Dr. William T. Cockerham, M.D.
General Surgery (Surgery Physician)
- Medicare participating
At a glance
- Medical school
- University of Arkansas College of Medicine (1998)
- Years since graduation
- 28
- In the NPI registry since
- 2005
- Medicare patients seen, 2024
- 352
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
- 1998Medical school: University of Arkansas College 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
-
Surgery Physician primary
TN license MD38542 -
Specialist
TN license MD38542
As reported to the NPI registry. To confirm a license is current, check the state medical board.
Where they work
Hospitals
- Memorial Healthcare System, Inc Chattanooga, TN
- Erlanger Medical Center Chattanooga, TN
- Parkridge Medical Center Chattanooga, TN
Medical groups
- University Surgical Associates, PLLC (27 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
- 352
- Services billed
- 882
- Patients’ average age
- 74
| Service | Times | Patients |
|---|---|---|
| Established patient office or other outpatient visit, 20-29 minutes | 212 | 133 |
| Subsequent hospital care with moderate levelof medical decision making, if using time, at least 35 minutes | 71 | 35 |
| New patient office or other outpatient visit, 45-59 minutes | 69 | 69 |
| Established patient office or other outpatient visit, 30-39 minutes | 51 | 46 |
| Initial hospital care with straightforward or low-level medical decision making, if using time, at least 55 minutes | 43 | 41 |
| Removal of gallbladder using an endoscope | 29 | 29 |
| Limited ultrasound scan of 1 breast | 26 | 22 |
| Insertion of central venous tube with port (5 years or older) | 25 | 25 |
| Fluoroscopic guidance for insertion or removal of central vein access device | 25 | 25 |
| Biopsy of breast and placement of locating device using ultrasound, first growth | 24 | 22 |
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 |
|---|---|
| Oxycodone-Acetaminophen (oxycodone hcl/acetaminophen) Other prescribers in Chattanooga, TN | 87 |
| Ondansetron Hcl Other prescribers in Chattanooga, TN | 48 |
| Tramadol Hcl Other prescribers in Chattanooga, TN | 20 |
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 $630 in total to this clinician.
| Avita Medical Americas, LLC | $249 |
|---|---|
| Tela Bio, Inc. | $161 |
| Smith+nephew, Inc. | $95.34 |
| Hologic Sales and Service, LLC | $88.96 |
| Medtronic, Inc. | $17.68 |
| Olympus America Inc. | $16.87 |
| Food and Beverage | $630 |
|---|
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.
Industry-funded research
Named as a principal investigator on 1 industry-funded study in 2025, from 1 company. The companies reported $6,255 in research payments for these studies, mostly to the institutions running them.
- Safety and Efficacy Study of the Xoft Axxent eBx IORT System
Elekta, Inc.
From CMS Open Payments research payments, where companies name up to five principal investigators per payment. Research payments usually go to hospitals, universities and research sites, not to the investigator personally. A payment is not evidence of wrongdoing.