Dr. Nita ShumakerDr. Nita Shumaker of Chattanooga has taken over as the new president of the Tennessee Medical Association, the state's largest organization for doctors.
She began her one-year term on Saturday at the association's House of Delegates meeting in Nashville.
Shumaker served as a pediatrician in the U.S. Air Force from 1990 until 1996, and since 1997 has been a member of the Galen Medical Group here.
She is a former chief of pediatrics at Erlanger's T.C. Thompson Children's Hospital and was also secretary, vice chief and chief of staff at Erlanger Medical System. She was a member of the Erlanger Hospital Authority Board of Trustees from 2011 until 2015.
Shumaker is a past president and secretary-treasurer of the Chattanooga and Hamilton County Medical Society.
A North Carolina native, she earned a bachelor's degree and completed medical school at East Carolina University. She completed both her internship and residency at the Medical College of Georgia.
"Anyone who knows me understands my passion for organized medicine and healthcare in Tennessee," Shumaker said. "I've been involved in local, state and national grassroots organizations for nearly 20 years as a fierce advocate for doctors and other healthcare providers, particularly when it comes to children's health. We have so many challenges and opportunities, including public health epidemics, overly burdensome regulations, and defining and protecting the scope of practice in medicine."
Dr. Shumaker is the second female to hold the position of TMA president.