Dr. Ralph C. Atkinson III, M.D.
Nephrology (Kidney) (Nephrology Physician)
- Medicare participating
At a glance
- Medical school
- University of Mississippi School of Medicine (1985)
- Years since graduation
- 41
- In the NPI registry since
- 2005
- Medicare patients seen, 2024
- 695
The NPI date is when this clinician registered for a National Provider Identifier, the billing number used on health claims. It is not a license, graduation or board-certification date. NPIs were first issued in May 2005 and became required on claims in 2007–2008, so an early date usually means the clinician was already in practice before then. What an NPI is
Education and training
- 1985Medical school: University of Mississippi School of Medicine
- 2005Registered with an NPI (national billing number; not a license date) — NPIs began in 2005, so practice likely started earlier
Undergraduate school, residency, fellowship, licensing exams and board certification aren’t in public federal data. Board certification can be confirmed with the certifying board (ABMS member boards for MDs, AOA boards for DOs).
Specialties and state licenses
-
Nephrology Physician primary
TN license 21608
As reported to the NPI registry. To confirm a license is current, check the state medical board.
Where they work
Hospitals
- Ascension Saint Thomas Hospital Nashville, TN
- Saint Thomas Rutherford Hospital Murfreesboro, TN
- Tristar Horizon Medical Center Dickson, TN
- Tristar Stonecrest Medical Center Smyrna, TN
- Ascension Saint Thomas Three Rivers Waverly, TN
Medical groups
- Nephrology Associates, PC (41 clinicians)
Hospitals this clinician lists with Medicare, and groups they bill Medicare through (Care Compare). Affiliation doesn’t mean they see patients at every location.
Medicare patients and services
- Medicare patients, 2024
- 695
- Services billed
- 2,716
- Patients’ average age
- 74
| Service | Times | Patients |
|---|---|---|
| Established patient office or other outpatient visit, 30-39 minutes | 668 | 308 |
| Subsequent hospital care with moderate levelof medical decision making, if using time, at least 35 minutes | 536 | 217 |
| Subsequent hospital care with moderate levelof medical decision making, if using time, at least 50 minutes | 293 | 150 |
| Dialysis services, 4 or more physician visits per month (20 years or older) | 130 | 20 |
| Initial hospital care with moderate level of medical decision making, if using time, at least 75 minutes | 94 | 91 |
| Management using the results of remote vital sign monitoring per calendar month, first 20 minutes | 64 | 18 |
| Remote monitoring of physiologic parameters, initial supply of devices with daily recordings or programmed alerts transmission, each 30 days | 62 | 17 |
| New patient office or other outpatient visit, 45-59 minutes | 50 | 50 |
| Management using the results of remote vital sign monitoring per calendar month, each additional 20 minutes | 33 | 11 |
| Established patient office or other outpatient visit, 20-29 minutes | 32 | 30 |
Medicare fee-for-service only. CMS leaves out services billed for fewer than 11 patients. These figures describe a practice’s Medicare work; they aren’t a measure of quality.
Medicare prescriptions
| Drug | Prescriptions |
|---|---|
| Losartan Potassium Other prescribers in Nashville, TN | 166 |
| Furosemide Other prescribers in Nashville, TN | 157 |
| Allopurinol Other prescribers in Nashville, TN | 149 |
| Amlodipine Besylate Other prescribers in Nashville, TN | 107 |
| Prednisone Other prescribers in Nashville, TN | 99 |
| Carvedilol Other prescribers in Nashville, TN | 91 |
| Nifedipine Er (nifedipine) Other prescribers in Nashville, TN | 79 |
| Farxiga (dapagliflozin propanediol) Other prescribers in Nashville, TN | 71 |
| Lisinopril Other prescribers in Nashville, TN | 67 |
| Spironolactone Other prescribers in Nashville, TN | 63 |
Prescriptions filled under Medicare Part D, including refills. CMS leaves out drugs prescribed fewer than 11 times.
Payments from drug and device companies
In 2025, 6 companies reported 7 payments worth $251 in total to this clinician.
| Travere Therapeutics, Inc. | $139 |
|---|---|
| Novo Nordisk Inc | $29.93 |
| AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP | $25.27 |
| Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | $20.60 |
| Otsuka America Pharmaceutical, Inc. | $18.74 |
| Lilly USA, LLC | $17.00 |
| Food and Beverage | $249 |
|---|---|
| Education | $1.66 |
What the payments were for
| Company | What it was for | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Travere Therapeutics, Inc. Dec 11, 2025 | Education Filspari · Kidney Disease · in-kind | $1.66 |
Each payment as the company reported it, with the products it named. Meals are counted in the totals above but not listed one by one.
From CMS Open Payments. A payment is not evidence of wrongdoing; many are for consulting, teaching or meals. Clinicians can review and dispute their records with CMS.