Call NowAcquisition will expand healthcare services in Cookeville and create another accessible clinic for commercial drivers and TN communities
BRENTWOOD and COOKEVILLE, Tenn. (June 9, 2025) – Interstate Health and Satellite Med have signed an agreement for Interstate Health to acquire the Cookeville-based urgent care and family medicine practice, effective June 9. The addition of Satellite Med, located off exit 287 on Interstate 40, expands Interstate Health’s growing presence in Tennessee, which includes Occupational Health Center in Cookeville and Interstate Health Knoxville. The acquisition was partially funded by a grant awarded to Occupational Health Center – Interstate Health by the Tennessee Department of Health (TDH) and will enable the clinic to expand services, including by accepting Medicare, Medicaid and many commercial insurance plans.
“The Cookeville community and I-40 corridor are hubs for commercial drivers and dynamic places for businesses and families to call home. The opportunity to grow our network with a practice like Satellite Med that has been serving patients for 20 years unlocks the potential to create more access to quality care for Tennesseans in Cookeville and beyond,” said Interstate Health Chief Executive Officer Jeff Seraphine.
Satellite Med was founded in 2006 by James Cates, M.D., and his wife Connie Cates and is a fully-licensed medical clinic that provides non-urgent and semi-urgent care on a walk-in basis or by appointment. As part of Interstate Health, Dr. Cates and the entire Satellite Med provider and staff team will continue the clinic’s commitment to great service, convenience, quality and affordability. In addition, Interstate Health will expand service offerings at the clinic, including:
- Accepting Medicare, Medicaid and more commercial insurance plans, beginning June 9.
- Welcoming a new provider, Chris Archer, ANP-C, who is an experienced provider of primary care, urgent care, and orthopedic services in the Cookeville community.
- Creating truck-accessible parking for the many commercial drivers who live and drive through Cookeville daily.
- Adding orthopedic services and expanding primary care and occupational health capabilities.
- Purchasing new equipment that will expand our service capabilities.
“When Connie and I founded Satellite Med 20 years ago, we had a vision to create a better model of healthcare that was more accessible, more affordable, and higher quality for patients. We are very thankful for what we’ve accomplished independently, and we are even more excited for how we can expand our services and our mission further as part of Interstate Health,” said Dr. Cates, physician and owner of Satellite Med.
This transaction was funded in part through the TDH’s Health Resiliency Grant Program, a statewide effort to expand capacity to deliver quality healthcare services. The Program is the result of the Tennessee Resiliency Plan with oversight from the Tennessee Financial Stimulus Accountability Group, a bipartisan legislative and executive branch committee charged with planning the use of federal funding available to states through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
“Investing in public health is working for Tennesseans,” Tennessee Health Commissioner Ralph Alvarado, MD, FACP, said. “The Health Resiliency Grant Program continues to live up to its potential for having a long-lasting impact to benefit communities needing expanded, quality access to healthcare facilities, providers, and services.”
Interstate Health’s mission is to ensure access to quality healthcare for people who live near and frequent America’s highways. Backed by veteran transportation and logistics executives, the company aims to address glaring health disparities facing our nation’s commercial drivers, including increased risk of heart disease, obesity, diabetes and hypertension, while increasing access to quality healthcare for communities along the nation’s highways. Along with Satellite Med, the company partners with Occupational Health Center – Interstate Health in Cookeville, Tenn., and has clinic locations in Knoxville, Tenn.; Port Wentworth, Ga.; and Racine, Wis.
About Interstate Health
Interstate Health is an innovative, technology-enabled medical services company that provides urgent care, primary care and telemedicine services along the nation’s interstate highway system. Interstate Health supports the needs of commercial truck drivers, rural residents, and all travelers across the nation’s interstates. For more information, visit https://interstatehealth.com/.
About Satellite Med
Satellite Med is a fully-licensed medical clinic providing non-urgent and semi-urgent care on a walk-in basis or by appointment. Satellite Med uses cutting-edge technology and evidence-based medicine to provide quality affordable healthcare. The clinic’s state-of-the-art facility features an on-site laboratory, digital x-rays/CT scans, ultrasound, allergy testing, impact concussion testing, DOT drug screenings, medication dispensary, and many more services. Satellite Med Urgent Care and Family Practice embraces a sincere commitment to quality patient care and has been serving the Cookeville community since 2006.
###
Media contact:
Michelle Augusty