners, and behavioral health staff, as well as coordinating with dental providers,” explained Haile. “He has experience working in an operationally demanding, resource constrained setting that has prepared him for work in community health. In addition to fulfilling the role of Chief Clinical Officer, Dr. Bhatt will focus his practice on medication assisted therapy (MAT) for those with drug and alcohol abuse disorders.”
Dr. Bhatt began his career as a primary care physician in private practice in Middle Tennessee. At that time, he also served as an on-call emergency admitting physician at Summit Medical Center and an admitting physician for patients transferred from Middle Tennessee Mental Health Institute for inpatient medical needs. In 2006, Dr. Bhatt took on the role of Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at Vanderbilt University where he was in charge of precepting for 3rd and 4th year medical students, as well as nurse practitioner students.
He has served as program director for gender affirmation hormonal care at Planned Parenthood and has also provided outpatient medication assisted treatment. Earlier in his career, he served as a medical director within the Tennessee Department of Corrections where he launched a telemedicine-based program in order to minimize patient/inmate movement outside of the facility, as well as implemented a scribe program to assist providers in navigating the state paper medical records system, resulting in improved productivity and work satisfaction.
He is a 2010 Vanderbilt Credo Award winner, presented to individuals who consistently demonstrate exceptional credo behavior, and was recognized in 2009 for being in the top 5% for patient satisfaction at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. In 2002, he was recognized as a Golden Apple Recipient for Excellence in Teaching by vote of the UT Medical Students, as well as a being a Diplomat for UT-Memphis in Family Medicine Residency at the American Academy of Family Practice Annual Conference.
Dr. Bhatt received his Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Austin College in Sherman, Texas. He attended Ross University School of Medicine in Barbados where he obtained his Doctor of Medicine in 1999. He then completed his residency in Family Practice at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis, TN.
In his spare time, Dr. Bhatt enjoys spending time with his family, cheering on his Dallas Cowboys, and is the lead singer for a 90s/2000s rock cover band.
Neighborhood Health, formerly United Neighborhood Health Services, Inc., has proudly served the people of Middle Tennessee for more than 44 years without regard to their insurance status or ability to pay. Today, the organization provides medical, prenatal, dental and behavioral health care to over 31,000 people of all ages, 59% of whom have no health insurance. Because of the trust earned with patients, Neighborhood Health has become the largest safety net provider of primary care in Middle Tennessee.
