University Surgical

Joseph B. Cofer, MD, FACS

Birthplace: Beckley, W.Va.
Family: Dr. Cofer and his wife, Juanita, have two daughters: Jessica Ann and Allison Jane.
Nurse: Becky Rector, RN
Contact: (423) 267-0466

Dr. Cofer, board certified through the American Board of Surgery (ABS) and a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons (FACS), specializes in surgery of the gall bladder, liver, bile duct, pancreas and breast. Dr. Cofer joined University Surgical Associates in 1995.

Dr. Cofer has office hours at the Galen Office on Tuesday (8:50 - 11:30 a.m.), at USA's Surgical Specialties Building on Tuesday (1 - 3 p.m.) and at the Erlanger Medical Mall on Wednesday (9 - 11 a.m.) and Thursday (8:30 a.m - noon). Dr. Cofer performs surgery at Erlanger Hospital, the Plaza Surgery Center at Erlanger and Parkridge Hospital.

Dr. Cofer is a professor of surgery and the surgery residency program director, Department of Surgery, for the University of Tennessee College of Medicine, Chattanooga.

Articles: Dr. Joe Cofer Champions Project Access Cause

Education
Undergraduate
Georgia Inst. of Technology
1968-1972

University of Tennessee
Chattanooga, Tenn.
1973-1975

Graduate
University of Tennessee
Center for Health Sciences
Memphis, Tenn.
MD, 1976 - 1978

Internship
Basic Surgery
Portsmouth Naval Hospital
Portsmouth, Va.
1979 - 1980

Other
Naval Flight Surgeon Training
Naval Aerospace Medical Instructor
Pensacola, Fla.
1980 - 1981

Research Fellowship
General Surgery
UT College of Medicine
Chattanooga, Tenn.
1983 - 1983

Residency
General Surgery
UT College of Medicine
Chattanooga, Tenn.
1983 - 1988

Fellowship
Transplant Surgery Fellowship
Baylor University Medical Center
Dallas, Tex.
1988 - 1990

Academic Appointments
2000 - present
Professor of Surgery
Residency Program Director
Department of Surgery
UT College of Medicine
Chattanooga, Tenn.

1995 - 2000
Associate Professor of Surgery
Residency Program Director
Department of Surgery
UT College of Medicine
Chattanooga, Tenn.

1990 - 1995
Assistant Professor of Surgery
Director, Liver Transplantation
Department of Surgery
Medical U. of South Carolina
Charleston, S.C.

Certifications
ATLS Provider, 1990
ABS, 1990; Recertified, 1997
Additional Qualifications in Surgical Critical
Care, 1994
Fundamental Critical Care Support Provider
(FCCS) Society of Critical Care Medicine, 2004
Medical License - Tennessee, 1979
Medical License - South Carolina, 1990
Medical License - Virginia, 2002

Military Service

1979 - 1983

United States Navy
Currently LCDR MC USNR - Retired

1980 - 1983
Lemoore Naval Hospital, Lemoore,CA

Honors/Awards
2007
Tennessee Medical Association
Distinguished Service Award

2004
Baroness Award for Teaching Excellence
(Annual award for outstanding faculty teacher)

1999
Baroness Award for Teaching Excellence
(Annual award for outstanding faculty teacher)

1985
Baroness Award for Teaching Excellence
(Annual award for outstanding resident teacher)

Professional Organizations: The American Board of Surgery, Inc. (Director, 2007-2013, Examination Consultant, Qualifying Subcommittee, 2001-2003, Assoc. Examiner, Certifying Examinations, Birmingham, AL, 2004, Assoc. Examiner, Certifying Examinations, St. Louis, MO, 2006, Surgical Council on Resident Education (SCORE), 2006); Southern Surgical Association (Fellow); The American College of Surgeons (Fellow - Advisory Council for General Surgery (ACGS), 2003 - Present, Fundamentals in Surgery Curriculum Committee, 2005 - Present); Editor, Surgical Educators; Community, ACS Web Portal; Tennessee State Chapter ACS (Committee on Applicants, 1996 - Present, Councilor, 2002-2003, Program Chairman, 2006); Association of Program Directors in Surgery (Treasurer, March 2001 - 2004, President Elect, 2004 - 2005, President, 2005 - 2006, Past President, 2006 - 2007); Skills Curriculum Committee, 2006 - Present; American Society of Transplant Surgeons; Southeastern Surgical Congress (Fellow - CME Committee, Sept., 1994 - Feb., 1999, CME Committee Chairman, Feb., 1999 - Feb., 2000, Councilor at Large, Feb., 2003 - Feb., 2006, Clinical Review Course, Co-Director, 1999 - 2001); Representative to ACGS 2003 - Pesent; Representative to ABS 2007 - 2013; American Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association; Tennessee Medical Association (Interprofessional Liaison Committee, 1998 - 2006, Reference Committee A, 2001 - 2002); Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society (Board of Directors, 1997 - 2000, Managed Care Committee, 2001, 2003, Board of Directors, 2001 - 2004, President Elect, Feb., 2001 - Feb., 2002, President, Feb., 2002 - 2003, Past President, Feb., 2003 - 2004, Director, Project Access, 2003 - Present, Judicial Council Committee, 2006 - 2007); Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Foundation (Board of Directors, 2003 - Present); American Surgical Association, Fellow, 2010 - present.

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