Thomas Bat, M.D., is the founding physician of North Atlanta Primary Care and has led the practice as C.E.O. and Medical Director since 1988. Under his leadership, NAPC has grown to 15 locations in seven counties in the metro Atlanta area. Dr. Bat is also a co-founder of Southeast Primary Care Partners, and he currently serves SPCP as Chairman of the Board.
Dr. Bat received his undergraduate degree from the University of Mississippi and his medical degree from the University of Mississippi Medical Center. He completed his post-graduate training at the University of Tennessee, where he served as chief resident at St. Francis Hospital. He over sought 24 residents in an 800-bed hospital affiliated with the UT health system.
Dr. Bat is a renowned leader and pioneer in healthcare. His previous leadership roles include serving as the president of the Medical Association of Atlanta (MAA). Additionally, he served as a board member for the Georgia Medical Political Action Committee (GAMPAC), the Georgia Physicians for Accountable Care (GPAC), and the Clinically Integrated Network (CIN) founding boards at Emory Hospital and Tenet Healthcare.
Currently, Dr. Bat remains an active leader of both the American Medical Association (AMA) and the Medical Association of Georgia (MAG). He serves as a delegate to the MAG House of Delegates and as the alternative director to the MAG Board. He also serves on the WellStar Accountable Care Organizations/CIN Board. Dr. Bat has been a GAMPAC Chairman Circle’s member for over ten years, and he regularly travels to the nation’s capital to meet with our leaders on healthcare legislation.
Dr. Bat’s work with population health, quality metrics, and value-based care is the culmination of three decades of real-world experience, interacting with diverse populations, and utilizing computerized systems to analyze and identify areas for improvement. He is currently working with the state’s largest ACO in population health efforts. His belief in interconnected healthcare systems led him to be an early developer and proponent of Electronic Medical Record (EMR) systems and has dedicated extensive time and resources towards developing a state-wide HIE to give Georgia physicians and patients better access to quality health care.
As a physician, Dr. Bat focuses on treating patients’ complete health, both physical and mental. His medical interests include treating patients with multiple comorbidities, with an emphasis on caring for geriatric patients with diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular diseases.
The motto “Physician-Led and Patient-Centric” is an integral part of the culture at NAPC. Dr. Bat’s dedication to healthcare advocacy and technology advancement earned him many personal accomplishments and accolades that reflect on NAPC. Those honors include his Superior Performer award from the Medical Group Management Association (MGMA), a Nathan Davies Award for Healthcare IT from the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS), recognition by Novartis for work on hypertension and cardiovascular diseases, and acknowledgement from Pfizer for treatment of tobacco use and smoking cessation.
Dr. Bat’s passion for healthcare is more than just a job. He sees the profession as the basis for healthier communities and remains dedicated to building a foundation for healthier communities and a better America
